Flowers In May And Beyond

It’s May – and that means it’s the time of year when gardeners will delight as their long-planted bulbs bloom, and everyone is awed by nature’s spectacular wildflower displays. May flowers are truly a joy when they appear, but there are ways you can stretch the abundance of blooms through the summer months.

If you are seeing your bulbs bloom now, then you have spring (or hardy) bulbs. Tulips, hyacinth, and daffodils are all spring bulbs. These bulbs are planted in the fall, overwinter in your garden, and need that cold period to complete their growth cycle. But there’s another type of bulb – the summer (or tender) bulb. These bulbs don’t like cold temperatures at all and need to be planted well after a last frost date. Summer bulbs include gladioli, dahlias, and lilies. It is an easy transition from one type of bloom to the other, if you follow these few basic steps at this time of year:

• Deadhead your spring-blooming bulbs but leave the foliage intact.

• While deadheading, examine your plants carefully for insect activity. Pest insects enjoy May flowers as much as we do, and you don’t want to introduce them to your next batch of flowers.

• Separate and remove any bulbs that did not thrive.

• Dig up and store any bulbs that need to be kept cool through the summer.

• Keep an eye out for any soil-dwelling pests as you dig into the dirt.

• Plant your summer bulbs amongst your spring ones.

• Summer bulbs do well in containers and look lovely on a front step or porch when in bloom.

This article is a wealth of information on bulbs and is laid out in a very easy-to-read format.

Nature rewards us in spring with wildflowers. Almost anywhere you go at this time of year, you’ll find some. Here in southern Arizona, we have been tickling summer temperatures for a while now, so our wildflower season is well behind us. But we do have reliable May blooms in the form of saguaro flowers (which is also our state flower). These gorgeous white blooms appear in jaunty clusters on the tops of the saguaros and/or the ends of their arms. Along with the flowery show comes the companion animal of the saguaro, the White-Winged Dove. This pretty little bird migrates to Mexico through the winter and early spring months and then returns to the Sonoran Desert just in time to enjoy the saguaro flowers (and subsequent fruit). This cactus and bird are a perfect example of mutualism in nature, where on species depends on another. I wrote a blog on the dove-saguaro relationship, if you want to know a little more.

Desert ecosystems notwithstanding, some of nature’s greatest flower shows are found deep in the forest. It is there, thriving in undisturbed organic material and undiluted by mankind, that you can find truly authentic wildflowers. Some of these beauties only appear for a short time and are known as “spring ephemerals”. If you are lucky enough to have a forest that you can get to in May, I recommend you do so this month. You won’t be disappointed. Here is more on spring ephemerals and forest wildflowers in the Saranac Lake region of New York, but these types of flowers can be found many other places as well.

Whether you live in the woods, at the beach, or on the prairie, you can find flowers growing around you in May. Even in the biggest of cities, keep an eye out and you’ll see them alongside raucous highways or along a neighbor’s fence line. Granted, some people may call these weeds, but they are also wildflowers. If you don’t want to go looking for wildflowers, or you want specific varieties, you can easily plant your own. There are a great many seeds available commercially that will sprout and bloom quickly so that you can enjoy wildflowers all summer long. According to this article, when planting wildflowers the most important thing is to plant them on prepared, bare ground. If you are unsure as to what will work best for you, here are some glorious suggestions. Of course, it goes without saying that the best choice would be whichever wildflowers are native to your area. 

There is one more flower that comes in May that I’d like to address: Mother’s Day flowers. Millions of women across America will be receiving some form of flower gift this coming weekend. Unfortunately, most will be dead by the next week. This article has some thorough guidelines, including type-specific care, while this floral company gives four simple steps.

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night – 

Rainier Maria Rilke

Happy May!

Submitted by Pam             

Preparing To Plant? First, Pick The Right Soil.

As we move through winter and eye the upcoming spring, gardeners everywhere are preparing to plant. But before decisions are made as to where and what to plant, it is important to pick the right soil to plant in. Dirt is not just dirt. Potting soil, topsoil, native soil and garden soil are all different and each has unique and specific properties that make them suitable for different types of growing. Additionally, what you are planning to grow in the soil can color what type of soil you should use.

Types of soil

All soils contain three components: clay, sand and silt. The percentages of each of these can vary widely according to geographical regions and mixes in bags. The first step to knowing what type of soil is optimal for you,  is to determine where and how you are growing. This will help determine whether you need soil that is more of one component than another.

Are you planting in pots? Resist the temptation to use just any soil mix. Soil formulated for container growing provides enough drainage and aeration to allow healthy root growth, whereas denser soils may lead to compaction and water retention. Our recommendations for potting soil are Tank’s Pro Coco-Soil Potting Mix, Tank's House Plant Potting Mix, and Rainbows & Unicorns Aroid Potting Mix.

Considering a raised bed? You’ll want something a little “heavier” than a potting mix, with a bit more organic matter. Blending potting mix with another pre-mixed soil blend at around a 50/50 ratio should yield close to what you need. Depending on what you’re planning to grow, you may want to tinker with that ratio to meet your plants’ needs. Take a look at our Prococo Coconut Coir Products; you may find just what you want in one of the three formulations.

Should you use topsoil or garden soil? Topsoil is more of a general landscaping tool and can be used for filling out and leveling or conditioning native soil. It should not be used for new plantings. Garden soils are pre-mixed blends that contain added nutrients and other organic matter. Garden soil can be used when planting, but is only intended for in-ground use. For more on the differences and how to choose between them, check out this article.

Do you want to cultivate a garden plot? You’ve already got the native soil in place. But chances are your native soil will need some help to properly support what you’d like to grow. Your first step to figuring this out is to determine  what your native soil consists of, Home Depot suggests doing a “feel test” as follows:
• Moisten a tablespoon of soil and roll it into a small ball.
• If the soil pack together and is moldable, your soil contains clay.
• If you can form a 2-3” ribbon with your ball of soil, you have a very high clay content.
• If the ribbon falls apart or feels gritty, you have a mix of clay and sand.
• If the soil ball will not hold together regardless of how much water you add, and it feels a little gritty, it’s sandy soil.
Once you know what you have, you'll have a better idea of how to get to where you need to be soil-wise.

 

Yep, that's a bear cub.

Plants can grow in many different  soils, but the trick is to know which ones grow best in what. You can plan your garden by what the soil will support, or build the soil that can handle what you prefer to grow. Succulents, for instance, need good drainage, while flowers prefer lighter soils. How you approach what you cultivate is not important as long as you get to the right soil choice.

In the coming weeks, we will go through the steps to getting the soil ready to plant as we test for pH and add soil amendments.

Submitted by Pam (with Sterling)

When You Know The Water's Coming

Water, water, water everywhere – this has been the reality for millions of people this year. If you are one of those affected, the consequences can be devastating. Hopefully, as you are reading this you have moved passed the drying out and cleaning up phase and are ready to assess what’s next. Because there will be a ‘next” and it will bring more water your way. Climate change is real and one of the undeniable effects it has on real people is that storms are bigger and more destructive than ever. As we work our way through autumn and into winter, it is a good time to determine what you can do before spring rain (or perhaps an unseasonable snowmelt) arrives. Preparing your home and family for even minor flooding encompasses a long list of variables (here is a flooding preparedness checklist from the Red Cross), but preparing your lawn or garden is something that need not be overwhelming. Many of these things you can even do in stages, to reduce time and money spent.

Swale and Berm landscaping

Runoff rundown: The objective here is for you to be able to determine where the water will go when it comes. Swales and berms are landscaping techniques that have been used since ancient times to direct water. Swales are depressions in the earth that hold water. They are often used in conjunction with dams, cisterns and other water catchment systems. Where swales are dips, berms are rises – they are raised beds or hills that move the water down into swales and/or other preferred drainage areas. French drains are another method that can be used to channel water. Simply put, they are sloping trenches lined with stones that has a pipe leading water away (here is a video on how they work). These are used extensively here in Southern Arizona, where our rain comes fast and furious Their name, by the way, has nothing to do with a country in Europe; it comes from Henry French, who wrote about them in 1859. While you are considering runoff, look at your rain spouts; redirecting their flow can be done relatively easily with great results (here are some wondrous examples). If you have them empty into rain barrels or a cistern, the water you don’t want in your yard can be stored and used later on your terms.when it comes.

Anacortes, WA by Joe Mahl

Soaking it up: As an extension of some of the ideas above, you may want to look into better drainage around the hard surfaces in your yard (patios, driveways, etc.). You can always create drainage alongside these areas, but a better (albeit more costly) solution would be to change out concrete or asphalt for gravel, rock, brick or permeable paving materials. Loosely apply these materials so that water can slip right through and into the ground. You will have less water in your yard and be doing your part to recharge ground water.

Rain garden

Planting with purpose: Before planting anything in your newly flood-proofed yard, make sure you’ve got your soil right. Why? Because, that’s always the first step in planting. And (if you read my blog last week you already know this) soil that has been flooded will most likely need to be amended to bring it an optimal condition. Well-structured soils are able to absorb and drain well, with sandy soils being able to drain better than clay-like soil. If you are more committed to a flood-busting landscape than you are to a particular look, it would pay to seek out those plants that like the sandy stuff. Likewise, if you feel that you will still have standing water at some point, pick plants that are tolerant to wet roots. Additional ways to improve your chances of success are planting native plants, diversifying the plant species you choose and aggressively cleaning and clearing out any area or thing that can dam up or hold water. Still unsure what plants will work for you? Here are some ideas to get you moving down that path.

Embrace the rain: Instead of trying to create a garden that can handle excess water, why not just go all in and plant a rain garden? A rain garden is similar to a swale in that it is on a downslope or depression and meant to catch water, but these gardens are filled with decorative plants, while swales are meant simply as water catchment systems. Determine how much and for how long water will be in your garden and pick plants that will flourish in those conditions (here are some plants that can handle extended submersion). If you are dealing with sea spray and/or salt water, be particularly careful to choose plants that can literally stand up to those elements. Let your imagination fly and create a beautiful garden in what would have been an area of standing water.

Preparing for a natural disaster and praying it won’t happen seems to be the sensible way to roll these days. It is widely accepted that certain steps can and should be taken to lessen the effect of wildfire on property, flooding should be viewed in the same way.

Submitted by Pam

In a Garden of April Fools

An Evil Eye Tree - native to Cappadocia, Nevsehir, Turkey

Ah, Spring! – a time for love, bountiful blossom displays and,inevitably, April Fools’ Day. This quasi-holiday has traditional roots in Old World Europe but is now celebrated in places as far-flung as India and Brazil. Although the exact reason for pranking on April 1st have been blurred by history, many possible origin stories point to celebrations of the Vernal Equinox and end-of-winter festivities as far back as the Celts and Romans. Spring planting traditions come into play at this time of year and many people believe that April Fools’ Day speaks to the foolishness of planting in the unpredictable weather of early spring.

Which ones are the Lichops?

A surprising number of pranks and hoaxes have grown out of the gardening and botanical worlds over the years. Perhaps, in part, because there are many plants who are tricksters in their own right. Take the Lithops, for example: Also known as “Living Stones”, these southern African succulents have evolved to look like just another rock in the ground (a “no need to look here” for any herbivore searching for lunch). Then there are the Fooled You Peppers: These fascinating little green gems have the look and flavor of jalapeños without any of the heat. This is a wonderful thing for people like me who cannot handle the heat. I also think there is a juicy prank in here somewhere (like: I’ll bet you I can eat 15 of these jalapeños without stopping” kind of thing). Here is an article from the Smithsonian with more interesting prankster plants and here is a link to my blog from last October about strange plants (who are also mostly fakers).

1957 Spaghetti Harvest in Ticino, Switzerland

As I mentioned before, plants and gardening seem to find their way into April Fools’ pranks quite a bit. One famous example is the 1957 BBC presentation of “Spaghetti - Harvest in Ticino”. In this bit, their news program, Panorama, “reported” on the bumper crop of spaghetti that grew from spaghetti trees due to mild spring weather. A well-known war correspondent narrated the piece with the utmost gravitas, giving it extra credibility. Many people were fooled, of course, and some even tried to book holidays to go see the crop for themselves. This is a perfect example of how something that is clearly absurd can be said with enough sincerity that people will believe it.

Beautiful Maple Trees

In 2005, another legitimate news source, NPR (National Public Radio) perpetrated its own tree-related hoax. As heard on their program All Things Considered, they claimed that Maple trees in New England were exploding and causing serious injuries and even death. According to this fanciful report, the trees were exploding due to a decrease in maple sugar consumption, which meant that the trees were not being tapped and had built up sugar pressure. Apparently, this this hoax has stuck around; here is an article where they are still trying to debunk the myth in 2015. Hear the NPR program here. 

It seems like people these days are willing to believe anything can be hybridized; go on the internet and you can find hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of fantastical hybridized living things. While there are amazing hybrids, the pinana is not one of them. This banana-pineapple hybrid was the 2009 April Fools prank of the British supermarket chain Waitrose. Although it’s not a real fruit hybrid, I think they should get on this and create it for real – it sounds delicious.

Google has even got into the garden hoax business with their 2017 “announcement” of a smart device for your yard – the Google Garden Gnome. The video is really funny – it almost makes me wish this were real.

I have not participated in any April Fools’ pranks since my brother and I decided it was a good idea to interchange the sugar and salt on our kitchen table. Soon after our father sat down for his morning coffee we discovered that it was a really bad idea. That said, after all these years I am willing to present my own botanical hoax, albeit in a halfhearted way - I am going to see if anyone wants to bite on the Evil Eye Tree that I posted at the top of this blog. Would there be someone out there who believes that it really grows evil eye amulets?

If you are an unrepentant prank-puller, here are some ideas for you. I hope that you can find something fun and new to do, but do so cautiously - not everyone will think they are as funny as you do!

Submitted by Pam

Soil Amendments: When You Know Your Soil Needs Something….

The time is rapidly approaching when gardeners have to ask what it’s going to take to build the spring garden they want. Before you can grow plants, you need to grow the soil. There is almost always something that can be done to optimize the soil early in the season for your raised beds, garden plots or container plants. In order to do that, you need to take a good look at what your soil is like before planting. Some good questions to ask are:

• Is it compacted? 
• Is it too acidic or alkaline? 
• Does it have all the nutrients my plants need 
• Has it become hydrophobic? 
• Have I introduced beneficial microorganisms to help me along the way?

All of these are valid questions and should be part of your pre-planting checklist. If you need it, you can find the answers to or help with these questions right in your area. Ask at a local county extension office run by the Department of Agriculture, a Master Gardener (also part of the national extension program), universities and colleges, local gardening clubs or neighborhood nurseries. The expertise of people growing right where you are (especially those prolific ones!) can’t be overestimated.

Another option is a simple soil test. We offer several do-it-yourself options as well as a soil analysis done by professionals. Test kits will take the guesswork out of the soil analysis problem and ease the minds of all but the most worrisome of gardeners.

Once you have an idea of where your soil’s at quality-wise, you’ll know how to proceed. If you don’t need much added to get where you want, it might be time to look at soil amendments instead of fertilizer mixes (which make a stronger punch). There are lots and lots and lots of soil amendments to choose from, here are some popularly used and proven options:
Compost – a great all-round addition to soil. It will revitalize depleted soil by adding organic matter and microbes, which in turn will speed up the decomposition of other organic matter and encourage microbial life to flourish in the amended soil. Our ARBICO Organics™ Compost Plus is also high in nitrogen, if that is what you are looking for.
Humic Acid – The benefits of Humic Acid are very similar to that of compost. The liquid form of Humic Acid, however can be easier to use than compost, especially when working in a small area and for indoor and container plants. The liquid will also get to the roots quicker than compost.
Earthworm Castings – This is an old-time favorite for good reason. Castings are full of the micronutrients and trace minerals that your soil craves. They also breakdown slowly for long-term benefits (and fewer applications) and reduced risk of nutrient burn. While castings do their work in the soil, they are improving the soil structure, which reduces transplant shock and helps to buffer pH. Earthworm Castings contain chitinase, which is a natural compound that helps the plants fight soil-dwelling diseases and pests. 

Bosco verticale, Milan, Italy. Photo by Chris Barablis

Kelp Meal – It’s all about the nutrition when it comes to Kelp Meal. Bursting with amino acids, vitamins and trace minerals, it feeds the soil well to get it healthy. This well-fed soil welcomes organic matter and microbial life and is much better at retaining water.
Minerals – Many people go straight to a mineral to get minerals for their soil. Azomite and Soft Rock Phosphate fall into this category. They are packed with minerals that leach into the soil over time to provide dynamic and long-lasting benefits. In the case of Andesite, your garden may even get an electrical charge!

The bottom line is that nearly any soil (even balcony soil) can use a little amending and with the affordability of most amendments, why not give one a try? Since soil amendments generally work well with others, you can even try a combination.

Submitted by Pam & Sterling