Get out and enjoy all the bloom in your garden Finish editing any spreading perennials Keep up with weeding, especially weeds with seedheads Finish mulching beds, or ideally plant spreading groundcover or short perennials to reduce quantity of mulch needed Finish planting by month’s end when the hot weather begins Deadhead peony, iris, roses, and…
Recently, we happened upon an almost-new electric mower/weed whacker combo and decided to purchase it. The mower will be powerful enough to “mow and shred” leaves on a flat lawn surface. These leaves can then be reused on your site as mulch for garden beds, thereby closing the loop right at home! We can also stockpile large piles…
If so, check out this handy guide offered by the Xerces Society. There is a wonderful drawing showing how to create a habitat for stem-nesting native bees by cutting perennial stalks to various heights in spring. Find the handout here: https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/nesting-overwintering-habitat
Sometimes nature comes a little too close when there is disturbed ground. One of the common invaders is Japanese knotweed. This shrubby plant in the knotweed or buckwheat family was imported in the late 1800s as an ornamental curiosity and became a rampant escapee in our area. You may have seen it lining roadsides or stream banks. It spreads…