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
On March 16, a series of three monthly talks on native plants begins on Zoom Webinar. Sign up for one or more Evenings with Experts, sponsored by the nonprofit Grow Native Massachusetts. As always, this series is free and open to all. Talks from past years are also available on the group’s website, www.grownativemass.org
Fall color of blueberry bush We’ll be doing some important work this month for those of you with blueberries (lowbush and highbush) in the landscape. These plants fruit best in a soil that is acidic, yet require Calcium to produce well! A bit of a conundrum that we often solve by testing the soil and…
Deer Browse One item you may need to consider is winter deer protection. A few years ago we learned that in fall and winter, the enzymes in a deer’s stomach change so the animal can digest woody plants and evergreens in particular! With ever more deer per square mile in our region, deer fencing is…
Priscilla’s Garden To-Do List for November into December Clean up debris in the vegetable garden promptly to reduce hiding places for insect pests and diseases Cut back perennials that have no wildlife value (i.e. hostas, daylilies, Shasta daisy, catmint, lady’s mantle, etc), remembering to leave basal rosettes of foxgloves, heucheras, and hollyhocks to generate new…
Many questions have come in about pruning roses in fall. I’m not in favor of this action, since we don’t know what kind of winter lies ahead. Canes are often damaged in severe weather, and a cut made now won’t fully heal. There is the potential for further damage. Long, floppy vegetative canes won’t bloom…
Reese has serviced our leaf shredder to make this annual chore go faster and to produce a small, evenly sized product. Shredded leaves are perfect for mulching garden beds that are planted closely, especially woodland gardens. Please contact Kimberly for an estimate, <kimberly@pumpkinbrookorganicgardening.com> as we’ll be rolling this service out soon!
Please be extra careful and check yourself, children and pets after walking or playing outdoors this month! Leaves are dropping early and coating the ground. Ticks prefer to hide in this type of moist, enclosed environment. Our tick and mosquito spray program using essential oils can help, so now is the time to sign up…
In October, we aim to finish all fall planting and transplanting by the end of the month. With warm soil temperatures, this is an ideal time to plant or transplant, as roots will readily establish given cooler nights and (hopefully) more frequent rain. We’ll wait until leaves are about to drop before transplanting shrubs and…
The following alert was prepared by staff at the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA): Above normal temperatures in July and August, and months of below normal precipitation led Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides to declare all of the state to be in a “Significant Drought- Level 2”. NRWA water monitoring staff and volunteers are…