Pretty pairing

When I gaze at the vast array of flora in spring and summer gardens, my brain starts spinning, making mental notes about various plant sizes, shapes, growing habits, and colors.  I can't help calculating, assessing, touching and smelling the flowers and foliage.  My mind darts like that little ball in a pinball machine, touching off ideas, lighting up with infinite plant-pairing possibilities.

This most pleasurable of games really gears up in mid-May, when so many plants come into their own.  My favorite pairing of the past three years or so, has been the Tiarella cordifolia (foamflower) and fern combination (left).  The Tiarella has lovely ivy-esque foliage and frothy white blossoms that seems to float above the intricately patterned ferns for an effect that's tremendously pleasing.  Since these plants thrive in shade, it's a great choice for under trees. 

As I wander garden paths, perusing this season's offerings, I've come across a lot of dynamic duos.  Here's what I've discovered:

The A's have got it going on:  Amsonia hubrichtii (Blue Star--in front) and Azalea are a winning combination.  I especially like the gentle baby-blue blossoms paired with a bright punch of color, like this magenta azalea, shown below:

A pop of color, like this crimson Papaver--the poppy--always catches the eye, but framing it in a field of wild geraniums (Geranium maculatum) with deep purple blooms really adds the wow factor:

Gorgeous groundcover groupings are as varied as imagination allows.  Here's a marriage made in horticultural heaven (in my humble opinion):  Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) and pachysandra terminalis.  Looking down, it appears that the pachysandra is actually budding from the convallaria!  The scent and dainty appearance of the bell-shaped flowers only adds to the overall charm:

Hope this inspires readers to mix and match in their own gardens.  Here's an idea: for instant gratification, add bright, colorful annuals into your perennial beds.  The pairing possibilities are endless!

To bee or not to bee

I know I've written a lot about the honeybee population, but it's the only way I know of to shine a spotlight on the problem--they're disappearing!  I don't want to be an alarmist, but I must admit, my heart races at the latest "diminishing honeybee" reports: bee hives down 42% in the past decade.  And new research indicates that bees are dying at an alarming rate in warm-weather months.  We all know that the winter stresses the bees out (let's face it, it's tough on all of us, so we can relate, right?), but their demise during the spring and summer is distressing.  It's the time that these industrious little creatures should be at the top of their game, thriving, and making honey.

As we all know, this is not a new problem.  It's been about a decade or so since entomologists started really focusing on the issue.  I recall a lively debate in class, with a professor detailing the emerging bee decline back in 2008.  In 2009, reports seemed to suggest that the problem was an anomaly, and the bee population was making a healthy resurgence.  But just as we were taking a collective sigh of relief, the trend dipped downward once again...and stayed that way.

Why should we care?  The answer is obvious: Do we like to eat?  If so, we have to ensure the bees have a place in this world.  According to a CBS News report, which aired this past Sunday, May 17th, one in three bites of food we place in our mouths is pollinated by honeybees.  We've reached a critical point in this issue, and we can't just wait for others to take action.  Our government is launching a 15-million-dollar study into the causes, but I sure as heck don't want to wait for bureaucrats to determine what's best for me.  I plan to learn all I can about these dying bees--and take action.

As anyone following this blog knows, my research has highlighted a number of potential culprits in bee decline:  parasites (see my blog post from June 9th, 2014), human takeover of bee habitats, and pesticide use.  We may or may not be able to prevent parasites, but we certainly can do our part not to spread infected bees around, and to make our homes welcoming to these tiny winged warriors.  Do I even need to harp on the reasons we shouldn't be using pesticides?  As my many posts from the past have pointed out, pesticides KILL.  And their continued use, in my humble opinion, will kill us all eventually. 

As for the parasites, main culprits seem to be Varroa mites (see my post from  July 15th, 2014).  Ironically, the use of bee skeps, those charming roped domes used by Colonial farmers,  may be causing diseased bees to spread around our neighborhoods.  I just discovered that bee skeps are illegal!  First of all, the skeps--the bees' homes--have to be destroyed in order to extract the honey.  Take away a bee home and food source and what do you get?  Dead bees.  Additionally, all beekeepers in the U.S. are required to keep honeybees in a hive with frames that can be removed for inspection.  The law, set up by the USDA, helps control mite infestation.  It's also more humane because you can take a portion of the honey without destroying the bees.

That's not to say we can't do our part to encourage bees into our yards.  As my previous posts, mentioned above, detail, we can incorporate bees into our daily lives by setting up hospitable places in our yards (they especially like hollowed-out trees, so think twice about chopping down that dead hickory on the edge of your property).  And for goodness sake, don't swat at a curious bee flitting around you!  It's not evil incarnate, ready to do battle with the Big Bad Human.  It may be attracted to the red shirt or yellow dress you're wearing, thinking there may just be a juicy flower attached to you.  It may confuse the soda can emanating sugar vibes with the sweet nectar it seeks.  Harsh movements only confuse and frighten bees.  Sit still, let it figure you out, and then it will be on its way.  Remember, stinging is a bee's defense mechanism.  If it doesn't have to defend itself, it won't attack you.

As for pesticide use, let's all make a vow to cut it out.  For good.  I understand the reasoning behind the need to buy that bottle of bug-killer.  We spend untold hours trying to coax plants from the soil, and to see our efforts destroyed by the little buggers is dismaying.  How bad could one little bottle be?  But if every person across the nation thought this way, there'd be (and are!) millions of bottles out there, spewing toxins into the air, and coating the surface of our planet in life-killing solutions.   It's senseless when there are many effective all-natural ways to rid yourselves of mites and bugs that feast on our garden greens.  And they're easier than ever to get  (see my beneficial bug post from April 28th, 2014).  In fact, I'm planning on placing my ladybug and nematode order with Amazon today.  Let's encourage critters who feed on foliage-foragers into our green spaces, and the problem will be solved for good!

An evolving attitude about bee decline seems to involve bee practices themselves.  The growing sentiment is that many beekeepers are becoming greedy.  Just like that slave-driving boss who overworks and underpays employees, many beekeepers appear to be driving the honey-making business into the ground.  A number of environmentalists are now focusing on this aspect of colony collapse in the bee world.  Modern apiculture has turned hives into big business, treating them like chemical factories--with pest strips hanging inside hives, and doses of tetracycline showered over them to keep mites away.  Worker bees seem to have become weary and despondent over these developments.  Like anyone who is taken advantage of, they reach a breaking point--a time when it's easier to go elsewhere.  Sadly, when the honeybees take off, they leave their unborn young abandoned.

The good news, according to master beekeeper Ross Conrad, author of the wildly popular Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture (Chelsea Green Publishing), when we start treating the bees sweetly, they'll return the favor--and stay with us.  "Success comes from treating bees organically, by emulating nature," says Conrad.

A new method of beekeeping creating a buzz: Flow Hive, created by a family from Australia, with a hive design that keeps the bees undisturbed as they go about their business.  Extracting the honey is as easy as turning on a faucet, which takes the work out of harvesting.  The revolutionary idea took off on the crowdsourcing site, Indiegogo in March, raising $5.6 million.   Co-inventor Cedar Anderson warns that owners still need to know what they're doing, and inspections are mandatory for ensuring that the bees in their hives are healthy.  Anyone interested in starting a hive should link up with local beekeeping groups to learn how to properly care for bees.

Hop to it: attracting frogs to your pond

It's been a weird May in upstate New York.  I don't mean this in a negative way...or a positive one, either.  It's weird in a...well, a weird way.  The winter was a brutally cold one, followed by a much-warmer-than-expected Spring.  In fact, according to New York City's Channel 7 meteorologist Lee Goldberg (my favorite weather reporter), temperatures topped the 80-degree mark eight out of the fourteen days we've had so far.  Highly unusual.  Stranger still, are the unpredictable dips in mercury every now and again.  For instance, last night, temps took a nose dive, not halting the freefall until hitting the 36-degree mark. 

Could this be the reason that I have no frogs in my pond yet this season?  If memory serves (incidentally, I'm not guaranteeing that it does, mind you), I can usually count on a croak or two around the 'ole watering hole by mid-May.  I know for a fact that the tree frogs are finicky about temperature, because TWO nights ago they struck up a surprise concert in the canopy of tree limbs overhanging the pond.  Of course it was 63-degrees then.  Transpose the numbers, and the frog-frolicking abruptly ended.  And even though today was lovely--in the mid-sixties--the tree-peepers are making themselves scarce.

And I've not seen a hint of terrestrial frogs or their equally shy cousins, the toads.  Warm temps don't seem to tempt them pond-side.  It's almost as if they know that the milder-than-normal afternoons are a ruse to expose their vulnerabilities.  But, whether they're clever or cautious, I don't know.  My research has turned up nothing on the subject. 

Since we can't control the weather, it's best to address the things we CAN do to get the critters into our yards:

1.  Curve appeal:  Never dig a pond that has straight edges, because it's less attractive to the very amphibians you're trying to attract. Round and kidney-shaped ponds provide extra hiding places and areas for other organisms (like patches of floating algae, AKA frog candy) necessary for the pond environment to flourish. You'll also want to make sure at least one side of your pond slopes so that it's easily accessible.  Frogs need ready access to terra firma and the water world, and they have a hard time climbing straight up a wall from deeper water.

2.  Create a stage:  Like all living things, frogs place their wants and needs on center stage.  Help them out by creating a place where they get to play the starring roles.  Try adding some rocks to the water so that they can do some climbing if they like. Plants, such as water lilies, ferns, hostas, and cattails, make great additions to your pond's edges, because they'll provide shade, add beauty, and naturally filter the water. You may even want to turn some pots on their side, and bury them partially around the edges so the frogs can hide or seek shade when it gets too hot.

3.  Be patient:  Stick with the "If you build it, they will come" philosophy, and never add frogs to your pond. If you take a frog from its natural habitat or a pet store and add it to your pond, you can create several problems. The frog may not be prepared to handle the environment, which can lead to death. Or, the environment may not be ready to handle the frog, and if they multiply, they can cause disease that can affect the area's ecosystem. If you are having trouble attracting frogs, contact your state's wildlife division and ask for information on the types of frogs that are native to your area. Find out what they like to eat or what type of conditions they prefer.  Proper research should result in "hoppy" critters, who are looking to make your home theirs too.

You must remember this: KISS

My high school English teacher used to reference this acrostic saying when teaching solid writing behavior: KISS, which stands for "Keep It Simple, Silly."  It's a phrase I always try to adhere to when writing, but of course it can apply to so many areas of life.  In the gardening world, KISS is a vital component of the best looking outdoor spaces.

It seems like an easy concept, but I have a hard time "keeping it simple" when I hit up the local nurseries.  Let's face it, there's SO MUCH to choose from: flowering plants and bulbs of all shapes and sizes, multitudes of shrubs and trees up for grabs, groundcovers, grasses, endless hard-scaping options...how's a landscaping addict such as myself to choose?  I want to try everything!

Last fall, I bought 15 antique concrete urns and planters.  The thought of filling them all with lush plantings kept me going through the cold winter months.  As the winter holidays gave way to raging snowstorms, I perused my garden catalogues, trying to decide which colorful, exotic plantings would look best.  I changed my mind a dozen times, then threw up my hands in despair.  How was I going to select the right things when there was so much on offer?

As Spring approached, I purposely put all thoughts of urn-filling out of my head, and focused on the hard work of getting the garden in shape.  Anyone who has been following this blog has accompanied me as I dredged up old leaves, trimmed back hedges, eradicated moss and cut down trees.  Now, for the fun stuff.  It's nearly Mother's Day, the magical moment for planting all those tender annuals.  I looked at my empty concrete planters, my heart racing with possibilities.

But a bed of tulips and daffodils distracted me. I looked around.  The magnolia and forsythia was just giving way to purple red bud blooms, white bottlebrush flowers on the fothergilla, and the crimson buds of the Japanese maple.  Soon, the bright red poppies would be in bloom, then the iris, the peonies, and daylilies.  I'd recently planted three new rose bushes as well.  Glancing all around, I realized that there was so much "going on" in my garden.  Every corner my gaze rested on was either filled with blooming color or the promise of it.  All at once, I knew exactly what I needed to put in my prized, ornate planters:  greenery!!!

So I headed to the local nursery, and bypassed all the exotic beauties which tried to beckon me to their aisles with their breath-taking colors.  With a wistful sigh, I purchased six humble arborvitae bushes, ten modest asparagus ferns, and three mini spruce trees.  It wasn't until I actually placed them in their respective planters that I sighed with relief and pleasure.  That song from the movie, Casablanca, played in my mind:

You must remember this, a KISS is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by...

Simple, beautiful design never goes out of style.