Monthly Archives: June 2012

Monarda in the Front Garden

Lovely Stand of Monarda in the Front Garden

I don’t know whether the early spring pruning, the lovely June rains or the mild winter made a difference this year but my monarda (bee balm) are more beautiful than ever.

It might even be the result of early spraying for powdery mildew with a “milk shake”;  the information I found on this natural disease control did indicate that the  naturally occurring salts and amino acids in milk are taken up by the sprayed plants and besides killing the powdery mildew spores can have a secondary effect as a foliar fertilizer.

I’ll be pruning the monarda back hard next week to encourage a second bloom; come by if you are in the ‘hood before I do so–I’ve got the monarda blooming all through the garden–even in the shade.

They’re baaaack!

I was sitting enjoying the birdlife from my front porch Thursday afternoon when I glanced at my side garden.  Not more than 5 feet away was a stunningly gorgeous young buck (fuzz still on his antlers) browsing on a rose bush in the side yard.

So much for congratulating myself on having prevented our local deer herd from coming into my gardens.  I’ve built walls with branch deadfalls, changed up my paths with gravel and sharp rocks, and planted herbs and fuzzy plants on the deer approaches.  I watched this young buck avoid all these paths, and walk through a stand of mock orange that runs the length of my woodland garden.

So if you smell the horrid rotting stench of Liquid Fence or Garlic wafting through the ‘hood….bear with me….I’m trying to save your hostas and mine.

He was back again this morning at 6am.