Dirt-y Secrets: Welcome to the beautiful, busy garden season

By Ranel Hanson
Reader Columnist

“I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May.” — Smokey Robinson

If you are a gardener this month, you are busy. Planting, watering, fertilizing, mowing and weeding — then doing it all again. And what a lovely way to soak up that sunshine.

The soil is nice and warm and you can safely plant even the tenderest of flowers and vegetables. But pay attention to the weather forecast and keep plant coverings handy, because it has been known to freeze every month.

Insects are hatching now. That means bees, butterflies, moths, spiders and, yes, mosquitos are proliferating. They are all a part of our ecosystem and pollinate all of our ornamental and food crops. Except for mosquitos — they don’t pollinate. But, they do provide food for birds, fish, reptiles and other species. Still, they are a nuisance and nobody wants to invite more. 

Mosquitos need to lay their eggs in water, so be sure to empty water-collecting containers and keep sources of standing water emptied. You’ll still have mosquitos, but not quite as many.  

As for bees, they are busy, busy. My Mason bees have hatched and gone right to work. They appreciate the dandelions that I left for them before the trees and flowers were in full bloom. You may remember that I tried an experiment last year. Instead of emptying the nest tubes and storing them in the fridge, I left them in their nest tubes in the little bee houses outdoors. It worked, I think. 

I’m not entirely sure, because some of the bees I see may be wild and appropriated the house. But I saw that most of the filled tubes had emptied. I reasoned that wild bees survive without a refrigerator during winter vacation and I was right! 

Speaking of dandelions, after other plants are blossoming for the bees, I dig them out, burn them out and mow them down. I try to get them before they have seed heads so that their dominion is thwarted. Failing that, I admire their spunk and their beauty.  

All of our native birds are in prime nesting time. The swallows, sparrows, finches, robins, hummingbirds, chickadees, crows, nuthatches, and even the osprey and eagles are laying eggs and watching over them as they wait to see them hatch and then fledge. 

Their real work begins when those hungry chicks hatch and demand food constantly. Cue the mosquitos. And it helps all birds to have a bird bath or other freshwater source. Empty and clean it often. All of the birds really help to manage insect pests. 

Monarch butterflies need milkweed — and only milkweed — for their caterpillars to eat. They lay their eggs there and, when the babies hatch, they are sitting right on their first meal. 

Monarchs migrate huge distances and we are not in their flight path, but if some stray our way, it is good to have milkweed for them to find. And (bonus) all the varieties of milkweed have pretty little flowers that return every spring.  

Another word about weed killers: Glyphosate is the culprit here and it is the main ingredient in many weed killers, Roundup being the best known — and no wonder. Advertisements feature lush, green, weed-free lawns and flower beds with nary a weed, and stacks of Roundup appear in the aisles of every hardware store. 

However, here is the rub: Roundup stays in the soil for at least six months. In that time, birds eat the insects that contain the glyphosate and it negatively affects their health and the health of their chicks. When it migrates to the water, fish are also harmed. You can imagine that it is bad for our health as well. Very bad. It has been implicated in many diseases in humans.

There are safe alternatives, though. Vinegar mixed with dish soap and Epsom salt is very effective, as well as elbow grease and a trowel or other specialized weed-pulling tool.

If you have purchased or planted pots and hanging baskets, they will flourish if you keep them watered and fertilized often. Hanging baskets in particular need regular fertilizer because the nutrients in the soil wash right out. Doing so weekly works best and a liquid fertilizer is most effective. I use fish emulsion in baskets and pots, and organic granular in flower and vegetable beds. 

Our town looks so beautiful right now with the flowering trees lining the streets. Pause and be grateful that we live here.