How’s Your Garden?

BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN

BIRDS FOR PEST CONTROL

Although they are annoying when they pick at my figs, blueberries and tomatoes, truth is that we generally have enough fruit to share with the birds, or we cover the berries with netting. I have come to the conclusion that I would rather have a garden with birds than without. They help us contain the caterpillars, and we enjoy their songs and antics! Between the birds and the beneficial insects, most caterpillar outbreaks disappear quickly. I am especially grateful during the cool months, for greens and broccoli are crops that can be quickly ruined by cabbageworms and armyworms. We are happy to see the bluebirds and cardinals perching and hunting in our garden through the winter. However, the greatest spring and summer source of caterpillars for many of our native birds are those that we never see – way up in the canopy of our native trees. That’s why it’s a good idea to have some big oaks and other native trees in the yard. Watching a pair of bluebirds come and go as they feed their chicks is great entertainment. So keeping some bird houses clean and in good shape along with some water for the birds pretty much keeps several families or year-round residents close enough for year-round pest control.

OLD-FASHIONED SCENTS

The sweet, clove-like spicy fragrance of old-fashioned pinks is a treat from the past. At one time, this perennial was easy to find in garden centers, but not as much today. Plants go in and out of style just like fashion, but in our garden it’s a classic. Thankfully, pinks can live for years in a sunny spot with good drainage. This plant forms a lovely mat of nearly evergreen foliage that looks good in the garden year-round. Ours is ‘Bath’s Pink’, but here are many cultivars with leaves that range from green to silvery, depending on the selection. One of the hallmarks of pinks is fringed petals, and of course the fragrance. ‘Bath’s Pink’ (Dianthus gratianopolitanus), which was named after Georgia grower Jane Bath, has single pink flowers with a darker pink inner ring. To care for pinks, shear off the flowering stems after they finish blooming, along with any dead portions of the plant, and about a third of the foliage. As a clump spreads, you can divide it every third or fourth year to freshen it and share pieces with friends. Look for starts of pinks at your favorite nursery, mail-order source or a friend’s garden! Stems root as they grow along the top of the ground, so pieces are easy to dig and separate from the mother plant.

Last spring our mustard greens were a handsome sight as the yellow flowers appeared and then developed ripe seed. During summer sparrows and other small, seed-eating birds feasted on the thousands of seeds for several weeks. After the seed heads were stripped of their seeds, I composted what was left of the plants. Later that summer, a new crop of mustard volunteered from seeds that had dropped to the ground in the bed and path. It was a small job to pull the ones in the path with one good harvest last fall. Those in the bed were left to continue produce several harvests through winter and spring so that now we have a freezer full of easy, self-seeded greens. The idea of a self-perpetuating mustard patch sounds pretty good, so I am letting it repeat this year, too. The plants that reseed may be too close together in some places, and farther apart in others, so a little thinning and perhaps transplanting may be in order, depending on how fastidious one chooses to be.

Mustard Green bloom

PLANT SOME SINGLE ZINNIAS, TOO

The fanciest, fullest zinnia blossoms are prized for their beauty as cut flowers to bring indoors, but if you want to attract the most butterflies, bees and birds to the garden, choose the simple ones with only one or two rows of petals. Usually called ‘single’ or ‘semi-double,’ their flat-topped blossoms provide a resting spot and easier access for insects and birds to reach the pollen and nectar offered by the flower. Some birds also feed on small beetles and other insects that are more visible on the simple blossom. Goldfinches like flat-topped zinnias as they are often seen tearing off flower petals to reach the developing seed meats at the base of the flower. Fancy full-flowered cultivars far outnumber the single-flowered types, but here are names of some singles to look for: ‘Forecast’, ‘Old Mexico’, ‘Peruvian zinnia’, ‘Pinwheel’ and ‘Zahara’. State Fair is a mix that includes some singles, too. Save seeds from single types in your garden and keep selecting each year.

Butterflies and pollinators like the flat-topped zinnias best

SOFT TIES FOR TOMATO PLANTS

Tomato stems are easy to bruise when tying, so it helps to use a soft, stretchy tie. Pantyhose are soft, stretchy and easy to cut. You can use old ones, or buy inexpensive ones at a dollar store. Simply cut into strips and use them to attach wayward stems to trellis, stake or cage. They work to shore up fruit-laden peppers and eggplant branches to a support, too.

APRIL IS NATIONAL GARDENING MONTH

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