P. Allen Smith's
NATURALLY Spring 2019
The Buzz on
BEEKEEPING Caring for
POLLINATORS 1
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Hello, Spring! Spring has arrived and summer is quickly approaching, which means the garden is vibrant and thriving. The hard work of early spring has paid off and we are rewarded with the bounty of the season.
This year, a big focus of mine has been creating a garden that supports our pollinators. Reviving the health of bees, butterflies, birds and other species is so important to our planet, and even the smallest effort makes a difference. These incredible insects and animals are responsible for every 1 out of 3 bites of food we take, and many species are in dramatic decline.
Creating habitats for these threatened pollinators is critical, so with this issue I want to show you all the ways you can make a difference and create gardens that welcome the species that support life on this planet. I hope you are inspired to encourage others to do so as well.
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P. Allen Smith's
NATURALLY PUBLISHER
P. Allen Smith EDITOR
Melissa Tucker DESIGNER
Katherine Laughlin SOCIAL MEDIA
Hannah Thomas PHOTOGRAPHERS
Beth Hall Mark Fonville Jason Masters Steven Veach STYLIST
Lori Wenger
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table of contents
Caring for Pollinators 6
Beekeeping 12
Attracting Butterflies 20
Best Blooms 28
Allen's Calendar 36
Spotify Playlist 42
CONTACT For advertising inquiries, email cfreeman@pallensmith.com For editorial and general feedback, email hthomas@pallensmith.com
CARING FOR
POLLIN 6
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N AT O R S 7
Many home gardeners and those in the agriculture industry know we have a pollinator problem on our hands. We need pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and birds, to enjoy some of our favorite fruits, vegetables and flowers. However, some threats to pollinators include, habitat loss, pollution, the introduction of non-native animals and plants, and climate change. And while we may not be able to address all of these, activities like beekeeping, planting native species and increasing habitat can provide relief to these helpful garden assistants.
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In an effort to help these vital gardening assistants, I have joined with First Community Bank for the “Bloom with Us” project which will install 20 pollinator gardens in the bank’s locations across Arkansas and Missouri. Daylilies, Salvia, Russian Sage, Coneflowers, Foxgloves, and Lantana are a few of the spring and summer bloomers you will find in our pollinator gardens. Stop by one of our bank locations to learn more!
russian sage
daylily
salvia
coneflower foxglove
lantana
Not only are these gardens a beautification of First Community Bank’s neighborhoods, but a living classroom offering the entire community the opportunity to learn.
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in partnership with
first community bank
Summer Blooming Perennials: Pollinator Plants For more in formation on how you can suppor t pollinators in your world, check out my BLOOM W I T H US YouTube channel.
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THE BUZZ ABOUT
BEEKEEPING 13
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you know that the past decade hasn’t been good for honey bees. In fact, their populations have hit all-time lows. But the bee colonies in many American backyards are on the rise! Urban beekeeping is the fastest growing segment of the industry; flourishing as consumers realize the health benefits of locally sourced honey.
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Beekeeping is a topic that can be covered in an entire
Even if your neighbors are excited about your honey
book, but here are the basics on how to get started.
bees don’t place the hive right up next to the property line. A trick I learned from my bee-tsar is to place
Make conservation your priority and honey the sweet
hives in front of a fence or hedge. When faced with a
reward. One third of every bite you eat was produced
barrier bees will fly straight up, which will put them
with the help of honey bees. It takes 1.6 million colonies
above head height should they decided to stray into
to pollinate a California almond crop. Commercial
your neighbor’s yard.
farmers actually lease honey bees to pollinate their fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, there are no
Your local bee club is a gold mine when it comes to bee
longer enough honey bees to meet the demand. As an
type selection. Not only will members know which bees
urban beekeeper you can help bolster low populations.
thrive best in your area, but you will be able to find a local source as well. Get your bees locally if you can
You don’t need a lot of space to keep bees, but the area
because they are best adapted to your climate, seasons
where you place your hives should be warm and dry.
and plants. If they have been living generation after
Bees love the sun and they love it warm so find a sunny
generation in your area they are primed to survive in
spot. I like to face my hives toward the south because
that environment. If you can’t get them locally there
this is what they tend to do in the wild. Moisture is a
are companies that will supply bees and queens.
real problem for bees, you want to keep the hive dry. Don’t place the hive at the bottom of a hill where moist air might collect.
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I raise Italian bees, which are excellent for long summer climates but if you live in an area with short summers you need bees that don’t require a lot of food, won’t grow too fast and overwinter well such as carniolans. Whether local or mail order you need to purchase your bees in winter for spring delivery. Honey bee producers run out quickly. Starter colonies come as packages (queen and bees), nucs (queen, bees and frames loaded with brood, honey and pollen) and swarms (queen and bees collected from the wild). In addition to the bees you’ll need some equipment. Hives consist of a top cover and inner cover, supers, a hive body, frame and foundation and a stand. You’ll also need a smoker, hive tool, helmet and veil and gloves. Beekeeping is not hard to start nor is it a huge time commitment, but you will never stop learning. I think that is a characteristic that makes it so appealing.
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Keeping Bees at Home Safely
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“To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.” — Emily Dickinson
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AT TRACTING
BUTTERFLIES 21
DIY Butterfly Puddles: Butterfly Habitat
Watching butterflies in the garden is such a joy! They really bring a landscape to life as they flutter from flower to flower. It doesn’t require a lot of work to attract them to your garden either. And what’s good for the butterflies adds beauty to our gardens. Butterflies need nectar sources. They use a straw-like structure called a proboscis to extract nectar from the flowers. Be sure to arrange your garden so that something is in bloom throughout the growing season and especially in late summer when butterflies are most active. Including some of their favorite annuals will ensure a steady supply of nectar.
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There is an extensive list of butterfly-attracting plants. Some of my favorite perennials are: Aster (Aster species)
Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia species)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
Sunflower (Helianthus species)
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Sedum (Sedum species)
Daylily (Hemerocallis species)
Yarrow (Achillea species)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus species)
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grab a friend and come to a
LUNCH TO UR
book tickets Moss Mountain Farm in roland, arkansas
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Spicy
thai peanut rice view recipe
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SunPatiens at Moss Mountain Farm
BEST BLOOM FOR YOUR BUCK HIG H-P OW E R E D S UP E R F LOW E R S TO PL A NT T H IS S UM M E R Dream with me for a moment and let’s design the perfect flower for the garden. Here’s my checklist.
It’s low-maintenance.
It doesn’t mind unbearable summer heat.
It requires no deadheading.
It is STUNNING.
It’s forgiving if you’re not regular about watering.
The blooms last weeks and weeks.
It’s reliable.
It’s not shy about filling out containers or beds.
Is that everything? You may think a flower with all of these qualities is asking too much, but they do exist, and I believe they are the best value on the market. Here’s the top dream flowers I go back to season after season.
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SunPatiensr: Grow like the pros In this variety, the long-admired impatiens flower leaves the shady nest and learns to love the sun! This is truly my dream flower. It grows fast, fills up any space beautifully, and the blooms last longer than the Energizer bunny. They have a durable root system, heat-tolerance and are downy mildew-resistant, all of which makes them unstoppable. Whether you’re filling one pot or landscaping for a business, SunPatiens are an easy and economical choice. They are so low-maintenance, even a child could tend to them. They are truly the most frustration-free flowers I’ve ever planted, and I return to them year after year.
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SunPatiens: Never Fail Annual
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SuperrCalr Petunias: Fills and spills This hybrid combines the best qualities of a petunia and a calibrachoa into one flower, which means you get the large blooms of a petunia and the vibrant color of a calibrachoa. In addition, the SuperCal is created to be more tolerant of both heat and cold temperatures and is one of the most low-maintenance selections you’ll find. They grow 10 to 14 inches tall but spread out 12 to 18 inches and are available in a wide array of colors. Deadheading is never necessary. This perfect porch flower will make you look like a gardening expert with hardly any effort. 31
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” — Claude Monet
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Shown Above: 'Sarah Bernhardt' Peony 33
l a rg e st g row e r o f day l i l i e s , p 34
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s ho p n ow
p e o n i e s , a n d i r i s i n t h e wo r l d 35
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ALLEN'S MAY CALENDAR In my garden every season has its peak and May is definitely the best month of spring. The roses are in full bloom, cool season vegetables such a lettuce, broccoli and peas are ready to harvest, and there’s not a pest or disease in sight. I try to make my garden to do list as long as possible so I can spend every day working outside.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Allen's Lunch & Learn Peony Secrets
MMF Lunch Tour
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Cinco de Mayo 5
Mother's Day
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Deadhead rhododendron blooms.
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Fertilize and deadhead your repeat blooming roses.
19 Change the color of your old-fashioned hydrangea blooms.
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13 Welcome toads to your garden by offering them a source of water and a place to stay.
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Repot houseplants that have outgrown their accommodations.
14 To help your garden mums maintain a more compact form, pinch them back after they are 6 to 8 inches tall.
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Memorial Day 27
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Enclose your veggie garden with a rabbit proof fence.
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Allen's Lunch & Learn Herb & Flower Combos
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22 Sow the seeds of summer annuals such as cosmos, celosia, sunflowers and globe amaranth.
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Plant or transport Evergreen magnolias.
SATURDAY
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Allen's Lunch & Learn Pollinator Secrets
4 Wrap tomato seedling stems with aluminum foil to deter cutworms.
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11 Speaking at Linton Enchanted Gardens in Elkhart, IN
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18 Fertilize your warm season lawn grass.
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Allen's Lunch & Learn Demystify Hydrangeas
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Tree House at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs
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COME FIND YOUR ARKANSAS
arkansas.com/garvangardens
Join
P. Allen Smith
at
Linton's Enchanted Gardens May 18, 2019
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T L I N T O N S . C O M
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Photographer: Kayla Barker
plan your wedding, rehearsal dinner or bridal photography at p. allen smith's private garden home retreat
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Click here to listen.
1. ARCHIPELAGO Andrew Bird 2. NIGHTSHADE The Lumineers 3. HUMMINGBIRD Traveller 4.
DON'T YA TELL HENRY The Band, Bob Dylan, Dan Gellert
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I FOUND YOU Alabama Shakes
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LET THE MYSTERY BE Iris DeMent
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RED IS THE ROSE The High Kings
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EVERY TIME THE SUN COMES UP Sharon Van Etten
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POSSUM QUEEN Rainbow Kitten Surprise
10. PAST LIVES Born 11. GRAVECLOTHES Birdtalker 12. LITTLE BIRDS Levon Helms 13. SWINGIN PARTY Lorde 14. HOTEL PARTIES Futurebirds
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B. ALlen Smith
Bee Allen Smith is busy buzzing about the farm, gathering nectar from bloom to bloom. He couldn’t BEE happier that spring is finally here! Buzz on over to my new playlist for latest videos on pollinator plants and habitats.
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