gardening isn't for wimps

The 90 plus temperatures didn't deter these two master gardeners from showing up to work with our Thursday volunteers to help impose law and order into the perennial borders along the top of the Sunken Gardens. This is such a lovely spot, and it needs a lot of help! Many thanks to Cornell Extension Master Gardener Coordinator Karen Klingenberger for putting out the APB to all the master gardeners. Thank you for taking an interest in this project, we really appreciate your help!

The Passionflower is Blooming

I'd love to tell you to come see it in the Library - but each bloom seems to last less than a day. When one opens the news travels fast here and we all go look - they are fascinating, very complex. It's got lots of buds, worth a trip just in case...

Thanks to member and Library volunteer Tina Szostak for donating the plant to the library.

an evening in the garden

The first soiree of the season was held in this tranquil garden. It was a perfect evening and helped me appreciate even more the role the passage of time plays in a garden. If you missed this one, make sure to come to our next soiree here at the castle on June 24th 6:30-8pm. It's a lovely way to enjoy the magic hours at the end of the day.

Bee Swarm Season is Here

From RCGC Professional Member and beekeeper Pat Bono:

During the next several weeks, honey bee colonies will be expanding and sending out swarms - groups of bees with a queen. Swarms can form from colonies in trees, barns, houses or managed hives. Before leaving the parent hive, the bees gorge on honey in preparation for their trip to find a new home. This makes it difficult for them to sting.

Swarms usually collect on a branch or some other spot and stay for a few hours to a few days before moving on. Local beekeepers are looking for swarms to collect, and will do this for free. Captured swarms are used to replace bees lost during the winter.

If you see a bee swarm, please contact a beekeeper right away. Please do not spray the swarm, as it sickens and damages the bees, making them useless for pollination and honey-making.

There are many internet sites with lists of local beekeepers waiting for swarm calls.

Pat Bono
Seaway Trail Honey, PO Box 25291, Rochester, NY 14625, 585-820-6619
RochesterBeeSwarms@gmail.com

a bulletproof boxwood

The front of my house is a cottage garden and for years I've been fantasizing about putting boxwoods in it, but haven't because of the site-a hot sunny western exposure and frigid winds from the lake almost guarantee winter burn and that awful orangey yellow color they get from too much exposure.

But, I think there's hope in sight. This fall I planted 'north star'; a boxwood introduced by Proven Winners that is reported to withstand tough conditions. As an experiment, I planted one in a container and four out in the front garden. At the end of winter, there was a very slight yellowing on the new growth that quickly grew out, and the foliage was rich and dark green. 'North Star' has a mature height of 3'-a good size for a small garden. If you're looking around for a bulletproof boxwood, this one is a winner!

Go Native!

In planning your gardens and plantings for the season, please consider some of the wonderful native plants that you may find at your local nurseries. There are ones for every garden location and type. Whether you like flowers, butterfly attracting plants, or interesting foliage, there is a native plant perfect for you.

And if you are already a native plant devotee, you might be interested in an article I wrote for another blog. It is my own answer to a "native plant smackdown." I hope you enjoy!

-kim

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County recently awarded Jerry Kral the 2010 Excellence in Horticulture Award for the Greater Rochester Region. Jerry was honored for his volunteer work with The Eastman House, Rochester Civic Garden Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension and his work with many plant societies. It is certainly a well deserved award, Congratulations Jerry!