May Garden Wrap-Up
Just a Little Homestead Update Before June Arrives
Bees & Birds
Since neither of our hives made it to this side of winter, we have mourned them and sanitized the boxes for another try. May our second year of beekeeping bring better success. Starting a month earlier with bees than we did last year, at any rate, and they’ve wasted no time in finding all the local pollen. We’ve had the new nuc of bees for 8 days now, but I haven’t been able to get a good photo of them yet. So enjoy this shot of one of our honeybees from last year, complete with pollen pants:
We are that family who get excited about decorating for Christmas, then neglect to remove the decorations until months later. I’m sure our neighbors have been either amused or annoyed by the giant shiny bulbs strung from the bare magnolia tree and the “star shine” red & green spotlight on the house front that we’ve left out until the snow melts. Our Christmas tree has been a Valentine tree in more than one year, finally making its way back to the basement storage by March. So it’s only fitting that birds would build a nest in the Christmas wreath left hanging on the front porch past Easter. And lay 5 eggs in it by late April. They chose well; the thick velvet ribbons completely hide the nest. Except from nosy humans.
It’s been fascinating, though, keeping a close watch on the babies. The last fledgling is ready to leave now. I thought the parents would dive bomb or at least flap at us as we came and went through the front door, but they’ve just accepted us as part of their chosen real estate.
Orchard Pests
Hey farmer, farmer put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees
Please — Joni Mitchell
Our little mini orchard, or backyard fruit guild, includes 1 apple tree, 1 pear, 1 peach, 1 cherry, & 2 paw paw. The apple tree is playing host to some type of leafroller bug. Besides plucking them off by hand, does anyone have organically friendly, chemical-free suggestions for helping out the apple tree? We do figure on losing some percentage of our crops to other creatures, but this tree’s apples were delicious last year and we’re hoping for more. Don’t want the tree to get too stressed.
Potash Update
So Phillip burned our pile of branches, mostly hardwood, and I scooped a “goodly amount” around the tomato plants. Just as Mr. Harry Dodson advised. (Potash discussed in this recent post)
So far, so good. It rained soon after the potash was applied, so the tomato plants had nice soluble potassium. They’ve grown well and strong this week. Is it due in part to the potash? I have no idea.
On to June…
Here in the U.S., it’s almost Memorial Day weekend, which is also the unofficial start of summer in the Midwest. Soon school will be out, construction season will slow all traffic, and we’ll get to enjoy warm sunshine for a few months. We’ll have strawberries in the next few weeks, plant corn, and harvest peas.
I hope this finds you well and your garden in leaf and bloom. For my U.S. friends, is Memorial Day the start of the summer season for you? Do you spend it gardening, picnicking, or watching a parade? Do you have other traditions to start your summer?
I’ll be visiting family cemetery plots to give them a good Spring cleaning, along with my mom, grandma, & at least some of the kids. It’s something we’ve done the past several years, a few hours of reverence for those gone before. And though it’s a holiday to honor our military dead, this little tradition provides an opportunity to hear stories about those on the home front & farms, too. I’ll be thinking of them as I tend our little victory garden.
I love to hear from other gardeners and plant lovers! Reply to this email or leave a comment— let’s be garden friends!
—Erin, in Michigan
I’ve been catching up on some of your older posts and enjoying every word! Thank you for sharing the intel about potash 😊 I was reluctant to put our wood ashes on the garden soil, but now that I’m feeling informed, I’m going to start sprinkling it on the beds I’ve chosen for next summer’s tomatoes!