HUMMINGBIRDS

A few tips to help attract these fascinating birds to our garden:

• The color of the flower is more attractive to these small birds, as opposed to fragrance, which does not attract them
• The color red is most appealing, however, other colors, such as white and pink, are attractive
• A few of the plants that are attractive to Hummingbirds include Coral Bells, Trumpet Creeper, Fuchsia, Cardinal Flower and Pineapple Sage
• One of the most recommended to plant to attract these birds is Bee Balm (Monarda)
• Be sure not to use pesticides in the garden as this may keep the hummingbirds from visiting
• Hummingbirds are native to the western hemisphere and are territorial

NATURE AND VITALITY

The paper “Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature” (R.M. Ryan et al. 2010) looks at the positive impact of being outdoors and in natural settings.  It is known that outdoor natural settings impact wellness for individuals.  The paper supports the previous research on the positive and restorative effects of nature.  It is often the particular setting in which nature is an important reason why the outdoor environment is vitalizing.  We often choose to vacation in nature (the seashore or mountains) and may even decide to live for a year round nature experience.

SUMMER READING

I just subscribed to Heirloom Gardener magazine.  It is a great summer read, offering suggestions for more of the ‘old fashioned’ vegetable plants.  There are some fun  articles on what and how people are using these older varieties of plants to achieve better tasting produce.   The web site is interesting and worth bookmarking.   http://rareseeds.com/magazine/

TRANSPLANTING

The summer is not the best time to be transplanting plants.  However, if you need to separate those perennials or want to give a fellow gardener one of the plants from your garden, you may want to use Wilt-Pruf.  It is an all natural spray that coats the plant to stop them from transpiring.  It can also be used to prevent moisture loss due to drought and wind.

TOMATOES

We are experimenting with over 25 varieties of tomatoes this summer in the HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) Garden at Faith Presbyterian Church.  Many are heirloom varieties, such as Viva Italia, Prudence Purple, Black Zebra, Lemon Boy, Mortgage Lender and Snow White.  The tomatoes are being grown for the needy and donated for local shelters.

DRIP IRRIGATION

Providing water directly to the plants is the goal. When installing an irrigation system, consider using drip irrigation.  With drip irrigation, the water goes to the plant and does not run off into the gutter.  It is also cost saving because you do not water things that do not need to be watered.  The system works best with plants (lawns may require other means of irrigation.)  The current online issue of This Old House has a good article on drip irrigation.  www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,1088902,00.html?xid=grnewsletter-110706-drip-irrigation

“But thought an old man, I am but a young gardener.” – Thomas Jefferson

Happy summer gardening!