Photographs by Sandie Parrott
A monarch butterfly and sphinx moth on ‘Black Knight’ butterfly bush.Natives for butterfly host plants and caterpillar food

To provide places for butterflies to lay eggs as well as food for the emerging caterpillars, choose butterfly host plants. And remember that the caterpillars will be doing some major eating on your host plants—it’s part of the process!

Common name	Botanical name	Butterflies attracted
Aster	Aster	Pearl crescent
Cherry	Prunus	Red-spotted purple, tiger swallowtail, spring azure
Dogwood	Cornus	Spring azure
Elm	Ulmus americana	Comma, question mark, mourning cloak
False nettle	Boehmeria cylindrica	Red admiral, question mark, comma, Milbert’s tortoiseshell
Grasses, sedges	various	Alfalfa sulphur, Eastern tailed-blue
Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	Question mark, comma, hackberry butterfly, tawny emperor, mourning cloak
Highbush blueberry	Vaccinium corymbosum	Brown elfin
Leadplant	Amorpha canescens	Dogface, silver-spotted skipper
Milkweed	Asclepias	Monarch, queen
Nettle	Urtica dioica	Red admiral, question mark, comma, Milbert’s tortoiseshell
Oak	Quercus	Banded hairstreak
Paw Paw	Asimina triloba	Zebra swallowtail
Sneezeweed	Helenium autumnale	Dainty sulphur
Spicebush	Lindera benzoin	Spicebush swallowtail, tiger swallowtail
Sundial lupine	Lupinus perennis	Karner blue, silvery blue
Swamp thistle	Cirsium muticum	Painted lady
Turtlehead	Chelone glabra	Baltimore, buckeye
Vetch	Vicia	Alfalfa sulphur, Eastern tailed-blue
Violet	Viola	Great spangled fritillary, meadow fritillary
Willow	Salix	Viceroy, mourning cloak

 

Nectar-producing plants for butterfly food

To encourage butterflies to continually visit your garden, choose a variety of nectar-producing plants (for butterfly food) that produce blooming flowers throughout the season. Butterflies are most active in mid to late summer, so make sure you have plenty of flowers in bloom at that time.

	Common name	Botanical name
Spring	Black-eyed Susan	Rudbeckia hirta
	Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis
	Nodding wild onion	Allium cernuum
	Spicebush	Lindera benzoin
	Wild geranium	Geranium maculatum
Midsummer	Bee balm	Monarda didyma
	Bergamot	Monarda fistulosa
	Black-eyed Susan	Rudbeckia hirta
	Blazing star, dense	Liatris spicata
	Blazing star, rough	Liatris aspera
	Butterfly weed	Asclepias tuberosa
	Buttonbush	Cephalanthus occidentalis
	Coreopsis, tall	Coreopsis tripteris
	Dogbane	Apocynum
	Fleabane	Erigeron
	Horsemint	Monarda punctata
	Meadowsweet	Spiraea alba
	Michigan lily	Lilium michiganense
	Milkweed, common	Asclepias syriaca
	Milkweed, swamp	Asclepias incarnata
	New Jersey tea	Ceanothus americanus
	Pearly everlasting	Anaphalis margaritacea
	Sunflower, giant	Helianthus giganteus
	Swamp thistle	Cirsium muticum
	Virginia mountain mint	Pycnanthemum virginianum
	Yarrow	Achillea millefolium
Late summer	Aster, flat-topped	Aster umbellatus
	Aster, heath	Aster ericoides
	Aster, smooth	Aster laevis
	Aster, New England	Aster novae-angliae
	Beggarticks	Bidens aristosa
	Boneset	Eupatorium perfoliatum
	Goldenrod, Ohio	Solidago ohioensis
	Goldenrod, rigid	Solidago rigida
	Goldenrod, showy	Solidago speciosa
	Ironweed, tall	Vernonia gigantea
	Joe-Pye weed	Eupatorium maculatum
	Sneezeweed	Helenium autumnale
	Steeplebush	Spiraea tomentosa

 

Charts courtesy of Suzan Campbell, Conservation Associate, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, and formerly from the Belle Isle Nature Center

Milkweed is a nectar source for many butterflies and hummingbirds as well as a larval food for monarchs (the caterpillars only eat milkweed).

Photographs by Steven NikkilaRoots and branches: The connection

When a tree or shrub has roots residing in several properties, differing treatment in one section of the root zone might affect the plant’s entire crown or just one section. In some species, water moves from a given root along a certain path in the trunk to serve a particular branch. Root and branch are usually on the same side of the tree. In such “ring porous” species*, what happens to a given root affects a given branch. In other species, water follows a zig-zag or spiral pattern, so what comes from one root may serve various branches all over the crown.

This post oak lost most of its roots on one side as the hill was cut away preparatory to building a retaining wall. (Arrows mark clipped root ends.) It will almost certainly lose limbs on this side. Extra water for remaining roots, an arborist’s care, and pruning to remove dead wood are in order.

* Including American elm, arborvitae, black locust, catalpa, cherry, false cypress, hackberry, hickory, honeylocust, Kentucky coffee tree, many oaks, mulberry, persimmon, sassafras, walnut, white ash, and yellowwood.

Even large roots can regenerate. These are the roots of a dwarf weeping beech. In two places you can see where the roots grew back from cut ends after the plant was dug from the field for sale. Bury a root, kill a tree? Nope!

There’s oft-repeated advice about grade changes: Don’t put more than four inches of soil over tree roots. You’ll find it in Extension bulletins and gardening books. What you won’t find included is the basis for the advice. After much searching, I found the source and can assure you that in most cases, it doesn’t apply to what gardeners do.

The caution is based on grade changes at construction sites—large scale alteration of the entire root zone, executed with heavy equipment to spread and pack fill soil to builders’ and pavers’ specifications. By contrast, gardeners raise beds of loose soil, using a wheelbarrow and cover only portions of root systems. I’ve done it, dozens of times, and watched both the beds and trees closely, some for as many as 30 years. I’ve also interviewed professors of horticulture who have done the same in demonstration areas and we agree that loose soil over part of a root system, always kept away from the tree’s trunk, is no problem.

The same may apply to loose soil added over an entire root system. A team of University of California pathologists and Extension researchers filled over trees’ root systems with ten inches of soil in a test plot, settling that soil only with watering. In part of the field, tubing meant to bring oxygen into the soil was installed. The trees were sweet cherries, a species known to be intolerant of low soil oxygen situations. Yet “…no visible injury occurred. …no differences in plant growth, health or appearance…”

Gardener, bare that root ball!

Burlap and twine often remain intact and relatively strong for several years in-ground, repelling water and causing serious constriction to trunk and roots. Wire may persist for decades, partially or completely girdling first the flare roots and eventually the plant’s trunk. 

So remove these impediments and killers at planting time. Set the balled-and-burlapped tree or shrub in the planting hole and then remove all twine, rope, wire and burlap from at least the top half of the ball.

For more, check:

Chapter 7, “Planting” of Principles and Practice of Planting Trees and Shrubs by Gary W. Watson and E. B. Himelick, or www.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineResources/cad/resources/educ_CAD_BBTrees_View.pdf

 

Here are various species’ root fans I collected one day while transplanting, to illustrate colors, branching patterns and response to previous root pruning (branched tips). Webbed and netted around the ends of every root fan in good soil are mycorrhizal fungi—helper fungi—as much as 8,000 inches of fungal thread for every inch of root. Roots and fungi fill the soil spaces like water fills a sponge, and absorb water from the surface as readily as a sponge.

This spruce root begins a fall growth spurt, as evident in its pale, starch-thickened tip. Roots have a longer growing season than a plant’s aerial parts. They have a period of rapid expansion right after leafy growth begins in spring, and another lesser spurt in fall as leaves drop. Yet they grow all year-round, whenever the soil is above 40 degrees F and below about 85 degrees F. Thus any given root can add more length each year than a branch can. So if you want a tree or shrub to be all it can be, start by gauging the branch growth rate. If a limb extends itself 12 inches per year, plan to loosen soil and remove competition each year in a ring two- to three-feet out from the branch tips.

Photos by Steven Nikkila
Mixed borders require a bit of extra planning and work but can provide four-season interest even in a small space. These gardens combine plants from three or more of the categories: trees, shrubs, dwarf conifers, perennials, bulbs, annuals and biennials. Here in a partly shaded spot, a black spruce tree, dwarf false cypresses, and a bench provide winter interest while perennials such as variegated brunnera (front, center), golden bleeding heart (Corydalis lutea, center, yellow flowers) and painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’) cover up bulbs, team with annual begonias and provide interest in other seasons.Mixed borders: A brief history

The term “mixed border” first came into use and such beds began to be planted in the early 1900’s when gardening broke free from large estates where labor-intensive, single season beds filled spaces labeled “Spring border,” “Summer parterre,” and “Fall cutting garden.” More people were gardening on smaller properties where a single area had to have longer interest. Those gardeners wanted a little of everything but with more organization than in the old cottage garden plot. During the world wars, there were few developments. Then during the 1950’s influential writers revived the term and since then some of the best designers in the world have been fine-tuning the mixed border style.

Advantages in a good mix

Those post-war designers were intrigued by the mixed border’s potential for four-season interest, flowers, and structural plants all in a small space.

Historically, herbaceous gardens were four-month wonders dominated by annuals, and could look very sad in the off-season. Adding perennials, some with bloom seasons beginning very early and others that didn’t flower until the very end of fall, stretched that four months of color to eight. Including evergreens and woody plants with fine form could round out the year.

The mixed border style answered other needs too. Woody plants purchased large could provide significant mass, which was an immediate relief and eventual balance between the garden and background buildings or scenery. This helped to satisfy the current age’s urge for instant gratification. Promoting equal use of all plants also meant that nurseries—producers of trees and shrubs—and greenhouse operations could grow together rather than compete. Developing into garden centers and riding a 50-year wave of gardening popularity, these businesses now make it possible to buy almost anything even as they stimulate demand with displays that feature “having it all” in one garden.

Photos by Steven Nikkila
Garden center businesses have thrived on the same goals that led to the rise of mixed borders like this: We want it all, now, even in a small space. Here in a long, narrow bed along an arborvitae hedge, variegated kiwi vine, lungwort (Pulmonaria), variegated obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana ‘Variegata’), ‘Chocolate’ Joe pye (Eupatorium maculatum ‘Chocolate’), big betony (Stachys macrantha), boxwood shrubs, red-violet small-flowered clematis on a metal sculpture, and oakleaf hydrangea bushes (H. quercifolia) provide year-round interest.Mixed beds for prolonged interest

“…early and late perennials have to be included when borders are designed for extended interest, but many people prefer to augment sparse displays of these with temporary or permanent plants from other groups—such as annuals, shrubs and bulbs. They then become mixed borders rather than herbaceous borders…”

—From The Complete Book of Gardening, edited by Michael Wright

 

Horseradish Crab Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 can crabmeat, 7 ounces
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grated horseradish

Mix all ingredients. Put them in a buttered baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for just 12 to 15 minutes. Wonderful on crackers!

 

Easy Horseradish Sauce

Blend together 3/4 cup of whipping cream, whipped stiff, 3 tablespoons well-drained horseradish, and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise. This is really good on ham. 

 

Another Horseradish Sauce 

Fold in 1/2 cup applesauce and 3 tablespoons grated horseradish to 1 cup whipped cream. This is nice with roast beef and fish.

 

Apple Pie Filling

• 5 large tart apples, peeled, pared, and sliced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup white sugar & 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup freshly grated horseradish, NOT the “prepared with vinegar” type

Mix together well and put into a 9-inch piecrust. Bake about an hour at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Serve warm. The horseradish will give the pie a lovely nutty flavor. This goes especially well with sharp cheddar cheese slices.

Photos by Sandie Parrott
Click copied a tapestry in her living room for this design that has yellow accents of yellow primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana), six-sided sedum (Sedum sexangulare), and dwarf golden Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata ‘Nana Aurescens’).Introduction to picking and salvaging: Ideas from Kathy Click

by Sandie Parrott

This terra cotta upside-down planter displays a bright ‘Bonfire’ begonia. Before hanging, Click recommends planting it upright and leaving for a few weeks until the roots take hold.There aren’t many garage sales, estate sales, or items set by the curb for trash day that Kathy Click’s car does not stop at. If it’s salvageable, it’s hers. This includes plants, garden ornaments, furniture, and containers, as well as items for her home.

Her latest find is usually her personal best. For example, a crystal chandelier. “The guy was carrying it out to the curb and I stopped him,” said Click. “He said he had the rest of the crystals in the house.” Turns out it is an antique chandelier from the 1800’s with all of the crystals intact. It now graces the entrance to the hair salon where she works as an independent hairdresser. Then there was an adorable white wooden bench that is stenciled with, “Take time to smell the flowers.”

Other items on the gathered list include a patio set, coffee table, three chairs, a table, and a treasure chest she plants. She had to buy some cushions, a very small price to pay for heavy aluminum furniture. Her car may slow or stop by an item on the side of the road, but only quality salvageable items are actually taken. Asked if she ever put anything “pickable” out with the trash, she said, “Not much. I usually give it to someone before I would ever throw anything away.”

The very compact (less than 6 feet) and long-flowering clematis ‘Little Duckling.’According to Kathy, the best times to find great pickable items: “Garage sales are everywhere in the summer, but start looking on Thursday before everything is gone. Of course, search on the scheduled garbage day. It doesn’t hurt to stop and look at something interesting. A great time is when a community has a special day when residents can put anything out for pickup—drive around early in the morning or, better yet, the night before.”

She also recommends you bring a friend to help lift larger items and a vehicle big enough for all the treasures!

 

Kathy Click’s gardening tips

by Sandie Parrott

To start a new garden where there is grass, Kathy Click begins by weed-whacking the grass—actually scalping the area. She then installs black plastic edging around the perimeter. “I like it because of the nice black edge and it is easy for the garden maintenance guys. Many people hate it, but it is cheap and easy for me,” said Click.

This shady path behind the deck includes maidenhair fern, hostas ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ and ‘Striptease,’ variegated Japanese knotweed (Fallopia), pencil boxwoods (Buxus ‘Graham Blandy’), perennial geranium, and a tree form pee gee hydrangea with white ball-shaped blooms.She then layers newspapers on the scalped grass, about ten sheets thick and overlapped. On top she adds a few inches of triple shredded mulch. After only 2 or 3 weeks she digs a hole and plants though the layers. “Most people say to wait longer, but this works for me.”

She sheepishly admitted, “I really don’t fertilize much. I use Osmocote in the spring and in pots, but that’s about it.” She also uses potting soil containing fertilizer and moisture-retaining crystals in her approximately 50 pots. Her garage is heated, so some go in the garage for the winter and some are treated as houseplants. 

She “garbage-picked” (as she calls it) a compost tumbler, but doesn’t use it much. “I use it off and on. I put leaves in it, but I recently decided that I’m really going to start using it more,” she vowed. She also recommends using shredded leaves as mulch; she gets them from the crew that maintains the condo property.

 

Sandie Parrott
This is Mary’s favorite view of the garden. The willow started out as just a twig when planted in 1998. Her brother-in-law built the bridge to make it easy for her to get across the ditch with her wheelchair. “The dappled willow on the right (Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’) is beautiful in spring covered in white and pink,” Lockhart said.

Sandie Parrott
Many groups visit and linger in this circle of chairs surrounding a large fountain.

Sandie Parrott
Long, narrow flower beds dot the landscape facing back toward the house, while framed by the giant willow.

Mary has over 50 pots filled with annuals. “I love the light green color of the sweet potato vine, but it is a pain because it needs water daily,” said Lockhart.

Neat points for good health

One gardener discovers that a favorite low-mess tree in his yard is a type that has a reputation as a slob. Another plants a tree touted for neatness and finds it to be an unqualified mess. What gives?

In both cases, the “right plant, right place” axiom is probably involved. Put a plant into a site where it can grow with gusto and it may be healthy enough to rise above its bad rep. Condemn even the neatest species or variety to a site where it does not receive the amount of light it needs, gets too much or too little water, has insufficient root space, or is saddled with other handicaps, and you may indeed find yourself with a mess on your hands.

Steven Nikkila
Poplars and cottonwoods (species and hybrids in the genus Populus) grow fast, rustle cheerily in a breeze and tolerate tough conditions such as alternately wet and dry soil. Alas, they make the messy tree list on account of their seeds—which can coat the landscape with “snow” in a fruitful year—plus their tendency to shed twigs and branches that snap where weakened by fungal cankers (arrow) and boring insects. Hybrid poplars are slowly changing that reputation. Varieties are available that are seedless and resistant to the tree’s worst pests. Look for varieties that are described as sterile and pest resistant, such as ‘Noreaster,’ ‘Manitou,’ ‘Siouxland,’ and ‘Prairie Sky.’

Is seedlessness worth it? The nose may know!

Some trees that do not produce fruit or seeds are naturally sterile clones. The barrier to fruit formation may be genetic. Alternately, it may be the result of flowerlessness (golden thornless honeylocust is an example) or the inability of pollinators to work the flowers (double-flowered ornamental cherries such as ‘Kwanzan’). It’s a good idea to check the facts before you decide a sterile clone is right for you. You wouldn’t want to count on a plant for its flower color only to realize years after planting that it’s sterile by virtue of flowerlessness.

Other seedless plants are varieties from “dioecious” species—those that have separate male and female plants. In the species Ginkgo biloba, for instance, some individuals bear only flowers with fruit-producing parts. We call these females. Other individuals produce only pollen-bearing flowers. Ginkgo ‘Windover Gold’ is one of these “male” ginkgos. Ash (Fraxinus), cottonwood (Populus), box elder (Acer negundo), cork tree (Phellodendron), and mulberry (Morus) are other dioecious species found in the landscape.

If a tree you plant is sterile because it is a male plant, it is certain to up the pollen count in your area. All of the trees listed above are also wind-pollinated, meaning the pollen they produce is lightweight and airborne, rather than heavy and sticky for transport by insects. Wind-borne pollen is a potential allergen. The planting of large numbers of male trees has been cited as a factor in the increased pollen count in some cities.

Steven Nikkila
A ginkgo tree has lots of neat tendencies, including tiny, blow-away flower parts, strong wood resistant to breakage, pest resistance that makes it unlikely to lose twigs or foliage mid-season, and leaves that fall all together over a few days in autumn so it’s practical to rake up after such a tree in just one outing. Yet we can’t put the tree into the “neat” category unless we qualify it as male ginkgo. Female ginkgo trees begin to bear at 15 to 20 years and then every fall may produce prolific crops of apricot-sized fruits (pictured) that smell like dog excrement.

Evergreens aren’t

Steven Nikkila
Evergreens do lose old foliage. Some species lose old needles dramatically, all at once over a few weeks each fall. When a person suddenly notices their pine shedding, it can be alarming—but it’s natural and the once-a-year clean-up may be better for some gardeners than continual sweeping under a spruce, juniper, or yew.Evergreen species do shed leaves and needles. We consider pine, spruce, yew, juniper, rhododendron, boxwood, and others to be evergreen because they rarely shed all their foliage at once.

Some evergreens shed their oldest foliage once a year—arborvitae and pine are notable examples. Those who suddenly take notice of the fall needle drop may even be alarmed. Others such as spruce, yew, and boxwood shed continually. If you are looking for an evergreen that will overhang a walkway you wish to be clear of debris, it may be better to select a species that sheds once a year, for limited clean up.

Shine even in shade
Although these perform best in sun or part shade, in the shade they still manage to please:

• Chinese spicebush
• Dwarf white pine
• Fragrant honeysuckle
• Laceleaf red elder
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Panicle hydrangea
• Spring witchhazel
• Ural false spirea
• Ward’s yew

Notable spring flowers: Showy before summer solstice

• Chinese spicebush
• Chokeberry
• Fragrant honeysuckle
• Koreanspice viburnum
• Laceleaf red elder
• Quince
• Sargent viburnum
• Slender deutzia
• Snowmound spirea
• Spring witchhazel

Summer pick-me-ups: Blooms in late June and later

• Blue mist spirea
• Bottlebrush buckeye
• Dwarf spirea
• Kalm St. John’s wort
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Panicle hydrangea
• Seven-son flower
• Summersweet
• Ural false spirea

Fragrant
• Blue mist spirea
• Fragrant honeysuckle
• Koreanspice viburnum
• Laceleaf red elder
• Seven-son flower
• Spring witchhazel
• Summersweet

Great fall color

• Chinese spicebush
• Chokeberry
• Sargent viburnum
• Spring witchhazel
• Virginia sweetspire

Bait for birds and butterflies

• Bottlebrush buckeye
• Chokeberry
• Laceleaf red elder
• Quince
• Snowmound spirea
• Summersweet
• Ural false spirea

Winter interest

• Bird’s nest spruce
• Blue star juniper
• Chinese spicebush
• Chokeberry
• Dwarf white pine
• Goldthread falsecypress
• Hinoki falsecypress
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Panicle hydrangea
• Seven-son flower
• Variegated redtwig dogwood
• Ward’s yew
• Weeping hemlock

Effective screen or hedge

• Barberry (larger varieties)
• Chinese spicebush
• Chokeberry
• Dwarf spirea
• Dwarf white pine
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Quince
• Snowmound spirea
• Ward’s yew

Color from fruit

• Beautyberry
• Chokeberry
• Laceleaf red elder
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Sargent viburnum
• Seven-son flower
• Ward’s yew

Colorful foliage in summer

• Barberry
• Blue mist spirea
• Blue star juniper
• Dwarf spirea
• Goldthread falsecypress
• Variegated redtwig dogwood

Long-lived without pruning

• Barberry
• Bird’s nest spruce
• Blue star juniper
• Chinese spicebush
• Chokeberry
• Creeping cotoneaster
• Dwarf white pine
• Goldthread falsecypress
• Hinoki falsecypress
• Leatherleaf viburnum
• Sargent viburnum
• Seven-son flower
• Spring witchhazel
• Summersweet
• Ward’s yew
• Weeping hemlock

Hardiest
All the shrubs grow well in USDA hardiness zone 5. These can go north into zone 4:

• Barberry
• Bird’s nest spruce
• Blue star juniper
• Bottlebrush buckeye
• Chokeberry
• Dwarf spirea (to zone 3)
• Dwarf white pine
• Fragrant honeysuckle
• Kalm St. John’s wort
• Laceleaf red elder
• Onondaga viburnum (to zone 3)
• Panicle hydrangea (to zone 3)
• Slender deutzia
• Snowmound spirea (to zone 3)
• Spring witchhazel
• Summersweet
• Ural false spirea (to zone 3)
• Variegated redtwig dogwood
• Ward’s yew
• Weeping hemlock

Sandie Parrott
This is her berm garden with an entrance to her habitat area and frog pond. On the left side, there is a redbud ‘Lavender Twist’ and a white variegated willow (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’). In the front center is the daylily ‘Corky’ for an old family dog. On the right side are blue oat grass, a red carpet rose, and the Asiatic lily ‘Linda.’Sandie Parrott
A restful area with a wooden swing hides behind this mature climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris).Sandie Parrott
The bright blue urn, hand-decorated orange pot, and the varied textures and colors of plant leaves show off this corner of the garden.Linda Carson’s garden tips

by Sandie Parrott

The special things Linda Carson does to make her garden grow and bloom happily:

Water – The lawn sprinklers do the main watering, although hoses come out in dry spells and a watering can is always nearby for pots and special plants.

Soil – Disposed plant material goes back in the garden. It is composted, chipped, and used as mulch, or cut up and left in the garden. She rarely buys mulch and never buys soil. She either uses compost or borrows from another area that she is digging up. Her soil used to be sand or clay, but with all the compost and mulch over the years, it is all good soil now.

Fertilizer – Her favorite brand is Espoma. She uses their Rose-tone for not only roses, but clematis also.

Compost tea – Carson makes her own compost tea using a KIS (Keep It Simple) kit from www.simplici-tea.com. She buys their compost so she knows it has all the correct ingredients. She claims she treats with tea, “Depending on her mood, schedule and the weather.” She emphasizes that once the tea is made it shouldn’t be allowed to sit.

Pests – For animals, they have to live trap raccoons and rabbits. She said the rabbits like to eat her rose canes. She doesn’t really have a problem with regular insect pests; she uses no chemicals and just tries to hose them off.

Clematis – At first she had trouble growing them. She learned to plant them one to two inches lower than the original pot line and to use rose fertilizer. They are planted within beds so their roots are always shaded and cool.

Heavy hauling and carrying – Husband Cliff does the heavy stuff even though he isn’t really into gardening. He is into old cars and has a 1969 Corvette Stingray. And yes, she found a hosta named ‘Clifford’s Stingray’!

Sandie Parrott
A praying angel statue centers the Family Memorial Garden, surrounded by hostas, tulips, crocus, iris, and coleus, all named after members of her family that have passed away.

Al Cooper’s pond and koi keeping tips

by Sandie Parrott

Sandie Parrott
Cooper added this classic white arbor last summer as well as another path.Al Cooper has kept a dozen koi in his 10- by 14-foot by 3-foot deep pond, fed by a waterfall, for almost ten years. Two of the koi have names: Nemo, named by granddaughter Kylie because it is orange, and Shamu, a large fat fish named by Al. Some of the fish have reached 12 inches while two are babies that replaced two snatched by a raccoon. 

If you are thinking of keeping koi, Al recommends you read and study several sources before buying your first one. Here are a few of his tips.

Al fattens up the koi at the end of summer to prepare them for hibernation using a high protein hard pellet by Pond Ten.

“I use two air bubblers during the winter to keep the pond from freezing and I don’t feed them from November or December (whenever temperatures go below 50 degrees) to April while they hibernate.” If the pond freezes over in extreme cold, he adds, “You must make a hole in the ice or the fish will die.”

“When temperatures reach 50 degrees, usually in April, I start feeding the koi with a small (easily digestible) spring feed.”

Al uses Tetra food for regular feeding during the summer.

“The rule of thumb is to feed them all they can consume in five minutes. I extend this up to ten minutes because the fat fish, Shamu, can eat half of the food.” Shamu is almost taking food from his hand; maybe this year. Feeding them too much is dangerous because their waste can overload the biological filter, causing an ammonia spike that can hurt or kill koi. They can also become obese and suffer related health problems.

Sandie Parrott
Hostas, daylilies, perennial geraniums and much more grace this rock garden anchored with a large bird feeder.“I turn the waterfall off during feeding so the food is easy to get. It floats on the surface and it’s easier for my two smaller koi to feed without the turbulence of the water.” 

“I clean (back flush) the skimmer in the pond every two to three days depending on the temperature and how the pond looks.” He emphasizes the importance of keeping the water clean with no green algae.

Al explains about the biological filters, “On July 4th every year—so it is easy to remember when I did it—I clean the bio filters for the waterfall. I actually only clean two of the filters and leave one dirty to allow helpful bacteria to remain.” He rotates the filters so he can remember which ones were cleaned.

Two koi were taken by raccoons, but Al hasn’t started using netting yet. That will be the next step.

 

Cheryl Cooper’s
super easy rhubarb crisp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4-5 cups chopped rhubarb, you can add fresh raspberries if you like
1 cup sugar
3 T. flour

Combine and put in a greased (vegetable shortening) 9 x 13 pan.

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup old-fashioned (not quick cooking) rolled oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening

Cut butter and shortening into brown sugar, oats, and flour mixture to form crumbs. Sprinkle on the top of the rhubarb mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes until lightly browned. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping. Serves 10-12 people.