Photo of native honeysuckle by Katheryn Laible
Garden Delights
Ahhhh, June! The peonies have passed and the honeysuckle has continued to flourish. I am now enjoying the movements of the spiderwort, while eagerly watching butterfly weed slowly bloom and blackberries ripen. Next, will come the echinacea and joe pye weed, as well as native hydrangea and hibuscus, followed after by ironweed, asters, goldenrod and other autumn blooms…
What’s blooming? Ripening blackberries, butterflyweed and spiderwort…
Time to Trim the Goldenrod and Asters!
I can’t say for sure which of my many asters have returned yet this year, but I am certainly tending to all them! From now until roughly the 4th of July is the perfect time to significantly cut back fall bloomers such as Agastache, Asters, Eupatorium/Eutrochium, Goldenrod, Helianthus, Heliopsis, Rudbeckia, Solidago, and more…
You can cut them to about 1/3 of their size. Then they’ll be bushier and less likely to be falling all over themselves come autumn!
There are more detailed, professional instructions (and a whole lot more great LI gardening guidance) on Facebook, courtesy of Dropseed Native Landscapes, which is currently offering a 15% off potted plant sale in honor of National Pollinator Week!
Just about time to cut these babies down to size!
Pretty Poison: Flowers to Pick
Much of what volunteers in the garden these days is invasive ornamental. That tenactity, after all, is a big part of what makes them invasive! The nice part is, some of them are very pretty and very fun to pick. Do get the roots! Be mindful that some plants — like the Porcelain Berry, have wicked root systems and may require other methods to make sure you’re removing and not just multiplying.
They may be pretty, but they’re also problems….Borage, Deptford pink dianthus, lady’s thumb and moth mullein…not all are officially labelled as “invasive,” but I can tell you I have trouble getting rid of these and others. Grateful to those who help me sort it all out.
Building Community
Whether trying to figure out what must go, or what I should plant, I am super grateful to folks at the Northport Native Garden Initiative, Long Island Native Plant Gardening Group, and Re-Wild Long Island which are FANTASTIC resources filled with great people. Find them and much, much more in our Native Garden and Ecolandscaping Resources.
Knows other great resources? Let me know and we’ll add them to the list!
