This is the first time I have written “News and Notes from the Garden” since The Garden Gate closed in Oct 2016. I began writing the monthly newsletter in 2000, so this seems like “coming home”. I have continued to garden, and to connect with other gardeners during the intervening time. Of all the gifts of operating a retail garden shop, the most valuable has always been the shared experience of other gardeners and nature lovers. My hope is that Beyond the Garden Gate will be a source of many garden and nature conversations and connections for us all. So, welcome to old friends and new!
I’m writing this on my tiny front porch, where a small fan is moving the hot air. It may still be too hot for humans to be comfortable outside in the middle of the day, but it is just what the insect pollinators have been waiting for. From my vantage point, I am watching two species of sulphur butterflies, a gulf fritillary, a couple of monarchs, and several giant swallowtails (hanging out in the shadier spots where they are perfectly camouflaged with black and yellow wings — just like sun and shadow). I have skipper caterpillars hiding in the leaves of my bean plants, and bees and butterflies are all over the blooming horsemint, ironweed, and frog fruit. This is prime time for insects, no matter what their purpose in nature is: pollinators, predators, or composters. These cold-blooded creatures must have high internal body temperature to hunt, feed, and reproduce. For butterflies, it is about 80 degrees, so the higher the temperature outside, the faster the life cycle. This allows butterflies to build populations more quickly, helping to insure survival through cold weather, habitat loss, and other environment-related challenges. Since we can expect warm weather into October, you still have time to plant a butterfly garden. This might be the most rewarding kind of garden to plant!
Walking through the garden this morning, I spotted a candelabra cassia with holes in the leaves, and found a last stage cloudless sulphur caterpillar munching away. All butterfly species have specific plants they can lay their eggs on and that their caterpillars can eat. Most of us are familiar with milkweed, the host plant for monarch butterflies. The sulphur butterflies use plants in the Senna family. There are many species in this family. Candelabra Cassia (Senna alata) hosts several species of these bright yellow sulphur butterflies. Candelabra cassia can grow 8’ in a season. Its height, large leaves, and tall showy flowers have earned it the nickname “Dr. Seuss Plant” in my gardens! It blooms in late summer and fall with up to 12” tall bright yellow blooms, just when the butterfly season is in full force. This insures it will be pollinated and produce the seeds for next year’s plants. It usually dies back in frost (or even dies completely in extremely cold weather), but it is a reliable reseeder.
The female sulphur butterflies lay their orange or cream- colored eggs on the very top (newest and most tender) leaves. The tiny caterpillars hatch in about a week in hot weather. Seeing the holes in the leaves tells us where to look for these camouflaged caterpillars. The caterpillars are the same green as the leaves, so it is easy to look right at them and never see them.
The sulphur caterpillars keep this coloration through several molts. After the last molt, the caterpillar appears either bright yellow or green, striped with blue.
There are other insects busy doing their jobs. The dragonflies are criss-crossing the sky up high right now — whatever they are eating is too small for me to see. Later in the evening and early in the morning, the dragonflies will be closer to the ground, and hanging out in shadier places. That’s where they catch the mosquitos that are a large part of their diet. We seldom stop to see the actual life cycle process of the wildlife that inhabit our gardens. A cloudy, misty day is one of the best times to see the incredible hunt of a dragonfly.
Perching on a vantage point in a shady place, the dragonfly will scan the area by turning his head and eyes, searching for mosquitos. These flying insects can catch their prey in mid-air in the blink of an eye. They return to their perch to leisurely eat their meal, then they are back to the hunt. If we stay still, we can get close enough to see the mosquito as it is being consumed. Like the mosquitos they feed on, dragonflies need water to reproduce.
Mosquitos are an important food source for fish, tadpoles and frogs, as well as birds and bats, so we have some built-in mosquito control. And we have mosquito repellant-plants: lemon scented plants (lemon grass, lemon balm, citronella) and many herbs (mint and garlic are used widely). Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana)— one of our readily available native shrubs— has also been used as a repellant.
I sometimes put Beauty Berry leaves in my shoes when I am in a woodsy area, as chigger protection. So far that has worked for me. However, if you forget to take the leaves out of your shoes when visiting a public space, people will look at you in an odd way. Ha!
Beauty Berries have a wide range, growing in much of the eastern United States. They tolerate sun or shade, although they produce more berries in a sunny area. They are tolerant of a wide range of soils and are easy to propagate from seed or cuttings. These shrubs are a plentiful source of food for birds and other wildlife found in our area. I have a huge Beauty Berry shrub right outside my dining room window. I cut it back when it is dormant, to about 4’ tall. But by this time of year it has reached at least 8’ tall, and is easily 8’ wide, with pink blooms in mid-summer that are used by butterflies (especially giant swallowtails), then form clusters of green berries up and down the stems. At the end of August and into September, the berries turn into a brilliant, unmissable purple.
This is when the fun begins! Birds arrive to eat the berries, and I get a bird’s-eye view from my window. Many local bird species come to feed on the berries, to build up fat reserves for cold weather. The migrating birds are feeding on the berries for energy reserves for the long trip south. Getting to see all of these different bird species so closely is amazing. Talk about low-effort bird watching! Some birds are eating insects as well as berries — talk about low-effort pest control! I love to watch as the natural connections bring balance to my garden.
Beauty Berries aren’t the only plant growing quickly in the heat. You should see my okra! Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a hibiscus relative, and the big, bright yellow flowers are showy enough to be used as an ornamental. I grow okra in a raised bed, but the plants themselves are about 7’ high. I have to bend them over to pick the pods. I am getting a good crop this year with all the heat.
Taking a hint from the Native Americans, who cultivated “the three sisters” (corn, beans, and squash planted together), I planted field peas (black-eyed peas, zipper peas, etc.) at the base of the okra plants as a space saver. It seems to benefit both vegetables: the pea vines have support to climb (that also makes them easier to pick), and the okra enjoys a shaded soil.
For the cooks among you, there is an easy way to prepare and cook okra. Rinse and remove stem ends, and cut the pod into 1/3” sections. Spread them on a cookie sheet cut side up, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast at 425 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes. The okra is crunchy and delicious!
I grew field peas and butterbeans last year for the first time in about two decades, because of the time involved in shelling them after harvest. I started growing them again last year and I find the time spent shelling the peas to be a valuable space in my day. I shell the peas as I sit on the porch and watch the birds and the butterflies, and I am grateful for unhurried time. The more I garden, the more I use the space as a respite from the busyness of our lives. We all need a place of peace, to watch nature unfold. A serenity garden can be included in your garden: a designated spot to sit, or a walk through a garden, or any comfortable place that connects you to nature. We will be providing ideas and suggestions about creating a serenity garden in a future presentation.
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