Voltaire said, by the time a man attains 50 he is either a drunkard or a gardener.
I’ll drink to that.
Oh, but maybe I shall wait until I finish my gardening chores.
Seriously, take mulching seriously. Do your back and knees a favor while saving time by spreading mulch in your vegetable patch, garden beds, and around trees. Most of all, do your plants a favor; mulch suppresses weeds. It insulates plants against summer heat strain while retaining moisture around root zones. Mulch keeps pesty weed whackers from lacerating your trees, something that often leads to infection.
When mulching, make sure NOT to pile mulch around the root flare of shrubs and trees or directly around the base of other plants — this causes rot. Leave clear a few inches around the base of trees and shrubs. Also, leave an inch or so around the stems of perennials and annuals. A good rule of thumb is to spread two inches of mulch evenly across bare soil.
Plants are like guests: some need constant attention while others are resourceful and self-sufficient. Unfortunately, Mother Nature gives us plenty of the former. To reduce gardening chores, seek out and welcome the latter into your garden beds. Stop being a plant enabler. Instead, try some of these less demanding deer resistant options.
Early spring: Hellebores and columbine.
Spring: Shade-loving tiarella, daffodils, and bluebells, which multiply rapidly; catmint with its cut-and-come-again blooms; perennial geraniums with shallow roots that allow it to be planted close to large tree trunks.
Summer: Caryopteris, a bee magnet; endless summer hydrangeas bloom on new and old wood all summer long; everblooming roses, just keep removing dead flowers; yarrow; amsonia — both flowers and charming fall color; bee balm multiplies with abandon and attracts bees galore; summersweet, true to its name, has a sweet fragrance and varieties to fit any size garden; coreopsis; astilbe; and alliums of all heights.
Fall: Japanese anemones, autumn joy sedum, northern sea oats, asters, Shasta daisy, and late blooming monk’s hood.
Leaves: Hakoneckloa thrive in shade and offer you a choice of all gold, variegated, or red tinged. Japanese painted fern; variegated liriope, the leaves alone and a bonus of grape hyacinth-like flower in late summer; heuchera varieties, which come in a kaleidoscope of colors that do well in semi shade to bright sun; lamb’s ears.
Now is the time to prune late-blooming chrysanthemums and asters. They are already tall, spreading and prone to flop. Prune by half to maintain shape, increase blooms and limit their desire to, well, fall in the fall. Feel free to prune again by a quarter inch mid-August if they are not behaving.
Oak Tree Giveaway
In celebration of America’s 250 anniversary, an oak tree giveaway program was started by Barbara and Paul Hicks, James Ward, and James Frank. The saplings were grown from acorns collected in Rye. At one time Rye was covered by oaks. Reach out to Ward, Rye city councilman at jward@ryesustainability.com to obtain oak trees.
Oak trees are called the cathedrals of the natural world. They are ecological powerhouses. Oaks live for hundreds of years. The Majestic Oak in New Orleans, La., is estimated to be over 1,000 years old.
Oak trees aren’t just trees; they’re network hubs within ecosystems. Their survival underpins soils, fungi, insects, mammals, and human culture alike, making them crucial for conservation. They support a remarkable biodiversity of life from large wildlife who graze on the acorns down to the multitude of fungal species that interact symbiotically with the trees. The oak providing starch to the underground fungi network and the fungi helping the oaks access nutrients is just one example of the unseen network at play. Over 1,200 species benefit from oaks.
Oaks are fantastic marvels of nature and without them our future may be in jeopardy. Will we celebrate the next 250th anniversary of our ongoing experiment in democracy? As a nation we are confronted by ever changing variables. Some people throw up their hands faced by this never-ending maelstrom of disruption. Instead, dismiss the naysayers. Ignore the sweeping proclamations made by those who forget what they say as soon as they say it.
Instead, let’s give our Republic a chance by embracing constants to ensure our collective future. Laugh, roll your eyes or whatever, but planting trees is a guarantee that tomorrow will be better. So, plant a tree. No, plant many trees.
I am sure whether you are shy of 50 or well past, you decided to, as Voltaire said…be a gardener.
