Surrounded by Nature

Ah, summer! Our weather has been nearly perfect for gardens this month, with periods of rain and sunshine. We did lose a tree limb to high winds earlier in the week, and the power was out during the night, but we survived, and the tree will, too. The long evenings provide a great opportunity to sit in the shade near the pond, surrounded by Nature.

We added more dragonfly observations to the pond list this week. A female green darner (Anax junius) visited long enough to lay eggs among the roots of the water hyacinths. Another species, also laying eggs, kept moving so quickly that I could not at first identify her. When she finally alighted, I could see her brown body with distinct marking of the abdominal segments, and wings with big black dots on them. She was the female common whitetail (Plathemis lydia). The green darner perched on the leaves of the water hyacinths and probed with her ovipositor below, depositing eggs among the plant's violet-black roots. The whole process took perhaps 15 seconds and she was on her way. The common whitetail skimmed the surface, dipping her ovipositor into the water at widely spaced intervals. She made three passes across the pond, dipping four or five times on each pass. Later the same day, we observed a blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) laying eggs among the water hyacinths, in a manner similar to the behavior of the green darner.


While out running errands recently, I could not help but notice the display of blue chicory and white Queen Anne's lace that decorates the interstate exit near the house. Both these "wildflowers" are escapees from our vegetable gardens, being, respectively, endive and carrots.

I also want to mention one of our most maligned trees, the mimosa, Albizia julibrissin. Wild ones blooming along the interstate are beautiful, and the range of colors is remarkable. Some are creamy white, while others are bright fuschia. Not enough has been done to tame this Asian tree, which was introduced to America in 1785. They are short lived, and seedlings can be weedy, but a well-grown specimen is a joy to behold and to smell. Tincture of mimosa flowers has been used for centuries as an anti-depressant. Mimosa tolerates poor soils, drought and bitter winters, and blooms for about a month. Breeders should work on a cultivar that does not make viable seeds.

Victory in the Vegetable Garden
We harvested our first artichokes this week, and they are delicious. Artichoke is not an easy vegetable to produce in the Tennessee Valley. I have been trying for several years, and this is my first success. I attribute the difference this year to two factors. One, we grew the plants in "raised bed mix" from Hines Fine Soils. This combination of topsoil and mushroom compost seems perfect for our veggies, as they are all performing better than last season. Secondly, we have had abundant rainfall, something that artichokes love. I purchased a plant of the cultivar 'Imperial Star' from Ellenburg Nursery in April, and transplanted it immediately. I added cottonseed meal to the soil before planting, and irrigated a few times during dry spells. Besides the main bud, we harvested a large secondary bud and we have a couple more large secondary buds, and several smaller ones, yet to pick. If you like artichokes, growing your own can be a fun project, but they do take a lot of space, about one square yard per plant. Imperial Star was developed for areas where other artichokes might not overwinter, and produces a crop in the first season from seed. Other varieties take at least two years to bear, and in Tennessee may winter kill their first year. Milder winters may increase our chances for success in bringing this tasty thistle through the winter.

We picked our first cucumbers this week, and the vines are blooming profusely. It will soon be time to start a batch of sweet pickles. Beans are coming along, and the first tomatoes are large enough to start showing a little color soon. A few of the corn plants are tasseling up.

Summer is definitely surrounding us with abundance.

Garden Pond a Study in Ecology

One of the best things we have done in the garden in years is add a pond. We have actually been working in this direction for about five years. Originally, we removed a tree. Then we removed the stump, and were left with a large hole in the ground. We decided to make it larger rather than fill it up, and eventually we wound up with a pond.

Watching our pond develop its own little ecosystem has been both fun and instructive. We began in February, as soon as the weather began giving us a few warm, bright days, by adding a commercial bacterial starter culture to seed the pond with beneficial bacteria. This technique is much like adding a bacterial product to your compost, or putting nitrogen-fixing bacteria into a row with bean seeds. You are giving Nature a head start on ecosystem development. Left to its own devices, the pond will acquire these essential micro-organisms. They will drift in on air currents, on the feet and feathers of birds and on the bodies of insects that happen to visit the pond. Adding the commercial product simply speeds up this process.

Within a week, the pond became cloudy, teeming with microscopic life. Besides the added bacteria, the water was full of microscopic algae that tinted everything greenish brown. During the first month, the water was alternately cloudy and clear, as vast numbers of organisms grew and died, each subtly altering the water conditions and contributing to the pond's ecology.

By the end of March, we had added some marginal plants. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) was the first flowering plant to go into the new pond. Our plant came originally from a friend in Michigan, and it has lived in various ponds and containers for almost 25 years. Next we added Iris virginica, the native blue flag. Our plants are tetraploid ones, originally from Barry Glick at Sunshine Farm and Gardens. During early spring, we added several other species that like wet feet, including cinnamon and royal ferns (Osmunda cinnamonea, and O. regalis), dwarf cattail (Typha minima), blue moneywort (Lindernia grandiflora) and four-leaf-clover (Marsilea quadrifolia).

This week, we added our first water lily, Nymphaea aquatica 'Charley's Choice.' This cultivar remains under three feet in diameter, making it a good choice for a small pond such as ours. The pink and white blossoms open during the daylight hours.

We have also added fish. While we would prefer to have native Tennessee fishes in the pond, it is illegal to maintain native fish species in captivity without a permit, so we have opted for goldfish and livebearers from Aquarium Knoxville, our local pond supply store. The goldfish is a Shubunkin type, bred for coloration that shows up well when the fish is observed from above. We have only one spcecimen, whom we have named "Ichiban." With 1200 gallons of water, the pond can support only a limited number of fish. Because goldfish can reproduce prodigiously after a couple of years in the pond, we decided to keep only one. If we added more and happened to end up with a pair, we would need to periodically net out many hundreds of offspring. Finding a home for unwanted fishes is even harder than trying to place a litter of kittens. And unfortunately, there is no way to determine the gender of small goldfish. Ichiban, therefore, will remain celibate.

To help Ichiban with mosquito control (the primary purpose of having pond fish in the first place) we added a couple of dozen small mixed livebearers from Aquarium. They sell these to feed larger fish, and they are therefore quite cheap. Further, they will bear offspring about every three weeks, ensuring a continuously growing population all season long. Livebearers are also not winter hardy in Tennessee's climate, sparing us the need to cull them at season's end.

While it is true that the decisions Jerry and I make regarding the pond's inhabitants have an effect on its development, many of its most interesting denizens arrived on their own. Certainly this was the case with the micro-organisms that were not in the bottle of bacterial starter. In terms of diversity of species, one look with a microscope will reveal that this part of the pond's ecology is the hands-down leader. Next came the insects. Even while the nights were still a bit frosty, midges arrived in hordes, and their aquatic larvae were soon teeming on the bottom of the pond, hiding themselves in little tubes they construct from debris. Next to show up were the water striders, accomplished hunters who sit delicately poised on the surface to await another insect's misfortune. As soon as anything alive falls into the water, the striders head for it, hoping to make a meal of a struggling fly or moth. A little later, backswimmers arrived. They also hunt for prey at the water surface, but with a different strategy. The backswimmer lies upside down (hence the name) just beneath the surface, rather than floating supported by surface tension. This appears to confer the advantage of speed, as the backswimmers can move faster than water striders can. The last insect arrivals have been the elegant dragonflies and damselflies. The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) has been the most common species so far. Males spend most of their time defending territories from each other, awaiting the arrival of a female with which to mate. I have observed the females depositing eggs within a few moments after a mating flight. Dragonfly larvae are aquatic predators, while adults hunt other insects on the wing. We have seen a damselfly, probably an Enallagma species, together with two other dragonflies, one is a member of the darner family, the other is a common whitetail, Plathemis lydia. The latter is unmistakable, with its powder white abdomen and boldly marked wings. Both of these dragonflies have been occasional visitors, whereas the dashers seem to have taken up residence.

We also have at least two species of frogs. One is the common leopard frog. We also have a smaller chorus frog and possibly a tree frog species. All the frogs found the pond on their own, possibly moving from one of the small creeks that surround the base of our ridge.

Within only a few months, our pond has gone from being a hole in the ground to a thriving community that never fails to provide entertainment and insight.

Save the Monarchs!

One of the many pleasures of gardening is watching the butterflies that visit our flowers. Like so many other wild things, our local butterflies appear to be in trouble. The number and variety of species that I see dwindles each year. There has been a noticeable shift from larger species, such as the fritillaries, to smaller, more nondescript one, such as skippers. This shift may reflect the shift in vegetative cover in this area from deciduous woods to open fields, and the loss of habitat to development.

Yesterday, a disturbing report  revealed that the population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) has crashed in the last decade. Mexican scientists report that wintering populations that previously covered 50 acres of trees this season covered only 3 acres. Several possible reasons for this sharp decline, all related to human activity, have been proposed.

One explanation for the serious decline in the numbers of this beautiful butterfly may lie in the severe summer heat and drought that has been experienced in the central and southern states in recent years. The unusual weather patterns may result from climate change.

Another possible factor is the loss of habitat in Mexico, where the butterflies spend the winter, due to logging.

A third possibility is the widespread use of GMO crops, specifically "Roundup Ready" soybeans in the United States. The genetically engineered soybeans are unaffected by the herbicide, glyphosate, making it possible for farmers to almost completely eliminate milkweed from their fields. Milkweed is the food plant for the monarch's caterpillar. Adult monarchs feed on a variety of nectar plants, but the caterpillars will only survive on milkweeds.

Tennessee has 13 species of milkweeds, including butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) and common milkweed (A. syriaca). These three are often available in garden centers that carry native plants. Several of our other species have showy flowers and could be valuable garden plants, also. Milkweed seeds germinate readily and the plants are easy to care for, in my experience. Many have a pleasant fragrance, as well.

For a small donation, you can receive milkweed seeds appropriate for planting in your garden from this web site, LiveMonarch.comhttp://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm

Our local garden centers, including Stanley's Greenhouses, Ellenburg's Nursery, and Mayo Garden Centers, all offer Asclepias plants among their perennials flowers. You can also often find a tropical species, A. curassavica, which won't overwinter here but will charm you with its fiery red and yellow blooms.

Milkweed seed pods are among the most familiar sites along our back roads in late summer and early fall. You can harvest a few seeds from wild plants and grow them out at home. Wait until the pod has split and seeds are being released to collect them. Sow immediately outdoors, marking the spot well, and look for seedlings the following April or May. Transplant them to their permanent location, water well, and wait. They will bloom in their second or third season, depending upon the species and growing conditions.

Appropriate growing conditions for milkweeds depend on the species. Swamp milkweed, as you might guess, likes moist places. I see the flowers shining among other types of foliage in roadside ditches that hold water. Butterflyweed, on the other hand, likes dry, sharply drained sites. I have seen beautiful specimens growing out of crushed limestone fill on roadside embankments. Common milkweed seems to prefer average moisture and soil conditions, no doubt accounting for its widespread distribution.

This spring, why not add a few milkweed plants to your garden to help feed the monarchs?

Life and Death In the Garden

Cicada Killer Wasp

I walked out to the garden on a hot afternoon earlier this week and was confronted, or rather, investigated, by a giant wasp. No, this is not a science fiction story. The wasp in question was an eastern cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus.  At over two inches in length and marked with warning coloration like other wasps and hornets, this insect generally elicits alarm when it shows up in the garden. Fear not, however, as the energetic, territorial males—such as the one that approached me—have no sting, and are aggressive only toward other male wasps in the vicinity. They investigate any movement in their field of vision, however, and have no fear of humans. I was unable to get a shot, due to the frenetic activity. The image posted is from Texas A&M's web site. Female cicada killers have the ability to sting, but are so docile they can be picked up safely. Unless roughly handled, the wasp saves her sting for her prey, any of the several species of cicada that inhabit our area. Cicadas are paralyzed by the sting, and stored in a burrow dug by the female, where they serve as food for the wasp’s developing larvae. If you have male wasps in the garden, it is almost certain that you will also find the burrows made by the females. The entrance hole is about an inch in diameter, and there is usually a lot of spoil lying at the entrance, where the soil removed by the wasp was deposited. They like to locate them under flat stones or the surface roots of trees, for added protection. If you watch the entrance for a while, you may see a female laboriously hauling in a cicada. Cicada killer wasps are beneficial insects because cicadas can damage some crops and turfgrasses. The wasps are extremely unlikely to harm a human, and so should be welcomed into the garden.

Velvet "Ant" Wasp

Another interesting wasp typically appears at about this time each summer. It is the eastern velvet ant, Dasymutilla occidentalis, which only resembles an ant superficially. So far, I have only observed the males, which are easy to distinguish because they have wings. The wingless females spend their time on the ground searching for the burrows of solitary bumblebees. When she finds one, the female enters the burrow and lays her eggs on the developing pupae of the bumblebee. In so doing, she helps to control the bee population.

Owing to their bright red and black coloration, these insects are hard to mistake for anything else. Males have no stinger, but the females carry a sting so painful it is said to hurt “bad enough to kill a cow.” This has earned the name, “cow killer ant” for the bug, although it poses no actual threat of harm to a cow. More likely, the venom evolved to discourage insectivorous mammals, like shrews and possums. As with many venomous insects, the velvet ant advertises its weaponry with bright coloration and alternating stripes. Fortunately, the female velvet ant is so dedicated in her search for prey that she poses no threat to humans. Simply avoid her, and you won’t have anything to worry about.

A garden with many plant species and numerous micro-habitats within it will support many varieties of insects. Most will be either neutral or beneficial, as far as your food crops are concerned, and their presence will help to deter serious pests, like squash bugs. Finding a diversity of insects in the garden is a sign that you are managing your homestead wisely.

Learn more about cicada killers here. Learn more about velvet ants here.

Bees, Butterflies, and Pesticides

Evidence is mounting that widespread use of supposedly "safe" chemical pesticides may lie at the root of the problems currently being experienced by beekeepers. One report can be found here. The study mentioned in this report found that feeding bees artificial nectar spiked with the neonicotinid insecticide imidocloprid in tiny amounts resulted in bee behavior like that associated with colony collapse disorder. While the maker of the insecticide, Bayer, debunks the study, I cannot help but wonder if we are ingesting this pesticide any time we consume a product containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Traces of imidocloprid can be found in commercial HFCS, according to the author of the study.

Neonicotinid pesticides mimic the nicotine found in tobacco, a natural pesticide that affects a great many types of insects. Nicotine is particularly effective against the caterpillars of moths and butterflies, several of which feed on tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes and related crops. An anecdote from my garden a few years ago serves to demonstrate how effective nicotine is. During one particularly bad season for tomatoes, we inadvertently allowed a number of flowering tobacco plants (Nicotiana sylvestris) to grow too near the tomato patch. The sweet scented blooms of the tobacco attracted hornworm moths that laid eggs on both the tobacco and the tomatoes. The caterpillars started munching both types of plants, but those on the tobacco became stunted and died when they were about and inch and a half long, too small to do severe damage to the foliage. Those on the tomatoes, however, thrived, growing much larger and doing considerable damage before we could discover and remove them by hand.

One wonders, therefore, if the severe decline in butterfly abundance, observable to anyone who takes an interest in butterflies from one year to the next, might also be a result of chemicals in the environment. A decade old report found, for example, that pollen from corn genetically engineered to contain a pest-killing substance was harmful to monarch butterflies. How many other products that are commonly applied to lawns, flowerbeds and farms contribute similar effects? No one knows. But everyone agrees that butterfly populations are declining, and last March, this report appeared, suggesting that glyphosate, the active ingredient in herbicides such as Roundup, is seriously affecting monarchs and is turning up in humans, too.

There are a limited number of circumstances under which a home gardener might have to resort to chemical pesticide use. Situations involving noxious weeds already established on the property and ineracdicable by hand cultivation can be handled by spot treatment with glyphosate or triclopyr. Otherwise, I cannot think of a good excuse to use either herbicide.

I can think of NO circumstance under which I would resort to a chemical insecticide, with the possible exception of a termite infestation of my house. And then I would have the treatment done by a professional. In the garden, we have learned that proper husbandry and integrated pest management techniques suffice to protect our vegetable crops, and we only grow ornamental plants that are typically pest-free in our region when properly sited and maintained. Many of our plants are native to the southern Appalachians and have natural resistance to pests and disease.

All home gardeners should follow similar guidelines. Chemical pesticides are both expensive and harmful to wildlife.

New Year's Resolutions

 Our New Year's resolutions for the New American Homestead:

 1. I will not again plant more stuff than I can take care of.
 2. I will take care of all the stuff I plant.
 3. I will stick to my garden plan.
 4. I will make a garden plan.
 5. I will not order more seeds in January than I can sow in June.
 6. I will win the annual battle with squash borers.
 7. I will not buy any more flower plants on impulse.
 8. I will faithfully keep my garden journal.
 9. I will freeze, can, dry, pickle or otherwise preserve everything I can.
10. I will grow a little more than I need and donate the extra to hungry people.

If we keep only Number 10, we'll count the list worth making.

Have a happy new gardening year!



Chinese praying mantis



The praying mantis is a great gardening companion! Lurking among foliage, mantids lie in wait for insect prey. With luck (depending upon your point of view) grasshoppers or other garden pests will be on the menu. Learn to recognize the insects, beneficial and otherwise, that inhabit your garden.