Attracting butterflies and bees

I was reading about flower and plant selection for the yard. I don't usually spend much time on non food-producing plants, because it seems like a waste of money and time.
But with the Colony Collapse Disorder affecting bees,  it's a good idea to plant flowers that attract pollinators to improve the success of crops and increase the local bee and butterfly population.
Common flowers that are attractive to pollinators are poppy, lupine, viola, wallflower, black-eyed Susan, Butterfly flower, Calendula, Dahlia, Amaranth, Marigold, Salvia, Sunflower, Zinnia, Portulaca, Lavender, Foxglove, Cosmos, Coneflower and Echinacea.
Anybody who has run barefoot in a yard knows that clover attracts bees. It is a great ground cover plant too.
Garden plants that are highly attractive to bees and butterflies include parsley, cilantro, thyme, dill, basil, chives, peas, squash and pumpkin. So I will plant as much of these as I can.

Upcoming gardening activities

• Ugly garden sweater themed, Ladies Night Out event is 6-9 p.m. April 17 at Heavenly Scent Herb Farm, 13730 White Lake Road, Fenton, free event, 810-629-9208, www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com.

• The Raising Rochester 3rd Annual Big Build is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 18 and noon-5 p.m. April 19 at the City of Rochester Hills Department of Public Services facility, 511 Auburn Road, Rochester. At the Big Build, they will build new raised beds and kits, email RaisingRochester@comcast.net.

• Invasive Plant Workdays is 2-4 p.m. April 19 and April 22, plus future dates through May at Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, 810-796-3200.

• Community Garden Sites are available for seniors, 50+ at the Troy Farm at Beach Road and South Blvd., in Troy. Plots measure approximately 20’ x 20’ and are limited to one per household. The ground is tilled and water is provided. The fee is $70, NR $80. Gardens are available for planting beginning May 1. Call the Troy Recreation Department at 248-524-3484. https://www.troymi.gov/PlayHere/Outdoor/Recreation

Finding the right seed and planting time

There are many different types of seeds available. Not only are there different varieties of the same plant, there are different ways the seeds are produced. There are cultivar (cultivated variety which can be a hybrid or open-pollinated); genetically engineered; genetically modified; open-pollinated; hybrid; heirloom and of course organic. For more information on this, visit www.ezfromseed.org/.

Here's some of the top seed and nursery catalog companies:

www.gurneys.com seed and nursery

www.seedsavers.org nonprofit heirloom seeds

www.burpee.com since 1881 seed and nursery

www.jungseed.com since 1907

www.johnscheepers.com since 1908

www.reneesgarden.com

In Southeast Michigan, it is time, actually past time, to plant peas, potatoes, lettuce, onions, radishes and parsley, and of course the greens: spinach, Swiss chard, kale, etc... 

The plants aforementioned can actually be planted outside as soon as the ground is workable, usually in mid-March, this year it was late March.

Broccoli, cabbage, celery, kahlrabi, Brussels spouts and cauliflower plants can be planted outside at this time.

But it's best to wait until mid-May to plant beans and squash seeds outside.

Then, wait until late May to plant the eggplant, peppers and tomato plants. It seems if you put these plants outside while it's still cold, the plants will grow slowly until it warms up and be wimpy, defeating the early planting.

6 steps to start growing indoors

It was so cold for so long, that it's just now feeling like spring. Every year, I think about starting seeds indoors and most years, I don't get a round "tuit."  This year will be different though. Rather than think about it and talk about it,  I am going to just do it. Wait, I'll post this first...

6 steps to growing indoors:

1. For containers, use plastic cell containers with covers or egg cartons with holes poked in the bottom and saran wrap on top. (Or reuse the annual flats from last year.) You can also use wood pulp pots or peat pellets. Whatever you use, make sure it has drainage.

2. Fill with potting soil, preferably a mix with sphagnum peat moss. Moisten the soil. 

3.Plant a few seeds, not many, about 1/8 inch deep and pat the soil lightly. Then cover with plastic and place in a very warm place, out of direct sunlight.

4. Keep watered. Once the seeds sprout, move the pots to a bright spot, a south-facing window is best. Water often, but not too much or too fast. The plants are fragile. If they get too big for their containers, move them to bigger pots. 

5. When it gets close to planting time, it's time to harden them by placing them outside during the day, to get used to it, but not in direct sunlight at first. Bring them in every night.

6. When it's warm enough at night, transplant to the garden. Dig a hole slightly deeper than the pot and put the plant in, supporting it with your fingers. Firm the soil gently around the stem. Water carefully.

For tomatoes, it takes 6-8 weeks before they'll be ready to transplant outside. We always wait until Memorial Day to put tomatoes and peppers out, because you don't gain any growing time by putting them out too early. The plants grow much better when it's warmer at night. Besides, I don't like covering plants in the garden every time there's a frost warning.

Burpee's guide to indoor seed starting

It's time for maple syrup

We are tapping maple trees and right now, boiling down the watery sap for maple syrup in the Blake kitchen.

The process is pretty straightforward, but you need a little bit of equipment and clean buckets or milk jugs to collect the sap. So if you drive by trees that have jugs hanging on them, you can bet they're being tapped for sap. 

The next step is to strain the sap with mesh strainer and then boil it down to syrup. It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup, but it's delicious. Here's a link with step by step instructions, maple syrup.

There are maple syrup events happening in Oakland County this weekend and next weekend.

For Indian Springs Metro Park in White Lake, call 248-625-7280 to register. It's $5 per person plus park admission (if you don't have a pass) to attend. Huron-Clinton Metroparks

Get your garden soil ready

It feels like spring and most greens can be planted right now: lettuce, parsley, Swiss chard, kale, spinach and peas, to name a few.
But first, it's necessary to prepare the garden soil. After clearing the garden or a space for a new garden, work some aged manure or compost into the soil before planting with a pitchfork or rototiller. If you want to be scientific, you can get your soil tested at the Oakland County Extension office, oakgov.com/msu/Pages/program_service/garden/soil_testing.aspx
There are a number of places that sell manure, such as horse farms; Be sure it is aged and wear rubber gloves when handling it. Do not use raw manure. Cook's Farm Dairy in Ortonville sells cow manure.
Commercially packed manure is pre-composted, and can be purchased at most garden centers.
South Oakland County Recycling Partners sells screened compost at a very reasonable price. socrra.org/
To make your own compost, see the page on this blog about organic farmers' solutions. 3 challenges of organic gardening
If possible, let the garden rest a day or two before planting.

Sprouting til spring

It's that time of year when the Gurney's and Burpee catalogs have sent their first wave of catalogs and the coupons have expired. I could order seeds, but I haven't even thought about gardening. It's way too early to order plants, in case they send them too soon. Michigan is in Zone 5 and most catalogs will have a map of the United States by zone. In our zone, we can plant spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, kale and other greens as soon as the ground can be worked, mid-March, that's a month away! I better place my order.
While I wait, I have taken to sprouting Mung beans for my gardening and fresh produce fix.
For more information, visit organicgardening.about.com/od/vegetablesherbs/a/growingsprouts.htm
or www.verticalveg.org.uk/6-easy-steps-to-sprout-heaven