Posted on 06/19/2008 9:01:34 AM PDT by Gabz
June 2007
May was just about as demented weather-wise as a month can be! First—the cold, reinforced by drought, then wind and more wind. Rain, more cold, and some more wind from a different direction! It sort of felt like maybe we were actually in Auntie Em’s house, spinning round and round, being pelted by rain and buffeted by wind coming from every direction and wondering what in the world was going to happen to us.
What few plants survived the frost, and didn’t succumb to the drought, gave up in the face of an extremely long and miserable nor’easter. If they weren’t blown out of the ground or broken off, they were twisted like clothes in an old fashioned wringer.
All the crazy weather could have had something to do with the fact that May had two full moons. How many of you noticed? There was one on the 2nd, and another on the 31st. Depending on what time zone you live in, this year’s blue moon could fall in May, June, or July. How’s that for confusing?
Ever heard the term once in a blue moon? What is a blue moon? Some say a blue moon is two full moons occurring in the same month. Two full moons in the same month is a rarity because a full moon occurs about every twenty-nine and a half days, give or take.
At one time once in a blue moon meant something very unlikely to happen. Still another meaning is this: there are historical examples of the moon actually turning blue! When Krakatoa exploded in 1883, it’s dust changed the atmosphere so much that it produced spectacular sunrises and sunsets for years. It also turned the moon blue for about two years. Dust storms and forest fires can also cause this phenomena. A prolonged drought and dust storms on the Indian continent caused it to happen in 1927 and immense forest fires in northeastern North America did it again in 1951.
Though the term once in a blue moon has been around since at least the sixteenth century, by the mid-nineteenth century, visible blue moons, though rare, happened enough that people adapted the phrase to mean a fairly infrequent event. Something that happened enough to make note of, but not frequently enough to be pinned down to specifics.
Blue moon is also used, mostly in songs and ballads, to mean sad and lonely. Don’t you just love the English language, with all it’s idiosyncrasies?
Many people plant by the signs of the zodiac, and by the moon’s phases. Most of us just plant when we have time and the ground is ready and the weather co-operates. Before you scoff at planting according to the moon, keep in mind that the pull of the moon shifts the balance of water all over our planet four times a day, creating high and low tides. You have to figure that anything powerful enough to do that has to have quite an effect on everything else on the planet!
One of the best things about June, besides gardenias and hydrangeas blooming, is mimosas, and I don’t mean the beverage!
Natives of Japan and other countries like Iran, mimosas are small to medium-sized trees. They can grow twenty to forty feet tall with attractive, showy blooms and fern-like leaves. The fragrant flowers resemble pom-poms and range in color from dark pink to light salmon and every shade in between.
Mimosas were introduced to the United States around 1745 and have since spread from New Jersey to Florida to California. They can be quite invasive, choking out native shrubs and trees.
The good news, if they’re where you don’t want them, is that they are short-lived, usually around fifteen years or so. Not such good news if you plant one in your yard for an ornamental tree. Just about the time they get big enough to provide some shade and be really beautiful, they croak.
Mimosas can spread by seed or by roots sending up sprouts. Mimosas are members of the legume family and their seed pods resemble long, flat beans. The seed pods add an unusual touch to flower arrangements. Ripening in the fall, the seed pods disintegrate rapidly, so be on the lookout for them if you want to keep them.
Mimosas, also called silk trees, are rapid growers. Sprouts can grow three feet in a summer! The seeds have impermeable coats that allow them to remain viable for years. In English—the seeds are very hard and will retain their ability to germinate for a long time—as much as fifty years! Mimosas tend to grow in clumps and reproduce freely, don’t seem to have any disease or insect problems. Too bad tomatoes aren’t more like mimosas!
As late as the mimosas leafed out this year, it may be well into July before we see any flowers! Just like people, hummingbirds, bees and butterflies adore mimosa blooms. Often, the hummingbirds will even nest right in the mimosa. Look carefully for a little—think toddler’s fist—hammock that looks like both ends have been tied together to form a u-shape. Seems impossible that anything that tiny could house a couple of bird babies, but that’s a topic for another column!
The flowers and seed pods can be a nuisance if the tree is planted too close to a drive-way or sidewalk. When wet, the blooms can stick to your car or any flat surface, and once dry, can be the very devil to get off. The pods can be unsightly and messy when they fall. Despite the disadvantages, mimosas can add a wonderfully tropical feel to any yard. They don’t seem to be fussy about soil requirements or placement, although they won’t tolerate deep shade.
Don’t forget mid-June is time to plant pumpkins! It’s also a good time to plant gourds and butternut squash. Letting the vines die naturally and the (hopefully) lower humidity in the fall will help make their shells harder so they will last longer.
Even though this is from last June, it sure could describe what I've been through the past month or so!!!!
Thanks again to Garden Girl for sharing her columns with us.
I just KNEW I should have posted this last night.........
I had it all formatted and ready to go and was actually quite proud of my efforts, but decided to let it sit and post it when I got online this morning.
A storm blew in from I know not where and POOF — out went the power. That will teach me.........
Good information about not planting mimosa trees :-).
I’ve harvested 5 cherry tomatoes so far, but Pat’s gymnastics teacher is bringing in gigantic zucchini and lots of yellow crookneck squash. I guess he planted earlier.
I love mimosa trees, but they are definitely what my grandmother always referred to as a “dirty” tree. She had a Java Plum tree beside the lanai at her house. The fruit made a fabulous jam, but man oh man, that was one DIRTY tree. It provided great shade from the Florida afternoon sun, but dang it was messy and when the fruit was ripe if we didn’t get it cleaned up everyday the stench of the rotting fruit was gagging.
I’ll have to ask my Aunt if she still has that tree or did they finally get rid of it.
My tomatoes are looking sad. The vines are withering already and the bottom leaves are brown. The only ones still looking halfway decent are in pots OUT of the full sun.
We have a lot of cucumbers this year. I accidentally missed one the other day and the next day I picked them, it was about 14” long. Fresh cucumber and tomatoes for lunch every day. YUM.
We talked about planting a flowering tree in our front yard when it looked like the elm would die ... but it recovered.
I actually planted a few tomato plants this year. I have gotten about 5 nice sized one off already and have thoroughly enjoyed them. YUMMMMMM. Nothing like home grown.
Due to our cooler than normal spring, my tomatoes are not where they should be, but the broccoli looks like something out of a Tarzan movie. We also have two garbage cans full of yukon gold spuds which are doing quite well. (Southern Puget Sound)
We have several full-sized tomato plants that are doing well, but none of the tomatoes are ripe yet.
Were harvesting fruit from First Lady, Early Girl and Grape sized cherry tomatoes from our container beds...Upside down container plantings.
A question for all of you... Why do some of he plants have yellow leaves, and seem to drop blossomes??? Thanks...
**I just KNEW I should have posted this last night.......**
LOL
Procrastination is my sin,
It brings to me great sorrow.
Perhaps I shouldn’t practice it,
Maybe I’ll start tomorrow!
Words to live by—at least for me! I am the world champion procrastinator!
Glad you enjoyed the article!
Hubby picked a 5 gal bucket of beans Sun eve. I’m afraid that will be about it. The vines are drying up. Gabz, Diana—I think you’re getting all our rain!
**Why do some of he plants have yellow leaves, and seem to drop blossomes???**
Could be heat (?), too much/not enough water, variety, or disease/insects.
If you’re getting maters from your early girls, you should have others kicking in about 10 days from now! :)
My balcony tomatoes (medium sized fruits on supposedly 4 foot stalks) are just starting to appear. The plants are loaded with blossoms so I should have a great crop, maybe enough to share with the entire neighborhood! (Small neighborhood) Cucumbers seems to be the same way too. Can hardly wait for my pesticide free, salmonella free crops to mature. Fresh produce grown yourself is one of the best things about warm weather.
TAKE IT'S ALL YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, one of the best things about the back yard was the mimosa tree in the back yard. Simply beautiful and very fragrant. However, is does self-propogate at a most annoying rate.
“Why do some of he plants have yellow leaves, and seem to drop blossomes?”
The yellowing is “chlorosis” which is from over-watering. Actually you may not be OVER-watering, but you’re most likely not feeding your plants enough. Remember that when they’re in a pot, you have to “feed” them because the nutrients get used up very fast, and also washed away through drainage when you’re watering.
So, give them a weekly dose of fertilizer, but don’t over-do it. (Pick off the yellow leaves; they’re dying anyway and won’t come back to life.)
Blossom drop is caused by any of these reasons, but it’s mostly related to big temperature swings or a plant that’s “stressed out” for one reason or another. So take your pick and adjust accordingly!
* Temperature Too High or Too Low
* Lack of Pollination
* Nitrogen - Too Much or Too Little
* Humidity Too High or Low Humidity
* Lack of water
* Stress from insect damage or disease
* Too Heavy Fruit Set
I don’t want to be greedy! We just need a little bit!
Much better than my abbreviated version!
Still raining in your neck of the woods?
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