The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

While we are on the subject of bees, this is a good time to write this post as a follow-up to the last one.

Lest readers think that it is all strawberries 'n cream, and wine 'n roses at Crocker Croft, I have decided to show the seamy side. First there are two photographs of Epimedium that show how the leaves have been eaten. For a few years, I have wondered what did that. I really didn't mind, because I thought it looked so cute and interesting. Besides, the plants showed no suffering at all. It just looked frilly.




Now, thanks to recent chit-chat among the gardeners who blog, the mystery has been solved. It is the work of a native wild bee, a solitary bee, called the Leaf Cutter Bee. I read about it on the blogs of Kylee's and Robin's. The most complete information I found about them is here at the Colorado State University Extension's web site.

There are many species of leafcutter bees alone. Overall, it is estimated that in North America there are about 4,000 species of native wild bees. The disease carrying mites that are killing the hives of honeybees does little to the wild bees because many are solitary and do not live in a group or form large colonies. But, the use of pesticides and loss of habitat is just as devastating.

Wild bees are rarely kept in hives, although there are some people who do practice wild bee culture and management. These bees do not make surplus honey so they are kept for the purpose of pollination only. The information I read about keeping and managing wild bees left me believing it was extremely complicated and tricky.

The needs of wild bees can be met by land owners including gardeners of large gardens. The bees nest in thick grass, wood, and soil (70% nest in the ground). By making nesting sites available it is not too difficult to help them increase their populations. They also need natural habitats for foraging. That can be anywhere that can be left to grow wild. We have a small woodlot that is pretty wild. Not far from us is a stream where the Giant Blue Lobelia blooms among the weeds and grasses. I remember years ago farm fencerows were allowed to grow wild, but not any more. All of those are conducive to wild bee survival and reproduction.

In California it has been found that, where farms are surrounded by wild vegetation, the native bees and feral honeybees can do most of the work. But most of California farms are huge and grow only one kind of crop with clean verges; in that kind of environment, with no natural habitat, the wild bees can not live and will never fulfill the pollination needs of those farmers' crops.

Our honeybees are not native to North America. They are native to Europe and were introduced here to help the farmers' production. Their pollination work is a critical part of our agriculture. I have read that they pollinate more than 130 kinds of crops in the U.S.A. That means an estimated annual value of $15 billion in crops.

News out of Cornell University is that the mite diseases and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) have killed 95 to 98 % of our feral European honeybee colonies and more than half of hobby beekeepers have lost all or most of their hives.

Commercial beekeepers are suffering, but are still managing. The government has a research action plan. The research on bee diseases has made it possible for the commercial keepers to furnish the 1.2 million colonies that are needed to pollinate the fields to provide the food we eat. So far, so good, but I wonder if this might be too little, too late. So far there is only one registered chemical (Apistan) available to beekeepers to control the Varroa mites, and in Europe the mites have already become resistant to it; the same thing is expected to happen in the U.S.

Ever read in the newspaper that a truckload of bees turned over? I have, more than once. One just a few weeks ago. How would you like to have that job to clean up! Local beekeepers (apiarists) were called in to help. Bees are hauled around as the seasons change. Crop pollination is a migratory business. The keepers follow seasonal crops as the trees and crops bloom. Many keepers take their bees to Florida for the winter and then haul them about on trucks that can hold up to 500 colonies and 10 million to 15 million bees.

The apiarists charge growers a fee for pollination services. They place their colonies near the crops that need pollinating. Those fees are their main source of income with a little on the side for the honey and beeswax they sell.

One almond grower in California said they are importing honeybees from Australia and if they couldn't get those, there would be no almonds. And, as we have read, CCD is already in New Zealand, will Australia be next? And what will that mean to our dinner menu?

So, yes, the evidence that those little leafcutter bees are living here and cutting Epimedium leaves to roll up to line their tunnels and nests, oh, yes, that is Good!

Next comes The Bad.
My hollyhock foliage starts out looking like this:

Before long, it looks like lace.

Really bad!

There are tiny little caterpillars with white fuzz eating them up. I do not know what the adults are. So far I have not used any remedy, I'm just waiting for the natural cycle to kick in, I guess; I wish it would hurry up. In the meanwhile the hollyhocks bloom away. Has anyone had this problem?

I did find some information about little caterpillars eating hollyhock, but I am not sure it is the same critter, mine are fuzzy, theirs are smooth. The result is the same, however. If anyone else is having the problem here is the link that I found: Wuv'n Acres

Now for The Ugly.

I have shown many photos of Dame's Rocket, blooming en mass, usually. It is a short-lived perennial, which, in order to keep it going, I let go to seed in some areas. Birds love the seeds, but enough escape to make the garden pretty in springtime.

The first problem is: When it goes seedy, it is really seedy looking... even weedy looking. Some areas we cut the bloom stalk back to the low plant near the ground. Here it has gone seedy and weedy looking. These will be cut back.

Next is an example of another problem. Barely visible are small white spots where powdery mildew is getting started on these slender bean-like seedpods. All of it will be cut down, bagged, and sent to the landfill. Our climate is so humid, mildews are an ongoing problem.

The next photograph shows what happens if left unchecked, and this is The Ugly! I wonder if what we call Powdery Mildew is the same one the British call American Mildew? This poor plant is way overdue to be banished, bagged, and carted away with the garbage.


I hate to leave you with this ugly image in your memory. I will try to find something more pleasant. Now, let me see…. What can I come up with?

POPPIES!

I almost titled this post "Trouble in Paradise". Glad I didn't, because I since discovered that Mr. McGregor's Daughter had already titled one of hers that way. I still like the name, though. You can find hers here:
Mr. McGregor's Daughter Trouble in Paradise

Stroll the Estate

When I tell my Husband/Best Friend/Chief Photographer that I am going out to stroll the estate, he knows exactly what I mean. That is: I am not going out to work; I am just going to walk leisurely everywhere at a slow pace and look. I will not work. I will just look.

Of course, as you gardeners know, I will end up picking up sticks, pulling a weed, and making mental notes. By the time I return, I am in a mental and emotional frenzy because I saw so much that needs to be done. It is like housework: I see only that which needs to be done.

But, today, let us, you and I, stroll the estate and chat a bit. I am tired from a super busy yesterday that involved keeping a restless, energetic, thirteen year old grandson happy enough until his parents returned from work. (This is the same grandchild who years ago said with a grin, "Come on, Bobbie, get in the water. It is more fun being a kid than being an old granny!")

Yesterday, all I had to do was drive the car, walk a lot, listen a lot, talk a little, and eat lunch where he wanted: at the bar of a nice restaurant. Sitting at the bar was something different, and he wanted to do that; I said OK. He was surprised. He also knew he could order anything he wanted on the menu. What fun for a kid, to be out with a pampering grandparent.

So, there we were, sitting at the bar, having fun, laughing, eating and watching the Florida and Louisiana women's softball teams battling it out on TV. But memories kept floating to the surface of my mind. I was thinking: He is almost fourteen. There will not be many more days like this one, just the two of us, having fun. He will grow away from me. I remembered all those diapers, and toy cars and trains, and.... I better stop this right here or I will get maudlin. Anyway, I am tired, so a stroll will be just the thing for today. Remember you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

You will notice different treatments for edging. Mary used old brick and some of that is still here.

These three photos are from the E-Beds.

Yes, that is potatoes growing in the can - but that's another story.

I especially enjoy the old bricks in late winter and early spring when they have had months of cool moisture, and moss grows and blooms on them.

I added man-made concrete pavers along the Island Bed.

I was trying for a mowing strip that the wheel of the mower could run on with hopes of not having to do so much trimming. It helps, but it still does not keep grass roots from running under them into the bed, and we still have to do some trimming. I like the look, though.

Another edging material I have used is the long rolls of recycled rubber tires material. I have used yards and yards of that for long expanses. Sometimes a weed comes up through it (but not often) which surprised me. It, too, does not stop all the grass and weed roots from going into the beds and borders, but it helps. The visiting cats prefer to walk on it, and it is soft to kneel on.

I was afraid I would hate the dark black, intrusive, artificial appearance, but it isn't as bad as I feared it would be. The lawn mower covers it with cut grass and dirt lands on it to the point its appearance became muted.

The flowers you see blooming here are Hyacinthoides non-scripta, common (English) bluebells. I preferred the lovely old name, Scilla, but knowledge marches on; they were taken out of that group, now they are Hyacinthoides. (Try saying that quickly three times.) We have white, blue, and pink. Their foliage is strap form. The fuzzy foliage with them is Nigella (Love-in-a-mist) which blooms soon after the bluebells. This Nigella is blue. There are also pink and white forms, but I do not have those.

The large Leatherleaf Viburnum is pretty this year. It is located at the edge of The Terrace.



Another Viburnum blooming now is the one I call Snowball Viburnum. When I was a child I heard the adults refer to them as Snowball bushes.

We have two more varieties of Viburnum:

American Highbush Cranberry Viburnum (Viburnum trilobum a.k.a. Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum Aiton) I do not have a good photo of it, but here is a link to good ones. Scroll down their page to see the various parts. The full length shrub photo is near the bottom. Cranberry Viburnum

The other is Arrow-Wood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) here is a link to this one: Arrow-Wood

The lilac is young and in its third year of bloom. I need many more lilacs! This one is Syringa 'Krasavitsa Moskvy' with pink pearls in bud, opening to pure white. The combination of buds and flowers is beautiful.

One of the earliest peonies to bloom is 'Coral Charm'. It is coral in color and receives many comments from visitors.


While 'Coral Charm' is in full bloom, the round ball-shaped buds can be seen on the other peonies that are getting ready to open soon.

This small round bed used to have a small slender Shad Tree in the center. Fire Blight killed the tree and the perennials have completely filled in. It is filled with spring bulbs and Hostas interplanted.

In early spring it is a round bed of Narcissuses and jonquils, and then later the Hostas emerge. In these two photos the old bulb foliage is still visible. It will soon yellow and die away as the Hostas spread larger and bloom.




Spanish Bluebells (Wood Hyacinths) pop up in several locations. I believe these and the English ones cross and produce hybrids, because there are some I can't tell if they are the Spanish or the English. I guess it does not matter here, I should not be such a purist.

Here we see the Bluebells with (from the top down): native (red and yellow) columbine; old Narcissus foliage; on the left is a young Larkspur; and the pale-green is an annual poppy that will bloom later. They are located at the front corner of the garage.


This colony is right beside the Garden Door back of the garage. I also see some Fleabane, buds of perennial Oriental Poppies, and in center front is Eranthis turning yellow and going dormant.

Here is a closer look at the poppy buds. They are fuzzy. When they open they are large and red-orange.


One problem with the poppies is the same as with Daffodils: they face the sun (South in this hemisphere). So, they face away from the house. These are in the Back Border and they are facing down the hill toward The Dell.

I do enjoy the red-orange with the purple of the Rocket.

Now before some of you jump on me with the subject of invasive plants let me tell you about Rocket in this garden.

Hesperis matronalis (Dame's Rocket, a.k.a. Sweet Rocket) is listed in some states or areas as an invasive plant. I am sure it is. However, in this garden and in this neighborhood we have to take care of it to keep it going. Some of my neighbors want it, but it is not so easy to get it started here. Therefore, I do not feel guilty for growing it.

In the Woodland Garden there are early spring flowers such as the Wood Poppy, a.k.a. Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), a native plant, which is visible here in the Far-Back Border growing near the fence in that bare looking area. The one up high is growing on an upturned tree root ball. After the early plants flower, and are gone by, the Rocket shoots up tall and blooms away with flowers that perfume the late afternoon air.

Our Rocket is several colors from white to dark violet/purple...

with tints in between, such as this mauve.

Rocket looks very much like Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox). They grow to about the same height, but in this area the Rocket blooms earlier and the Phlox later. There is some Garden Phlox here and it extends the season for the butterflies after Rocket goes to seed. As you can see, Rocket has four petals. Phlox has five.

Goldfinches like the seeds of Rocket and will strip the seed pods to shreds.

This Rhododendron brings us to the back door steps.
I am ready for a cool drink, how about you?
You can't stay longer? Then until next time, "Goodbye".