Those Pesty Critters

Yesterday's little trip into bug city brought this little info piece. There are insect repellents both natural based and DEET based. Here are but just a few of the newer ones:

OFF has been making insect repellents for years. I've always found the OFF products and CUTTERS products work the best for me although I don't use them on little children. This is OFFs new product, that isn't applied to the skin and simply clips on. I'm going to try this one soon because skin applied OFF tends to irritate my skin if it's sweating season.

The next two products are from Lyman's catalog of "non-electric products". This mosquito trap is insecticide free.

A fly trap. I've not used either of the traps but they are worth consideration. I will not use lawn foggers no matter the conditions or the number of visitors to my yard. Foggers are indiscriminate and kill good bugs as-well-as the pests.


This has always been my personal insecticide of choice because it works on most anything we find out there in the Midwest. This sportsman edition is more comprehensive than the older versions. It's also non-greasy which helps when the heat is also in high gear. Again, I don't use it on young children.

Many people use Avon's Skin-So-Soft as a natural repellent for children. Throw away last year's unused insecticides because they loose potency over time.

Heavy creams and lotions hold in the heat and won't let your skin breath thus making you more hot. Scented bath soap, deodorants, hair care products, lotions, cosmetics, fabric detergents and softeners all attract insects.

The Citronella based products have little repellent qualities for me personally. Coils, candles, and oils may work in the immediate vicinity of the flame but not much farther. They do keep insects from hovering or being attracted to the flame during the evening hours which may be worth something for entertaining.

Insect bites are not just an itching issue, many carry diseases which can be very dangerous. Although just a few instances - better safe than sorry by combating the risk.

EEowEEE!

This is a new daylily, Hemerocallis "Spiritual Corridor", that I purchased yesterday at Hornbaker Gardens, Princeton.

Visiting a large daylily farm is the "best" entertainment for a daylily lover and I had my plan going!

We worked the visit around several medical appointments my husband had due to his recent surgery. All good and well, he could sit in the air-conditioned truck (yes, we take a truck just in case we need quantities of space) if he was tired and/or bored. The plan is working.

It was slightly overcast with a little breeze - perfect for walking the many rows of flowers. I had my camera, my list of daylilies they have growing in the fields, a pen, a sun hat, and I'm workin' the plan.

About one-third of the way through the fields, it starts to sprinkle. Not a bad thing as it was like a cooling mist - and then it stopped. At this point the humidity, went up about double and seriously dark clouds are hovering. Walk the plan a little faster.

Two-thirds of the way through the fields, another and little harder rain comes down and I do a little duck into the truck and then on to the last third of the fields. Husband has mostly given it up to view the scene from the cool truck. By now the plan is getting seriously hot and humid.

The plan includes taking a picture of every daylily I might want to buy someday and make a sequence number and note on the catalog list. All very systematic, fool-proof, and a reference for my files later. UNLESS you are half running through the fields trying to get out of the various conditions. Hurry the plan.

Just as I finished and was sitting down at a tented table to order today's choices, a real downpour lets loose. We write out the order while every fly that had been in the fields are taking cover in the same tent and snacking on our legs. After slapping and writing, we sit in the truck until the rain stops a few minutes later. The sun is coming out again - the plan is moving sluggishly forward.

This is where we head for the rest of the nursery to check out some shade plants for the edge of our woods where my husband is wanting me to landscape. As we park, another heavy rain hits and stops. We hop out of the truck and tropical rain forest conditions have settled on the nursery like a wet wool blanket. Oppressive stifling heat on the plan.

As one woman said, she could feel the heat coming off the plants as she walked by them. At this point the flies had given over the human buffet to the mosquitoes - zillions of mosquitoes all needing food. No amount of bug spray or swatting could keep them away. Even the nursery workers were suffering mightily and they don't even know the plan.

At this point we gave up the camera, the paper and pen, the umbrella and almost ran through the displays. Grabbed a couple of hostas we hoped would work and ran for the check out. The plan is shot to pieces.

We get in the truck with our two hosta and receipt to pick up lilies in August, we're wet from rain and copious amounts of sweat, bug bites galore, and a rain smudged list of lilies. I whimper and my husband calmly pronounces it not nearly as bad as the two tours he had in Vietnam. OK, perspective is a good thing.

At least we have the last part of the plan to look forward to, supper at ZBest in Sheffield, one of the best little area restaurants and certainly a favorite. We pull up to a dark restaurant that is closed Sundays-Mondays AND Tuesdays. No plan...

In retrospect, we had a nice day, with lots of beautiful sights and saved a whole lot of money. Plans are just that - a "maybe we'd like to do this or that" and the key is to enjoy the moment. Well, perhaps the ones outside of the bug bites and humidity - whoops: perspective woman - perspective...

...whimper-whimper

More Buffalo

Native prairie flowers are a feature in Midwest Prairie plots. Right now is the peak bloom time for many.

The Gillies Family Farm, northwest of Princeville, has guided tours of their 700 acre grassland and forb restoration. Tours are 6 p.m. on July 19 and 22 and 9 a.m. on July 20 and 23. Reservations are required by calling 309 671 7040, Ext 101.

Indianapolis Museum of Art (known as the IMA) has opened it's new outdoor sculpture and nature park. Covering 100 acres, it features eight large works of art throughout the woodlands, wetlands, and a meadow. www.imamuseum.org

Some of these native fauna acres charge and others are free. Again - call them or check out the websites for needed information before making a plan.

___________________

Side note: Read the other day someone had used a small piece of duct tape to repair a daylily stem. They aren't broken but will never stand up again on their own and the flower buds may find it hard to open. Gently hold the stem upright, and at the point of the bend, wrap a small duct tape splint around the bend and ta-da "success". When it's through blooming, clip off the bare stem and throw it and the duct tape away. There's a little good ol boy in all of us!

Where the Buffalo Roam...

Munson Township Cemetery, 1300N and 1300E, 2 miles North of Cambridge IL. Five acres of native prairie plants including the Federally designated endangered fringed orchid. The annual walk was the last weekend in June but it is open to the public during daylight hours.

Heartland Prairie at Gordon Moore Park, Route 140, Alton, Illinois.
Features 150 prairie wildflowers & nine species of native prairie grass native to Madison Co and neighboring Illinois areas.
Open during park hours on Tuesdays April 13 through October 26, 2010 . Meet at the trailhead, located across from the main entrance to the park & make a right at the first road. Field guides provided. Wear comfortable shoes for this 1/2 miles walk and tick repellent. Bring camera and binoculars.

Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, 4295 North 1000th Street, Newton, IL 62448 (618-783-2685) Call for admission details.
A unique site in Illinois, dedicated to conserving the rarest members of Illinois’ native tallgrass prairie and marsh communities. It offers one of the most spectacular viewing opportunities for grassland wildlife in Illinois. The number of endangered species found at PRSNA is very high, and great care is taken to ensure the continued protection and presence of these species. As a result access to the interior portions of this site is restricted and wildlife viewing is limited to roadsides. Roadside viewing is often excellent for prairie-chickens, loggerhead shrikes, northern harriers, short-eared owls and dickcissels. By arrangement, groups and individuals can be given a tour of the site by site staff. The Illinois Audubon Society’s environmental educational area, known as the Robert Ridgway Grassland Nature Preserve, is open on an daily basis for wildlife viewing and hiking. This area has been restored to prairie and has a self guided interpretive trail and a wildlife viewing platform over looking a wetland surrounded by native prairie plants.

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, approximately 55 miles south of Chicago, was established as the nation’s first tallgrass prairie in 1996 after the U.S. Army decommissioned the Joliet Arsenal at the site. Many areas of Midewin are open to the public. Visitors can enjoy more than 22 miles of open trails, escorted tours, volunteer events, and deer and turkey hunting. The Forest Service’s Welcome Center is located at 30239 S. Route 53 in Wilmington IL. For more information, visit www. fs.fed.us/mntp.

Taltree Arboretum: This 360-acre arboretum is located south of Valparaiso, Indiana. The arboretum offers beautiful trails that wind through woods and prairie which has been replenished with local and naturally grown plants, that would have been around when settlers originally came to the area. Taltree also offers a vast array of events, such as live music during the late spring and early summer. http://www.taltree.org/

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana. Visit the National Park Service website for additional Dunes information. Following are Dunes sites and their attractions.
West Beach: dunes, woods, prairie, beach, Long Lake ponds
Bailly-Chellberg: historical structures, woods, river
Little Calumet River: woods, river, floodplain, old fields
Calumet Dune: woods, dunes
Cowles Bog: marsh, woods, dunes, ponds beach
Heron Rookery: woods, river, floodplain
Hoosier Prairie: wet prairie
Inland Marsh: marsh, woods, dunes
Ly-co-ki-we: woods, marsh
Miller Woods: dunes, ponds, woods, beach
Mt. Baldy: dunes, woods, vistas, beach
Pinhook Bog: classic bog plants (scheduled tours only)
Dune Ridge: woods, dunes vistas
Calumet Bike Trail: rugged trail along edge of woods and prairie
State Park: trails, dunes, beach, marsh, woods

All public gardens should be treated with respect: stay on paths, do not pick flowers, plants or seeds, do not leave trash, do not spray insecticide on yourself in the gardens. When you leave, the gardens and prairies should not have evidence of your presence. Many sites have "rules" so either call or visit their websites for information.

Independence Day

Taken from an old government "Victory Garden" book I found at my Dad's home.

Our 4th of July celebration is actually celebrating our independence as a self governing nation. It's been a long and often conflicted history (as all trails to independence) but, I never fail to be thankful for having been born in the USA.

As in the garden, one seed is important to make the garden. The individual effort of one plant helps make the whole garden more bountiful.
No less true: one American citizen's effort is what makes our whole nation more bountiful. Bountiful liberty, respect, and freedoms.

Thanks to all those who have made or continue to make this country a better place to live, work, raise our families, plant our gardens and celebrate our freedom!

Have a great day - in this great land; home of the free - land of the brave!

A Picture is Worth . . .

This is a picture of daylily "Pavlova".

This is a daylily called "Knickknack".

A picture is worth a thousand words? Maybe but then again if it's a picture in a catalog (either paper or on-line) words and pictures may be misleading. Even those little tags attached to a pot at the nursery can be misleading if the plant isn't blooming.

I used these two daylilies as an example. The top daylily is a spider form. The bottom daylily is more trumpet formed. Both forms come in large and small sizes.

If a customer doesn't read the description about flower size, you just might be in for a big surprise come bloom time.

This is one reason I suggest only buying from reputable sources. Sources known to guarantee their products and refund or replace if it turns out different than labeled.

Once you know the vendor is reputable, it is now up to you to know what your buying. Sometimes, reading descriptions and viewing pictures of the same plant from several different vendors allows you to compare.

Realize that your flowers, even with accurate descriptions, may be different. Here's how:

Your soil may be significantly different than the nursery where the plant was grown. This may cause flowers to vary in color. As an example, I seldom have daylilies in the color pink. Because of the nutrients in my soil, they always lean more to a peach or rust color.

The amount of light your plant receives may affect both size and number of blooms.

Different areas of Midwestern yards may vary quite a lot for plant hardiness. As an example, I have one area where annuals may come back for several years. Another spot where plants better be hardy or they will die over most winters due to the wind exposure.

And this is a very important one: realize your expectations may not be accurate for what the plant really will look like. The next picture is an example. It's a picture of the daylilies Knickknack and Pavlova side-by-side.

This is the description from the catalog of Knickknack:

"2 inch bloom, 14 inches tall, Early-Mid Season, Semi-Evergreen. Masses of tiny, bright golden orange blooms cover the clumps of Knickknack. Bright green foliage contrasts - making a really eye-catching display in the landscape."

I didn't read the size description of Knickknack very well and when it bloomed I was amazed there was actually a daylily that was so very small. It is the smallest I've ever seen. And truthfully, had I read it better, understood exactly what it was going to be, I would never have bought Knickknack. My yard is too big and too green for it to make a statement. In a small yard, perhaps a rock garden, it would be quite pretty.

Now when I read the size of a daylily, I take out my ruler and actually look at what "2 inch bloom" will really be in my yard.

I've moved Knickknack three times hoping for a better place. It's last move was out by my husband's shed. He made the casual comment, "I like that little flower" and now it's his! As for me, I like Pavlova with all it's huge splendor.

Summer Time & the Living Is Easy

“Summer Time and the Living Is Easy
Fish are a-jumpin’
And the cotton is high.
You’re daddy’s rich
And you mama’s good-looking.
So, hush, little baby, don’t you cry.”
By George & Ira Gershwin from “Porgy and Bess”

Monday, June 21st was the first day of summer and the opportunity to live easy. It’s the time we all dream about during those long cold days of winter. Granted, you just never know if the day will be calm & beautiful or stormy & turbulent – BUT STILL, it’s summer!!!!

Kids instinctively have the right attitude about summer: Run and play outside until they fall asleep like a dead rock at night.

Someplace, somehow or for some reason, American adults have lost the ability to relax and enjoy summer. It’s begun to rub off on our children with the over scheduling and permission to be constantly connected to something electronic. This isn’t a criticism, it’s a wake-up call that we’re allowing the Blessings of summer to slowly run through our fingers - making it only a memory of by-gone days.

Gardeners and farmers, perhaps more than the average, know the benefits of enjoying summer moments. A sight still relevant in all small rural communities: Two men in denim and caps, elbows on the bed of a pick-up truck, both gazing at the sky and discussing “conditions”.

We can’t successfully garden without taking time to see what is and what can be. The country song about taking time to smell the roses is often lost in the hustle to get someplace and do something.

As we celebrate the official return of summer, I am hopeful our readers will assess their busy lives and make a decision to return a bit of time to enjoying the summer. A realization that many of our need to do, get and go are self imposed. A realization that enrolling our children in every sport, class and camp may be generous but it may be robbing them of their youth. The youth that many of you enjoyed.

As for adults, it’s not a sin against the great higher being to do absolutely nothing for a time but enjoy the day. It takes a confidence in one’s self to go home from the rat race of work and relax. It takes an exceptional parent to go against the flow of organization and allow your children freedom this summer. It takes an independent nature to not mow the yard on Saturday when everyone in the neighborhood is mowing.

“Summer time and the living is easy.” Make it yours this summer!