July chores for the gardener

Have you thinned your root crops yet?

For me, July has started off wet: rains, heavy at times, three days a week and going on for weeks. Although I like not having to water my new plantings in the vegetable garden and flower beds, some plants are having a tough time — they need sunshine!

It’s fortunate that I make raised beds in my vegetable garden, which is near our stream. Hoeing up the earth from the pathways and adding compost has helped me considerably. Even though the beds are only 6 inches above the walkways, it helps to drain soggy soil. Of course it’s too late to do that if you have already planted on the flat of the garden — but remember for next year, as we may see these conditions again.

If you haven’t thinned your carrots, beets and other root crops yet, now is the time to do so. I try to get that done by July 4, but later is OK. You can thin to 1 inch if you want to thin them again to 2 inches in a few weeks, or you can just thin to 2-inch spacing now. The advantage to thinning twice is that your carrots will be big enough to eat when you thin them the second time.

Carrots are heavy feeders, so you may want to side-dress the rows with a little slow-release organic fertilizer like Pro-Gro or Espoma Garden Tone. Just sprinkle a thin line of fertilizer alongside the carrots, and then use a hand tool to work it in a little.

I recently finished mulching my pathways and around bigger plants like tomatoes. I put down a layer of newspaper, four sheets or more, and cover it with straw. This does a good job of keeping down the weeds. Hay is cheaper, of course, but has seeds, which can grow.

For onions, carrots and other things planted close together in straight rows I tear strips of newspapers and cover them with grass clippings or, better still, chopped leaves from last fall. FYI: Newspapers rip well from top to bottom, but not across the page.

I did lots of staking of peonies in June, as many of them have such heavy blossoms that they bend over and land on the ground, particularly after a rain. Tall fall asters and goldenrod and even phlox will fall over later on as they get too tall to stand up to rains and wind.

I have lots of 4-foot and 5-foot quarter-inch-diameter iron rods I had custom-made for me for holding up these fall beauties. The iron rods go deep into the soil more easily than thin bamboo stakes, and are stronger. To avoid getting poked in the eye when bending over, I put a wine cork on the top of each one. I drill a quarter-inch hole into the cork and slide it on. They are a good excuse to buy a nice bottle or French red from time to time with a real cork!

It’s getting late in the season to cut back tall flowers to keep them shorter, but you might try cutting back some phlox or asters now if they haven’t started making flower buds yet. Traditionally this is called the “Chelsea Chop” and is named after the Chelsea Flower Show in London, which occurs in late May each year. After the Chelsea show English gardeners prune back big tall plants. They bloom later, are shorter, and often have many more blossoms. Good candidates for hard pruning include asters, Boltonia, purple coneflower, Joe Pye weed, sneezeweed (Helenium), bee balm, Russian sage, phlox, obedient plant, rudbeckias of all sorts and Culver’s root.

Not all flowers respond well to the Chelsea Chop. Do not do this with lady’s mantle, columbine, goat’s beard, astilbe, delphinium, gas plant (dictamus), foxglove, geraniums, daylilies, hostas, iris, lupines or oriental poppies, among others. You can find lists of which to cut and which to leave alone in Tracy DiSabato-Aust’s fine book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden. Everyone should have a copy of it.

Weeding flower beds is loved by a few gardeners but avoided by many. I am so lucky that both my wife Cindy and I like to weed. Cindy is a formidable weeder, even better than me, and she has much more endurance than I do. If you don’t enjoy weeding, set a goal: Work for half an hour. Work until this small bed is weed-free. Weed every morning or evening for 15 minutes. Small efforts done every day really make a huge difference.

My advice? Get a good weeding tool that you like, one that will get under the roots so that you can lift from below and pull from above. For us, that is the CobraHead weeder (www.CobraHead.com). It’s made like a curved finger with just a single tine. I can tease out roots that, if broken, would re-sprout. It’s important to get the entire root system out so you don’t have to pull the same weed over and over.

We use ground fall leaves in the flower beds, or, lacking enough, we buy double-ground bark mulch. But be careful: If you use too much, you can starve your plants of water from light rains. An inch and a half is what I strive for. Anything less than an inch looks good but won’t do much to deter weeds. And if there are roots from things like goutweed or Japanese knotweed, no amount of mulch will deter those culprits.

Henry is a lifelong organic gardener and a 20-year veteran of the UNH Master Gardener program. He is the author of four gardening books and a gardening consultant. Reach him at [email protected].

Featured photo: Wine corks placed ontips of iron rods protect me against a poke in the eye when bending over to sniff the peonies Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 23/07/06

Family fun for the weekend

See art for free

• New Hampshire residents get free admission to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) Saturday, July 8, as part of the museum’s Second Saturday program. Among the museum’s current exhibits is “Celebrating the Art and Life of Tomie dePaola” coinciding with the release of a U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp commemorating the author and illustrator of about 270 children’s books, according to the Currier’s website. DePaola, who died in 2020, was a longtime New Hampshire resident and taught at New Hampshire colleges, the website said.

Play ball!

The Nashua Silver Knights, playing in the Future Collegiate Baseball League of New England, have four home games at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua) in the next seven days. The Silver Knights will play the New Britain Bees on Thursday, July 6, at 6 p.m.; the Vermont Lake Monsters on Friday, July 7, at 6 p.m.; the Lake Monsters again on Tuesday, July 11, at 6 p.m., and the Pittsfield Suns on Wednesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. Single game tickets cost $10; see nashuasilverknights.com.

Movie time

• Join the swashbuckling cat in the animated adventure Puss in Boots: The Last Wish(PG, 2022), the Summer Kids Series movie at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) for Monday, July 10, and Wednesday, July 13, with screenings at 10 a.m. both days. Tickets cost $3 per person and the theater and the theater offers an $8 popcorn-and-drink combo for the screenings as well.

• Concord’s Regal Cinemas (282 Loudon Road, Concord, regmovies.com) will feature Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (PG)and Paw Patrol: The Movie (G) on Tuesday, July 11, and Wednesday, July 12, with screenings of both movies both days at 2 p.m. as part of its Summer Movie Express Series, which features $2 tickets.

Stories in the garden

Petals in the Pines (126 Baptist Road in Canterbury; petalsinthepines.com) presents “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” at an in-the-garden reading and performance that will also feature some post-performance kids activities Friday, July 7, through Sunday, July 9, at 1:15 p.m. each day, according to a press release. The cost is $7 per child, $5 for adults and reservacations are required; see petalsinthepines.com/the-tale-of-peter-rabbit.

The gardener’s bane: slugs, bugs and ticks, oh my!

Tomato hornworms are the worst

All gardeners have to contend with a variety of insects and other small pests in the garden, those that attack our plants and those that bite us.

I’ve tried every kind of spray to repel ticks and prevent bites. I haven’t found any that are 100 percent effective. There are lots of “all natural” ones out there, but it is hard to tell how effective they are. I don’t like sprays with DEET in them, but believe they probably are better at repelling ticks than the herbal applications. But I don’t rely just on repellents.

When I am working in brushy areas I wear long pants: lightweight quick-dry nylon. Then I either tuck the pants into my socks or wear some special tick gaiters. The ones I use are called Lymeez. According to their advertising, they are a mesh treated with EPA-registered micro-encapsulated permethrin tick repellent and closed with Velcro. LL Bean and other suppliers also sell clothing treated with permethrin to kill or repel ticks, mosquitoes and other insects.

Slugs and shell-covered small snails are always a problem in my garden. I usually keep a jar of soapy water in the garden near my lettuce, which is the preferred treat for these nasty critters. Pick and drown works.

Another garden pest is the Colorado potato beetle. This striped beetle can decimate the leaves of potatoes if you don’t control them early, even killing the plant or reducing your crop. The beetles are yellowish with black stripes, the larvae are beige to red with rows of black dots. The eggs are orange and generally found on the underneath side of the leaves. It is important to pick these pests early as they mature quickly and each female lays many eggs, multiplying their impact quickly if not controlled.

If you have too many potato plants to hand pick them all, there is a biological control called Bt. It is a bacterium that is diluted in water and sprayed on the plants. It is not a contact poison, it needs to be consumed by the larvae when they are young. They sicken, stop eating and die. But you may need to use it for a few years to really solve the problem. There are several different Bt formulas, so be sure you get one labeled for potatoes.

Striped cucumber beetles look a bit like potato beetles, but they are smaller and fast-moving. They can strip all the leaves off your vine crops in a single night if they are present in the soil when your cukes or squash-family plants first germinate. You can cover the crops with row covers to keep them away, but they may already be present in the soil. Me? I start my vine crops indoors and only plant them when they have at least a 6-inch-long vine and can’t be killed by the beetles.

My least favorite pest is the tomato hornworm. Big, up to 4 inches long, they are aggressive when you pick them up. There is a natural predator, a parasitic wasp that lays eggs in them. So if you see what looks like grains of rice on them, just remove them to a faraway part of the garden. Those “grains of rice” are larvae that will suck them dry and keep them from reproducing. You can make or buy houses for these wasps and other good wasps and hang it on your shed. These are simply a collection of hollow bamboo pieces they can use for shelter.

A good reason not to use insecticides is that they will inadvertently kill good bugs like lady beetles, spiders, praying mantises and more. You’ve probably never seen an assassin bug, but they are relentless killers of bad bugs, sucking them dry.

Mother Nature tries to create a balance that keeps pests from taking over. Unless you know an insect is a pest — think Japanese beetle, rose chafer, striped cucumber beetle — leave it be. It might be the critter that controls others from decimating your garden.

Henry is a lifelong organic gardener and a 20-year veteran of the UNH Master Gardener program. He is the author of four gardening books and a gardening consultant. Reach him at [email protected].

Featured photo: Wasp house. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 23/06/29

Family fun for the weekend

Outside fun

• The first Hopkinton Field Fun Day is going to be on Thursday, June 29, starting at 10 a.m. at the town library (61 Houston Drive, Contoocook). The event will be filled with fun and games for visitors of all ages. Visit hopkintontownlibrary.org for more information.

• The New Hampshire Boat Museum (399 Center St., Wolfeboro) is having a Lake Discovery Day on Thursday, June 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Kids will learn about boating safety and the world under the water and on the shore through different activities and craft projects. Admission is free. For more information visit nhbm.org.

• Kids can hang out with kids — meaning baby goats — at Rochester Blue Seal (275 Portland St.) for its baby goat day on Friday, June 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Baby goats will be provided by Denbow Acres Farm for the makeshift petting zoo. For more information visit blueseal.com.

• Get your engines running for high-octane fun at the New England Dragway (280 Exeter St., Epping) with the Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings on Friday, June 30, at 5 p.m. and Saturday, July 1, at 2 p.m. Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings is a group of racers that have a reality television show documenting their experiences doing racing without any preparation on the cars or tracks. Tickets cost $30 for general admission, free for kids 12 and younger. To buy tickets visit nedragway.com.

• Earth Child New England is hosting an Inclusive Nature Immersion Event on Saturday, July 1, from 11 a.m. to noon at Mine Falls Park in Nashua. The event will have a gentle nature walk for children, as well as yoga, mindfulness, social skills and nature-based learning. The event is $30 per child, $15 for each additional sibling. To purchase tickets go to forms.gle/aMi3YmeMT4UPM28Y6

Theater extravaganza

• The Educational Theater Collaborative, Plymouth State University’s summer camp for kids ages 8 to 14, is putting on an original play called Team Up Together at The Flying Monkey (39 Main St., Plymouth) at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30. Tickets to the show cost $10, $5 for children. Tickets can be purchased online at flyingmonkeynh.com.

• The 2023 Bank of New HampshireChildren’s Summer Series at The Palace (80 Hanover St., Manchester) begins with renowned children’s magician BJ Hickman Wednesday, July 5, with shows at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per child and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.

Growing plants for their scents

Stop and smell the daphne, peonies and viburnum

Do you remember your Grammy’s favorite rose? If you do, you probably remember how fragrant it was. One of my grandmother’s favorite plants was the peony named ‘Festiva Maxima.’ It is a double white with a drop of red in the middle. It’s in bloom now, with a fragrance so pleasant it almost makes me swoon. And even though she passed away in 1953, her peony has been divided and shared, and I have a piece of it, which I treasure.

My friend Nelia Sargent of Claremont, New Hampshire, is an excellent gardener, growing trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. She specializes in plants with fragrant flowers because she has been blind since she lost her sight while in college decades ago. I called her recently to see what flowers please her the most in spring, summer and fall. Let’s take a look.

Spring: Early each spring one of Nelia’s first bloomers is a witch hazel named ‘Arnold’s Promise.’ Even though it is a Zone 5 plant (hardy to minus 20 degrees) and we are in a Zone 4 area, her home is within a mile of the Connecticut River, which tempers winters a bit. Arnold’s Promise blooms for her in April and, she said, one stem will fill a room with fragrance for up to two weeks in a vase.

Another favorite of hers is February daphne (Daphne mezereum), which blooms here in late March into April. It is a small shrub that is relatively slow-growing and short-lived. She says they are good for 10 years, but I’ve had one for 20. It is very fragrant and has lovely lavender flowers. All daphnes are fragrant and she also likes Daphne burkwoodii, which blooms in May.

Viburnums are also fragrant shrubs grown by Nelia. She particularly likes Viburnum judii and V. carlessii. The first, also called Judd’s viburnum, has semi-snowball bloom clusters that are pink in bud and white when open. It grows in full sun or part shade, as does Korean spice viburnum (V. carlessii). Both prefer well-drained rich soil in sun and stay a tidy 6- to 8-foot height and width. I grow the second and have had mixed luck with it: It is not always very generous with its blossoms, and does develop dead branches at maturity.

Summer: This is the season that has the most kinds of fragrant blossoms. Nelia has developed such a keen sense of smell that she was once invited to “smell test” and rate the lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard.

Nelia told me that there are about 20 different fragrances from lilacs, each distinct. Her favorite lilacs are called ‘Sister Justina,’ ‘Gertrude Lesley’ and ‘Miss Kim.’ Miss Kim is often sold as a miniature, but it is really just slow-growing. Mine, now 25 years old, is about 12 feet tall and wide. The fragrance is lovely — I can smell it from 20 feet away, and on a sunny day it is loaded with butterflies and bees.

Then there are peonies. Properly planted, peonies last forever. And, as Nelia said, ”You can plant peonies for your heirs, but they yield immediately.” Purchase your peonies now, while in bloom at the garden center so you can see if they are fragrant — not all are — and see what they look like. Just don’t plant them so deep that their nibs or growing points are covered with more than an inch of soil, or they will not bloom in the future.

Nelia’s favorite peonies are Dawn Glow, Madame Deveronvale, Edulalis Superba (a very early deep pink), Festiva Maxima, Duchesse De Nemours and Carnation Bouquet (spicy, with a “carnation appearance”).

Mock orange (Philadelphus spp.) is a group of shrubs composed of about 20 species that are very fragrant. But they are a bit unruly and not suited for prime real estate in the garden. Nelia suggests planting them a bit away from the house and letting them naturalize. I’ve never grown it myself due to its spreading behavior.

Late summer and fall: Many fall flowers are big, tall, bright — but not very fragrant. Here are a few she likes.

Clethra: A nice shrub that likes moist places. She particularly likes ‘Ruby Spice,’ which is a reddish one.

Cohosh (formerly Cimicifuga spp., now included in the genus Actea): This plant has tall flower spikes that display drooping bottlebrush flowers. Bees absolutely love it. There is a black-leafed species that is quite distinctive called Hillside Black Beauty.

Seven Sons-Flower Tree (Heptacodium miconioides) starts blooming in September and may continue into October unless there is a bad frost. The blossoms are small and white and delicately fragrant. I grow it for the bark as well, which is exfoliating and interesting all winter.

So, if you like fragrant flowers, try some of Nelia Sargent’s favorites. All are wonderful.

Henry is the author of four gardening books and is a gardening consultant. He lives and gardens in Cornish Flat, N.H. Reach him at [email protected].

Featured photo: Close-up of February Daphne taken in late March. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Ka-boom!

Independence Day celebrations across the Granite State

Compiled by Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

Whether it’s a cookout, parade or celebration, towns and cities across New Hampshire want to make sure their residents have their Fourth of July go out with a bang.

Amherst Fourth of July celebration Two days’ worth of celebration and entertainment, featuring fireworks, a festival on the town green, and a parade with classic cars competing for awards. When: Monday, July 3, festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with fireworks. A second day of festivities, including the parade and festival, begins Tuesday, July 4, at 9 a.m. Where: July 3 events at Souhegan High School, 412 Boston Post Road. July 4 parade leaves opposite the Wilkins School, 80 Boston Post Road. Visit: amherstnh4th.org

Brookline fireworks uesday, July 4, around 9 p.m. Where: The fireworks will be over Lake Potanipo, Max Cohen Memorial Grove, 3 Mason Road. Visit: brookline.nh.us

Canobie Lake Park fireworks Stick around after a day at the amusement park for fireworks over the lake. The fireworks show is timed to patriotic music and the amusement park recommends viewers watch them by the daVinci’s Dream ride.When: Friday, June 30, through Tuesday, July 4, 9:15 p.m. Where: Canobie Lake Park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem Visit: canobie.com

Derry fireworks Tuesday, July 4, approximately 8:45 p.m. Where: Best viewing areas are Hood Commons, Crystal Avenue and Tsienneto Road Visit: derry-nh.org

Hopkinton Fourth of July Family Fun Day Featuring a kiddie and main parade, family games, live music and a cookie bake-off When: Tuesday, July 4, cookie competition dropoff is from 9 to 11 a.m., kiddie parade begins at 11:30 a.m., main parade begins at noon and competition results are at 2 p.m. Where: Parades begin at Hopkinton High School (297 Park Ave., Contoocook), then proceed through Fountain Square toward Contoocook Village Cemetery. Other festivities held at Houston Park, 41 Houston Drive, Hopkinton. Visit: hopkintonrec.com

Laconia celebration and fireworks Laconia will be holding a parade and a festival full of vendors and live music on top of the spectacular fireworks show. When: Sunday, July 2. The parade will start at 4:30 p.m., the band will start playing after, and fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. Where: The parade will start at the Laconia High School, 345 Union Ave., and end at Opechee Park, 915 Main St. Visit: laconianh.gov

Manchester Independence Day celebration Enjoy fireworks, live music and food vendors. When: Monday, July 3. Live music starts at 7 p.m.; fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Where: Arms Park, 10 Arms St. Visit: manchesternh.gov

Merrimack Fourth of July festivities A weekend-long celebration featuring fireworks, live music, a road race, a pancake breakfast and much more. When: The Merrimack Concert Association’s annual Patriotic Concert in the Park will be held Monday, July 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The annual Merrimack Sparkler 5K Road Race will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4. The Merrimack Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. A parade will begin at 1 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. Where: Holiday concert at Abbie Griffin Park. Road race begins and ends at Merrimack High School, 38 McElwain St. Pancake breakfast and fireworks are also at Merrimack High School. The parade will start at the Commons Shopping Plaza, 515 Daniel Webster Hwy. Visit: merrimackparksandrec.org

Milford Star Spangled 5K Deck out in red, white and blue to show your patriotism at this race. There’s also a free fun run for kids ages 12 and younger. When: Saturday, July 1. Race starts at 8:30 a.m., check-in at 7:30 a.m. Where: Keyes Memorial Park, Elm Street Price: registration costs $30 for those 13 and older, $10 for 12 and youngerVisit: milford.nh.gov

Nashua Fourth of July celebration Fireworks, live music and hall of fame inductions. When: Tuesday, July 4, children’s activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., concert at 6 p.m. featuring The Slakas. Fireworks begin at dusk. Where: Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St. Visit: nashuanh.gov

New Boston Fourth of July celebration Featuring a parade, live music, a barbecue, ax throwing and the firing of the historic Molly Stark cannon. When: Tuesday, July 4, parade begins at 10 a.m., fairgrounds will open at 4 p.m., opening ceremonies are at 5 p.m., and the fireworks will start at 9:30 p.m. Where: Parade begins at the top of High Street and will end at the grounds of the Hillsborough County Youth Center Foundation, off River Road. Visit: newboston4thofjuly.org

Raymond Fourth of July celebration 21th annual Fourth of July parade will have floats, horses, antique cars, clowns and more. When: Tuesday, July 4, parade at 9:30 a.m. Where: Parade proceeds from Route 27 (Epping Street) to the Raymond Town Common, onto Old Manchester Road and to Wight Street. Visit: raymondareanews.com

Salem Independence Day celebration Featuring live music, food trucks, face painting, fireworks, a beer garden and more.When: Monday, July 3. Kids’ activities and food trucks will be open from noon to 9 p.m., fireworks will start at dusk. Where: The event this year is taking place at Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana. Visit: townofsalemnh.org

Weare patriotic celebration fireworks Enjoy fair food, live music, and carnival rides before the fireworks start. When: Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. Where: Center Park, North Stark Highway, Weare Visit: fb.me/e/2VVetdx9S

Windham fireworks The Windham High School band will play a patriotic concert and there will be a selection of vendors selling all kinds of wares before the fireworks light up the sky. When: The parking lot opens at 5:30 p.m., the band starts at 7:15 p.m., fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Where: Windham High School, 64 London Bridges Road. Visit: windhamnh.gov

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