Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 22/06/30

Family fun for the weekend

Shows galore

• O’neil Cinemas’ Summer Kids Series starts on Monday, July 4, with a 10 a.m. showing of Trolls: World Tour (PG, 2020). The movie will also screen on Wednesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. The series continues through the week of Aug. 8, with a new family-friendly film screening Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $2 for attendees age 11 and lower, $3 for ages 12 and older, and the cinema is offering a $6 popcorn-and-drink combo pack. For movie times, visit oneilcinemas.com/epping-nh/events.

• The Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. E. in Laconia) continues its kicking off its Kids in the Park Summer Series on Monday, July 4, with live production ofSleeping Beauty by professional acting troupe Impact, will have an hour long runtime, and will begin at 10 a.m. A prince must work with a good fairy to wake up the princess and save her kingdom from the sleepy spell it was put under, according to the website. Attendance is free. The line-up of events includes storytimes, live dance, nature events and more. See belknapmill.org/mill-events.

• The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) begins its Children’s Summer Series with magician BJ Hickman, Tuesday, July 5, to Friday, July 8. Hickman, a Manchester native, is a member of the Academy of Magical Arts, Hollywood Magical Castle, and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, according to the website. His one-man shows are filled with comedy, audience interactions and mystifying illusions, the website said. Showtimes are at 10 a.m. on all days and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday. Tickets cost $10.

Fairs for the crafty

• Artisans from across New England will be selling their homemade goods at the Hampton Falls Liberty Craft Festival, in the Hampton Falls town common (4 Lincoln Ave.) this weekend. There will be more than 75 juried artisans selling everything from custom smartphone cases and handmade beef jerky to decorative throw pillows and paintings. The festival will run Saturday, July 2, deom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See castleberryfairs.com.

• Celebrate Independence Day with American-made and handmade products at the Gunstock 4th of July Weekend Craft Fair on Saturday, July 2, and Sunday, July 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gunstock Mountain Resort (719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford). More than 90 artisans will be selling carefully crafted goods, including cedar wood furniture, wildlife photography, gourmet oils and vinegars, New Hampshire maple syrups, and much more. The event is rain or shine and free to attend. Leashed dogs are welcome. Visit joycescraftshows.com.

Children’s Museum fun

The Children’s Museum (6 Washington St., Dover) has a whole host of activities for families to do in July. Every Tuesday and Saturday at 11 a.m., the Learning Garden will have Edible Education to help teach children about healthy food options and what is healthy for the environment. Wacky Art Wednesdays will run at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Wednesday of July. Kids will get to create a unique art project that fits the museum’s weekly theme. Every Thursday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is World Culture Thursday. Kids will do a craft, play a game, or make some art that celebrates a different culture from around the world. Science Fridays will have curious kids conducting experiments that launch into larger lessons about different topics in science. All of the programs above are drop-in and are included when families sign up for playtime at the museum. For more information visit childrens-museum.org.

Pick your own

• Have big berry fun over the long weekend at area pick-your-own strawberry farms. In last week’s (June 23) issue of the Hippo, Matt Ingersoll and Jack Walsh took at look at this year’s strawberry harvest, including a list of farms where you can pick your own or just buy berries and get right to the shortcake eating part of your day. Go to hippopress.com and look for the e-edition version of last week’s issue; the story is on page 22.

• Pumpkin Blossom Farm’s annual U-Pick Lavender is slated to start Wednesday, July 6 and will run through Sunday, July 24, at the farm at 393 Pumpkin Hill Road in Warner. Participants will receive sanitized picking supplies and will get instructions on how to bundle their freshly cut flowers. Picking is daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bundles will be discounted on Monday through Thursday, costing $10; Friday, Saturday and Sunday the bundles will cost $12. Visit pumpkinblossomfarm.com or call 456-2443.

Time to tackle those early summer chores

Weeding the garden is only the beginning

With the advent of summer, it is time to buckle down and get a few jobs done in the garden. In the vegetable garden it’s time to thin out extra plants that are crowding each other. In addition to carrots and beets, others like rutabagas, kohlrabi and parsnips that are started by seed in the ground may need thinning.

Carrot seeds are tiny, so we don’t often plant them one by one. Instead we tend to sprinkle them and, by gum, most of them grow. I maintain that thinning carrots needs to happen by the Fourth of July, so get to work. If they are really close together, you may want to use scissors to cut off the extras at the soil line to avoid pulling up carrots you are trying to save.

I like to be efficient at whatever I do, and that includes keeping a relatively weed-free garden. Many weeds quickly mature, flower, and produce seeds. Your job is to keep them from producing seeds or crowding out your plants.

One way to control weeds is to keep them from getting the sunlight they need to grow. You can do this by mulching. I spread out newspapers over the soil and cover them with straw, hay or leaves. Four to six pages of newspaper keeps out light, inhibiting weeds. Three or four inches of straw will keep the papers in place. Earthworms eat the paper over the summer, and newsprint is done with soy-based inks, so you are not adding heavy metals to your soil (which was the case years ago).

This method works well on walkways and around big plants in the vegetable garden but is more problematic for onions and carrots, which are small and closer together. I use grass clippings or chopped leaves, without the newspaper, around small plants.

Mulching in the flower garden is good, too. It keeps down weeds and holds in moisture. But beware: Too much mulch can keep rain from reaching the roots of your perennials. An inch or two of ground bark helps a lot, but 3 or 4 inches will keep quick showers from getting water to your plants.

Some gardeners use landscape fabric under bark mulch, but I generally do not. I find pernicious weeds eventually send roots through the woven fabric and this makes weeding very difficult. Landscape fabric can also constrict perennials as they expand over time, choking them.

What about plain old black plastic? I don’t use it. Sunshine breaks it down over time and makes a mess. It also keeps air and water from getting to the soil, which must affect soil microorganisms. Additionally, the plastic ends up in the waste stream, which I want to avoid.

This is the time to prune lilacs, forsythia and other spring- and early summer-blooming trees and shrubs. They set their buds for next spring in the summer, so if you wait until fall to prune, you will reduce the number of blossoms. But don’t take a hedge trimmer and just buzz off a foot or two. Make each cut thoughtfully.

I start by deciding the perfect height and shape for the shrub. I recently reduced the height of some lilacs from 12 feet or more to a more manageable 8 feet or so. I cut back each stem to a place where two branches meet. If you cut any branch to a random spot, the branch may not heal well. It heals best where two branches meet. Try to hide your cuts by cutting bigger branches in places where foliage from other branches will obscure your surgery.

You can also cut back tall fall-blooming perennial flowers by a third to delay blooming and create shorter plants. This is best done in mid-May, but it’s not too late. Sometimes I will cut back the outer stems of a big clump and leave the center stems at full length. That gives me a longer bloom time, and the lower stems help support the taller stems.

Be forewarned: Not all perennials will bloom if you cut them back. I wouldn’t do it for peonies or iris, for example, but anything like an aster will respond well. Experiment with just a few plants at first. Better yet, read Tracy DiSabato Aust’s book, The Well Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques. It has detailed advice for most common garden plants.

a watering timer hooked up to 2 hoses
A timer will allow you to water when away. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

If we have a dry summer, you may need to water. Established perennials should not need added water, but your vegetable garden might. I don’t favor overhead sprinklers because they water everything: plants, walkways and weeds. I prefer a watering wand, which is a device I attach to my hose. It is a 30-inch aluminum wand with a sprinkler head and a valve. I can direct the water exactly where I want it. I like a brand called Dramm because the sprinkler head allows fast, gentle watering.

Watering cans are good, too. They allow you to see just how much water you are applying. This is important for new trees, which need 5 gallons a week or so. A sprinkler might seem like it is delivering a lot of water, but may not be.

A watering timer will deliver water while you are away on vacation. They attach to your spigot and allow you to use an overhead sprinkler or a soaker hose. So don’t let your garden dictate your vacation schedule. With mulch and a watering system you can come back from vacation with nothing worse than a lawn that needs cutting!

Featured photo: The first step of mulching as I do it is to put down newspaper. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Fishing for smallies

Smallmouth bass provide an angling experience like no other

“Make him go where he doesn’t want to go,” fishing guide Mark Beauchesne said as I tried to reel in what could only be described as an aggressive fish on the Merrimack River in Concord a few years ago.

The fish in question, a smallmouth bass, dove under the boat and then suddenly sprinted toward the surface, leaping from the water, shaking its head from side to side feverishly. Then it was diving again in relentless, explosive bursts. It felt like it took all I had to keep hold of the rod, never mind figuring out how to make the fish go anywhere.

But as I reeled it closer to the boat, Beauchesne calmly and expertly slid a net into the water, securing the fish and ensuring this would not be a story of the one that got away.

While I was certainly pleased with the size of the fish — probably four pounds or so, Beauchesne guessed — it was more the sheer ferocity and energy the fish exhibited when hooked that I’ll never forget.

“Inch for inch, pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims,” wrote Dr. James Henshall in his 1881 book, The Book of the Black Bass.

“They just don’t have any quit,” said Beauchesne, who, in addition to being a fishing guide, is advertising and promotions coordinator at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “They spend a lot of time airborne. They’re just a very exciting fish to catch.”

The smallmouth bass, also referred to as black bass or a “smallie,” is the most popular game fish in New Hampshire, recently surpassing trout, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, which surveys its license holders, Beauchesne said.

“The accessibility that we have to them and with the tackle that’s available here now that’s accessible and easy to use, it just makes it easy for anybody to get into bass fishing,” Beauchesne said.

New Hampshire historian Jack Noon, who wrote the book The Bassing of New Hampshire, noted smallmouth bass were introduced in New Hampshire in 1864 in Rust Pond in Wolfeboro, which is right next to Lake Winnipesaukee. New Hampshire fisheries commissioners began stocking smallmouth four years later, ultimately introducing smallmouths to 140 lakes and ponds in New Hampshire, Noon said.

“The immediate reaction was incredibly positive,” said Noon, who also noted smallmouths had a less than positive impact on native trout populations upon introduction. “Smallmouths were very popular in New Hampshire, as they were a species that could be caught in summer when tourists were present and had leisure time. They were just very important for the tourist season.”

They still are, anglers agree, and the species can be targeted with a variety of tactics.

Stick baits, which are torpedo-shaped lures that mimic small fish, are popular lures for targeting smallmouth, as are soft plastic lures that take a variety of forms, including worms and crayfish. (I caught my smallmouth with Beauchesne right up against a cement piling with a plastic worm the fish hit as it dropped to the bottom.)

While live bait is effective for both largemouth and smallmouth bass, using live bait to target largemouth or smallmouth bass is prohibited from May 15 through June 15. Anglers must use artificial lures during that time period.

“They eat a variety of foods,” Beauchesne said. “Crayfish are common, the young of the year, yellow perch, sunfish, insects are often overlooked. People catch them with frogs coming out of their mouths. They take advantage of available food sources.”

Smallmouth bass thrive in rivers, lakes and ponds, though they prefer hard-bottomed areas, whereas the abundant largemouth bass tends to prefer softer, muddier bottoms, Beauchesne said.

An average smallmouth bass comes in at about 1.5 pounds and 15 to 16 inches. The state record is 7 pounds, 14.5 ounces. That whopper was caught on Goose Pond in Canaan in 1970.

Smallmouth bass are a warmwater fish and tend to be most active when the water temperature is between 55 and 75 degrees. Beauchesne notes rivers tend to stay in that range throughout the summer.

Beauchesne suggested using a 6-foot spinning rod with medium or medium-light action with eight-pound monofilament line.

Noon recalled fishing for smallmouth as an early teenager.

“I was fishing at night with a jitterbug, [which is a type of hard plastic topwater lure that chugs along right on the surface],” Noon said. “You just get a huge kick out of casting it out. It makes this glug, glug, glug sound and then all of a sudden [when the smallmouth hits the lure] it sounds like someone just threw a 20-pound rock into the lake.”

Be Prepared
As soon as you make that first cast, you need to be prepared and ready to handle fish, said Mark Beauchesne, advertising and promotions coordinator at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Beauchesne shared some advice:
Have needlenose pliers handy for removing hooks; don’t be digging them out of a tackle box once you’ve landed the fish.
Handle fish as little as possible; don’t let them flop around on the ground.
If the fish is deeply hooked, it’s better to cut off the line at the hook. It has a better chance of surviving with the hook in its mouth than if anglers cause more damage trying to remove it. “Smallmouth bass are set up to eat fish that have spines, like crayfish and other fish, after all,” Beauchesne said.

Featured photo: Mark Beauchesne with his catch. Photo by Mark Beauchesne.

Fireworks, festivals, parades and naturalization ceremonies

Events happening in New Hampshire on and around the Fourth of July

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

Independence Day is a time for cookouts, fireworks, parades and parties, as people say happy birthday to America.

One museum, Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, has been taking it a step further for the past 20 years by holding a naturalization ceremony in conjunction with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the United States District Court – District of New Hampshire.

“I’m so very much looking forward to it,” said Veronica Lester, the spokesperson for the museum. “The joy that radiates from the new citizens will be something quite special to witness.”

Strawbery Banke was settled by British colonists in 1623; they named the area for either wild strawberries that grew along Piscataqua River or an estate in England. Sometime later, it was given the name Puddle Dock and went from wilderness outpost to newcomer neighborhood. People lived in the area until the 1950s, when Portsmouth officials closed the neighborhood for urban renewal.

The new citizens will take their Oath of Allegiance on the museum’s lawn, Puddle Dock, named after the disbanded neighborhood. Lester said that the land Strawbery Banke is on has always been a place for immigrants, whether the first British settlers, or immigrants from across the world in the 19th century.

“It seems fitting that the naturalization ceremony occurs at the museum that is this neighborhood of newcomers,” Lester said. “It’s a special ceremony that takes place at this special location.”

In addition to the celebration at Strawbery Banke, here are some other celebrations happening in the Granite State.

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: Sunday, July 3, festivities begin at 6 p.m. with fireworks. A second day of festivities, including the parade and festival, begins Monday, July 4, at 9:45 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 parade and fireworks

When: Monday, July 4, 10 a.m., parade will step off. The fireworks will begin shortly after dusk, around 9 p.m.

Where: South Main Street, traveling down Route 130 to Richard Maghakian Memorial School, 22 Milford St. The fireworks will be over Lake Potanipo, Max Cohen Memorial Grove, 3 Mason Road.

Visit: brooklinenh.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 to watch them by the daVinci’s Dream ride.

When: Saturday, July 2, through Monday, July 4, 9:15 p.m.

Where: Canobie Lake Park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem

Visit: canobie.com

Concord Fourth of July Celebration

Featuring food, live music, fireworks and more

When: Monday, July 4, food vendors and live music begin at 5 p.m., fireworks at 9:20 p.m. (rain date is Tuesday, July 5).

Where: Memorial Field, 70 S. Fruit St.

Visit: concordnh.gov

Derry fireworks

When: Monday, July 4, dusk.

Where: Best viewing areas are Hood Commons, Crystal Avenue and Tsienneto Road

Visit: derry-nh.org

Exeter Independence Day Celebration

The American Independence Museum is hosting its 32nd annual American Independence Festival later than the holiday. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the museum and meet with vendors, learn about cooking during the Revolutionary War, and watch military reenactments.

When: Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: 1 Governor’s Way

Cost: $10 for adults, $5 children 4 to 18, free for children under 4, veterans and active military, and museum members.

Visit: independencemuseum.org

Hampton Beach fireworks

When: Monday, July 4, 9:30 p.m.

Where: On the beach, across from B and C streets

Visit: hamptonbeach.org

Hopkinton Fourth of July Family Fun Day

Featuring a kiddie and main parade, family games, live music and a cookie bake-off

When: Monday, July 4, cookie competition drop off 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

Not only will Laconia be holding a parade and a festival full of vendors and live music, but there will be two different fireworks shows. The first will be at Opechee Park following the festival, and the second will be at Weirs Beach at midnight.

When: Sunday, July 3. The parade will start at 4:30 p.m., the band will start playing at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 10 p.m. A second round of fireworks will start at midnight.

Where: The parade will start at the Laconia High School, 345 Union Ave., and end at Opechee Park, 915 Main St. The second round of fireworks will be atWeirs Beach.

Visit: laconianh.gov

Manchester Independence Day Celebration

Enjoy fireworks, live music, and food vendors.

When: Sunday, 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 Sunday, July 3, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The 25th annual Merrimack Sparkler 5K Road Race will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, 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 the Merrimack YMCA, 6 Henry Clay Drive. Pancake breakfast and fireworks at Merrimack High School, 38 McElwain St. The parade will start at the Commons Shopping Plaza, 515 Daniel Webster Hwy.

Visit: merrimackparksandrec.org

Milford Family Fun Day and fireworks

The holiday kicks off with a 5K, followed by a bike parade, family fun, live music and fireworks.

When: Saturday, July 2, family activities start at 1:30 p.m., concert is from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk.

Where: Keyes Memorial Park, Elm Street

Visit: milford.nh.gov

Nashua Fourth of July Celebration

Fireworks, live music, and hall of fame inductions.

When: Monday, 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: Monday, 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

New London Fireworks

When: Saturday, July 1. Flares are at 9 p.m., fireworks will start at 9:30 p.m.

Where: Pleasant Lake

Visit: plpa.net

Portsmouth fireworks

When: Sunday, July 3, 9:15 p.m. (rain date is Tuesday, July 5)

Where: South Mill Pond, Junkins Ave. (across from Portsmouth City Hall)

Visit: portsmouthnh.com

Raymond Fourth of July Celebration

20th annual Fourth of July parade will have floats, horses, antique cars, clowns and more

When: Monday, July 4, parade at 9:30 a.m.

Where: Parade proceeds from Route 27 (Epping Street) down to the Raymond Town Common, onto Old Manchester Road and to Wight Street.

Visit: raymondareanews.com

Rye July 4th Celebration

When: Friday, July 1, live music will start at 7 p.m., fireworks will start at dusk.

Where: Parsons Field

Visit: town.rye.nh.us

Salem Independence Day Celebration

Featuring live music, food trucks, face painting, fireworks, a beer garden and more.

When: Saturday, July 2. Yappy Hour starts at noon, live music and face painting will be from 4 to 8 p.m., food and the beer garden will be open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and fireworks will start at dusk.

Where: The event this year is taking place at Tuscan Village, 9 Via Toscana.

Visit: townofsalemnh.org

Silver Lake Fireworks

When: Sunday, July 3, at dusk.

Where: Silver Lake, Hollis.

Visit: facebook.com/SilverLakeFireworks

Strawbery Banke Naturalization Ceremony

Come and celebrate Independence Day by welcoming new citizens in one of the oldest neighborhoods in New England.

When: Monday, July 4, 10 a.m.

Where: Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth.

Visit: strawberybanke.org

Suncook River Family Resort Live Music and Fireworks

Live music featuring Nicole Knox Murphy and Mystical Magic will accompany a celebration with games, kayaking, a bonfire and fireworks.

When: Sunday, July 3. Music starts at 3 p.m.; fireworks start at 9 p.m.

Where: 2 Fanny Drive, Suncook

Cost: $8 for people ages 12 and older.

Visit: campsuncookriver.com

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of the Strawbery Banke Museum.

Pride on display in Nashua

Gate City to host pride festival, parade

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

The city of Nashua will show love and support for LGBTQ individuals, supporting family members and straight allies with Nashua’s 2022 Pride Festival on Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m.

“It’s important to [Mayor Jim Donchess] that everyone feels welcome and part of the community,” said Kathleen Palmer, the communications and special projects coordinator for the office of the mayor.

Before the festival starts, there will be a Pride parade, said Palmer. Attendees who want to walk in the parade can register online in advance at https://hipaa.jotform.com/200574115477151. At the festival grounds, Daunchess will give a speech and religious leaders will hold an interfaith blessing.

Live music will feature transgender artists Who.iAm and St. Blair, the New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus, and the local rock band Venom & Mayhem Twins. The Nashua Community Music School will preview their evening concert with music by nonbinary composer Aiden Feltkamp.

Food trucks from Kona Ice, Jeannette’s Concessions, and Soel Sistas will offer Hawaiian-style shaved ice, classic festival deep-fried candies and hand-cut french fries, and tender barbecue and soul food. Stonyfield Yogurt will be handing out free yogurt cups.

A free drag show will be held inside the Court Street Theatre from 3 to 4 pm. The show is geared toward an older audience and wouldn’t be appropriate for children, Palmer said. She added that the Peacock Players Youth Theatre will have games and activities for younger festival goers on the lawn between the library and the Court Street Theatre.

After the festival officially ends, some Nashua businesses want to keep the party going. Martha’s Exchange is hosting an adults-only drag show with Pandora Boxx from Ru Paul’s Drag Race as a special guest. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $35 for VIP, and the doors will open at 7 p.m. There will be a free open mic night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Vibe Yoga (182 Main St.) and a 5 p.m. concert at the Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St.).

Palmer said that the Office of the Mayor had wanted to introduce an after-festival event for people too young to attend adult-only events but who want to still keep the party going.

“We discovered after the first few years of Pride that there was a big need for things for the youth of the community to do,” Palmer said. They partnered with the Gender and Sexualities Alliance at Nashua Community College and the Unitarian Universalist Church to host an after-festival dance party.

The party is for youth ages 14 to 20 and free. It’s being held at the Unitarian Universalist Church and will start at 7 p.m.

Palmer said that the fun-filled day is one that the mayor’s office hopes emphasizes the message that Nashua is a friendly place for LGBTQ people.

“The event is important to Mayor Donchess,” Palmer said. “We want everyone to know that Nashua is a welcoming city for the LGBTQ community.”

Nashua Pride Festival
When: Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 6 p.m.
Where: Parade will kick off at Elm Street Middle School, 117 Elm St., and the festival will be at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St.
Cost: The festival is free; afterparty events prices vary.
Visit: https://hipaa.jotform.com/200574115477151 to sign up to walk in the parade.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Keep it local

Consider native shrubs for your yard

Many of the “cast iron” shrubs that no one can kill are now deemed invasive: barberry, burning bush, multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle. And many others, while not invasive, have been overused: lilacs, rhododendrons and spirea, for example, are nice but not too exciting. Today I’d like to share some nice native shrubs that support wildlife and add beauty to your landscape. These are arranged here roughly in order of season of interest (for flowers, bark, berries)

close up of flower on branch
Calycanthus or sweetshrub is a shade-loving shrub I love. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin): I grew up chewing on the twigs and leaves of this small native with a distinctive flavor that I like. It grows in dry shade and has yellow flowers early in the spring, and red berries in the fall. But to get berries you have both males and female plants (and they are not sexed the way winterberries are). The leaves can be used to make a spicy tea. It tolerates some drought, but prefers moist rich soil.

Common sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus): This can be a fussy plant — I have moved mine twice to find just the right amount of sun. I have it growing under a tall, sparse pear tree and right now it is loaded with wine-red blossoms, each a bit like a miniature peony. Allegedly fragrant, but mine is not, so buy in bloom and sniff first if fragrance is important to you. Reference books generally say it does best in full sun with moist soil, but mine burned in the sun, even with wet soil. Native to the south, but hardy to Zone 4.

Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia): This is a native that often plants itself — with the help of birds — in semi-shaded places. Its structure is fabulous — it often has 2 feet of stem between horizontal branches arranged in tiers. It prefers part shade, but I do have it in full sun growing out of a high rock wall. It grows 15 to 25 feet tall. Birds love the berries (drupes, actually) in August. White, subtle flowers in June. Not often sold in nurseries, but try it if you can find it. Avoid the variegated-leafed variety; it is not nearly as tough a plant and often fails to thrive

small tree with dark red leaves, in large garden
Pagoda dogwood showing fall color and interesting branching patterns. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

Blueberries: So many gardeners avoid blueberries because “the birds will just eat them.” Well, why not plant some for them? They have lovely white blossoms in June, nice fruit for feeding the birds and lovely red foliage in the fall. The trick to success? Test your soil, and then add sulfur or a fertilizer-containing sulfur designed for hollies and such. You need the soil pH to be between 4.5 and 5.5 to get good fruit production. And who knows? You might get a few berries yourself — even without netting. (I avoid netting as birds get tangled in it and die).

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica): New to me. I just bought one at Spring Ledge Farm in New London, New Hampshire, when I saw one in bloom. It was gorgeous, and although it’s rated as a Zone 5 plant and I’m a little colder than that some years, I had to try it. It has bottlebrush white flowers in June and red fall foliage. Best of all, for me, it does well alongside water or in wet places in full sun to part shade — and I have plenty of that. It stays 3 to 4 feet tall, but can spread by root. Full sun to full shade.

Smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens): Along with oak-leafed hydrangea, this is a native that grows wild in the forest as an understory shrub. It is stoloniferous (it spreads by roots) and only gets to be about 3 feet tall, but can form large clumps. I recently read an article about these on research done that cites a named variety called ‘Haas Halo’ that is said to be the best of all hydrangeas for pollinators. Fortunately, I had already purchased some last fall. It is, however, attractive to deer. They got eaten last fall, but came back from the roots vigorously this spring.

Rosebay rhododendron (R. maximum): This is another understory shrub, but can get quite large. I like it because it grows in shade or sun, and blooms (for me) in July. It is native to Appalachia, and large specimens dug in the wild are often sold in the nursery business. It can have either white or pink blossoms. Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, is worth a visit in July — there are 16 acres of rhododendrons and mountain laurel.

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia): This is an August bloomer, fragrant and handsome. It blooms well in light to moderate shade, and thrives in moist soils (where full sun is tolerated). The bottlebrush flowers are upright and range from white to pink to red. Many selections are sold as named varieties.

Red-twigged dogwood (Cornus sericea): Common in the wet places in the wild and in roadside ditches. Its best attribute is the bright red bark in winter of first- or second-year stems. To keep it looking bright, cut back older stems each year. It can grow new stems up to 5 feet tall in one year!

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata): Common in nurseries, these bear bright red berries in winter that are great in wreaths — and for hungry birds. In the wild they grow in standing water, but once established they will do fine in most gardens. Buy a male cultivar for every five or so females.

So visit your local nursery, talk to someone knowledgeable, and buy some new shrubs. Ask for native shrubs that are good for our birds and pollinators. There are plenty of others not mentioned here that are nice, too!

Featured photo: Sweetspire grows alongside my stream and has nice fall color. Photo courtesy of Henry Homeyer.

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