Iris 'Batik'

Memorial Day is nearing. First begun as remembrance after the Civil War, today’s Memorial Day more often is celebrated as the kick-off for summer. To be sure, there are still those who will visit cemeteries and decorate loved ones’ grave sites with flowers but more often these days it means a day off work and a cook-out.

As a kid, I remember trucking a little red wagon with Mason jars of iris and peonies to sell at our plat’s entrance street. In the late 60s and early 70s we were WAY out in the county on St. Rt. 48 right on the county line of Montgomery and Warren Counties. Even so, there were people who stopped to purchase flowers from a little skinny kid with a wagon of flowers. I always think of those days when my ‘flags’ and ‘pineys’ are in bloom.

My backyard nature notes:

Wren Housebuilding 101

Sadly, the robin’s nest has apparently been raided by a raccoon and the orioles have moved on to a better neighborhood. I enjoyed the gift of one whole day to spy on a bay-breasted warbler (a first for me) before it continued on its South-America-winter-to-Canada-summer journey where it will make a new family. A wren is now trying to set up house in the same bluebird box that I removed 3 house sparrow nest attempts. Saturday, Keith found a Midland painted turtle out by the mailbox. Realizing that he wasn’t merely waiting to be picked up by the mailman, I relocated him to the woodlot behind my house where there is a small pond. Though not totally an aquatic turtle, the middies eat their food underwater and need to be near a source of water.

Midland painted turtle

Season for garden tours

There are several garden tours to highlight in this issue of the Vine:

Wogoman's hosta garden

Friday-Saturday, May 27 & 28: Glenda’s Garden. Gene and Glenda Wogoman, members of the Miami Valley Hosta Society will have their garden tour/hosta sale. Friday hours are 12-8 pm. Saturday hours are 10 am to 6 pm. The address is: 7620 Halderman Rd., West Alexandria, OH 45381.

June 1-5: Schnormeier Gardens Open House (Gambier, OH). Remember, it is only open to the public once a year! Check it out HERE.

Saturday, June 18: Osborn Historical District Garden Tours. Hours: 11 am to 5 pm. Look for garden tour signs at participating homes in and around the Osborn Historic District in Fairborn, OH. Questions? Call Debbie Downs at 937-754-1500.

Educational/Sales opportunities

These are all great events to check out:

June 11: 9 am to noon, “Gardening With Native Plants” workshop,  Sieben Hall, sponsored by the Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at Bergamo Center (4400 Shakertown Rd., Beavercreek OH 45430). $35, register early, space is limited.

June 18:  8 am to 1 pm, Native Plant Sale, sponsored by the Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at Bergamo Center (4400 Shakertown Rd., Beavercreek OH 45430)

July 8-10: Midwest Native Plant Conference (Bergamo Center, 4400 Shakertown Rd., Dayton OH 45430)

Grassland crawfish mud chimney

I’ve been out in the yard quite a bit now that the rain has let up. When I was a kid, the outdoors was my playground, the backyard woods was my jungle gym and I fancied myself as a young Euelle Gibbons. Needless to say, I never did quite end up catching my supper, but I tried! I was reminded of the time when my kid sister Carla (I think) poked her fingers in one of the grassland crawfish mud chimneys and promptly found out someone lived in there. With all this rain, it’s no surprise that the crawfish are again constructing their mud piles in my yard. If you are mowing, you’ll want to watch out for them so that you don’t damage your mower blade.

With an observant eye and ear, I’ve seen and heard so much! I saw an orchard oriole and a yellow warbler. I found I have an American robin’s nest right off of my patio and that there are at least 2 male house wrens vying for the same house.  A Carolina wren has been trying to make a nest in our Uncle Bill’s game (known to the rest of you as Corn Hole) that is hung up in the garage. A Northern Cardinal has a nest in the neighbor’s Colorado blue spruce tree. A garter snake startled me as I mowed today; luckily he escaped without a Toro haircut!

Baby grasshopper

It’s not just the out of doors that is budding with new life. I found tens of teensy weensy baby grasshoppers at the family room patio door. On the INSIDE. I’m guessing that they hatched from one of the pots I brought in from last year. They are no larger than 1/4 of an inch though it is hard to tell the scale in my photo. It is quite tricky getting them outside without hurting them but I’d rather have them OUTSIDE than inside!

Osmocote $10 rebate

If you use Osmocote, be sure to check out this $10 rebate on a 3-lb container of indoor/outdoor Osmocote. My rebate check is already being processed and the container will only cost me $2.97 after rebate. Yay! I love good deals. (Offer expires June 30).

When I was a kid, May 1st would find us kids making paper cones with handles out of construction paper. We would then head out the back door for the great mysterious woods behind our house and pick some wildflowers. Spring beauties, violets, some of mom’s late daffodils, dandelions, stuff like that. We wrapped the base of the stems in a wet paper towel, wrapped the wet paper towel with aluminum foil and then placed our home-made mini bouquet in the paper cone ‘vase’.

Once assembled we got to do the fun part: we would take our ‘vases’, stealthily sneak to our neighbors’ front door, hang the vase on the door knob, ring the door bell and run away laughing like fools the whole time. I guess you could say it was a reverse act of vandalism where you actually WANTED to get tagged! I hadn’t made a May Day bouquet for years so today’s effort was fun!

African Violets, O my!

The African Violet Society of Dayton (AVSD) is holding its annual Spring Display and Sale. Yee haw! If you want to see some fine examples of the Gesneriad plant family, head over to Town & Country Shopping Center (300 E. Stroop Rd., Kettering OH – corner of Stroop & Far Hills Roads) this coming Friday and Saturday, May 6 & 7. Plants from commercial growers and AVSD members, leaves, cuttings and potting soil will be for sale. AVSD members will be on hand to answer growing questions. This is a free event and open to the public. Friday hours are 10 am to 9 pm. Saturday’s hours are 10 am to 4 pm.

Nest cam updates

VA bald eagles: The three eaglets were removed from the nest the day after their mother was killed by jet plane. They have been relocated to the Wildlife Center of Virgina and anticipate being released sometime in August. Though I haven’t seen it up yet, it looks like there will be a cam set up at the Wildlife Center.

Phoebe the Allens Hummingbird: Phoebe wasted no time in laying two more eggs after her last chicks fledged. The first chick hatched this past Thursday and the 2nd chick fell out of the nest yesterday. It was returned to the nest, slowly weakened, was removed and taken to a rehabber.

Sales Alerts

Grandma’s Gardens: Through May 8: 25% off roses, tropicals, flowering shrubs, glazed pottery; $5 off hanging baskets

Knollwood Garden Center: Four varieties of peonies are on sale for $14.99 (regularly $24.99); geranium sale starts Thursday, May 5. Zonal geraniums in 4.5″ pots will be $3.99 (regularly $4.99). Trophy Taker daylilies arrive on Thursday but are not on sale.

Andy’s Garden: $12.99 pansy, petunia & alyssum flats; 25% off trees, shrubs, perennials