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July 22, 2021
Pearl and the Squirrel
by Joey Bokor
by Joey Bokor
It seems there is always something chasing something in our yard. I was enjoying a mug of coffee in the garden this week when a squirrel started poking around a gutter on the side of the house. He looked like he was trying to break in through an exhaust fan. We cook a lot, so I'll bet it smells good there. When it saw me watching, it put up its tail like one of those birds of paradise
from the show Planet Earth, jumping around and putting on a display.
Then our dog, Pearl, saw it. Cocker Spaniels were originally bred to flush game out of low cover and while Pearl isn't much of a hunter, she sure tries. Last week when her animal instinct kicked in, she nearly got her paws on a squirrel that was helping itself to our bird feeder. Anyway, she watched this squirrel more out of entertainment than anything. She and I just sat there mesmerized by the fancy tail display.
And it was all a ruse. That squirrel was only pretending to sneak into the house. What it really wanted was my bumper crop of jaboticabas, which is my favorite tropical fruit tree. Not this time buddy. Me and my trusty spaniel are here watching.
Speaking of dogs, we truly are in the dog days of summer right now. The heat is on, so make sure you are keeping yourself hydrated and, of course, don't forget about your plants. While this is rainy season, it doesn't rain every day for everybody. New plants need water each day in the morning to keep them happy and thriving.
Then our dog, Pearl, saw it. Cocker Spaniels were originally bred to flush game out of low cover and while Pearl isn't much of a hunter, she sure tries. Last week when her animal instinct kicked in, she nearly got her paws on a squirrel that was helping itself to our bird feeder. Anyway, she watched this squirrel more out of entertainment than anything. She and I just sat there mesmerized by the fancy tail display.
And it was all a ruse. That squirrel was only pretending to sneak into the house. What it really wanted was my bumper crop of jaboticabas, which is my favorite tropical fruit tree. Not this time buddy. Me and my trusty spaniel are here watching.
Speaking of dogs, we truly are in the dog days of summer right now. The heat is on, so make sure you are keeping yourself hydrated and, of course, don't forget about your plants. While this is rainy season, it doesn't rain every day for everybody. New plants need water each day in the morning to keep them happy and thriving.
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Discount valid through 7/28/2021
Dead-heading doesn't mean hanging out at Graceful Dead concerts. It means making your flowers really pop. And it's simple. A little snip here, a little trim there and voila, your flowers will put out a fresh set of new blooms.
1. When to Dead-head - Do it anytime. In the heat, we avoid heavy pruning, but there is not a wrong time of year to dead-head. Whenever something is blooming heavily, wait a few days and go out and trim.
2. Which Flowers to Dead-head - Blooms that are completely finished, mostly finished and even almost finished can go. Here is what happens. Plants have flowers to make seeds. It's for reproduction. So if a flower blooms, pollinates and closes, it will begin the process, as we say of 'going to seed'. At this point, energy from the plant is directed to this process of making seeds, and away from making new blooms. So if you prune a flower when it is past its peak beauty, but before it begins to go to seed, the plant continues to use its energy for blooms instead of seeds.
3. Plants to Dead-Head - There isn't anything you can't dead-head, but the ones that are the easiest are plants whose flowers are single-stemmed, not ones with clusters or long spires of flowers. Additionally, plants that only bloom once a year (think azaleas, camellias) don't need it. Short-lived flowers like petunias, hibiscus etc. aren't usually good candidates either. Roses, bush daisy, salvia, coreopsis, and blanket flower are just some of the many flowering plants that really benefit from dead-heading.
4. Use Liquid Fertilizer - A liquid fertilzer such as FoxFarm's Tiger Bloom used on a weekly basis, will help plants re-bloom. Since you want your plants to bloom as much as possible, give them the nutrients they need to do it.
5. Get Outside - What are you waiting for? You know there is something in your yard that needs dead-heading. So grab the clippers and clean away the old blooms. Pretty soon the new flowers will have you smiling at your handiwork.
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