Welcome to Garden Zone, a monthly newsletter for anyone interested in gardening. ​​It's produced by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in Mecklenburg County.

When talking about climate change, it is obvious to consider the impacts of climate change on the local environment including the weather, soil, plants, wildlife, and ecosystems that sustain our gardens and home landscapes.  However, it is easy to overlook the impacts climate change will have on us, the gardeners. After all, there is no garden without the gardener.

Climate change presents very real hazards for us gardeners: namely dangerous heat. Excessive heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States by a long shot. More than hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning and even flooding. In 2021 according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, extreme heat was responsible for an average of 138 deaths per year between 1990 and 2019. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that these numbers may even be underreported as heat can be a contributing factor to death and not necessarily reported as the underlying cause.

Older adults, children, and folks that work outdoors are most at risk to heat illnesses and fatalities.  Folks over the age of 65 are several times more likely to die from heat related illnesses. Children who do not yet have the ability of adults to adapt to heat are also at risk. Other vulnerable populations include people with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases and those of lower socioeconomic status. The latter being an issue of environmental justice which is an issue on its own.

As unusually hot summers become more common with climate change, so too will the intensity and frequency of dangerous extreme heat events. It is important to consider and prepare for these outcomes. The good news is that heat related deaths and illnesses are easily preventable. To mitigate these impacts at your home, plant trees and increase the vegetative cover on your property. Plants naturally cool their surrounding environment through shade and evapotranspiration. Consider using reflective roofs or “cool” pavements when upgrading your home. And when the heat has a firm grip over the Carolinas, drink water regularly, take frequent breaks, wear proper clothing, and schedule your gardening tasks during the cool parts of the day!

Photo courtesy of NCSU

Sources

https://www.heat.gov/pages/who-is-at-risk-to-extreme-heat

https://ksi.uconn.edu/2021/06/07/americas-no-1-weather-killer-is-not-tornadoes-flooding-lightning-or-hurricanes/

https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/excessive-heat-events-guidebook​

We have nothing positive to say about invasive plants. They’re bad. They pose an increasing and significant threat to wildlife and habitat. They also threaten native plants by out-competing those plants for space.

Kudzu is a prime example but consider these: Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima); Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia); Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata); Burning Bush (Eunonymus alatus); Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonica); Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and, yes, Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)! 

Did you know that some big-box stores and local plant nurseries even sell invasive plants?

A small group of Mecklenburg Master Gardeners inventoried the perennials at two large stores. What we found:

• Out of 58 perennials at one store, 10 were invasive plants and 14 were native plants.
• Out of 82 plants at another store, 7 were invasives and 11 were natives.
• NONE of the plant tags indicated whether the plant was “invasive” or “native.”

What does this mean for the home gardener? You must do a little homework before putting anything in your landscape that could be invasive! There are so many great resources at your fingertips that can help.  

We have a great handout on invasive plants. [LINK TO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cci_G7p1AmWUfzWa6mON6Nzbs71Jmklk/view]

Don’t forget to look at the NCSU Plant Toolbox for plants you’re considering. It will indicate if it’s an invasive plant and suggest alternatives. [LINK to: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/] 

Photo: Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) courtesy of Wil Cook

Looking to maximize your garden productivity?  Plan for some companion planting as you design your summer garden!  Companion planting is the process of growing complimentary plants in close proximity to each other in a way that is beneficial to the entire growing process of both plants.  

Tomatoes and basil are great companion plants because they have comparable growing requirements.  Both need similar amounts of water and nutrients from the soil.  While tomatoes thrive in direct sunlight and basil plants tolerate a greater amount of shade, the tomato plant leaves can ultimately provide that shade for the basil and maintain the soil moisture.  

Planting tomatoes and basil together can also be beneficial for pollination and pest management.  The strong, lilting scent of basil attracts bees and butterflies, which can act as pollinators for tomatoes.  It also attracts ladybugs, which feed on the aphids that could attack a tomato plant.  The scent of basil repels pests such as thrips, hornworms, whiteflies and houseflies, which can damage the tomatoes, and mosquitoes, which can annoy gardeners.

Ideally, basil should be planted about twelve inches from a tomato plant to maximize the benefits to both.  Some even say that growing basil in close proximity to tomato plants improves the flavor of the tomatoes.  And as an added benefit, at harvest time you will have the foundation for an amazing caprese salad!

Photos courtesy of: Pinterest, Blogspot, Healthy Fitness Meals and Garden Web

If you have a lot of trees on your property, they probably need occasional trimming. Instead of getting them picked up by the city as "yard waste" or having the arborist take them away, request that they be chipped and piled in a discreet corner of your yard. These wood chips have multiple uses! 

A particularly barren patch, where nothing ever grows because the ground is rock hard, can be magically transformed into fertile ground with a little labor and lot of patience. Layer these wood chips 6 to 8 inch thick and wait. We can plant non-edibles straight into this patch after 6 months and edibles after 1.5 to 2 years. There is really not much effort involved in planting in aged wood chips as there is no need for hard digging. 

Another wonderful use for freshly chipped wood is making garden pathways. If the area is particularly weedy, first laying down a layer of cardboard (like Amazon boxes) before piling on 6 to 8 inches will do the trick. No need to remove the weeds first! This is an ecologically smart move and also does not interfere with drainage unlike pathways that involve non-permeable surfaces.

Wood chips are also a great alternative to store bought mulch for flower beds. We know exactly what's in it and are not paying for unnatural dyes that are often found in bagged mulch.

All in all, reusing chipped trees from our own yards is an excellent, ecologically conscious and free resource that is often overlooked. Think of all the plants we can buy with the money we usually spend on mulch!

Photo Courtesy of EMG Parul Srivastava.

“Some of the most beautiful and creative gardens are built on slopes, including the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall” – Jonathan Sweet – UK Horticulture Writer

Often a challenge, incline planting need not be a nightmare. Erosion’s co-conspirators – rain, wind, ice, gravity, incorrect vegetation – can be minimized by perennials, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees while providing color and seasonal interest. Ground covers stabilize the soil with hardy root systems and dense matting foliage. Consider:

Allegheny Pachysandra: Native to the Southeast, endangered in NC, this mottled evergreen requires partial to full shade, spreads via rhizomes, forms dense clusters with tiny, bottlebrush-shaped white flowers in spring.

Creeping Phlox: A full sun to dappled shade herbaceous perennial provides a blanket of pink, lavender, violet or white flowers in early spring.

Big Blue Lilytuft: Enjoys sun to partial shade, this mounding grass-like evergreen multiplies easily with late summer spikes of purple flowers.

Catmint: Fast growing, herbaceous perennial with aromatic leaves, early summer lavender-blue flowers continue for weeks. Enjoyed by pollinators. Pairs nicely with Groundcover Roses in full sun.

Star Jasmine: A vigorous, vining evergreen, easily clipped for sturdy groundcover, aromatic white flowers in spring.

California Lilac: Spreading evergreen shrub attracts pollinators with fragrant blue-to-purple flower clusters. Drought tolerant. Easy to care for.

Additionally: Perennial Violas, Creeping Juniper, Ajuga, Lady’s Mantle, Groundcover Roses, Russian Sage, Deutzia, Snowberry, Mondo Grass, Fountain and Maiden Grasses, Wildflowers, Sedges, Coneflowers, Lupine, Ostrich Fern, Hydrangea, Dwarf and Standard Forsythia, Cotoneaster, Boxwood, Japanese Maple, Red Maple.

Photo 1: Planted slope- photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo 2: Deutzia - photo courtesy of horsfordnursery.com

Photo 3:  California Lilac - photo courtesy of Rocky Knoll Farm

Photo 4: Catmint - photo courtesy of Pinterest

Form involves incorporating the function of your garden, your personal style preferences, and if there is a theme that you would like to include.  Pretty simple, huh?  Let’s break these down.  

First, function determines how you will be using this space. There is a big difference in a design that includes play spaces for children or sports, beds to grow vegetables and fruits, areas for entertaining and relaxation, ponds and water features, fences or plantings for privacy, etc.  So your first task is to make a list of how you envision using your new garden and what it needs to accomplish that.  Then, the step of laying it out on paper will be much easier - nothing fancy, just a rough sketch by pencil so that you can make changes.  It is possible to incorporate several different needs into one attractive design if you first make that list.  It determines if anything needs to be built, what types of plants should be chosen, and where everything will be placed.  

Next, determine what your style is:  formal or informal, or a little of both.  At times, the design of your house helps to decide which way to go.  A farmhouse or transitional home lends itself to more casual, curving garden layouts; whereas a colonial or contemporary home might look best with clean, straight lines.  Do you prefer things to be symmetrical or asymmetrical?  Often your personality determines the ‘look’ you want to achieve.  One person’s “Margaritaville” entertaining area is another person’s Zen-inspired meditation space. 

Finally, how does theme enter into all of this?  It can contribute to color schemes, types of plants chosen, perhaps sizes of given areas.  Many gardeners are drawn to specific plants:  herbs, dahlias, roses, irises, pollinator plants, vegetables, perennials, cutting flowers, succulents, etc.  Some love a theme combining their favorite colors or even a garden that reminds them of their childhood.  

All of this results in what form your garden will take even before the first shovel is thrust into the soil.  So take the time to plan and make your dreams a reality. 

Photo courtesy of Gail Hansen, UF/IFAS

The kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria),  the south’s latest pest, arrived in Atlanta in 2009, then quickly spread thoughout the southeast.

While its favorite food is Kudzu (which is fine with everyone), they also feed on all legumes, such as beans, peanuts, soybeans, peas, and edemame.

The kudzu bug is the size of a lady bug. It has a hard olive green shell with brown spots.  It likes to congregate in mass on figs, magnolias, and light colored cars and houses, but they only harm legumes.

A gardener’s best practice is to knock several of them at a time into a soapy bucket. Don’t squish them!  They emit a foul smell and the ooze they secrete can burn human skin. Kudzu bugs have two generations. The first is in March and April, with a second migration in July to mid-August. 

Kudzu bugs do not eat plants, but pierces the veins of the plant and feed on the plant sap. This injures the growth of the plant and causes brown leaves, wilting, and loss of flowers and seed pods. 

Market farmers and home gardeners are losing their crops to the kudzu bug. Researchers continue to study effective insecticides that will not harm beneficial insects. 

Photos courtesy of NCSU Extension

The brains of bees are fascinating and complex, and recent research suggests that these hardworking insects may be more sentient than previously thought. Sentience refers to the ability to experience sensations and emotions, and it is often associated with consciousness and awareness.

Studies have shown that bees are capable of learning and remembering specific tasks, recognizing human faces, and even communicating with each other through dance. They also have a remarkable sense of smell and can detect different scents in their environment.

Furthermore, the social structure of bees is intricate and well-coordinated, with each individual bee playing a specific role in the hive. This complex social system suggests that bees are capable of understanding and responding to the needs of their community.

However, the question of whether bees are truly sentient beings remains controversial. While some researchers argue that bees exhibit behaviors that suggest a level of consciousness, others believe that their actions can be explained by instinct alone.

Regardless of where one falls on this debate, there is no denying the incredible abilities of bees and the crucial role they play in pollinating crops and maintaining ecosystems. By studying the brains of these remarkable insects, we can gain a greater appreciation for the complexity and diversity of the natural world.

Photos courtesy of EMG Gina Tadle and Pixabay