THE TILLER, Newsletter of the Tenth District in the Federated Garden Clubs of NY State, Inc.

MAY 2017

Finally May! The rain continues and it is colder than we wish, nevertheless; we gardeners heart and soul, are gladdened by the turn of the season and ready for planting. Redbuds, Whitebuds, Magnolias, Lilacs and all the early Perennials and Ephemerals appear in dizzying order.

Clubs are starting to plan their Flower Shows and come to grips with the new Handbook.

Plant sales abound and Garden Centers call to us like sirens of the deep as we drive by (who am I kidding? We drive into!)

I am restraining myself this year to only adding bright colored annuals and some containers. I am considering the Buddleja or Butterfly Bush as most of us know it by. No; I did not spell it wrong.In my research I have found that Linnaeus has spelled it that way. It is a silent J. How fun was that?

There has been a heightened alert about this shrub being invasive and shortly being added to the “Do not sell or do not plant list.” Breeders have been working on cultivating sterile varieties. One called “Asian Moon” is available from The Tree Center mail order. This cultivar is a cross between Buddleja davidii var ‘Moonshadow’ (female parent) and Buddleja asiatica (male). It grows zones 5-9.This is asterile cultivar.

Another wonderful sounding Buddleja is Buzz Dwarf. A cold hardy, non-invasive; it comes in ivory, sky blue, magenta, violet, hot raspberry, purple, soft pink, and midnight. Buddleja is a nectar source for bumble bees, hummingbird moths, hummingbirds, swallowtails,the orange fritillary butterfly, and many other pollinators.You may ask but how to get around the fact that butterfly caterpillars do not use this plant as a host plant for laying eggs? An easy answer is plant milkweed Asclepias syriaca. Last year this started appearing in my yard and I have several shoots coming up in my beds this year! Last year I had many butterflies feeding on my Buddleja; and when the time was right according to “Monarch time”, flutter over to their preference for laying eggs- Asclepia syriaca. Asclepia is not easily transplanted. Nurseries that sell the plugs are easily found on the internet. I simply cannot do without the serenity of watching the butterflies and other insects swarm in and about the Buddleja in my yard. I bet you feel the same.

In case you were confused the date of the next District Meeting is July 12, Wednesday. This meeting will be hosted by Cornwall Garden Club at Kirkwood House, located on Route 218. An invitation/notice will be sent out as the time gets closer.

SAVE THE DATE: July 21, 22, 2017Artful Gardeners Garden Club is planning a Small Standard Flower Show

“SONGS OF SUMMER”

Get out your dancing flip flops and please join us. The schedule based on the new Handbook shall soon be finished and emailed to any interested clubs.

Happy May,

Jane, Tenth District Newsletter Communicator