If you’ve been to Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills anytime during the past two weeks, a seasonal spectacle may have caught your eye. Everywhere you look, from the Edible Landscape/Courtyard area extending out to the north garden, pathways are filled with the sight of spring blooming pink poppies.
Move in a little closer and listen carefully for a soft humming sound. As you might have guessed, honeybees are busy at work foraging for pollen from the abundance of poppies that share these garden spaces with our herbs, vegetables and wildflowers.
Are you wondering…why are honeybees so attracted to poppies? As the late Robbin Thorp, native pollinator specialist for UC Davis in California so succinctly stated…” they’re not there for the nectar – they’re there for the pollen”.
Poppies should be considered as a quintessential plant for pollen production. And honeybees are one of the chief pollinating agents. A deeper dive into the world of poppies gives us some interesting information regarding pollen.
It is true that honeybees are attracted to poppies for pollen only. The reason why is that the inflorescences of all poppy species lack nectaries, thus no sugary nectar available to pollinators. Flowers, however, are packed with pollen-bearing anthers. Because pollen is the honeybee’s main source of protein, collecting it is a necessary task. Once collected, it is used for brood development and to feed the young larvae. And, fortunately for the bees, scientists have found that poppy pollen is remarkable clean, containing few fungi or mycotoxins.
Come visit our garden and take time to stroll the garden paths filled with poppies. Expect to be mesmerized by an eye-catching explosion of frills. Early morning and late afternoon seem to be the optimum time to experience the honeybees in action. Don’t be surprised to see as many as four or five honeybees foraging frenetically within a single flower.
(Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills…Our “field of poppies!)
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
For the past few weeks, I’ve been spending countless hours in the garden. It didn’t take long to notice the increased level of honeybee activity occurring from early morning until evening. The bees are everywhere during daylight hours and seem to be buzzing around the flowers with a frenzy in their movements. It is truly fascinating to watch.
Why, I wondered, is fall such a busy time for the bees? One interesting explanation that I stumbled across was that honeybees have switched from needing protein to feed their young to craving carbohydrates before they die later in the season. Seems rather sad but, as we know, the lifespan of a honeybee is relatively short – a few weeks to maybe six months, at the most.
I also discovered that as long as the weather is mild, honeybees will continue to forage throughout the autumn months. During this time, worker bees spend many hours collecting enough nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) to feed and maintain the colony throughout the winter. Keeping the hive alive during the winter months is a priority. In order for this to happen, worker bees will need to be especially vigorous and healthy.
(NOTE: In the summer months a hive can have about 60,000 bees, but only about 10,000 bees are needed to ensure a colony survives the cold winter weather. As honeybees start preparing for winter, most drones (male honeybees) are evicted from the hive. Since drones have one purpose only – to mate with a queen – when their work is over, out they go.)
As the days grow shorter and colder, the remaining honeybees will form what is referred to as a “winter cluster”. The queen and her brood are kept at the center of this globe-like cluster while worker bees shiver or vibrate their wing muscles, generating enough heat to keep the hive warm in even very cold temperatures. On mild winter days, as we often experience in Zone 8, bees will come out of the hive to dispose of waste products, clean the hive and forage.
However, since there aren’t many options for foraging in the middle of winter, fall nectar and pollen gathering is critical to the hive’s continued survival. We can play an important role in supporting the honeybees during this time by taking a few steps to help them in their work.
*Plant late blooming plants that provide the nectar and pollen bees need. Some examples include fall asters, borage, calendula, frostweed, goldenrod, hibiscus, pentas, salvia and zinnias. We have pictures of most of these pollinator plants above.
*Plan to leave your basil plants in the ground until the first “cold snap” or freeze. I’ve noticed more honeybees on my fall basil plants than anything else in the garden.
*Provide a fresh water source (shallow container) and add some pebbles or twigs for the bees to land on while drinking.
Black Sage Honey, (Salvia mellifera)
Sometime around the middle of September, while visiting our youngest son and his family, we started a conversation about the different flavors of honey. He wanted to know if I had ever heard of Black Sage Honey. My answer was “yes”, but I had never tasted it. Immediately, he brought out a jar, opened it and, together, we all sampled a delicious, peppery honey that was truly unique.
Later that evening, I did an online search to learn more about “black sage”. Here is a brief summary of what I learned about this amazing plant from Specialty Produce.
“Black Sage is a powerfully fragrant, woody shrub that quickly grows to an average of one meter in height and width. More mature plants can reach up to 1.8 meters. The plant has tiny hairs coating the stems and leaves in a sliver-green fuzz, and flowers that range from white to pale blue or lavender grow in spherical clusters known as whorls, along the square stems. The small, oval, dark-green pebbled leaves can look almost black from a distance, especially during dry conditions, and the stem and whorls harden and turn black at the end of the season – all characteristics believed to have influenced the plant’s name. Black Sage leaves produce a strong, herbal, sometimes minty scent and offer a mildly astringent, herbaceous flavor.”
After learning that black sage is recommended for USDA Zones 8-10, I began searching for a grower. Mountain Valley Growers in Squaw Valley, California had the plants in stock, so my order was quickly placed. I purchased a total of three plants. They arrived on October 20th and, after acclimating for a few days, were put into the ground this week.
New planting of Black Sage. It will receive about six hours of sun followed by dappled shade in the late afternoon.
And finally, what’s all the “buzz” about Black Sage Honey? Black sage is native to Southern California and Northern Mexico. It flowers only about every three years. That translates to a very rare honey that is made only about four seasons per decade! Thankfully, I was able to find a jar from Savannah Bee Company and am happy to share this simple recipe with everyone. My recommendation is to experience the wild and earthy taste on its own then decide how you would best enjoy using it. Drizzled over brie cheese and fresh fall figs is my first choice!
Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills is pleased to offer pansies and violas at a fantastic price for your fall and winter landscape color. “What’s the difference?,” you might ask. Pansy blooms are larger than viola blooms, but violas are reported to have more blooms per plant and be somewhat more cold-tolerant. We also have alyssum this year – so pretty in container plantings – as well as ornamental kales, Swiss chard and mustard.
Please be aware that all orders are subject to availability at the nursery.
Pansies and violas are sold by the flat of 18 4″ pots. Each flat is $20 inclusive of tax. Alyssum is $22/flat. Please order with care – chard, kale and mustard plants are priced according to the quantity and size of the pot. Sale ends Sunday, 11/5, at 6pm.
All orders must be prepaid, either through Signup Genius using your credit or debit card (fast and easy), or through Zelle to DCMGA at treasurer@dallasmga.com. Zelle payments should be made no later than 11/5 please.
All pansies and plants will be staged at Raincatcher’s for you to pick up from the west parking lot on the campus of Midway Hills Christian Church, 11001 Midway Road, Dallas, TX. We will offer delivery in the Dallas area within about 5 miles of the garden for large orders of 12 flats or more. If you live farther away and would like a delivery, we’ll work with you to charge a fair price in the neighborhood of $10 or so. You may pick up your order on Wednesday, 11/8, from 10am until 2pm. Volunteers will be available to help pull and load your order.
This sale is open to the public, so please tell your friends, family, social media and Nextdoor.com contacts!
Thank you for your support! Funds raised support Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills, a Dallas County Master Gardener Research, Education and Demonstration project.
I have to say that the squash vine borers (SVBs) were getting me down. After spending the summer of 2021 removing borers from the squash plants and still not seeing much of a harvest, I swore off growing squash, almost.
The SVB larva grows inside the squash vine (often killing the plant) and then makes a cocoon that overwinters in the soil. The adult moth emerges from the cocoon in spring and lays eggs on the undersides of the squash leaves. The eggs hatch and the larvae begin destroying your plants again.
One solution is not to have any squash handy for the adults to lay their eggs on (thus the almost swearing off). You can also interrupt this cycle by finding and removing the eggs. That is a real challenge unless you have a small number of plants and time to check every single leaf every day.
We started off the spring season with some lovely Italian cucumbers that were producing well but suddenly began to droop just like the squash had the previous summer. It turns out that if they don’t find any squash, the borers may settle for your favorite cucumber. It almost seems spiteful.
I was persuaded by a team member to try growing butternut squash in late summer. Cucurbita moschata has a reputation for borer resistance. Throwing caution to the wind, we decided to try zucchino rampicante and calabacita as well.
Despite my skepticism, we have a raised bed full of butternut squash maturing now with no sign of SVBs.
Cucurbita moschata, Butternut squash
The zucchino rampicante is in the same family and has a hard stem that I assumed the borers would not be able to breach. However, we found a few larvae in the stems and removed them. The plant now has huge beautiful leaves and vines that run about 12 feet. It is producing two foot long fruits that weigh a pound or so.
Calabacita and zucchino rampicante Zucchino rampicante
The calabacita (Cucurbita pepo), also known as tatume or Mexican zucchini, has a tough, thin vine and has shown few signs of distress from SVBs. It is taking up a lot of garden space but makes up for it by being very productive. The fruit may be eaten like a thin skinned summer squash or allowed to grow into a soccer ball sized pumpkin.
Going forward I will swear off swearing off.
Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018
Sunflowers are such happy plants. I fondly remember Maximillian sunflowers at Joe Field Road probably in 2012 as a relatively new Master gardener – Michelle planted them in the nature area, and then they were everywhere! That’s when I first noticed the striking contrast of the golden flowers against the blue sky!
Sunflowers at our first garden on Joe Field Road
In my yard, a few sunflowers have magically appeared, most likely with the help of our feathered friends. These volunteers have brought unexpected color to the area that had once been a shade bed. This year, as Spring started to transform to Summer I began to notice more sprouts and is my habit, I let them grow. The striking flowers started to put on a show the first week in June, and with it came the buzzing bees covered in pollen. Stalks appeared near my very sunny, dry riverbed and shot 8 -10 feet in the air.
These bringers of cheer needed to be shared, so my plan was to begin clipping from the top, bending the stalks down. Cutting didn’t make them shorter, it made them more prolific.
With June being my birthday month, there were opportunities to share these lovelies and some of the other flowers from my yard. These arrangements made it to my former and new workout groups, and their families as well as friends, and neighbors. Sharing these gifts from my yard brings me so much joy!
My gift of sunflowers came anonymously, but they are also readily planted from seeds. and are hardy from zones 2a-11b. Planted in spring after frost, they grow quickly and produce flowers throughout the summer. The blooms track the sun from east to west during the day. This is known as heliotropism.
These yellow disks up against the blue sky reminded me of the opportunity to serve in Ukraine. The fields were covered in miles and miles of Sunflowers. It was seen first-hand from a train across the country. A very powerful memory as well as a present reminder.
Sunflowers in Ukraine
It is well known that the best time to cut flowers is early morning and it is recommended to put them immediately into a bucket of water before arranging. One morning, this plan was implemented, and it went according to plan. The second time, however, there wasn’t a chance to de-bloom the plant till midday. Oh dear, it didn’t take long for my happy flowers and buds to go sad and limp, even in the water. I hurriedly brought them inside, filled the vases with water, cut flower food and used the best specimens. Hours later, most of those became viable once again, but it was a stark reminder of why we heed best practices.
It’s now the end of July and while the flowers still make me smile, it is time to reclaim my sunbed. They are still producing in this 100+ degree heat, although not as readily as earlier in the summer. Stalks will be stripped of flowers and buds, and then chopped down to make room for the Fall plantings. There will be a chance for yet a few more arrangements. Don’t worry though, there are many other flowers in my crazy cottage garden for the pollinators.
Even in the dog days of Summer, there is joy in the unexpected volunteers that grace our yards and there are flowers that thrive and make us happy even in this inferno that we find ourselves in during this season of HOT!
One of the showiest ornamental oreganos, Kent Beauty, a hybrid between Origanum rotundifolium and Origanum scabra, has charmed me with its attractive foliage and flowers. Mine was planted in a 12” terra cotta pot over two years ago but, come fall, I’m transplanting it to a new sunny location in my raised bed. Its intriguing beauty during the heat of summer and into fall will be refreshing.
Gathered from the garden; purple pentas, cinnamon basil, society garlic and Kent Beauty oregano.
Kent Beauty is an impressive oregano, having received the prestigious Award ofGarden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. (The AGM is a mark of quality awarded, since 1922, to garden plants by the United Kingdom, Royal Horticultural Society.) A cup symbol on a plant’s label shows it has earned the AGM – the UK’s seal of approval that the plant performs reliably in the garden. It is only awarded to plants that are:
Excellent for use in appropriate conditions
Available
Of good constitution
Essentially stable in form and color
Optimum growing conditions include full sun, dry to medium soil with excellent drainage. It performs well during extreme heat and drought but is intolerant of high humidity. Allow room for it to grow approximately 6 to 9 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. Bees are attracted to the tiny purple, tubular blooms. An easy-to-care for plant that is disease free and has few pests.
Kent Oregano growing in a pot
Kent Beauty is an herbaceous perennial that forms a low trailing mound of silver-veined blue-green aromatic leaves. In early summer it starts producing whorls of pendulous, drooping heads of hop-like flowers in dreamy shades of shrimp pink, cream and pale green. This visual feast for the eyes continues into the cooler autumn months.
Take advantage of its versatility and use in alpine and rock formations, as a border plant, in containers, hanging baskets and for cascading over walls. Snip stems of the draping flowers for a dramatic addition to fresh floral arrangements.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Our adventure in growing nepitella was challenging. Seeds were difficult to locate and few in number. Spring of 2021, the first flat of twelve seeds was started. Instructions were followed carefully but the seeds just seemed to slumber through the next three weeks. Finally, the tiny seedlings started popping up through the seed starting mix and we were hopeful our efforts would be rewarded.
And then they just stopped growing, bent those little heads over to the side and gave it up. We couldn’t have been more disappointed that they didn’t survive because our motivation for growing nepitella, a somewhat unfamiliar herb, was all about a recipe. Fortunately, we are close friends with a master gardener who happens to be a seed starting guru. His name is Jim and he agreed to take on the task of getting us to the finish line.
Weeks passed with no news of germination. Sadly, we were losing hope of ever getting to try that special dish featuring nepitella. And then one day, Jim surprised us with a visit to the garden. He shared the good news that ten seeds had germinated but he wanted to keep them under his watchful eye for a few more weeks. We happily agreed and, once again, held on to hope that he would be successful. As you might have guessed, about a month later Jim arrived at the garden with a flat of strong, upright nepitella seedlings that were finally large enough for their new home in the edible landscape. Cheers of joy were heard throughout the garden.
Nepitella just starting to bloom, May 2022Nepitella growing in Linda’s yard
Nepitella (Calamintha nepeta) grows wild in the hills around Nepi, an old Etruscan town in the province of Viterbo, Italy, about an hour north of Rome. It is an aromatic herbaceous perennial that spreads horizontally by means of underground rhizomes. The small, fuzzy leaves look like marjoram and taste like lemony mint with notes of basil and oregano. Nepitella blooms in late spring producing tiny pale purple flowers which are edible and attractive to bees. (FYI…As of this writing, July 14th, my three pots of nepitella are still blooming. Those delicate little flowers have been tossed into salads, vegetables, desserts and more!)
If a trip to Italy isn’t on your summer agenda, where old Tuscan towns filled with picturesque scenes leave you dreaming of a stroll up crumbling stone steps to the piazza, then let the heavenly scent of nepitella take you there. You’ll find it used in Italian cookery as an aromatic to flavor all sorts of dishes from beef and lamb through tomatoes and summer squash.
Braised Artichokes with Nepitella
And finally, the recipe that inspired us to start growing nepitella was created by a well-known Italian chef and food writer, Pellegrino Artusi. His 1891 recipe for carciofi in umido con al nepitella (Braised Artichokes with Calamint) is the one that teased our taste buds. It consists quite simply of braising carefully cleaned and quartered artichokes with a bit of tomato paste, fresh garlic and a fistful of nepitella. The happy conclusion to this story is that the flavors of Italy have arrived in our garden and we are thrilled to share them with you.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
We have eight 4″ pots of nepitella seedlings to give away next Tuesday, July 26th. Look for them on the round table in the Edible Landscape Garden. One per person, please.
Lovely and tough plants for free—who wouldn’t want that?? Great plants that often carry memories of gardens and gardeners long gone can be yours; plants that in many cases would be hard to find in a shop.
Pollinator gardens are perfect for self seeding plants. They attract and nourish the bees that carry out the pollination for one thing Seeds cannot form with out pollination. The garden and the bees need lots of plants and flowers—big and small simple and complex—all sorts of plants and flowers. Perennials are the backbone of the garden, of course ,but the bees and butterflies need flowers for as long as possible and as many of them as possible—so annuals are a must have. Planting lots of annuals can be expensive. There is the cost of buying them of course and that can be significant. But its not the only thing to consider. Think of all those plastic pots—really the world needs a lot fewer of those no matter how hard the gardener may work to recycle. Then there is the growing medium—what really is involved with that—something to think about!. Those plants were likely transported from a distance—another cost. It takes time and effort to plant them and additional water to get them started.
GomphrenaVariegated AmaranthMullein, ready to seed
Plants that come back all by themselves—those are starting to look better and better.
So why aren’t they loved by all??? There is no perfection in this world and there are no perfect plants.
There are so many good things about self seeders—they come up at the right time for them and seem strong from the very beginning without special effort to get them established.
But they aren’t perfect and the faults cannot be ignored.
One of the big problems is—they come up where it suits—them—not the gardener! The middle of a garden path often seems a great place. How to get around this—some plants will have to simply be pulled out but be alert often young plants can be easily transplanted to a different place with minimal effort. A bigger problem can be sheer numbers. This is so variable some years seem to favor certain plants and at times the self seeding can be for the gardener—way too successful. Again, be alert its almost always very easy to simply pull out the tiny plants—remember just because you have too many a friend may have none—a sharing opportunity.
They are not predictable every now and then—they don’t come up as expected. Its always good to save some seeds from treasured plants—remember its not so easy to obtain these plants.
The last—but significant problem is that for a plant to self seed—it must form seeds!! Seems obvious right—but the gardener can fail to realize that this means the plant must fully mature, flowers cannot be deadheaded. Unfortunately—this is rarely a pretty sight.
The circle of life must be accepted. However—this does not mean that every plant has to be allowed to go to seed. Choose only the best plants—the others can be deadheaded or removed altogether. In allowing a few plants to go to seed the gardener not only ensures new plants for the next year but look at it as an educational opportunity the whole cycle can be explained to garden visitors—maybe even share a few seeds.
On your next visit to Raincatchers pollinator garden be sure to look for self seeded plants—and try some in your own garden.
Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Pollinator week has passed but we will continue to celebrate pollinators all month long with pictures, stories, and garden advice. Plant with purpose, now is a great time to create a pollinator-friendly yard or garden.
Bees are Essential!
What is actually involved in being a pollinator friendly gardener? First open your eyes to the complex world that is your garden. Pay close attention to the plants and creatures and the interaction between them. This is how the garden will become even more useful to pollinators—and to the gardener as well.
Consider that pollinator can be one of a great many creatures. What an opportunity for learning! These creatures have been essential to life for a very long time but they need all the help that gardeners can give. Solitary bees make up 90% of native bees and bumble bees make up the rest. They are social but live in small groups numbering in the hundreds, not the many thousands of bees that make up honeybee hives. Now honeybees do wonderful things but your garden is not an almond orchard. Native bees will do a great job pollinating the flowers including the flowers of herbs and vegetables.
The gardener doesn’t need to know hundreds of bee names to observe the differences between them and to begin to see how they interact with the plants in the garden. Accept that wasps, flies and beetles are also involved in pollination. Be careful and observe them as they go about their lives. They have a place in the world so share the message.
Didn’t pollinator gardens used to be called butterfly gardens? Well, it’s an updated designation but butterflies are an essential part of gardening. Butterflies are delightful and this is important. They are a wonderful way to engage potential gardeners—that’s everybody!
Vesta Crescent Butterfly on Hardy Ageratum
Bees are essential but butterflies win “most popular insect” every time. Of course, the pollinator garden should attract and care for them. Flowers are what is needed, lots of flowers. Plant as many shapes and sizes as can be grown and not just in spring but summer and fall, too. That requires planning and of course ongoing care but that’s what gardeners do.
Everyone wants monarchs, of course they do, and that’s fine but don’t stop there. There are so many butterflies to learn about. In this area the garden could be visited by eastern black swallowtails, pipevine swallowtails, painted ladies’, common buckeyes, lots of skippers (some people say they aren’t really butterflies) but they are lovely little creatures. Snouts—so easy to recognize—yes they do have a snout.
Snout ButterflyHairstreak Butterfly
Delicate hairstreaks love tiny flowers, there are dusky wings of various sorts. Funeral is a favorite with its dark wings bordered with white. So many and all are interesting and beautiful. Take the time to look carefully. Honestly, they are just as enchanting as monarchs.
Gardeners want butterflies—so take the next step. Find out about their host plants and try to grow at least three different kinds if possible. Butterflies have an amazing ability to find their host plants so eggs can be laid. Then the larvae hatch. Do they eat the plants? Yes. Do the plants then look ragged? Yes”, but without this…no butterflies. Do not assume this is common knowledge. It isn’t and needs a good explanation. Never use pesticides, then explain again. Butterflies and bees are insects. Diplomatic skill must be used! So much to learn, but that’s the great thing. There is no need for boredom!
There are many sources of information on bees, butterflies, wasps and butterfly gardening.
A great butterfly reference is “Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas and North Texas”
(By John M Pole, Walter B Gerard and John M Nelson from the University of Oklahoma Press)
Look up the Xerces society for information on native bees along with gardening and conservation information also.
Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Pictures by Starla Willis, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2011
Diane, a frequent visitor to Raincatchers Garden, saw a little bit of debris on a leaf. To her surprise it began to move purposefully. She learned that the debris was called a junk bug. It covers itself with the bodies of insects it has preyed upon. This creates a convincing camouflage that fools birds and the ants that tend aphids. Aphids are a frequent snack.
Junk Bug with a purpose!
The junk bug is a larva that becomes a green lacewing, a beautiful insect with delicately veined gossamer wings.Per Diane, “I almost missed it till it started moving, and this is my very first one to ever see, or even hear of.”
Thanks, Diane, for your close observation. It’s great to know we have an insect ally to help us keep the aphids in check.
P.S. The eggs on a stalk shown in the picture above are also part of the lifecycle of this beneficial insect.
Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018
PIctures by Diane, a friend of The Raincatcher’s Garden
My gift of sunflowers came anonymously, but they are also readily planted from seeds. and are hardy from zones 2a-11b. Planted in spring after frost, they grow quickly and produce flowers throughout the summer. The blooms track the sun from east to west during the day. This is known as heliotropism. 
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 