Dayton "Dirt" - August 3, 2012

Last week’s rain did green things up a bit and resulted in about a foot of water in our irrigation lake from which we depend on at least 100,000 gallons of water every day. The new perennials keep rolling in with a shipment from Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon of a lot of new plants that we ordered in January. By potting them now for next spring sales, the plants will be well rooted and “bulked” up just by going dormant in the winter with a burst of energy starting in late March. Walters Gardens perennials “starts” come in next week with loads more of new additions. Walters is a fantastic, well run perennial nursery in Zeeland, Michigan where we have been buying perennials for 35 years. Time is running out for the Dayton Dollars program so be sure to use them before the expiration date at the end of this month. The clock is ticking too on our annual fall festival next month. Timely “to do” include checking diligently for grubs in the lawn and continuing to look for them through early September as the eggs of Japanese Beetles and European chafers have gotten enough moisture now to hatch! Another new critter we may have to deal with in a few years is the Green June Beetle Grub that can be very destructive to fruit crops and lawns. This insect has been migrating north as a result of mild winters. I think what we need is a good dose of old-fashioned cold winter weather to wipe out these migrants. As they say, Que sera sera! Tom