I have been getting a very large number of e-mails asking a wide range of questions but none of them are good. It’s not just the rain, it’s the cold as well. Plants aren’t blooming the way they should, the bugs seem to be thriving and blossoms are “mummifying” on the plants.

It seems there is a great divide in the plant world. Some of those that need to be coddled when we have normal warmth are doing great. As an example: Look around at the clematis everywhere. Most are beautiful.

The waiting game

On the other hand, look at the roses and you will see that they are not covered with blooms as they should be because we haven’t had the sunshine they like so much. Annuals that would normally be full and in the height of glory right now, aren’t. The dahlias seem to be hanging on and waiting, as are the vining plants, like trumpet vines and morning glories, which are weeks behind where they should be.

Well, since we can’t control the weather, don’t take it personally. It makes me sad as well to look at places in my garden that should be filled with color and aren’t but there is still time and the sun may shine.

We can still take joy in the plants that are happy. The day lilies don’t seem to be bothered at all, and the pansies and violas still look healthy and vibrant. The astilbes are coming into their own since they like shade (clouds?) anyway, and nothing stops the yarrow. The alliums, or ornamental onions, are blooming well. The cone flowers, echinacea, are covered with blossoms including the new one, RazMaTaz, that was introduced last year. I promised to let you know how it did. Well, it made it through the winter, a good first step. Its foliage is healthy and its blooms are a delight, but it is rather tall at about 48 inches. It works well in a cottage garden setting though or at the back of a border, and it has strong sturdy stems that don’t need staking.

Bug patrol still needed

In hopes of sharing information with those that might have missed it or as reminders, I am going to repeat some previous tips since the questions keep coming.

• The lily leaf beetles are out. For anyone who now has a leafless stalk and no lily bloom or one that looks very sad, this is the problem. They are about ½-inch long and bright red. Kill them unmercifully. Also, look on or under the lily leaves because, if there are brownish-blackish jelly-like globs, those are the pupae. You can wash them off with mild detergent water or, really now be brave, just squish the whole mess and, after you have finished all the leaves, just wash them down with the hose. Your lilies may or may not survive. They can take a year of this maybe, but not a lot more. The leaves gather in energy for the bulb for next year after the flower blooms. If there are no leaves, there is no energy gathering.

• Anyone who is getting rose or peony buds that just brown up and never open, it isn’t your fault. It is the weather. Too much rain, fog and dampness. Just cut them off. It won’t hurt the plant and, if the weather warms up, you should get more blossoms on the roses. Sorry, peonies won’t be back until next spring. My friend and I witnessed this tragedy at the Hershey Gardens two years ago. Masses of rosebushes topped with brown and mummified buds and blossoms. It was really ugly. Reminder: Don’t cut more foliage than necessary on your peony bushes because they collect energy for next year, much the same as bulbs do.

• The Japanese beetles are back. Check your roses, ferns, birch trees, cannas and wherever else you have seen them before. Do not put up beetle traps. All they do is bring more to your property. I used nematodes on the lawns and beds this May, and there seem to be fewer beetles but I will wait for warm weather to make a final decision.

If you have the time and patience, take a dish of soapy water, hold it under the beetle and tap the leaf it is on. They usually fall down and into the water. Try this early in the morning or late in the afternoon when they are slower. The experts say that the person who finally conquers the Japanese beetle will be instantly wealthy because everyone will buy his or her product. That’s how tough they are. Be diligent!

Until next time, if anyone knows an ancient sunshine-and-warmth dance or chant, please do it for all of us, do bug patrol because the rain doesn’t stop them, pick some flowers for a friend and, if all else fails, be grateful you aren’t having to drag hoses and set sprinklers. Happy gardening.

Jody Goodwin has been gardening for more than 20 years. She lives in Turner with her husband, Ike, her two dogs and two cats. She can be reached by writing to her in care of the Sun Journal, 104 Park St., Lewiston, Maine, 04243-4400 or by e-mail at jodyike@megalink.net

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