No more pollen?

Our area must have set some kind of a pollen record this spring. It seemed to show up day after day for an awfully long time. As much as we may love our native pine trees, we could sure do without the “yellow flour.”

While I’m at it, I might as well whine a little about the biting black flies. These too have produced a bumper crop this year. We rarely see them, so their common name of no-see-ums really fits. If we have the misfortune of getting bit, we certainly know they’ve been to visit. These bites swell up and are terribly itchy; much worse than any mosquito bite. They seem to prefer biting around the hairline. Luckily, they’ll be gone soon too.

OK, enough griping. Back to talking about plants, birds and other “fun” subjects. At long last, the night time temperatures are staying warm enough that we can plant just about anything, so get those green things put into their summer homes.

If you haven’t started a compost pile, now is as good a time as any. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just choose an-out-of-the way spot and start tossing in your lawn clippings, weeds, (without seeds), fruit and vegetable peelings and egg shells from the kitchen. Things to avoid are: grass clippings that have been treated with a weed and feed product, meat and animal waste. Turn the pile occasionally and before long you’ll have some nice “black gold.”

The season for pruning lilacs is rapidly coming to a close so do it soon or forget it until after next spring’s bloom. It’s best to keep the shrubs under six to eight feet in height. Lilacs and peonies are among the hardiest of plants. For proof, visit an old country cemetery or homestead. You will often find one or both of these doing fine even after years of no care.

Remember, the golden rule of thumb concerning pruning any living plant is never to prune off more than one third of the plant at any one time. More than that can sometimes cause serious damage or even kill the plant.

Did you know that you can tell the temperature by counting the chirps of a cricket? It’s true! Here’s the formula: To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40 to get temperature.

Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F. This is something fun to try on a warm summer evening.

Personally, I’m not a garlic lover, but lots of people are. There are several different kinds to grow and different ways of doing it. Some people swear by planting in October while others plant it in the spring. Keep doing whatever works for you.

Speaking of garlic, here’s a little ditty written many years ago: A nickel may get you ON the subway, but garlic will get you a seat!

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting in 4-H. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states and is currently serving as secretary for the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls. Her column appears in The Press every other Sunday from early March until late October.