Not Gardening Weather

I attended the  regular monthly meeting of the Master Gardeners today. One of the main activities was to make plans for the garden tour coming up in early June.  We've had a two-year pause, and getting geared up for this  years' tour is taking some extra work.  One complication is that the person in charge has been sidelined by debilitating pain that renders her unable to walk, so responsibilities have needed to be shifted. I believe that there will be six gardens on the tour circuit.  I can sell you tickets for $8.00.  They can also be purchased on the day of the tour, but the price is a bit higher.

My little piece of the action is to write the individual garden descriptions that will be included on a flyer to be handed out at each garden.  I'm not doing all of them this year, thanks to others who have offered to help.   

The Master Gardeners group is full of good, good people.  I have the private opinion that plant lovers are a cut above average in terms of having outstanding character qualities.  Maybe it's because the fresh air and sunshine and soil microbes all conspire together to bestow good gifts on gardeners.  Maybe it's because everyone who undertakes the nurture of a living thing is forced to reckon with realities that are predictably humbling since a great many things essential for success are completely beyond their control.  In any case, I'm glad to have made friends among these people.  

***************

Last week when my daughters-in-law and their children descended on our property to help do some outdoor cleanup, they were able to remove a number of dead stems from our lilac bushes.  They came out without the need for using tools.  Twisting and bending the woody stems is all it took.  I learned years ago that lilac borers are to blame for boring into and weakening the stems, often making them sickly and unproductive.  Today I learned from Ward Upham's wonderful weekly horticulture newsletter from K-State that when the Vanhoutte Spirea is in full bloom is exactly the right time to spray an insecticide on the stems to kill the lilac borers.

***************

There's more wind on the way for tomorrow.  It's time to start praying and undertaking a personal  attitude adjustment.  Winds in excess of 65 MPH.  That's just not reasonable.  Here's the forecast.  Note:  We live SW of Hutchinson. 

Damaging winds are expected to develop across central Kansas behind a dryline on Tuesday afternoon. Wind gusts may exceed 65 mph at times with relative humidity values below 15 percent. This will result in extremely critical fire weather conditions for much of central and western Kansas. This is a potentially dangerous situation, please avoid activities that may cause a spark.

*****************

I'm thinking that I may have more than skirts and modesty to worry about when I tromp around tomorrow afternoon in those gardens which I'll be trying to describe in glowing terms for the garden tour.