Sponsored by Thomasville Garden Club Inc.

June weather

The U.S. Drought Monitor has reported that, as of the end of April 2017, the level of drought in the U.S. is the lowest it has been in over 17 years. Much of the country is currently drought-free. Can you guess where drought is still severe, even extreme? The answer is: Georgia. Parts of Florida are experiencing severe drought conditions, too; yet just last year, it received record rainfalls early in the year. Texas and California, the two states that have traditionally been the most drought-stricken in the country, are now enjoying mostly normal conditions.

Here is something more: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), April 2017 was the third consecutive month with the second-highest global average temperatures in its 138 years of recording temperatures. The year-to-date temperatures from January through April 2017 also ranked second-warmest.

What does Thomasville usually experience in June? Well, for a start, the first of June is the beginning of hurricane season. Temperatures are in the 90s and humidity is also high. However, high humidity does not mean rain; it just means oppressive, sticky mugginess. Due to our drought conditions, check frequently to determine if supplemental irrigation of flowers, shrubs, trees and lawns appears necessary. Shallowly-rooted annuals will be the neediest because surface soil dries out quickly in high heat; but plants with deeper roots — established plantings, shrubs, trees, lawns — will not suffer as much or as quickly. Just be alert to your yarden’s need for water.

Special

June dates

June is National Rose Month. President Ronald Reagan signed legislation that made the rose the United States’ National Floral Emblem in 1986.

June 4 -11 — National Garden Clubs Inc. celebrates National Garden Week during the first week in June, annually. Its objectives are environmental and community beautification, education and gardening.

World Environment Day is June 5, annually. Begun in 1972 by the UN, its mission is to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues. This year’s theme, “Connecting People to Nature,” invites us spend time outdoors, to appreciate its beauty, to think about how intimately we depend on it and to cherish and protect our home, the Earth.

The Garden Club of Georgia was established on June 8, 1928. Thomasville Garden Club Inc. was one its 28 charter members. We are rather proud of the fact that TGC Inc. was established in 1914 (well before GCG was).

The June solstice — the first day of summer — occurs for us in Thomasville on Wednesday, June 21, at 12:24 a.m. EDT. The summer solstice is an astronomical event that has been celebrated by people through the ages. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice marks the longest day of the year — an early dawn, long day, late sunset, short night, the sun at its height as it crosses the sky. On June 21, sunrise will be at 6:35 a.m. and sunset will be at 8:42 p.m.; “daylength” will be 14 hours, 6 minutes, 49 seconds, according to time and date.com.

A natural phenomenon I did not know about is that the sun actually sets more slowly around the time of a solstice. That is, the actual number of minutes it takes for the sun to sink below the western horizon is greater. Why? Because of Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt on its axis at the June (or December) solstice and the location of the sun in relation to the Earth, the sun rises and sets farthest north (or south) of due east and west. The farther the sun sets from due west along the horizon, the longer the duration of sunset. Bottom line: The slowest sunsets of the year are happening now, around the time of the June solstice.

In bloom

Today, I learned about and saw a photo of a new variety of gardenia that has been described as “stunning.” I have to agree. The “Gold Doubloon” gardenia possesses gloriously white blossoms and gold and green foliage. Its large flowers are said to be “tantalizingly aromatic.” I love gardenias and will be on the look-out for a live specimen.

Everything is blooming earlier this year. Plants that we look for this month, such as crepe myrtles, magnolias, mimosas, gardenias and oleanders, began blooming last month. All of the typical summer annuals and other perennials are blooming, too.

To do

Mulch your flower beds and vegetable garden 3 inches deep. You can use three sheets of newspaper as a base around plants beneath your pinestraw. Remember not to stack mulch against tree trunks.

Fertilize plants regularly; summer irrigation washes away nutrients.

Water efficiently and effectively. Do not water between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It is best to water once a week, soaking the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches.

Keep your mower blades sharp so they cut and do not tear grass blades. Raise the level of your mower blades to help your lawn grass endure the hot and dry weather.

Deadhead flowering plants to guarantee continued blooms.

Prune hydrangeas when most of their blossoms have faded and they will produce new branches which could result in more flowers come fall.

Take 6-inch new-growth cuttings from red coral honeysuckle. Remove leaves from lower half of the stem and put it in a clear glass of water to root. If the water becomes cloudy, replace it promptly.

Weed constantly; eliminate the roots. Especially catch weeds while they are small and do not have seed heads. Try to avoid chemical remedies.

I hope you read Eddie Seagle’s column, “Things to do in the June landscape,” on May 30. It was excellent.

June quote

And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days. — James Russell Lowell (an influential American poet), 1819-1891.

Pat Pankey writes this column for Thomasville Garden Club Inc. as a service to the community. Thomasville Garden Club, Inc. welcomes new members. If you are interested, please contact Membership Chair Karen Wilks at 226-0312 or any current member. The Garden Center has a library of books about gardening that are available not only to garden club members but also to the general public. To access the library or to visit the Garden Center, please contact Julia Singletary at 226-5291 (the Garden Center telephone number) or any current member. You may contact Carla Inman at (229) 403-6048 if you are interested in renting the Garden Center for an event. The Garden Center is always open to the public on the Wednesday before the first Friday of every month, September through May. Please visit our website at  www.thomasvillegardenclub.org and find us on Facebook.