6 Friday, June 23, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Blooming in Brooklin By Ken Brown Here we are, past the midpoint of June, with nearly everything planted as we edge into a slower period of watering - and admiring. The vegetable garden was finally planted a couple of days ago. But even then much of the soil was still a little mucky. I planted anyway. We've had a couple of hot days but we may not yet be finished with the rain. One difficulty with frequent rain is remembering to water those few things that don't receive the rain. My neighbour frequently mocks me as I walk around with a watering can while it's raining. The front porch planters are under the roof and only get the water I provide. The three-tiered planter in the back yard looks to be out in the rain but the upper tiers block most of the rain from reaching the lower tiers so I have trouble remembering to water it. Eliminating duplicates My favourite perennial is the tall bearded iris which has rewarded my affection this year. Apparently they've loved our wet cool spring. I've been wandering through them looking for duplicates and marking clumps that are getting too big and old. They'll need to be divided or eliminated early in August when they all look the same. I need to find duplicates so I can eliminate them. Not that they aren't lovely, but I need to make room for exciting new varieties looking for a home mid August. The next few weeks will be devoted to my most frequent activity, weeding. Whenever I go on a garden tour, I always wonder at the ability of gardeners to eliminate all weeds. I keep thinking I should just give up and call it a wild flower garden, except the most persistent weeds are non-native invasive species that want to take over the entire space. Nasty beetles Speaking of unwelcome guests, the nasty cucumber beetle has arrived. It was a mild winter so they were able to "overwinter" and emerge ready to eat. They're difficult to control especially this early in the season. When the zucchini and cucumbers are a little older and have flowers, the beetles tend to spend the night clustered in those flowers. Early in the morning, I find them and spray with insecticidal soap or simply catch and crush them. Right now, they're on the leaves and fly away as quickly as I try to catch them. The insecticidal soap is quite effective but you must hit the live bug with it. It has no residual action. One big problem is that these beetles carry two fungus diseases they introduce to the soil when they lay eggs. Often these diseases cause more damage to the plants than the actual bugs, which are fussy eaters. In one of my containers are three summer squash plants. One is almost completely eaten; the other two show little damage. My job is to make note of those unappetizing varieties and be sure to plant them next year. It's another activity that makes gardening challenging. Watering - and Weeding Giant Hogweed & Other Dangerous Invaders "If it has three leaves let it be!" is a standard rule to remember how to recognize Poison Ivy that we all learned as kids. Unfortunately, Giant Hogweed and Wild Parsnip are new invaders that can spoil your summer if you come into contact with them. In response to these invasive aliens, the Town of Whitby and Central Lake Ontario Conservation are hosting an open house to raise awareness about these invasive plants. The open house will be on Tuesday, June 27 at the Central Branch, Whitby Public Library, 405 Dundas West, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Bring the kids as there will be interactive displays, identification guides, and colouring stations. "Giant Hogweed is an invasive alien plant originally imported from central Asia as a garden ornamental. The plant is extremely large, reaching heights of up to five metres," says Maggie Stevenson, Invasive Species Tech- nician with the Invading Species Awareness Program. The white, umbrella shaped flower heads appearing on the plant in July, can be up to one metre across. Giant Hogweed escaped the garden and is quickly colonizing natural areas in southern Ontario, pushing out native plant species as it spreads. "What makes this plant a dangerous invader is that it contains a sap in its leaves, stems, roots and flowers that is toxic to humans," adds Maggie. When your skin comes into contact with the sap and is exposed to sunlight the result is phytophotodermatitis, a technical term to describe the severe blistering that results. The blisters can in some cases cause permanent scars. Behind this not so friendly giant is a second alien plant invader with similar health risks: Wild Parsnip. It, too, has made a recent appearance along trails and roadsides and is spreading rapidly in southern Ontario. Wild Parsnip, small by comparison to Giant Hogweed, can reach up to two metres in height and produces flat topped yellow flowers in July and August. It is more common than Giant Hogweed and can easily come into contact with people and pets. Both Giant Hogweed and Wild Parsnip have recently been declared Noxious Weeds by the Province of Ontario under the Weed Act.