What is as rare as a night of fireflies in early June? As the night of June warms up the twilight is bright with the amber flicker of glowing fireflies. They still bring back memories of a huge sawdust pile in Northampton County in northeastern North Carolina on warm summer evenings. There would be hundreds of them flying around. All the kids in the neighborhood would catch them in quart mason jars and our hands would smell like the unforgettable scent of “lightning bugs” as our grandma called them.
Fireflies were given this scent by the Lord to protect them from enemies likes bats and other night-flying birds. Their unusual scent would alert the bats that the fireflies tasted as bad as they smelled. A firefly’s glow is more than just a signal for a mate-it also warns other insects that they are near. Even when eggs of fireflies reach larva stage, they are protected from enemies by that amber glow. Enjoy the glow of fireflies this evening. You may want to see if you have the memory of that lightning bug smell.
Portaluca is a rainbow of color in a container. The colorful portaluca, also known as desert rose, cactus rose, or rose moss, is a distant cousin of the cactus family. It is popular in Texas and Oklahoma and in Oklahoma, they plant rose moss in old transfer truck or tractor tires filled with potting soil. My grandma in Northampton County planted it in an old wash pot with holes in the bottom of it.
Rose moss comes in a rainbow of colors and endure summer’s heat extremes. The best feature is that when you purchase it in six- or nine-packs, it is in bloom so that you know the colors you are selecting. You can choose from red, orange, white, yellow, bronze, pink, tan, wine, hot pink, lemon, and wine. They have tiny cactus-like foliage and the flowers highlight the foliage. You can use Miracle-Gro cactus medium or flower potting soil and both will promote healthy growth. They like plenty of sun. On cloudy days, they may require a half day to open fully. Unlike other annuals, you can plant rose moss close together and it will not get root-bound. You can plant three or four nine-packs.
Cucumbers and squash will thrive and grow quickly when planted in mid-June. The late-spring days and nights are warm and seeds and plants of cucumbers and squash will grow and quickly respond to warm soil. You can sow squash and cucumbers or set out plants, but the seeds you sow will quickly catch up with them. Sow or plant cucumbers and squash about two feet apart. As plants grow, keep a layer of soil hilled up on both sides of the plants. Feed them every 15 days with Garden-Tone organic vegetable food.
Taking care of late-spring roses. All during spring, the roses have put on a colorful show and are still providing plenty of blooms as we move further into June. Keep deadheading spent blooms. Deadheading is just another name for pulling spent blooms from rose bushes to promote growth of new blooms all during summer. As we move into Dog Days and warmer temps next month, keep roses watered once a week when no rain occurs. Apply Rose-Tone organic rose food every 15 days. Check roses for Japanese beetles and spray foliage with a mist of liquid Sevin if beetles infest them. Use a bottle sprayer such as Windex comes in and fill it with Sevin spray. Apply on a sunny day so the Sevin mist will dry on the foliage. Use a rose spray every ten days to control mites and other insect pests.
Unforgettable perfume of the honeysuckles. The sweet aroma of the wild honeysuckles on a warm spring evening is so very pleasant to the nostrils and reflects nature and springtime at its very best. Pick a few honeysuckle stems and place in a bud vase to bring that scent inside your home. We love the colors of honeysuckles with white and coral-orange colors. It’s no wonder hummingbirds are attracted to them.
Keep planting rows of green beans. Green beans respond very quickly in warm soil and comfortable June nights. There are so many productive varieties to choose from. The very best is strike followed by Top Crop, Contender, Derby, and Blue Lake Bush. Plant in a -or four-inch deep furrow. Sow seed and cover seed with a layer of peat moss and an application of Garden-Tone vegetable organic food. Hill soil up on both sides of the furrow and tamp down with a hoe blade. When beans develop two leaves, apply Plant-Tone every fifteen days and hill up soil on both sides of the row.
Making crispy Macaroni and Cheese. This is a great recipe for a warm late spring evening supper. You will need one can of Campbell’s cream of cheese soup (10 3/4 ounces), half cup of milk, half teaspoon of prepared mustard, half teaspoon pepper, three cups cooked elbow macaroni, one eight-ounce package finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, two cups crushed Cheetos, and a half stick margarine. In a large bowl mix cream of cheese soup, milk, mustard, pepper, finely shredded sharp cheese, crushed Cheetos. Stir all ingredients together and add the cooked macaroni (one and a half cups uncooked macaroni will yield three cups cooked macaroni). Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with PAM baking spray or Baker’s Joy. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until firm.
Hoe-Hoe-Hoedown: “Spot Remover.” Betty Jo: “Why are you so sad, Bobbie Jo?” Bobbie Jo: “I took my leopard-skin coat to the cleaners.” Betty Jo: “What happened there?” Bobbie Jo: “The coat came back spotless!”
“Bible Baffle”- Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The chicken of course. God does not lay eggs!
“Bible Baffle” – Where was deviled ham first mention in the Bible? When evil spirits entered the swine.
“Riddle Diddle” – What fish is man’s best friend? The dogfish.
“Dog Tale” – What did the dog say when he got his tail hung in the door? It won’t be long now!
Today is Flag Day. Remember to fly the red, white, and blue today. One this special flag-waving and flag-flying day, it’s timely to present a bit of U.S. Flag Etiquette: 1. Never allow the flag to touch the ground or any other object while being displayed. 2. Salute the flag as it is raised and lowered, and when National Anthem is played, also during the Pledge or Allegiance to the flag while standing at attention with right hand over your heart. 3. Display the flag outdoors only between sunrise and sunset unless illuminated by a spotlight. 4. When displaying the flag indoors, always place the flag to the right of the speaker or stage area. 5. To place the flag at half-mast, raise the flag to its peak for a second before lowering the flag to half-mast.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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