Algonac Area Garden Club

05/06/2026

Here’s what’s blooming so far in my garden…

05/01/2026

04/27/2026

https://positivebloom.com/the-truth-about-japanese-beetles-in-michigan-gardens-and-the-mistakes-that-make-them-worse/?utm_source=mic&fbclid=IwdGRjcARcXrpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeOifwGLTSPBur-Xh3_vFBjkQkPEWha11_mCl1t5GIvsrIGuZK_LgwlhF97f4_aem_bSHkeKT-PfDI3Xe0ve0ycw

Discover the truth about Japanese beetles in Michigan gardens and the common mistakes that make infestations worse and harder to control.

04/27/2026

Even in a shorter growing season, Michigan gardeners can enjoy strong growth by planting it at the right time and giving it plenty of warmth. Beyond its appearance, lemongrass is useful in the kitchen and adds a unique touch to summer meals.

04/27/2026

Discover why April is the best time to propagate hydrangea cuttings in Michigan for a strong root growth and successful new plants.

03/30/2026

I released praying mantis last year in my gardens. We saw a couple of them through the summer. I’m super excited to find this PM egg pod today while inspecting last years grasses. This is why it’s important to wait to cut down foliage in the fall. I would not have seen this when the green was still there!

03/13/2026

You see a dead garden bed.

I see a four-story apartment building.

That brown tangle of dried stems, matted leaves, and hollow stalks you've been meaning to clean up since November is the most densely populated structure in your yard.

Top floor — praying mantis egg cases glued to stems, each holding a hundred or more nymphs. Lady beetle clusters wedged into hollow stalks, dozens of adults per cavity.

Middle floor — chrysalis casings wired to stem joints. Lacewing cocoons tucked into leaf curl pockets. Spider egg sacs in the crooks of branching stems.

Ground floor — bumble bee queens in the first inch of soil, each one the sole survivor of last year's colony. Firefly larvae tunneled beneath the leaf litter. Moth pupae sealed in leaf wraps.

Basement — a toad beside the foundation. Beetle larvae working the decomposing layers.

Full occupancy. Every floor.

The tenants move out on their own schedule — when soil temperatures stay above fifty degrees consistently. Cut the building down before that and the next generation of every species inside it disappears before it starts.

🌿 The cleanup that doesn't cost you anything:

- Leave dead stems standing until late spring — once you see new green growth at the base, the residents have left
- If you need to tidy, cut stems to twelve to fifteen inches and leave them standing rather than pulling
- Move cleared material to a brush pile at the garden edge instead of bagging it — the pile becomes the next shelter
- Leaf litter on the soil is insulation, not mess — it protects the ground floor tenants and feeds your soil as it breaks down

The messiest corner of your yard is the most productive one 🌱

03/13/2026

Lawn spray season starts this week. And March is the worst possible timing for everything living in the soil.

Ground-nesting bees are active right now — mining bees and sweat bees that nest in bare soil patches between grass blades. They make up the majority of native bee species. A lawn treatment in March hits them during their most exposed period, when they're nesting at the surface.

Firefly larvae are in the top few inches of soil right now, where they've been developing for a year or more. They won't become the fireflies you see in June for another few months. A March application reaches them at a stage you can't see and won't connect to the missing lightshow in summer.

Earthworms are migrating upward through the thaw line this week. They're at peak density in the top layer of soil — exactly where the treatment lands. The same earthworms that aerate your soil and feed the robins nesting in your yard.

Robin pairs nesting near untreated lawns consistently fledge more chicks than pairs near treated ones. The difference comes down to food supply — nestlings eat almost exclusively soil invertebrates for the first two weeks of life. Fewer worms and larvae in the soil means fewer surviving chicks.

The lawn can handle a few w**ds in March. The soil biology that supports everything above it handles the chemicals much less well.

🌿 How to get the timing right:

- Push the first lawn treatment back to late April or May — by then ground-nesting bees have finished their early cycle, earthworms have dispersed deeper, and firefly larvae are less concentrated at the surface
- Spot-treat problem areas instead of broadcasting across the full lawn — most of the yard doesn't need it
- Mow at three and a half inches — taller grass shades out most w**d seedlings naturally without chemicals
- If you use a lawn service, call this week and ask what they're applying and when. You have the right to adjust the schedule
- An untreated lawn with healthy soil biology often looks better by midsummer than a treated one — the earthworms, fungi, and microbes that chemicals remove are the same organisms that build the root structure your grass depends on

One timing change protects the soil biology that makes the lawn work in the first place 🌿

12/26/2025

Plants for Every Pot Size 🪴 Choosing the right pot size helps roots develop properly and prevents stress later. Matching plants to container volume makes watering and feeding much easier.

10/26/2025

Your houseplants may be doing more than brightening a room, they might be cleaning the air you breathe. A recent study found that English ivy absorbed 94% of airborne f***l matter and 78% of mold in a single room in just 12 hours.

Researchers placed English ivy in controlled indoor environments and monitored air quality. The results were remarkable: the plant’s leaves and roots captured microscopic particles, including bacteria and mold spores, effectively reducing contaminants in the air. This natural filtration works silently, continuously improving the environment without chemicals or electricity.

The process relies on the plant’s ability to trap particles on leaf surfaces and within its root system. Microorganisms living in the soil may also play a role, breaking down captured matter and further purifying the air. This combination makes English ivy one of the most efficient natural air cleaners for indoor spaces.

Beyond hygiene, cleaner air can improve overall health. Reduced exposure to mold and bacterial particles lowers the risk of allergies, respiratory problems, and illness. In homes, offices, and classrooms, this simple plant could create a safer, healthier environment without expensive air purifiers.

Scientists emphasize that while English ivy won’t replace traditional cleaning, it can complement ventilation and hygiene practices. Even one or two strategically placed plants can make a measurable difference in indoor air quality.

Sometimes, the most powerful innovations aren’t machines or chemicals, they’re living organisms quietly working to improve our daily lives.

08/14/2025

These are hoverflies. Though often misidentified as "sweat bees," they are not bees. Unlike true sweat bees, they cannot sting (or bite). But, you can sometimes feel them licking -- they're after the salt and water in your sweat.
These flies are pollinators too.
You'll see less of them as we enter the gap between summer and fall. So enjoy them for just a bit longer 😊🐝