Clichés and rhyming weather lore passed down through the generations supposedly predict weather patterns and seasonal changes. Naturalists and amateur forecasters enjoy correlating these sayings to what they observe in nature to suggest what the future might bring. Though idioms such as “no weather is ill, if the wind be still” have become part of our culture, most of the predictions are unreliable. The few that are valid are those based on underlying scientific cause-and-effect relationships, such as the response of plants, animals and insects to changes in atmospheric and environmental conditions.

A viable habitat is what initially attracts bluebirds, but food availability is also important. Most of the year, bluebirds enjoy insects caught on the ground. In autumn, they begin reverting to blackberries, elderberries, bayberries and fruits of the sumac, deciduous holly, Virginia creeper, poke weed, juniper and dogwood. When berries become absent in late winter, the birds welcome mealworms, which can be purchased at some pet-food stores, bait shops and online. Another treat can be made by combining one part peanut butter with six parts cornmeal.

Like owls and woodpeckers, eastern bluebirds prefer nesting in cavities of dead oaks and pines. More and more of these natural nesting habitats have been lost through the years, however, as woodlands and open fields have been developed. Bluebirds initially adapted by nesting in rotting wooden fence posts, but they have been replaced with more durable metal poles. As a result, bluebird populations waned until conservationists and birders began setting out bluebird houses or nest boxes. This eco-friendly activity continues to prove successful when the following tips are kept in mind.

Asian cucumber (burpless cucumber, huang gua). Grows thin and long and is slightly sweet. Becomes a delicious relish when sliced and marinated in a sweet vinegar. Also a fine side dish when stuffed and baked.  Bok choy (also known as pak choy, celery mustard, Chinese chard and spoon cabbage). The mild, slightly sweet flavor of its leafy white stalks complements strong flavors and is popular in stir-fry and soups. Younger or “baby” versions often are cooked to bring out their tenderness in a side dish.

Author of “Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard” Plant an assortment of Asian vegetables in the family garden or in any suitable pot and you’ll be able to stir up an inexpensive batch of fresh, flavorful food easier than you can say “Chinese takeout.“ Chinese salad greens, for example, “thrive in both vegetable and flower gardens, are low in calories, are worth their weight in nutrition and are deliciously different from the more familiar greens,“ Geri Harrington wrote in “Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard” (Storey Publishing, updated edition 2009). “They’re not in any way limited to Chinese cooking; Chinese vegetables fit in comfortably with familiar American recipes and their use is practically unlimited.“

A keyhole garden, a type of raised garden that occupies less space and is more accessible, is one option that’s getting some buzz among people who support gardening techniques that are environmentally friendly and require fewer resources.

Compost heap in center
  Smaller than a traditional garden
  Close to house for easy access
  Requires few resources
For information on permaculture and sustainable gardening:
http://www.permaculture.org; http://www.attra.org

Q:I have about 75 oak trees on my 3 acres of yard. I recently noticed that all the leaves on four trees in the same general area have died. Are the trees dead? What might have caused this? They appeared to be fine this spring. Answer: Without seeing them, I can only make some guesses as to what may have happened. First, I would want to know the age of your house and whether any construction has been done in the area in the past couple of years. Has anything been done that may have changed the trees’ environment or impacted their roots?

Over the years I’ve planted lots of daffodils but only about 1 in 10 bloom. Most of the ones that don’t bloom are in the shade. I’ve planted the bulbs in the fall, making the holes with a bulb planter. I use bone meal and blood meal for fertilizer. Could the lack of sun be the reason? Answer: The lack of sunlight could be a major part of the problem. Daffodils will survive in full shade, but they really need sunlight to make their best blooms. Bone meal is a good amendment for bulbs but it would be most effective if it were mixed into the entire area, rather than just put at the bottom of the hole.

Q:Could you suggest something I can use as mulch for my vegetable garden that would allow me to consider my produce organic? What about layers of newspaper with rotted sawdust on top? Answer: You can use newspaper and sawdust. However, you have to be careful with the sawdust to make sure it has aged. Fresh sawdust contains a large amount of fresh resins and the pH can be very acidic. Clean straw is often used as mulch by many organic gardeners. The straw can then be removed at the end of the season. Q:Some of my iris have root rot and they smell rotten. What can I do? Also, is this something that the daylilies could catch? If so, how could I treat them?

Q:Please let me know how I can get rid of poa annua in my lawn. Mine dies down in the spring but comes back strong the following year. Answer: Poa annua is annual bluegrass. As you have discovered, it is very difficult to control. It started dying several weeks ago, but all of the seeds it dropped will germinate next fall. Because it’s an annual, the ideal way to control it is with a pre-emergent herbicide applied in late August or early September. Of course, that means you can’t plant fescue seeds at that time either. Poa annua seeds normally germinate in midto late September, based on temperature and availability of water. If you decide to use the pre-emergent in September, you may want to buy it now. Many garden centers don’t carry it in the fall.

Q:We’re tired of maintaining our lawn and would really like to landscape our yard to make it easier to maintain and more attractive to wildlife. We’d particularly like to attract birds and butterflies. Can you suggest where to find information on making this transition? Answer: There are several places to get suggestions for attracting butterflies. Maymont and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are featuring butterfly exhibits this summer. A visit to both would let you see plants that naturally attract butterflies. We’ll be featuring Maymont’s new Butterfly Garden on our June 30 edition of Virginia Home Grown, on WCVE-TV.

Q:When I was a child, my grandmother had a beautiful bush that had wonderful small orange/yellow blooms. She called it mock orange. My mom told me she believed my grandmother took a “slip” and planted it. I have seen one recently in a wooded area along the roadside but I can’t find it at local nurseries. They do carry a mock orange plant, but it has white flowers and doesn’t resemble my grandmother’s plant at all. From what I’ve read, these can be difficult to grow from cuttings. Do you know where I can buy one?

Q:We moved to Chesterfield County this year from Long Island, N.Y. I have always had a vegetable garden; growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. I never had to fence in the garden in New York since the only animals I had to worry about were squirrels. I have seen rabbits in our yard along with the usual squirrels, birds, etc. Will I have to fence in my garden to protect it? If so, what should I use as fencing?

Q:Last year we lost a 7-year-old golden raintree. As I was cutting down the dead trunk, I noticed a series of white spikes about an inch long sticking out. The spikes were about the size of a toothpick and I assumed it was compacted sawdust or some kind of insect excrement. Now I have found the same kind of spikes on an 8-year-old brown turkey fig tree. Any idea what kind of pest is causing this and if there is any treatment?