Dear ##firstname[Friend]##,

Crystal Rennicke

Did you know that there are many native bees that are struggling due to habitat loss? In addition to bees, it’s important to create a welcoming habitat for other pollinators like butterflies, moths, hummingbirds and even flies and beetles. This week is National Pollinator Week. Learn what you can do from Carole’s blog post.
   
Ever wonder what you can do with those yellow spots on the lawn left by your dog? Read on for some tips for minimizing the damage from dogs in your garden. 

Happy Gardening!
–Crystal

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• Regional Report
• Plant of the Month
• Yard Smarts
• Question of the Month
• Frugal Backyard Tip
• Submit Your Story

Regional Report

Summer’s officially started and there’s no better time to get acquainted with some gardeners and birders in your area. Our bloggers talk about what events are happening in your region on our Birds & Blooms blog.

• Southwest
• Midwest
• Northeast
• Northwest
• South Central
• Southeast

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perennialresource.com

Plant of the Month

Raspberry Truffle coneflower
This showy double coneflower has unique chocolate stems with salmoney-reddish pink petals surrounding a chocolate-brown cone. As the flowers open, it turns into a coral-pink pom-pom. Delicious!

Botanical name: Echinacea ‘Raspberry Truffle’
Hardiness: Zones 5 to 9. 
Size: 18-24 inches wide; 30 inches high.   
Flowers: Salmony-reddish pink with a brown center. Flowers from late June until frost. 
Light needs: Full sun. 
Growing Advice: Has a long bloom season even without deadheading, but it will result in more blooms. Leave some seedheads for the goldfinches. 
Prize picks: Other fun coneflowers to try: PowWow Wild Berry and Red Knee High    

Add orange to your garden with these orange all-stars.

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Judy Kolka

Yard Smarts

Happy Squirrels, Happy Birds
A single corncob can go a long way. To keep squirrels fed and away from my bird feeders, I set out whole ears of corn. When the squirrels are finished eating the corn, I spread the cob with peanut butter and roll it in birdseed. Then I twist wire around the end and hang it from a nail on my deck. The birds love it! –Lorrene Pierson, Marionville, Missouri

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Question of the Month

Persistent Yuccas
I want to get rid of the yuccas in my yard. We’ve been here 10 years and no matter what we do to get rid of them, they always come back more lush. Any ideas on how we can tame them?  –Judith Browne, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Melinda: I seldom hear Northern gardeners complain about yuccas becoming a weed. Most people enjoy yuccas because they are easy to grow and a drought-tolerant plant. You must have the perfect growing conditions and green thumb.
Cut existing plants back to the ground and cover the area with cardboard or newspaper and leaves or woodchips to kill the plants and prevent the yucca seeds from germinating. If the problem is more scattered, you may want to kill the existing plants and mulch the soil around your other garden plants to reduce seeds sprouting.
Environmentally friendly plant killers container fatty acids, vinegar or citric acid that burns the leaves of plants. You will need to repeat applications if you want to kill established plants, roots and all. Or you could try painting Roundup, Finale or other total vegetation killer on the leaves of the yucca plants. These chemicals kill the tops and roots of plants they touch. Be sure to read and follow all label directions carefully.

For answers to your gardening questions, click here.

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Frugal Backyard Tip

Cheap Containers
I bought plastic laundry tubs for $7 each and drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. Then I removed the rope handles and painted them with colorful flowers. I now have great decorative containers, and they were a fraction of the cost of similar ones. —Bobbi Childers, Perry, Florida

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Submit Your Story

Do you have a gardening question for Melinda? Send us your questions using our Submit Your Story form.

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