“I rejoice that there are owls. Let them do the idiotic and maniacal hooting for men. It is a sound admirably suited to swamps and twilight woods which no day illustrates, suggesting a vast and undeveloped nature which men have not recognized. They represent the stark twilight and unsatisfied thoughts which all have. All day the sun has shown on the surface of some savage swamp, where the double spruce stands hung with usnea lichens, and small hawks circulate above, and the chickadee lisps amid the evergreens, and the partridge and rabbit skulk beneath; and now a more dismal and fitting day dawns, and a different race of creatures awakes to express the meaning of Nature there.”
Henry David Thoreau
We are well past the full June Strawberry Moon and here in Massachusetts, it’s the end of the season for these bright, scrumptious berries. The spring season came on slowly as we crawled out from under a long, deep cold winter. Some fruit and berry trees that blossomed too soon, were nipped by the cold nights in April. Fortunately, the strawberries came through just fine. They had spent a cozy winter under a pile of evergreen branches saved from my neighbors pruning of cedar, fir and soft white pine trees in the yard. This strawberry patch is four years old now and for the last three years produced a good crop of berries. However, the runners have spread way out of the original boundary and the plants have aged. If I want another fine year of fresh strawberries, these are the garden days for restoration and recovery.
of July holiday. The spring rains had been fairly steady and the soil stayed moist and healthy without the need of extra watering. The only damage the patch experienced was from the pesky wood chuck who from time to time, enjoys burrowing around the patch. He doesn’t dig down, just roams through while making a selection for dessert. The patch had a flattened appearance, but insect damage has been minimal. I do not use pesticide or chemical fertilizers on the plants. I lost very few fruits to birds or insects.
This will seem horrid but the object is to cut the growth down to the nub and let the remaining stock send out new shoots. Or, put in new plantings of a variety acclimated to the area. New plantings are best purchased at the local nursery. At this time of year, there may be bargains available as nurseries will want to move out spring stocks. The best tasting berries, tend to be the smallest so that’s what I’ll be looking for to fill in gaps in the strawberry patch.
it on this year’s compost pile for next year’s new soil. Hopefully, you have a compost heap already with new soil to apply. If not, purchase a bag of well-rotted compost from the local nursery. Mix a 9 gallon pail full of compost with one shovel full of peat moss. Add in one cup of Garden-Tone Plant Food. Blend this mix together in the wheelbarrow. Pour this soil mixture over the plants and rake it smooth. Repeat this process until the entire strawberry patch has a new layer of soil spread evenly over existing plants. The nubs of the cut back plants should be visible, slightly above the new soil line. If there is rain in the forecast, let Mother Nature soak in the soil mixture. If not, water in until it is wet. The watering in should not leave it sopping or running with water. Plant in new berries in the bare spots. Cover the entire patch with a mulch of shredded straw. This is a new product I found locally. While baled straw is available, it can be hard to handle and takes some wrestling to lie in properly. The shredded straw came in a large, light bag and took all of ten minutes to spread. What a helpful product.
Let It Be
As it is important to move the patch every few years, now may be the time to find the new location and transplant the rooted berries that have escaped. Select a sunny location with at least six (6) hours of direct sun. A sheltered area facing south, southeast is ideal. As strawberries may be considered a tender perennial, protection from harsh winter winds will prevent an unpleasant surprise in March when the strawberries do not wake up.
On Saturday, June 14, 2014, under a bright Strawberry full moon, the Italian trio of IL Volo, performed before a sold out audience at the Palace Theater, Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford CT. This is the fourth summer concert tour in the USA and Canada by IL Volo since 2011 and one of only fifteen stops on a brisk summer schedule. IL Volo, fresh from winning the Latin Billboard Award for Latin Pop Artist of the Year 2014, are enjoying popularity in the USA creating an exceptional style of lyrical pop with a stage show of new songs, Broadway favorites, operatic arias, and traditional Italian music. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble entertain the audience with a blend of sensual charismatic energy and a bit of comedy stirred in. IL Volo dazzled the crowd raising a spell of magic in the moonlight.
The band members traveling with IL Volo are: Guitar: Giovanni Di Caprio, Bass, Patrizio Sacco, Piano: Giampiero Grani and Drums: Salvatore Corazza. Pre-recorded music supplied the more complex orchestration for pieces such as “Granada”, “Mattinata” and “Beautiful Day”.
the heart with his presence. And, he does it all with a clever twinkle in the eye, he knows some of what he is capable of artistically, the audience agrees and notable gasps could be heard in appreciation of his gift.
he enjoys a little salsa dance and sway with Piero, cracking funny jokes about his on-going refinement of English and certain silly secrets. This was my third year in attendance at a concert and from the start, I noticed Piero and Ignazio like to entertain the audience with little comical skits. It appears they have worked very hard to take a natural talent and develop it into a breezy episode of jest with better timing and delivery of punch lines. I found it outright funny Ignazio’s description of Piero’s ears. “They stand out like elephants. Big, BIG elephant ears.” He gave a dramatic charade of an elephant in full trumpet while Piero quipped that the ears flattened out after he discovered the joys of a motorbike and sped off Italian style. Vvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooommmmmm! Ears flat!
Gianluca Ginoble enjoys singing the American favorites of a generation just passed. The general audience age range was closer to 50. Most may have clear memories of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in their prime. Or, they may recall their parents dancing and playing the popular songs in their day. The younger crowd might deem them oldsters and not bother to listen. Gianluca presents their more popular works in his own smooth baritone. His rendition of the Sinatra classic Night and Day was superb. He got the mood of the piece perfectly this night being all at once sultry and suave. His rendition of the Elvis classic, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was the only song new in the repertoire.
LuceStellare 