Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Dauphin County

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

🌿 Annuals you can still plant now to support beneficial insects
Mid‑June is a great time to add quick‑growing annuals that feed hoverflies, lacewings, lady beetles, and other natural pest‑control helpers.

Good choices for our region include zinnias, cosmos, calendula, basil (let some bloom), and sunflowers. These produce nectar and pollen that keep beneficial insects active all summer.

🐞 What annuals are you planting this week

06/16/2026

🌿 Beneficial insects are hard at work in our PA gardens!
Lady beetles, hoverflies, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps help keep pests in check naturally — no chemicals needed.

Native plants like coneflower (pictured here), mountain mint, and goldenrod provide the nectar and habitat these helpful insects rely on.

🐞 Have you spotted any garden helpers this week

06/12/2026

Spotted Lantern Fly season...

Like any pest insect, we must be careful not to overreact and perform ecological harm ourselves. Insects are not "good or bad", they are life that has evolved. We humans are the problem in that we have relocated them to areas they are not native.

SLF has been shown to only kill Tree of Heaven, Wild/cultivated grapes, and seedlings of some trees. Healthy plants tolerate their feeding. They to do not bite or sting us, and carry no disease. In the early instar stages, their piecing, sucking mouthparts need softer tissue, so we will see them on new growth of trees and on many perennials. Remember, that 90% of the SLF are in the canopy of trees, so you are only seeing a small percentage.
In the absence of Tree of Heaven, about 25% survive to an egg laying adult. If Tree of Heaven is within their feeding range, survival increases to about 50%. I tend to wait and squish the adults. I do not use sprays of any kind.

There have been a year, when I did a survey on my 1/3rd acre, and counted 3,200 SLF in my garden from 8 feet and down. I have hundreds of species of plants in my landscape. Nothing died or appeared stressed.

The only people who should use pesticides are those growing grapes. This is where the real risk is. The rest of us can squish or use circular traps (NOT sticky tape)-check out Penn State Extension references for more information and control.
SLF is here and will stay (much like Japanese beetles). Some years will be worse than others.

The best thing we can do is remove ALL Tree of Heaven and NOT cause ecologic harm with sprays and soaps, etc. Good luck.

https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-guide

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06/10/2026

Viburnum nudum (Smooth witherod). This is one of my favorite native viburnums.

It has great multi-season interest: glossy leaves, white flowers, multicolored berries and magnificent fall color. Host plant for multiple butterflies and moths. There are two popular cultivars, 'Brandywine' and 'Winterthur', as well as the straight species.

You NEED two genetically different plants if you want heavy berry production.

06/09/2026

It's not too late to sign up for the Seasonal Flower Walk at Wildwood Park this Thursday, June 11th. See the link below. FREE.

Join Master Gardener Kevin Kelly for a guided walk through the Nature Center’s Garden Beds. Each walk will highlight what’s in bloom, along with shrubs, foliage, structure and other seasonal features that give the garden interest and support wildlife. With a strong native-plant focus, this walk ...

06/09/2026

The Spring Garden of Dauphin County Master Gardener Kevin Kelly is featured today of Garden Photo of the Day (Fine Gardening). Take a peek with the link below.

A gardener in Pennsylvania employs a mix of bright foliage and colorful flowers to create stunning spring garden displays.

05/24/2026

The Garden Club Federation of PA is sponsoring garden tours around the state on 2 consecutive Saturdays in June. The first Saturday includes 6 gardens from Cumberland/Dauphin Counties (including the garden of Dauphin County Master Gardener Kevin Kelly). The second Saturday includes 5 gardens in Lancaster County. Other counties are participating. See the attached flier for details.

05/23/2026

Have you visited the 🖐️Five Senses Garden on the Capital Area Greenbelt Association? It's one of seven Demonstration Gardens, maintained by Master Gardeners of Dauphin County.

At our General Membership Meeting this month, we learned about the various plants and wildlife that call this garden home. Fun fact: the plants placed here are almost entirely native! Cindy and her team try their best to find native plants that engage all five senses, while battling invasive plants (and occasionally animals looking for a tasty snack).

Photos by Deb.

05/23/2026

First Adopt a Pantry pantry tour ✅

And big thank you to Rebecca who's behind the camera, for all the behind-the-scenes work!