🌺 Build a tropical garden | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Hello, June. The astronomical summer is right around the corner.

Here’s what we’re up to:

⛅Your weekend weather outlook: The Philly area is under an air quality alert Friday. Expect highs in the 90s, and a chance of storms Saturday and Sunday.

Read more The LGBTQ Spirit of 1776 could show the way for this year’s celebrations of freedom

— Paola Pérez ([email protected])

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

We may not be in the tropics, but we can show off their vibrant colors, heights, and textures in and around our homes through tropical plants. They’re a great bang-for-your-buck option to add a pop of drama and dynamic to your garden.

🌺 This is the time to plant them. Our soils are nice and warm enough to welcome them in to the mix, now that we’re past the last frost of the season. (Experts say there’s no advantage to planting any earlier.)

🌴 Tropicals thrive in Philadelphia because of our summer heat and humidity. They grow more robust throughout the season, and they’re relatively easy to care for. (Pro-tip: use fertilizers high in nitrogen!).

🌼 Think “thriller, filler, and spiller” when you start arranging them. For example, try experimenting with an elephant ear, a marigold, and a petunia.

Whether you’re working with a window box or containers, get more key tips to bring hibiscus, mandevilla, and much more to your garden.

Uh… that’s no place for a Porsche.

Around this time last year, a hiker encountered this peculiar scene on a narrow, rocky trail along the Wissahickon Creek. How the heck did a sports car even get in there, and who was responsible? We investigated the mystery that transfixed Wiss trail regulars.

What are you doing out there? This is your spot to shine, dear reader. I’m looking for new stories and moments to feature. Send your story in an email (pictures, if you have them, are welcome). You may see it in an upcoming edition of this newsletter.

Read more A new iconic library helped the city become more beautiful on this week in Philly history

🎤 Now I’m passing the microphone to my colleague Jason Nark, who reports on rural parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The rocky shores of Loyalsock Creek looked a bit drab to the untrained eye on a blustery, overcast November afternoon.

There were browns and grays, along with flurries of yellow and orange leaves across the turbid water when the wind whipped through the trees.

Sierra Weir, an artist from Pittsburgh, stepped gingerly across the mud and rocks. When she got to the water’s edge, Weir saw the landscape in a completely different way.

“It’s not as visually stunning as synthetic colors, but I would say the depth and variation within one tiny spectra is so much deeper,” she said. “I’ve gained such an appreciation for all the different ways brown can be brown.” — Jason Nark

It’s all in Nark’s full feature story. Discover how Weir and others make art using natural pigments from our waterways, and raise public awareness to watershed conservation.

📚 A beach read (or five): Philly-connected books to take down the Shore.

🐦 A harmony: The sound of birds singing in unison at sunrise.

❤️ A relief: The wall along the 100 Steps to the Wissahickon Creek Trail has been restored.

🌱 A tune: “Garden Song (Dawn at New Hope, PA)” by The Ocean Blue.

🛶 An activity: Community paddle boating at FDR Park (free RSVP).

Bob and Bonnie Dettore are the proud cultivators of a breathtaking garden that blooms in every season. Take a look at their haven.

👋🏽 Stay hydrated out there, and take care.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Read more A Jewish merchant from Market Street mailed a copy of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago. It’s back in Philly.