Tag Archive | trees and shrubs

The Resilience of Plants

Updated 7/11/2024

Drimiopsis maculata.

It happens to everyone. We’re busy with the kids’ activities, our jobs, or the weather isn’t convenient. Sometimes we just can’t get to all those chores on the list. These cool drizzly days before the gardening season kicks into gear provide the opportunity to tend some of those plants I’ve neglected for months or, admittedly, for years. The fact that they survived attests to the resilience of plants.

It’s rare when any of them actually die; that’s not a good look for someone who’s in her 51st year of professional horticulture! But, after growing these plants for decades, I know how far they can go before reaching the point of no return. Not the best way to garden, but that’s reality for many of us.

This article describes several examples of the adaptability and the resilience of plants.

The Resilience of Plants: Confined Spaces

Drimiopsis Maculata

Drimiopsis maculata is one of the leopard lilies native to Africa. This species (photo, above) and 2 other leopard lilies that I grow (Ledebouria socialis and Drimiopsis kirkii) are perennials where winters don’t approach the freezing point. The specific epithet, maculata, refers to the deep green, sometimes purplish, spots on new spring growth. Foliage grows from bulbs on or just below the soil surface. These 3 species are classified in the Asparagaceae family.

They prefer average to cool temperatures indoors from fall to spring, and often shed some of the previous year’s foliage. Leopard lilies tolerate temperatures down into the 40’s F, so they’re spending the winter on the enclosed porch with only the sun, an additional plastic bubble, and miniature incandescent Christmas lights for warmth. Although it might drop into the teens outside the porch, nighttime temperatures won’t get below 45° under the bubble.

I simply don’t have enough direct sunlight inside for hundreds of small plants. Anticipating that Arctic Blast (down to 4°F) on December 24, 2022, I moved all the tender plants indoors the night before. Good thing, because the power went out for a few hours at the coldest time of day, around dawn. No power, no lights, no plants! It’s only when outdoor temperatures drop below 12° that I move the tropicals indoors.

Repotting Drimiopsis

This clump and a few others stayed in 4½” pots for over a decade, since I last potted them up in Maryland. (I moved to North Carolina in 2013 and to this house in 2021.) They grew in only an inch of soil before I divided them in late summer, 2022. Because most of the organic matter had decomposed over that period of time, the level of the soil surface dropped a few inches lower in the pot.

In late winter or spring, the bulbs sprout shortly after repotting (photo, below). Drimiopsis maculata starts fresh every year after removing all old foliage and dividing the plant in late winter. Normally, I repot plants in spring to mid-summer, but this species is amenable to transplanting at other times, given good growing conditions. Don’t overpot or keep it too moist, though, or it will rot.

resilience of plants, drimiopsis after dividing

New growth and flower buds on Drimiopsis maculata.

Classification Confusion

The lily family and related families include many species that demonstrate the resilience of plants. These are some of the toughest plants for problem spots in the garden. I also brought from Maryland several hostas (Asparagaceae family) that had stayed in 4½” pots for over a decade. They leafed out nicely every spring, but never attained a good size until after I’d planted them at this rural North Carolina property in the autumn of 2021.

Cousins of drimiopsis that tolerate some neglect include ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata), daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.), liriope, grape hyacinth (Muscari spp.), agave, and asparagus fern.

Nomenclature in the huge lily family (Liliaceae) has undergone adjustments over recent decades. Genera of the original Liliaceae family have been redistributed among 10 families, all of which remain members of the same order, Liliales.

The new taxonomy is based on modern studies of molecular biology (genetics) rather than on the number of tepals or the placement of the ovary in the flowers (i.e., physical characteristics). Liliaceae hasn’t been entirely disbanded, according to the APG, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group; fifteen genera are still classified in the Liliaceae family.

Binomial Nomenclature

Swedish botanist, physician, and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), later Carl von Linné, categorized thousands of plant species in his 2-volume 1753 work, Species Plantarum. Incorporating some of the discoveries of Georg Eberhard Rumphius (German-born botanist) from the 1600’s, Species Plantarum is considered the first attempt at organizing plant species according to a hierarchical system of binomial nomenclature.

Briefly, binomial nomenclature is a system of identifying organisms by assigning them 2 names: a genus and a specific epithet. Together, the 2 terms represent a species. For example, Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ is the scientific or botanical name for a certain variety of the species. “Lilyturf” is the common name that also can refer to other species of liriope and Ophiopogon. The genus (Liriope) is always capitalized, while the specific epithet (muscari) almost always begins with a lower-case letter. The species is italicized, but the variety (‘Royal Purple’) is not.

Everywhere around the world, gardeners and scientists use the same Latinized scientific name to identify a particular plant. On the other hand, its common name might refer to several different unrelated species. The genus name is often used as a common name, as in liriope, hosta, and drimiopsis, as long as the reference is clear.

The taxonomical hierarchy after species proceeds to family, order, class, phylum, and kingdom. Genetic similarities and differences determine whether 2 plants are related closely enough to group them in the same genus or separately. The closer 2 species appear on the phylogenetic tree, the more likely they’re able to interbreed.

With modern genetic research, taxonomists have reworked several other plant families, including Lamiaceae (many of the herbs we use daily) and Asteraceae (the composites, perhaps the largest family of plants).

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’.

Here’s a little cutie that sits on the kitchen windowsill, right behind the sink. This Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’ gets several hours of direct sunlight in the morning and early afternoon, and bright indirect light the rest of the day. Chilly nighttime temperatures don’t bother it. The tiny seedling found a temporary home in the nearest empty pot (the one in the photo) when I thinned it from a cluster of vegetable seedlings. And there it stayed.

What makes this plant special is the fact that I potted it up in March of 2022! And it has been in its 2¼” clay pot all this time! The other seedlings planted last spring grew to their normal 18″ height. This one stands a diminutive 3″ tall.

I’m not keeping it for the purpose of harvesting leaves; there’s not much to pick, after all. It looks perfectly healthy, as long as it gets watered every 1-3 days, depending on temperature. Every 3 weeks, I add a tablespoon of dilute fertilizer, such as Sea-Plus or fish emulsion—just enough to keep it in good color, but no more than that.

I’m curious to see how long this orange-stemmed miniaturized plant will last. Short-season (spinach, lettuce) or fast-growing (tomato) plants would not last long in such tiny quarters. Swiss chard is a foliage plant for almost a year before it flowers. Maybe that’s why it has shown this resilience over time. Now and then, a leaf turns yellow and is pinched off, but new foliage continues to grow. (***Update***: it looked great for almost 20 months. Then I placed a taller plant in front of it for a few days, obscuring the Swiss chard from view… … It dried out and died. 7/11/2024)

Agave

Another cousin of the lily family and a desert dweller, agave (in the Agavaceae family) is a very forgiving plant. I brought 2 varieties from Maryland. They slowly grew new leaves and strong stems with adventitious roots. Although confined in deteriorating 9-cell market packs for a long, long time (~15 years), they rooted into anything near them that stayed still for a year.

In the photo, above, the last of the agaves rooted into a nearby clay pot and unoccupied cells of the (removed) market pack. The resilience of plants once again has been demonstrated by this plant’s ability to survive.

I buried most of the long stem into a taller clay pot with barely damp potting soil and no additional water. I’ll water this one very sparingly until it shows signs of new growth. (***Update***: it rooted in, grew very well, and was purchased a few months later at the farmers’ market. 7/11/2024)

Succulents and other plants native to dry, harsh climates are masters of survival. They store water in stems, roots, and swollen leaves protected by a thick, waxy epidermis. Species needing constant moisture would not have endured this neglect.

The Old Orchid

resilience of plants, mini orchid in 3" pot for 45 years

Dendrobium kingianum.

When I lived in Morgantown, West Virginia in the 1970’s, a friend and I drove out to The Glasshouse Works, over the border in Ohio. This nursery carried a dazzling assortment of plant species and varieties.

One of my purchases was a small orchid called Dendrobium kingianum. After returning home, I planted it in a 3″ clay pot. Every few years, I refresh the medium, using pine fines, long-fibered sphagnum moss, perlite, and a bit of potting soil.

It rarely blooms, and I propagate it when rooted plantlets form on the stems. An aerial plantlet is called a keiki, Hawaiian for “the little one”. It has been over 45 years now, and the orchid still resides in that 3″ pot.

Bonsai

Bonsai are the ultimate in meticulous care, incredible beauty, and sometimes astonishing age. Many large botanical gardens have collections that truly are worth visiting. Specimens can be several hundred years old and grow in pots only a couple of inches deep. Or they might be trained on a carefully chosen slab of rock.

Plants trained as bonsai usually are woody perennials, either deciduous or evergreen shrubs and trees. Successful bonsai require very specific care in trimming, root pruning, watering, and fertilizing according to seasonal cycles. Most important is the degree of artistry that contributes to credibility, expressing the appearance of an exquisitely aged specimen.

Bonsai exemplify the resilience of plants, considering the means by which they’re maintained over decades or centuries. Each specimen requires a tailored set of precise horticultural skills to keep it alive and healthy.

(No, that’s not my plant in the photo, but this style of gardening deserves a mention.)

Headings

Page 1: The Resilience of Plants: Confined Spaces (Drimiopsis Maculata, Classification Confusion, Binomial Nomenclature, Swiss Chard, Agave, The Old Orchid, Bonsai)

Page 2: The Resilience of Plants: Opportunity (A Plant In a Strange Place, Young Lavender, Another Surprise Seedling), The Resilience of Plants: Recovery (Cryptanthus, Propagating Bromeliads, The Petunia, Giant Redwoods Define the Resilience of Plants, Wildfires)

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An Evergreen Swag In 7 Simple Steps

Dec19

How To Make a Festive Evergreen Swag

As the holidays approach and the to-do list grows ever longer, quickly pulling together a swag or two before guests arrive is so easy. Would you like to try this? In this article, I’ll describe making an evergreen swag in 7 simple steps.

**What is a swag, exactly?**

An evergreen swag is a hanging cluster of ornamental greens—with or without embellishments—used primarily during the holiday seasons. It can have one point of attachment, or it could span between two or more supports. Personalize it with ribbon, ornaments, and other items that reflect your family’s style.

Hang swags on walls, porch posts, doors, fences, and gates. Attach one to the mailbox or the lamppost. Although the greens last longer in cold conditions outdoors, you can hang them indoors. Certain evergreens, particularly freshly cut Fraser and balsam firs and some of the cedars, smell absolutely wonderful for a while.

Step #1: Gather Materials For the Evergreen Swag

Using Evergreens From Your Gardens

: Fraser fir.

: Cypress.

: White pine.

When searching for a new home in northern North Carolina, I noticed the southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) and boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens) on this property. (“Great! Materials for swags and wreaths!”) Look for evergreens, twigs and buds with character, pine cones, and seedpods around your property. Perhaps you and your friends and neighbors can get together and trade materials…over hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, of course.

Chamaecyparis ‘Vintage Gold’.

A small Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Vintage Gold’ (USDA zones 5-8) planted last winter provides threadlike sprays of golden-yellow foliage. Bright yellow adds a great spark of color and shows up brilliantly against darker greens. Chamaecyparis—the false cypresses—are among my favorite evergreens for the landscape. Hinoki cypresses add soft texture and deep green swirled foliage for swags, wreaths, and table centerpieces.

Variegated English holly for evergreen swag

Variegated English Holly has yellow or white margins.

In the future, I’ll plant shrubs and conifers not only to enhance my surroundings, but also for the birds and as cut greens. The long, soft needles of white pine (Pinus strobus) add textural contrast to arrangements. The native species grows to huge proportions, so I’ll look for smaller cultivars.

When choosing varieties to add to your landscape, consider your plant hardiness zone. Some love the cold and will fail in hot summers.

Other evergreens, such as juniper, spruce, cedar, and cypress, can supply clippings for seasonal projects. Variegated English holly (Ilex Aquifolium) and some of the dwarf hollies are on that growing wish list. Although traditional at Christmastime, holly leaves and berries don’t cling for a long time. I sometimes use small artificial berries when those little details would add to the design.

Buy a Taller Christmas Tree For More Greens

Fraser fir branches are one of the best greens to begin the project. Since there aren’t any growing here, I used bottom branches from a freshly cut Christmas tree purchased at Hawk’s Market in Elkin. Fraser fir lasts a fairly long period of time without much shedding. Trees are pruned while they’re growing, causing very dense growth. To make ornaments hang freely, you can thin out some of the branches and use them in your evergreen swags.

Garden centers, farmers’ markets, florists, and craft shops stock various cut greens and supplies for creating swags, start to finish.

Experiment with unconventional sources of material, such as eucalyptus, bay leaves, and red- or yellow-twig dogwood stems. I’ve used a few leaves of variegated liriope or acorus tied in bunches and wired into arrangements.

You might prefer artificial materials, including the greens. Fresh poinsettias or magnolia blooms wouldn’t last on a swag, of course, but craft shops have “picks” in a wide range of styles and colors. They might or might not hold up to outdoor conditions, depending on what they’re made of. Handled carefully, silks and flocked picks can last for a few seasons.

Berries and Seedpods

One of many hollies.

Use rosehips, holly berries, nandina berries, acorns from oak trees, nuts, and small fruits for ornamentation. Birds might help themselves to the berries.

Seedpods offer another dimension in decorating your evergreen swag. Siberian iris grows woody seedpods on strong stems. Use them in their natural state or spray paint them in the color of your choice.

Grow everlastings (several species of flowers whose dry seedpods hold up in winter arrangements) in the garden during the summer season. Scabiosa stellata and strawflower are flowering annuals with stiff papery seedheads.

Although rather delicate, seedpods of biennial money plant, also called honesty (Lunaria annua), can be used in protected locations or with indoor arrangements. Clean the seedpods by gently rubbing between your fingers, removing the outer coverings and revealing the shimmering membrane inside.

Cones

Gather pine cones from your property, or perhaps you have some tucked away in your craft corner. They last for years if kept dry. This year, I used the ones that had been in storage for a decade.

Various evergreen species grow cones in different sizes, shapes, and shades of brown. Some have cute little cones ½-2″ long (hemlock, cypress) for smaller projects. Many pine species are 3-8″ long, and one—Coulter pine—has gigantic pine cones around 14″ long. Some have needle-sharp tips or sticky sap, so handle carefully.

Pine cones are the female reproductive parts of pine trees; the males generally are smaller and shed all that wind-blown pollen many months before pine cones mature. Seeds provide food for wildlife, and delicious pine nuts (“pignoli”) are harvested from about 20 species growing around the world.

When pine cones get wet, their scales close tightly. As they dry out, they begin opening up once again (photo, above).

Other Materials For the Evergreen Swag

In addition to the plant materials, you’ll need:

a protected work surface
pruners
scissors
pliers
old scissors or wire cutters
Wilt-Pruf, a biodegradable antidesiccant (optional, but recommended)
a sprayer bottle
a bucket for preparing a large quantity of greens
a large plastic trash bag or an old towel
florist’s paddle wire—I use 26 gauge and the thicker 22 gauge (wire will break down in the environment). Use pipe cleaners or zip ties for the loop and the bow, if you prefer.
ribbon with wired edges. Outdoor ribbon holds up to the weather.
sap/adhesive remover (Goo Gone or Goof Off). Read the label.
ornaments, bells, or other embellishments

Step #2: Prepare the Greens

For the swags I made to sell at the farmers’ market, the longest stems from the Fraser fir Christmas tree measured about 30″. Use short stems for smaller swags and centerpieces. Trim off any unusable parts.

During mild weather, set up an area outdoors, if possible, to cut the greens and when using Wilt-Pruf. Prepare a sprayer bottle by adding Wilt-Pruf to the water (read the label.) The dilution rate for Wilt-Pruf to water is 1:10. Although the solution looks like diluted milk, it will dry clear. When it dries, it coats foliage with a waxy film which holds water in the plant tissues. This helps the greens last longer, especially when used indoors. (I’ve used it in a colder climate for evergreens planted in autumn to protect them from drying winds.)

Place the greens in a single layer on the plastic, and spray thoroughly. Turn them over and spray again. Agitate the solution periodically. The goal is to cover all surfaces with the solution. Let the greens dry outside on the plastic or the towel (or the lawn), and shade them from warm sun.

If you’re making a few arrangements, fill the bucket partway with the Wilt-Pruf solution. Dip the greens a few times into the solution. Let them drip, then lay them out to dry.

I’ll spray leftover solution on the tree itself, letting it dry before bringing it indoors and adding lights and ornaments. Wilt-Pruf kept in the sprayer will gum up the works, so rinse thoroughly with soap and hot water. Wash soapy water and then clear water through the sprayer.

If you don’t use Wilt-Pruf, soak the greens in cool water for a few minutes before working with them. It’s a good idea to mist the greens now and then, even after completing the project.

Step #3: Layer the Greens

Reserve the fullest, longest fir stem for the base of the evergreen swag. Then layer on 2-4 more stems, each one a little shorter than the previous one. This gives the appearance of depth rather than looking two dimensional.

Adjust the stems so the swag doesn’t show large gaps when you look through it. Leave some of the smaller twigs near the base of the stem out of the loop (next paragraph), so the swag doesn’t look so constricted. Look for a balance of foliage on the left side and the right side. If needed, add another stem or two, or cut off a wayward twig.

Cut a piece of the 22-gauge (thicker) wire about 12-14″ long. Wrap it very tightly 1 or 2 times around the base of the stems, 2-3″ from the ends. Twist the wire ends tightly together 5-6 times to secure it. Use the ends to create a loop and twist the ends again several times to hold it together. Give the loop a tug to test it.

An alternative to using fir is to substitute long, softly flowing branches of cedar. Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), and incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) with its tiny yellowish cones, are elegant, fragrant greens. Add a bow with long tails for a simple arrangement.

Step #4: Add More Layers Of Greens On the Swag

evergreen swag featuring golden chamaecyparis

Colorful foliage of Chamaecyparis ‘Vintage Gold’ with boxwood and Fraser fir.

Adding greens with different textures or colors brings complexity to your design. Add one or a few sprigs of white pine, cypress, or cedar, and bushy boxwood stems near the top. Use the 26-gauge wire to secure the new greens near the top of the fir stems.

Consider color echoes when designing your swag. For example, a piece of yellow conifer can pick up the gold in the ribbon or the ornaments you plan to use. Red berries echo the red in the bow.

Once all the greens have been secured, trim the cut ends to the same length, if desired.

Step #5: A Beautiful Bow For Your Evergreen Swag

Do you like the Victorian style, an organic woodsy design, or modern glitz? You can find ribbon to reflect any style for this year’s decorations. Look for a ready-made bow at the florist shop or garden center if your skills are not so advanced. Maybe someone can offer suggestions and make one for you while you wait.

Use either gauge wire to tie the bow tightly together and onto the evergreen swag near the top. After the rest of the elements have been added, you can fluff open the loops of the bow. Wired edges in the ribbon help everything stay in place, and sturdy ribbon (more substantial wire) is required in the breezy outdoors. Save your favorite bows by stuffing the loops with tissue paper (optional) and carefully placing them in a plastic bin during the off-season.

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how to make bows. With a little practice, you can master this part of the project, too. Here are 2 of them, from Welcome to the Woods and Maymay Made It Crafts:

Step #6: Pine Cones

Choose 3 similar pine cones, and place them on the swag below the big bow at different levels. It’s okay if they’re not exactly the same size. I prefer an uneven number of elements, but that’s a personal choice. You might prefer 2 pine cones or none at all.

If you like the placement, cut a 12-16″ piece of the thinner wire for each pine cone. It might be easier to poke the wire through from the back of the swag, around a sturdy stem. Then, pull the ends together around the pine cone, between the scales, about 1/3 of the way from the top of the cone. Pull the wire tightly and twist the ends together to secure it. Cut off the excess wire or tuck it into the greens. The other option involves wrapping the wire around the pine cone and then wiring it onto the swag.

Does it all feel pretty stable? If it doesn’t, it might not hold together in the wind and rain. See if you can pull the wires tighter, twisting the excess at the back of the swag. Using pliers to tightly twist the wire might help.

If the swag swings around in the wind, shorten the loop or wire the lower part of the swag to the support. If necessary, screw 2 thin pieces of wood together (like a “T”), and build the swag on that.

Evergreens have sticky sap. Some gardeners use gloves when working with greens. Although it’s not recommended to use on the skin, I use sap remover to clean my hands and tools. Wash with soap and water immediately afterward.

Step #7: Finishing Touches For the Evergreen Swag

Little gift boxes on a table centerpiece. So cute.

This is the time for adding those finishing touches that individualize your project. Whether it’s a small brass horn, inexpensive Christmas balls or bells, small red “faux” apples or berries—or real ones. Get creative! In the photo above, I used a garland of tiny light blue gift boxes on the neck of this blue ceramic pot for an indoor centerpiece. These are made of paper and would not last long in the rain.

Deep, rich colors are best observed up close. From a distance, though, deep green evergreens and a burgundy bow look very dark. If you want to keep it there, you can lighten up the swag with bright red bow or a colorful plaid. Add frosted pine cones (painted white on the tips of the scales) or shiny ornaments. Some variegated English holly could do the trick or shine a spotlight on the area.

Maybe you’d like to remember your trip to Mardi Gras and drape some colorful beads on the swag. A string of battery-operated tiny fairy lights. Laminated bits of photographs or Christmas cards. Sea shells, painted acorns, a cool piece of driftwood… See what’s offered in craft shops and stores specializing in Christmas decorations. There are so many fabulous materials available for your evergreen swag! Get the family or friends involved and have fun with this easy project.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

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New Gardens For a New Property: What To Do First

Dec14

2021

Updated 8/26/2024

A New Home and New Gardens!

View from the front porch.

As you might know from reading The Farm In My Yard, I moved from Rockville, Maryland to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2013. I worked for a few years, while watching over my elderly mother. After she passed away in 2020, the search was on for a larger property in a smaller town. Must-haves included reasonably quiet surroundings, lots of nature, room to play in new gardens, and no HOA. This article includes information from a landscaper’s perspective that might help first-time property owners.

Success! In late October, I moved to a new home in northern North Carolina. A few obstacles didn’t stop my tireless realtor, Erika, from finding this (almost) perfect little house. There was Covid, for one, and the reluctance on the part of homeowners to list their homes for sale. Very few livable offerings in my price range came to the market. As soon as they did, they immediately went under contract.

As many buyers have done in this tight market, I made an offer on the property sight unseen. Well, truthfully, I did drive by the house before submitting an offer, and liked what I saw. Trees, woods, space, and sunlight—perfect for a gardener! The previous owners made some major improvements, saving me the trouble and the expense. But I had no idea what the interior looked like.

Inspections

When buying a house, have all the inspections done before closing, as recommended by your realtor or for your own peace of mind. Estimate the cost of necessary upgrades and repairs.

Particularly for older homes, check the roof and electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Look for water damage and mold, pests and wood rot, foundation issues, adequate insulation, storage space, and evidence of ongoing maintenance.

Negative findings could nullify a contract or provide a basis for negotiation between your realtor and the listing agent.

The Lay of the Land

Small towns, farms, and independent businesses dot the landscape in this part of Wilkes County. Several vineyards and state parks attract visitors to these lovely rolling hills, and rivers offer lots of sporting opportunities. Drive along any of the scenic roads, and new vistas open at every turn; the Blue Ridge Parkway is only half an hour away. Beautiful countryside!

The big oaks frame a sunrise.

My new home, a one-story house built in the 1940’s, sits on 1¼ acres of mostly level land. The view from the front porch looks over a field, a few houses, and downslope toward a small stream. Stunning sunrises greet me from that direction almost daily.

Most of the trees’ leaves have fallen from the massive limbs of the native white and willow oaks (Quercus alba and Q. phellos). A few of these trees tower over the eastern border of the property. In the summer, those toward the west will shade the house from hot afternoon sun.

The mighty oaks came first, judging by their size, and then the house. If I were to name the property, Quercus Magnus would seem fitting.

Preliminary Plans for New Gardens

There’s plenty of space for the berries and the vegetables to bask in the sun. Plenty of space to raise shade-loving perennials in the fenced enclosure north of the great oaks. And plenty of space for gardens that will support birds, bugs, bees, and butterflies.

Also, importantly, there’s room to grow plants to sell at the local farmers’ markets, as I did in Maryland for 25 years.

After Moving In

Deciding what to do first depends on the season, your climate, and the condition of the house and gardens. Priorities often reflect our occupations or interests, so artists might first set up a studio while contractors organize tools in the outbuildings. Growing families might rank bicycle storage, a big kitchen, and an extra bathroom at the top of the list.

And gardeners? Well, we look at soil quality, existing gardens, and sunlight. This gardener prefers a large, mostly blank slate. Others call it a lawn.

In April, I’d be concerned about starting seeds for the market, getting the summer vegetables and flowers planted, and cutting grass. But it’s December now. The yard needs tidying, houseplants need to find their homes, and, of course, we must bake Christmas cookies. Not to mention, those boxes won’t unpack themselves!

Moving into a house that doesn’t need major repairs eases the stress. To be sure, there are some improvements that can and will be made, but nothing that needs immediate attention. Wouldn’t mind a new kitchen with a dishwasher, Santa. (Chocolate chip or almond crescents?)

Trees and Shrubs

Poor Pruning Practices

Walking around the property will highlight issues that need attention. Check the trees and shrubs for dead or broken branches or call a licensed arborist for a professional assessment. There are some dead twigs way up in these oaks. A brisk wind shakes them loose, so the truck stays parked under the carport. Fortunately, that debris falls short of the house.

: Low branches that have been headed back.

: Some of the daily fallout.

I’ll hire an arborist to clean up the trees and remove branches that have been headed back. Heading back, or bluntly cutting off the end of a branch, causes many epicormic shoots to form. Those are new growing tips emerging from buds concentrated close to the cut. The shoots also can cover the length of the branch. Epicormic shoots have weak connections to the branch, and, over time, most will fail and fall from the plant (photos, above).

Similarly, topping trees is, in my opinion, not recommended. Yes, it reduces the height, temporarily, but topped trees in winter are hardly natural-looking and not attractive (photo, below). They, too, drop twigs over an extended period of time.

An expert arborist might be able to undo the damage from heading back or topping. However, removing the tree might be the most economical solution. Research appropriate tree species for your property and where to plant them. Keep in mind that plants almost always achieve dimensions larger than those indicated on the label. Your local agricultural extension office can help. Check with botanical gardens and sources such as your state’s native plant societies.

A topped tree.

The Root of the Problem

Trees planted close to the foundation can threaten its structural integrity. Consider having them removed.

The same ruthlessness applies to the wrong tree in any space. Keeping silver maples or weeping willows close to the house, septic system, or underground utilities begs for trouble. This is where an arborist or a well-informed landscaper can recommend more fitting species and a pleasing design for better curb appeal. Call 8-1-1 to have underground utility lines marked.

Constricted

Look for old stakes and wires still looped around trunks or branches. Wooden posts rot, but wire and synthetic rope from clotheslines, fences, and hammocks persist.

As trunks and branches grow in girth, they attempt to grow around the obstruction, usually cutting off the vascular system inside the bark. This results in the death of those parts of the tree that cannot receive water from the roots. Early fall color on isolated branches might indicate trouble, such as pests or physical constriction.

In the Maryland garden, a dogwood tree died for no apparent reason. After cutting it down and opening the bark in several places, I found plastic rope deeply embedded in the trunk a few feet from the ground. Although the damage appeared several years after I had moved there, it eventually killed a beautiful dogwood.

Flares and Girdling Roots

: Flare on an old oak tree.

: Girdling root on maple tree and no trunk flare.

Most trees flare out where the trunk descends into the ground. If this flare is missing, see if soil has been piled up against the trunk, and remove it.

Construction around unprotected trees can deposit soil that cuts off the oxygen supply to the roots, resulting in the plant’s decline. As little as an additional 1-2″ can damage trees. Also, parking vehicles over the root system compacts the soil, impeding air and water penetration. Keep in mind that tree roots extend well beyond the dripline, or the edge of the canopy.

Check for a girdling root crossing over the trunk at the soil line or below it. As it grows, the root will hinder growth of that section of the trunk, making the trunk look straight-sided where it enters the ground. Cut it out before the tree tries to grow around it. Maples and other surface-rooting trees are notorious for this.

There’s no flare at the base of this maple tree (photo, above) and at least one large girding root is constricting the flow of water and nutrients from the soil. I noticed large dead limbs in the canopy, so the tree might be removed.

English Ivy

English ivy growing up an oak tree.

Vining English ivy (Hedera helix) is growing up a white oak’s trunk, using rootlets to cling to the bark. All the vines will be removed for 4 main reasons.

First, English ivy is a woody vine, so its stems will grow in girth just as a tree branch does. As they wrap around the tree trunk or the limbs and thicken over the years, the ivy stems will constrict tree growth, killing limbs and possibly the tree.

Second, the evergreen ivy holds moisture and debris close to the bark, and could encourage insects and diseases.

Third, as ivy scampers over the ground and up the trees, it provides safe haven for rodents. Birds of prey and other predators cannot see them. Here’s a red-shouldered hawk perched in a dogwood tree, looking for dinner.

Fourth, ivy competes with small native plants, crowding them out.

So, the ivy must go.

Headings

Page 1: A New Home and New Gardens! (Inspections), The Lay of the Land (Preliminary Plans for New Gardens), After Moving In, Trees and Shrubs (Poor Pruning Practices, The Root of the Problem, Constricted, Flares and Girdling Roots, English Ivy)

Page 2: The Lawn (Safety First, Less Grass to Mow, Grass Clippings, Spontaneous Combustion), Drainage (Hold the Water), New Gardens for Old Plants (Virginia Sweetspire), More New Gardens and Less Lawn (The Black Walnut, The Ravine and the Woodland, Passionflower and Phlox ‘Minnie Pearl’)

Page 3: Planting a Few Trees (The Rule of Thirds, Too Cold to Plant New Gardens?, Viola, Different Players—Same Script, All Those Leaves), A Welcome Surprise (A Firm Foundation, Heeling In, Iris, Chores Indoors), Christmas Already?, and Concluding

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Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape, Part 2

Sep23

After reading Part 1 of “Plant Trees to Transform Your Landscape”, you’ve located the best spot where a tree will shade the house from brutal summer sun. Recommendations and practices presented here are based on climate and soil in the eastern part of the United States, where I live and garden, but the basic principles apply everywhere.

If your main objectives are shade, attracting wildlife, and less grass to mow, include masses of shrubs and perennials in the landscape plan as well. This article concentrates on planting trees, the dominant features in the landscape.

Native Plants vs. the Non-Natives

The choices offered in garden centers can be narrowed down to native species and non-native, or exotic, species. Within each of those groups are the original species and the cultivars (cultivated varieties). Developed by plant breeders, cultivars exhibit more ornamental or desirable—or just different—characteristics than the species.

‘Red Filigree Lace’, a delicate cultivar of Japanese maple.

Non-native plants originated in a different country or perhaps only a few hundred miles away. If the plant doesn’t occur naturally in your geographic region, it’s non-native, although some gardeners restrict use of the term to plants evolving in another country.

There are many beautiful plants, exotic to our shores, which we’ve enjoyed in our gardens. Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica), Stewartia pseudocamellia, and the dizzying assortment of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are just too hard to pass up. You can compromise, if you wish, by including both natives and exotics.

To most garden center visitors, none of this matters. We buy plants that solve problems and look pretty in our yards. But, to explain the relevance of native species, I’d like to expand the subject.

The Benefits of Native Species

First, native plants require less pampering to get them established.

Species that evolved locally can tolerate fluctuations in weather patterns. Temperature extremes, rainfall, humidity, soil types, altitude, wind patterns, and local fauna shaped today’s ecosystems.

Second, gardeners concerned about local pollinators choose plants that foster bees, butterflies, and other animals that pollinate farm crops and wild vegetation.

Every third bite of food we consume is attributable to pollinators. But, you might make the case that since most crops are alien to this country, it shouldn’t matter whether we use native or non-native trees. But we need to consider what larval insects consume, and that’s foliage and other plant parts. Thousands of species—not just bees—pollinate our farms, orchards, fields, and forests.

Egg-laying female moths and butterflies, beetles, and other insects are very selective and seek the natives they evolved with to supply sustenance for the following generation.

Incidentally, honey bees are not native to this part of the world. They will, however, forage from plants grown here, many of which are related to the plants they evolved with.

Making a Case For Single Flowers

: Amaryllis with yellow pollen and white stigma.

: Double amaryllis with no anthers or stigma.

Flowers attract pollinators, which reap the harvest of nectar and pollen. But many double- and triple-petaled flowers have lost their nectaries, stigmas, and/or pollen-tipped stamens. Photos above clearly illustrate the loss of reproductive parts in a double amaryllis cultivar. If these hybridized doubles and triples have lost the ability to reproduce sexually, they can’t make seeds. They must instead be propagated asexually, or vegetatively, by cuttings, division, grafts, or tissue culture.

The anthers, supported by filaments, bear the pollen; the male portion of the flower, collectively, is called the stamen. Female parts comprise the stigma, supported by the style, and the ovary, with its ovules, deeper within the receptacle; the female portion is called the pistil.

Not all dense flower heads are pollinator wastelands, though. Species in the Asteraceae family, for example, have flowers that normally look full. This family includes all the composites, such as aster, coneflower, daisy, dandelion, rudbeckia, and sunflower. Their dense inflorescences are composed of small florets arranged in a head, called a capitulum. But the original species also have the necessary reproductive parts. The composites are one of the most successful groups of plants and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

At a local garden center last year, I watched bumble bees that were quick to land on thickly-petaled hybrid red coneflowers (Echinacea). They were equally hasty in their departure! The bees stayed on the red flowers for a fraction of a second, while they lingered on the less frilly flowers of other cultivars, mining several florets in each flower for their treasure.

Pollinators waste precious energy visiting barren double-flowered hybrids. True, not all doubles lack nectar and pollen. For the pollinators’ sake, though, select more species or varieties with simple flowers. Natural selection favors plants that set seed, of course, which is why most native plants have simpler flowers.

Photos below show examples of single-flowering cultivars. If you see a boss of stamens and pistils in the flowers, those plants can probably supply pollen and nectar to the pollinators. This is a fine point, granted, but one that is critically important to populations of pollinators, given the preponderance of double-flowering hybrids at garden centers.

: Bumble bee on perennial aster.

: Pollinator on fruit tree.

: Purple coneflower (Echinacea) with bumble bee.

Third, planting a multitude of native species helps secure the future of threatened or endangered insects and animals.

In many regions, songbird populations have declined by half due to human intervention. Some have disappeared entirely. Trees and shrubs that provide shelter, nesting sites, berries or seeds, and which host insects, can help bring back the birds. Abundant biodiversity is a valid protection against the domino collapse of interdependent species.

Civilization has claimed much of the insects’ natural environments, so each of us can play a small part in rebuilding habitats. Annual butterfly counts show drastic declines. Monarch butterflies, in particular, now have less territory available in Mexico, a major overwintering site, than in the past, when they migrated by the millions.

Maintaining brush piles for overwintering insects and animals will help repopulate your landscape early in the season. Hauling those materials off to the recycling center, however, is sure death for the insects tucked inside. Fewer insects = fewer birds and other animals.

Fourth, incorporating native plants into the landscape helps keep the entire food chain intact.

A green anole basking in morning sun.

Insects feeding on plants become food for frogs, lizards, birds, and mammals. They, in turn, become food for snakes, hawks, foxes, and other predators. In many ecosystems, insects native to the region are the foundation on which the entire food chain is based.

A rich diversity of plant material supports an enormous number of insect and animal species. Left undisturbed, populations find a balance among themselves. On the other hand, life in monoculture, such as a lawn, is sparse. Unfortunately, countless urban and suburban neighborhoods have become dead zones with all their natural vegetation bulldozed to the ground.

As we spray, mow, burn, or build in natural environments, species will continue their rapid decline. Certainly, we need places to live and work, but we can also “give back” by planting for wildlife instead of continually killing it off.

Check with your state’s native plant society, native plant finders, BeeCity USA, and the local agricultural extension service for information. In addition to these sources, find a knowledgeable salesperson at the garden center for practical advice and sources of plant material. Garden shows might feature vendors specializing in native plants as this branch of horticulture grows.

Native Species and Nativars

trees, red leaves in fall, native white oak

Red fall color in a native white oak tree.

Plant breeders have brought to the marketplace many cultivars of our native species. These nativars might have purple or red foliage instead of green, or double flowers instead of single. Perhaps they mature at a shorter height than the original species, making them a better fit for small properties.

Garden centers often stock varieties of native species, although those selling native plants might also stock the original species. By a comfortable margin, though, most of the trees and shrubs in U.S. garden centers are cultivars of non-native species. Many originated in Asia, a treasure trove of tempting horticultural novelties.

Red Leaves and Wildlife

native trees, dogwood, red leaves, flower buds

Red fall color and flower buds on native flowering dogwood.

Many trees develop red or burgundy fall foliage. Species native to the eastern U.S. with red fall foliage include sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red oaks (Quercus rubra, Q. coccinea), and white oak (Quercus alba).

Beautiful fall color lures camera-toting visitors each year to the mountains, to New England, and to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The U.S. National Park Service provides an interactive map which tracks the progression of fall color.

Red- or purple-leaved cultivars sporting this color all summer are in high demand at garden centers. But if the point of planting trees and shrubs is for wildlife, we want to be sure the plants we choose will attract them. Each plant species has a particular menu of chemical compounds in their tissues that either attract or repel insects and animals. Organisms evolved a tolerance for these compounds…or they didn’t!

Purple and red leaves often repel insects due to their high levels of anthocyanins, the red pigments in the foliage. So, that defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? Not necessarily; these trees might have had green leaves that hosted insects before leaves turned red. Or insects simply tolerate the red pigments.

Oak trees support huge numbers of insects, birds, and mammals at various times during the year. This one genus, Quercus, hosts hundreds of species of moths and butterflies, although they often turn red in the fall.

Before planting a cultivar that stays red all season, though, find out if insects, such as mature caterpillars, will eat the leaves. This indicates that it could host insects for their entire life cycle. If all the larvae are tiny, however, when some larger individuals are expected, most might have crawled off to greener pastures.

If bees spend time working a flower and don’t fly off immediately after landing, that plant could be a good choice. Similarly, holes in the leaves indicate that the plant can host insects. Resources at the local university’s entomology department or botanical garden might have information that could help you choose plants that support wildlife.

The Untold Story

I’ve been packing the past couple of weeks, preparing to move to a rural location in northern North Carolina. I took a break from the work and sat on the deck, listening to the birds and insects.

One of those sounds was the hum of an approaching ruby-throated hummingbird, the only species summering in this area. Four feet away, and less than 4″ long, this tiny bird landed on a twig of the potted native dogwood tree, sitting right next to me. He then hovered near the flower buds (photo, above, with last year’s fall color), and I could see his tongue working the buds, one after another. These buds are tightly closed, yet he found something worth gathering, despite the presence of other flowers nearby.

Within a minute, another hummingbird arrived for the same reason, apparently. The two tiny birds fought for feeding rights, and the second one flew away after some impressive aerial maneuvering among the twigs. The first hummingbird continued searching for hidden sustenance held inside those buds. I’ve never seen this behavior.

My point is this: there’s much about the natural world that remains unobserved—a mystery to us—perhaps lending more credibility to the importance of using native plants in our gardens. (This section added 10/6/21.)

Deciduous Trees For the Eastern U.S.

Here’s a partial list of native and non-native trees that support wildlife. Large deciduous shrubs can substitute for trees in smaller spaces. Many other species might suit your purpose, so visit a few nurseries to see what’s available.

Most trees are sold in large plastic nursery pots, although you might also see freshly dug trees with their roots wrapped in burlap (“b&b”, or balled and burlapped).

American hop hornbeam (Ostrya)
basswood (Tilia)
birch (Betula)
black gum (Nyssa)
Carolina silverbell (Halesia)
chaste tree (Vitex)
cherry and plum (Prunus)
crabapple (Malus)
crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
dogwood (Cornus)
franklin tree (Franklinia)
fringe tree (Chionanthus)
hornbeam (Carpinus)
magnolia (Magnolia)
maple (Acer)
oak (Quercus)
poplar, cottonwood (Populus)
redbud (Cercis)
serviceberry (Amelanchier)
sourwood (Oxydendrum)
willow (Salix)
winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
witch hazel (Hamamelis)

Native red maple can have yellow, orange, or red fall color.

Most of the trees listed above have small- or medium-sized species or varieties. Compare suitability of native and non-native species within the genus. The familiar weeping willow, for example, is non-native and quite messy in the landscape. But smaller native willows behave better and host a large number of moths and butterflies.

Research disease resistance, flowers for pollinators, fruits for animals, sun or shade preferences, and soil types. Consider planting species that drop excessive amounts of fruit, acorns, or seedpods farther from the house and paved surfaces.

Also look into the tree’s habit of growth. A specimen with horizontal branches softens the strong vertical lines of a house. Pay close attention to utility poles and wires. Don’t plant trees near them that the utility company will butcher in future years.

Trees with invasive surface roots should be reserved for areas far from structures, pipes, and vegetable gardens. Find out from your town how close to the street or the property line you’re permitted to plant trees. Don’t forget to call 8-1-1 to locate underground utilities before digging.

Chionanthus, the fringe tree (photo, below), is a beautiful bloomer for gardens. This multi-stem plant has 2 species commonly available (C. virginicus, C. retusus), one native and the other from Asia. Male plants have larger flowers, but females set deep blue fruits for birds. The plants, however, are rarely sexed at the nursery.

Fringe tree.

The Hollies

Gardeners have used hollies in gardens for centuries. We can choose among deciduous and evergreen species.

The hollies (Ilex spp.) are another genus of primarily dioecious (Latin for “two houses”) plants that fruit on female plants. They ordinarily require a male plant, or pollenizer, to set fruit, although holly pollenizers (the males) themselves do not set fruit. Modern breeding techniques have yielded several cultivars that can make berries without pollination.

Ask your nursery salesperson for specifics regarding the need for pollenizers and how close they should be planted to female hollies. Choose the male hollies carefully; they must be closely related to the female holly and bloom at the same time. Incidentally, holly flowers are often nicely fragrant, and the bees love them! Just don’t shear them off after the buds have formed. Pruning should be minimal if you want flowers and fruits. And bees.

The Curious Case of Crape Myrtle

The Imperial moth.

Lagerstroemia indica is an extremely popular landscape tree or shrub in USDA zones 7-9. Crape myrtle, from China and Korea, was first introduced to the southeastern U.S. over 200 years ago. Adapting readily to our hot, humid summers and sometimes drought, it blooms for months despite the adversity.

What makes this non-native plant peculiar is a native moth’s preference for its leaves even when offered a multitude of its local favorites. Last year, I raised caterpillars of the huge Imperial moth. They went for the crape myrtle every time, ignoring all the others. Unless female moths instinctively target this species to host their young, the caterpillars will not likely eat these trees to the bone any time soon.

Several songbirds, including American goldfinches and juncos, feed on the seedpods.

Evergreens

You might prefer an evergreen specimen instead of a tree that drops its leaves in autumn. Look into arborvitae, chamaecyparis, hemlock, certain holly species, juniper, pine, rhododendron, spruce, and yew. Consider the shade evergreens will cast in winter, and whether sunlight might be blocked from entering windows or melting ice on the driveway.

Although not all evergreens are native to this part of the country, they make suitable nesting places and provide shelter in inclement weather. A dense border of evergreens can block fierce winter wind for a considerable distance downwind.

Soon after moving into the Maryland house in the 1980’s, I planted a chamaecyparis with deep green whorled foliage. Although it was supposed to get only 6′ tall according to the nursery, it grew to about 20′, when it was cut down by the people who bought the house from me. I left it in the front yard because birds raised a few families among its evergreen branches every year. And it looked gorgeous in the snow.

Chamaecyparis on the right, after 2010 blizzard. Sourwood on the left.

Good Looks

If you’re landscaping purely for aesthetics, plant a tree with characteristics that appeal to you. It’s your property, after all. Besides, all trees provide cover and nesting opportunities, even if they’re passed up by caterpillars.

Perhaps elsewhere you could grow perennials that offer food to wildlife. Planting a bed of milkweeds among the shrubs, for example, will help the monarch butterflies (photo, below).

While you might not consider insects important in your landscape, and, in fact, have invested considerable time and expense eradicating them, they are primary links in the food chain. A healthy landscape hosts a complex assortment of insects and animals. And with the rate at which natural habitats are losing out to development, it’s no wonder we see fewer ladybugs, butterflies, and songbirds in our neighborhoods.

Creating welcoming landscapes provides resting places for migrating birds. But they need natural corridors all along their path in order to find food and perching opportunities. We can help by planting at least part of our property with them in mind—every one of us! Provide food, water, and trees to rest in, and you might catch a glimpse of a bird you’ve never seen before.

I urge you to adopt a new attitude toward welcoming wildlife. You don’t need 10 acres to make a difference. A well-planted fraction of an acre will encourage many kinds of insects and animals to reside there. If you let them eat your plants and the sprayer hasn’t been used once this year, well done!

Monarch Butterfly Laying An Egg - Chesna / Pixabay

Monarch butterfly on milkweed.

Before Planting Trees

Let’s imagine a 2-story house and an appropriately proportional medium-sized tree. Your landscape plan calls for locating this tree off the southwest corner in the front of the house.

To prevent branches from rubbing against the siding in the future, you’ll want to plant the tree far enough from the house. Divide the mature spread of the tree by 2. Because plants tend to grow larger than the dimensions printed on the label, add a few feet to the measurement. So, a tree with a mature spread of 25-30′ should be planted 15′ or more from the corner.

While that little tree might look lonely out there, it will grow. Maybe that’s the extent of your garden project this fall. Or perhaps you’d like to develop a full garden on that side of the house with an underplanting of shrubs, perennials, and ground covers.

Walking a pathway through the garden to the side yard will feel like a walk through a park. This is a good solution where space is limited between your house and the neighbor’s. Consider your neighbor, though, and don’t plant too close to the property line. Perhaps the two of you could create an appealing garden that fills the space between both houses.

But first, it’s soil prep…please turn to page 2…

Headings:

Page 1: Are You Ready To Plant Trees?, Native Plants vs. the Non-Natives (The Benefits of Native Species, Native Species and Nativars, Red Leaves and Wildlife, The Untold Story), Deciduous Trees For the Eastern U.S. (The Hollies, The Curious Case of Crape Myrtle, Evergreens), Good Looks, and Before Planting Trees

Page 2: Soil Preparation For Trees (Slope, Outline the Bed, Heavy Clay, “How Deep?”, Adding Amendments, Organic Matter, and Time To Plant Trees (Trees In Pots, B&B Trees, Backfill, Edge, Mulch, And Water)

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Pages: 1 2

Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape, Part 1

Aug7

2021

It’s Time To Plant Trees!

As summer’s sizzling temperatures begin to cool off, our thoughts turn to new gardening projects. Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. At that time, garden centers bring in fresh plant material, so you’ll have a wide variety to choose from.

After leaves drop from deciduous plants, roots no longer need to provide water to foliage, making fall the perfect time for landscaping. New roots, though, continue to grow well into autumn, while soil temperature remains above 40°F. By springtime, new leaves will draw water from a more extensive root system, so you won’t have to water as often as you would when planting trees in leaf.

Although you can plant trees and shrubs in full foliage, they will need frequent irrigation to get them established. The warmer the temperature, the more water the plant will require. Summer sun bearing down a dark nursery pot stresses the root system and can prevent root growth on the hottest side of the pot. It follows that during the summer months, roots would rather be in the cool earth than exposed to hot sun. Planting leafy trees just requires more attention from the gardener.

Most evergreens also can be planted in autumn. Their foliage at that time transpires less water to the atmosphere as temperatures cool down and day length shortens.

Room For Improvement

During my search for a new home, what always attracts my attention first is the presence of mature trees. The absence of trees means more grass to mow, for a while, anyway. Not my cup of tea.

Because the Covid-19 pandemic has kept us closer to home, we can’t help but notice areas that could use improvement. Is the sunroom or the shed a bit too toasty in the afternoon? Gazing at the computer screen hour after hour? Now that you’re working from home, looking upon a pretty garden outside the office or pulling a few weeds would provide a needed break. Perhaps you’ve discovered that connecting with nature relieves stress and gives you a feeling of calm and comfort.

Those are just a few reasons to plant trees and spruce up our gardens. Converting high maintenance lawns into gardens with colorful trees, shrubs, and flowers not only enhances aesthetics, but also increases the value of our homes. And with all this talk of carbon footprints and deforestation, perhaps you’re eager to participate in the solution.

Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape, In Two Parts

Part 1 of “Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape” addresses seasonal changes, drawing a landscape plan, reasons for planting trees and shrubs, slope, and practical considerations.

Part 2 of “Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape” details soil preparation and the process of planting trees in the landscape. I also write about native plants vs. the non-natives, and how they affect populations of insects and animals.

The Sun’s Path

The sun’s path across the sky in North Carolina, summer and winter.

Start thinking about your landscape now, before summer’s discomfort fades from memory. Notice how the sun’s arc changes from month to month, and how, by mid- to late summer, it’s already lower in the sky. My little succulents lining the south-facing bay windows get more direct sunlight now than they did a month ago, when the sun was directly overhead.

You can block much of the heat and sunlight falling on the south (northern hemisphere) or west side of the house with a deciduous tree or a group of trees. If you want maximum sunlight coming indoors during the winter, however, avoid planting trees right outside south-facing windows. Instead, shift the trees toward the southwest or the west, which will give you more sun in winter and shade on a hot summer afternoon.

Although deciduous trees drop leaves in autumn, bare branches and twigs will cast some shade. But with carefully placed trees—not directly south—shade will come from smaller twigs on the canopy’s periphery rather than from stout trunks and limbs.

Large evergreens block winter sun at a time when it is most welcome if they’re planted near south-, southeast-, or southwest-facing windows. Consider planting them farther out into the landscape and where they can reduce winter wind from the north or the west. Or use shorter evergreens that mature below windowsill height. Thick borders of twiggy deciduous plant material can decrease wind speed, but not as effectively as evergreens.

For the Record

It helps to keep a record of these seasonal changes. Visualize how tree placement will affect sunlight falling on your house or coming through the windows. Knowing a tree’s mature height and spread will help determine where to place it for maximum solar gain in winter and shade in summer.

Avoid planting trees too close to the house, where leaves, flowers, and fruits will litter the sidewalk and clog the gutters…not just in year 1, but also in year 31. Realistically, though, debris will get into uncovered gutters and leaves will swirl around paved areas, but planting trees far enough from the house will obviate the need for annoyingly frequent maintenance. In addition, limbs growing toward the house will require trimming, and the result often falls short of appealing.

These are merely guidelines that I’m suggesting, but, ultimately, it’s your property and your choice.

Let’s not forget the advantages of planting evergreens for winter protection. A dense planting of evergreen trees and shrubs can mitigate the brutal impact of winter’s fury. That can make living in and working around your home more comfortable, while lowering energy bills at the same time. Remember that winter shade on an icy driveway will delay rapid melting.

Try to recall the direction of prevailing winter winds, which usually varies from the direction of summer breezes. You can research local data from the National Weather Service.

Drawing Up the Plans

Tools Of the Trade

For accurate and detailed drawings, use an architect’s scale, a triangle (for straight edges and right angles), graph paper (for the base plan), tracing paper, a mechanical pencil, and an eraser. A plastic template with round holes of varying widths can be useful for extensive landscape projects.

The final design can be drawn on the more substantial vellum, if you wish, using colored pencils and markers. But, for those homeowners intent on planting a few trees and extending a garden, paper and pencil might more than suffice.

Community colleges and, sometimes, botanical gardens offer classes in landscape design. They might have sources for these tools, or you can find them at art supply companies.

Start the Sketch

Draw a sketch of your home’s footprint and property lines on graph paper. Use dimensions from a copy of the plat plan, if you received one when you bought the house. Pencil in existing vegetation, hardscape (structures and solid surfaces), prevailing wind directions, drainage patterns, slope, and a north arrow.

The 1/4″ scale, where 1/4″ on paper equals 1′ in the landscape, was satisfactory for almost all residential designs. For the largest projects, though, I used the 1/8″ scale. I measured the property, copied the plat plan, and drew, to scale and in permanent ink, all features that were to remain. This base plan depicted an aerial view of the property’s features, including locations of doors and windows in the home’s outline.

Then I drew preliminary plans, in pencil, on tracing paper taped (with removable drafting tape) to the base plan. You might go through several sheets of paper as different ideas take hold. That’s why it’s available in rolls!

Sketch ideas for how your family will use the property. You might include spaces for a sunny vegetable garden, shrubs and trees for butterflies and nesting birds, or a pond. In that case, pencil in the tallest plants either far from those areas or to the north, where they won’t cast shade for many years. Trees that grow less than 15′ or 25′ tall at maturity fit more comfortably in tightly clustered neighborhoods. Consider your neighbors, too, when including trees in the plan.

Now, of course, many landscape designers use software programs that cut short the labor involved in drawing plans by hand.

Also, keep in mind that the actual layout of the plants might necessitate shifting them somewhat from the locations drawn on paper. Before planting, place the potted trees and shrubs in their intended locations, and double-check the placement from all angles.

Elevating Your Skills

Drawing elevations, or vertical perspectives of the house as it sits in the landscape, supplies a more complete picture of your property. We plant trees, shrubs, and other plants around the house to anchor the structure to the land. Keep in mind that 10′ indoors looks much smaller outdoors, so expanding the beds will impart more appropriately scaled proportions.

An elevation of the front of the house will help you envision how the plantings will look from the street. Likewise, views from the back windows could be improved by adding a tree, or 3 trees, and masses of colorful shrubs and perennials near the fence. Remember to include hardscape and windows, doors, and the roof in your sketches. Then pencil in the existing plants from near to far, to scale, and see how they layer against each other. Additional drawings might depict tentative designs starting with no plants or having the biggest offenders removed.

This extra step could illustrate the need for some relief from all the short plants on one side of the property, or how the other side is too heavy with evergreens. If you add color to the elevation, you’ll see where you could repeat a cluster of flowering plants or where there’s too much yellow.

Maybe there are too many mounded forms, and the composition could benefit from a bold upright specimen or a fine texture, such as ornamental grass. Details in the elevation drawings help illustrate where contrast, color, height, repetition, or depth might be missing. Be sure to consider the color of the house and the trim when designing your landscape.

Simple Might Work Better

Perhaps the elevations reveal how busy or spotty the landscape appears, and how it could benefit from a simpler menu with fewer types of plants. The elements in the home’s landscape, when viewed from the street or from a distance, look more harmonious when the garden has only a few specimen varieties and masses of supporting plants.

This doesn’t rule out all those fascinating little plants tucked in here and there. But use those smaller plants along a path or by the patio to appreciate up close.

Symmetry vs. Balance

Planting symmetrical gardens on both sides of the front door might be your go-to style. Sure—that’s easy! But to give your landscape that something extra, try to achieve balance without symmetry. Balance requires using some of the same or similar plants on both sides, but not necessarily in the same quantities.

Symmetry is more difficult to maintain when one arborvitae grows faster than the other due to differences in sun exposure. Or one bed of reblooming daylilies grows better than the one that’s closer to the neighbor’s Norway maple. And most homes simply aren’t symmetrical.

Depth Perception

Imagine your front yard with taller plant material in a raised bed near a streetside corner. Maybe a spacious area could use a few large beds, which remove even more of the lawn. Dimensions of the property and existing features will determine the most appropriate placement of these islands. The plans I drew incorporated irregularly shaped beds, with broad, naturally curved edges instead of straight lines.

Adding a small tree or an uneven number of shrubs with drifts of perennials and ground covers introduces the concept of depth, partially hiding the front of the house from full view. Some open space—a void—near the center, showing the front entrance, creates a contrast. This sense of mystery—where not everything is revealed in one glimpse—adds a dimension that’s hard to describe. But you’ll know it when you see it…or don’t see it.

One tip about planting a tree: don’t plant it dead center in the yard or in a bed! Use the “Rule of Thirds” when locating the tree. Place it closer to the edge of the property, framing the view, or about one-third of the distance from the far end of a bed. A tree in the center abruptly bisects a view, which is uneasy on the eyes. Similarly, I prefer not to plant an upright evergreen between 2 windows.

If space is limited between your house and the neighbor’s, consider planting a generous bed—the full width—on your property. Then add a mulch, brick, or flagstone path from the front yard to the side yard, and plantings on both sides. Given ample room, place the tree on the outside of the path. This gives you that nice feeling of walking through a park.

Perhaps you and the neighbor can develop a landscape together for a more harmonious setting. When I lived in Maryland, a neighbor and I planted the entire area between our driveways, but the man who bought my neighbor’s house replaced all the plants on his side with sod. “Just in case”, I had planted a monarch birch on my side of the property line before he tore out blooming shrubs and perennials. Nevertheless, the see-through character of the finely-twigged birch tree lent that feeling of depth to our front yards.

Take This Photo, For Example

Taking advantage of the depth of the front yard gives opportunities for repeating plant material without having to rely on symmetry. Research shows that people attach greater value to properties with attractively orchestrated plantings comprising wider beds and curved edges.

Enlarging the foundation plantings by bringing in a specimen and groups of plant material is usually more appealing. Try adding large curved beds in your drawings rather than narrow beds lined up against the wall. Curves soften rigid straight edges.

In the photograph, above, this landscape would gain depth by adding a new curved bed in the corner between the near side of the sidewalk and the driveway. I’d plant a small tree, several small flowering shrubs or evergreens, and flowers in this bed. Lastly, repetition, using the same ground cover on both sides of the sidewalk, not necessarily lined up, completes the picture. (Well, I might rethink those ornamental grasses…and…)

When installing a new sidewalk near the house, place it farther from the house, if possible, to accommodate more creative plantings.

Options For Cooling

Diagonally off the northeast corner of my last house in Rockville, Maryland, I planted a sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum). This deciduous tree has spectacular red fall color. Although the tree is a slow grower, I selected it for its ornamental features: multi-stem trunk (usually sold with a single trunk), fine twigs, flowers after the peak spring season, pest-free foliage, and long-lasting fall color. With all those desirable features, I forgave its persistent seedpods.

During the growing season, the sourwood blocked morning sun, from the east-northeast, and helped cool the living room and the master bedroom upstairs. But, with winter’s sun rising in the east-southeast, the leafless tree did not affect light entering those rooms. In regions where the temperature climbs quickly early in the day, consider planting a tree to shade the morning sun.

Japanese snowbell.

On the west side of the property, monarch birches (Betula maximowicziana) provided afternoon shade. The fine texture of their leaves and branches cast a delicate shade, and those beautiful chalky white trunks contributed year-round interest. This species can be quite variable in trunk color, from white to gray to brown. I also planted the species Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica), a small umbrella-shaped tree, off the west side of the brick patio.

When we first moved into the house, there was no relief from intense summer sun. Planting trees made good sense for this house with little insulation, original single-pane windows, and an inefficient HVAC system.

Over the next three decades, I renovated the entire house, insulated the attic and under new siding, planted a woodland, and greatly reduced our energy bills. Replacement double-pane windows, with that heat-reflective coating, were expensive, but worth it.

Headings:

Page 1: It’s Time To Plant Trees! (Room For Improvement), The Sun’s Path (For the Record), Drawing Up the Plans (Tools Of the Trade, Start the Sketch, Elevating Your Skills, Simple Might Work Better, Symmetry vs. Balance, Depth Perception, Take This Photo, For Example), and Options For Cooling

Page 2: Beautiful Trees In the Garden (Lessons From Well-Designed Gardens), First, Call 8-1-1, Establish the Hardscape, Dealing With Slope, Why Should We Plant Trees and Shrubs? (Planting Trees and Shrubs Can:, Finding Help), Choosing Plant Material, and Next: Part 2

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Mabry Mill On The Blue Ridge Parkway

Nov21

Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill is among the most photogenic stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Last month, a leisurely drive took me to Mabry Mill in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. It was an easy detour from a few of those towns in northern North Carolina I had been exploring. During this pandemic, with social distancing in mind, day trips are pleasant diversions. My mother and I called them “mental health drives”.

I’ve spent the past few months looking for property with more sun, more space, and no homeowners’ association. The goal: large gardens for pollinators, butterflies, and birds. Raise greens and vegetables, and maybe a dog. Fix it up while working part-time? Open a little plant shop? The possibilities are exciting! With the vaccine apparently a likelihood, maybe more properties will soon come to the market.

For years, the western part of North Carolina was the location of choice. But, for the past month or so, I’ve widened the search to include counties in the northern part of the state. Lovely area, beautiful terrain, home to several vineyards. This is where people waved from their riding mowers as I drove by.

Getting to Mabry Mill

Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The mill is located at milepost 176.1 (watch for signs) on the Blue Ridge Parkway and is administered by the National Park Service. This is a truly memorable drive and part of the National Scenic Byways system. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds 469 miles through the southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevations range from 649′ near the James River, Virginia, up to 6053′ on the slope of Richland Balsam Mountain (milepost 431) in North Carolina.

The Parkway connects the eastern side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It continues northward as Skyline Drive, from where it intersects with U.S. Interstate 64 near Afton VA, to Front Royal VA. The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

But don’t expect to whiz by at interstate speeds; this is a slower road, with over 380 stopping points. There are many intersections along the faster U.S. or state highways where you can pick up a local stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And gas up the car before reaching the Parkway because there are no filling stations on this road.

Caution

Keep in mind that people live and work here, so there might be farm vehicles on or crossing the Parkway. And check with the National Park Service to see if hazardous conditions or inclement weather might have closed parts of the Parkway.

Camera’s Ready

Trail’s cabin.

Very picturesque. The entire area presents scenes of astonishing beauty, with views of pastoral landscapes, deep valleys, and mountain vistas. If you need to get away from it all, come to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The “blue” in Blue Ridge derives from the Cherokee Indian description for the mountains, an area they and their ancestors have inhabited for over 10,000 years. Their term translates to “land of blue mist”. Isoprene compounds (hydrocarbons) are released from and protect the trees in hot sun, cloaking the distant hills in a bluish haze. The Mohawk, Iroquois, and Shawnee also inhabited this mountain chain, with the Cherokee centered around the Great Smoky Mountains at the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This was my second visit to Mabry Mill, and I had a particular goal in mind: pictures of fall foliage! Although there was some color in the trees and shrubs, the bright reds and oranges of sourwood and maple, and the glowing gold of hickory, had already passed. A gentleman in the restaurant informed me that, just a few days prior to my visit, a wicked wind had stripped much of the fall color from the trees.

Photographers after the perfect shot of the mill and its reflection waited for the pond water to stop rippling after a young boy had stirred it up. But no one complained. He was having a great time! A few of us exchanged “Oh well” glances, and made sure we were positioned to capture the moment.

Entering the grounds of Mabry Mill.

Building Mabry Mill

Edwin B. Mabry and his wife, Mintoria Elizabeth (“Lizzie”), had acquired the property and water rights around 1905, and finished construction of the gristmill three years later. By 1914, the gristmill, the sawmill, and blacksmith and woodworking shops were providing services for residents living in the area. A sorghum evaporator and the remains of the whiskey still also can be seen.

A flume channeling water toward the mill.

Mabry built a system of concrete tributaries, which collected water from streams above the mill, and directed it toward the wooden flumes (photo, right). Those flumes, in turn, channeled water toward the race, which fed water to the overshot waterwheel.

Because the water flowed slowly, the gristmill (called a “slow grinder”) ground corn with less friction, preventing the grain from overheating and burning. This earned the Mabrys a reputation in the region for producing products of excellent quality.

A few years after the mill and the shops were operating, around 1918, the Mabrys built their new home. It has since been replaced with a wooden structure once owned by the Marshall family (photo, below). The house on the site was built in 1869 near Galax, and donated to the National Park Service in 1956.

The old Marshall house.

The National Park Service

The Parkway’s construction began in 1935 at Cumberland Knob, milepost 218, just south of the border between North Carolina and Virginia. In 1938, two years after Ed Mabry died, the National Park Service purchased Mabry Mill.

Restoration of the historically significant mill and other buildings was completed in 1942. By then, gristmills had been rendered obsolete by more efficient large-scale milling operations and transportation networks that shipped products throughout the country.

The site is home to the restored mill, the wooden residence, and the workshops. This property includes short walking trails, a restaurant, and a gift shop, where you can pick up publications and maps. The restaurant closes for the season in early November, so check first if you’re hungering for their famous pancakes.

On certain days through the year, the National Park Service conducts craft demonstrations recounting ways of the past. They also bring in live musical performances to entertain visitors. The day I was there, Park Rangers Chris and Tabitha welcomed questions and shared information about how residents met the many challenges presented to them at that time. Each year, hundreds of thousands of travelers from around the world stop at the mill.

: Park Ranger Tabitha explained different uses for various kinds of baskets.

: Park Ranger Chris demonstrated dying wool, using pokeberry, indigo, jewel weed, and goldenrod.

Seeing how others lived just 100 years ago gives me renewed appreciation for our more modern conveniences. Now that my mother has passed, I enthusiastically look forward to life in a more rural location…one with those modern conveniences.

Farther Up the Road

yellow flowers of witch hazel at Mabry Mill

Native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, in bloom at the mill.

In no rush to get home, I drove for another two hours or so, northward on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There was so much to see; each stop had its own unique view or plant life or structure to learn about. Trail’s Cabin, Shortt’s Knob Overlook, Rocky Knob, Rakes’ Mill Pond…and that’s only one small segment. Informative signs provide more details at the various sites.

“There’s something for everyone” along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re curious about the history of a region or its natural wonders, if you enjoy photography or painting, bicycling or walking the trails, it’s all here. Check before you go to see when campgrounds, visitor centers, and picnic locations will be open.

Within a few miles of the Parkway are hundreds of attractions, including museums, folk art centers, performance theaters, lodging, restaurants, water sports, caverns, and fishing opportunities. Enjoy the friendly vibe or the local craftwork in any of the quaint shopping districts not far from the Parkway.

Biodiversity

The Parkway accommodates tremendous biodiversity. According to one pamphlet, 159 kinds of birds nest along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and dozens more migrate through it. 130 species of trees, 1600 kinds of plants, and 74 kinds of mammals (including bears) live here. Near one of the gorges, a sign indicates that 25 species of native ferns inhabit that area.

More than 50 species of threatened or endangered plants occupy terrain around the Parkway, so tread respectfully.

Among the oldest land formations on earth, the Appalachians got their start 1.1 billion years ago. From that time up to around 250 million years ago, European and North American tectonic plates collided, pushing up this mountain range that stretches from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

The Appalachians once were as high as the Rocky Mountains, but erosion slowly reduced their elevation. Now, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River is Mount Mitchell, reaching 6684′, near milepost 350, west of Old Fort NC. These cooler mountain tops support evergreen spruce-fir ecosystems, also found in the northern United States and Canada, while mixed hardwood forests occupy the lower elevations.

As rivers and streams shaped the surface of the land, pockets of territory became isolated from each other. Smaller “niche” ecosystems evolved, each with its own assortment of organisms. Geographic isolation and a great deal of time are the primary drivers behind speciation. One kind of salamander might inhabit a particular streamside location, but not occur anywhere else in the world, not even over the next ridge.

From the first superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stanley Abbott:

“A parkway like Blue Ridge has but one reason for existence, which is to please by revealing the charm and interest of the native American countryside.”

Modern living continues to extract more land for housing, transportation, and commerce. But, with conservation of natural habitats, the National Park Service has protected vulnerable ecosystems for wildlife and preserved the history and character of the region for all to see.

: Near Shortt’s Knob Overlook.

: Woolly bear caterpillar–larva of Isabella tiger moth. No, it cannot predict winter weather.

: Fall blooming native aster (Curtis’ aster, A. curtisii–?).

: One of several lichen species on these ancient rocks.

If you’d like to read another article about gristmills, this one at The Farm In My Yard describes one that is still working in North Carolina, and dates from pre-Revolutionary War days: The Old Mill of Guilford. (Try their gingerbread mix!)

2020: The Year That Wasn’t?

Kim’s pumpkin pie.

Well, it’s almost over. We have the holidays to look forward to, right? Oh wait; here, we can’t gather indoors in groups numbering more than 10… Some areas are discouraging any kind of indoor celebration. I wonder what most American families will do.

There will be turkey roasting in the oven while freshly baked pumpkin pies cool on the counter. We’ll celebrate Thanksgiving (400th year since the Mayflower) and Christmas, although new traditions—new ways of gathering—might be born. (With respect due the native Indian cultures, I acknowledge that not everyone celebrates this day.)

How will your holidays look different this year?

Such misery this pandemic has caused many millions of us: jobs lost, loved ones lost, businesses closed, weddings postponed, school children missing out. The good news on the radio this morning announced another pharmaceutical company that has developed a vaccine for the virus. If it’s safe and effective, sign me up.

If all we can do is gather outdoors, then so it shall be. No problem; I’ll gather the camera and some snacks, and be off to some not-too-distant location…somewhere in nature, which, for me, never fails to rejuvenate.

This has been a difficult year for all of us, all around the globe. Good days are on the horizon, though, and I wish you happiness and good health. There’s still so much to be grateful for. Let’s celebrate that.

Northern North Carolina.

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Fall Cleanup: Brush Piles For Wildlife

Oct11

Brush Piles and The Fall Cleanup

Autumn in NC.

Fall weather has debuted in most regions of the northern temperate zone. And frost has kissed the peaks of the higher elevations in western North Carolina. But, before you gather the tools, the leaf bags, and the kids for the fall cleanup, consider being a little less tidy this year. I’ll explain how to do this when constructing a few brush piles in the garden.

“What? Why?” you might ask. Sure, the gardens always look neat and orderly after the fall cleanup, while the plants remain dormant and bare. But at what cost?

While cooling weather invigorates, it also sends signals to local wildlife that they must prepare for winter, or they will perish. Food and water for those remaining active, shelter from the elements, and protection from predators will become life-or-death issues for these organisms over the coming months.

Plants benefit from a layer of organic matter on the ground below them. It insulates their root systems from severe cold and holds moisture in the soil. A covering over the soil also prevents topsoil from blowing away. As the material decomposes, plants absorb valuable nutrients. This natural mulch also provides nutrients for earthworms and soil microbes, which contribute to the biological health of the soil. “I’m with you so far, Mother Nature.”

“Okay, so I’ll mulch the gardens.” Well…that’s better than nothing, but it’s not quite the same.

And Here’s Why:

This caterpillar mimics a dogwood twig.

In each region, thousands of species of beneficial spiders, insects, and other animals rely on that garden debris over the harsh winter months. It protects them from temperature extremes, icy storms, and desiccation. It protects them from certain death, which is inevitable when that debris is hauled off to the recycling center.

Imagine how many butterfly chrysalises or praying mantis eggs will be carted off to their doom. Or the enormous number of native bees seeking refuge inside and among dead plant stems.

And what’s the buzzword of the decade in gardening circles around the world? Right: Pollinators! But are we doing them a favor by removing them and the debris they’re sheltering in? We are not.

What We Can Do About It

Dormant insects remaining on the property, protected in brush piles all winter, will restock the garden in the spring. Otherwise, the landscape is pretty lifeless, until bees, beetles, butterflies, and moths gradually move back to your garden months later. But there won’t be nearly as many of them if so many were removed with the fall cleanup.

Begin construction of new brush piles by mid- to late summer. Caterpillars crawling around will find them suitable resting places and pupate among the twigs for a long winter nap. Some insects overwinter as adults, briefly emerging on warm winter days to feed. Leaving the shelters in place all year, however, is the best option, and one which benefits many insects and animals.

Consider letting nature behave closer to the way it was intended, the way it evolved over time. Who doesn’t want more butterflies and birds flying around the garden? This complex web of life in your own neighborhood will improve as a result. More insects to pollinate the vegetables, fruit trees, and natural stands of vegetation. And more food for frogs and baby birds. More beauty, more interest, more life!

Brush Piles For the Birds

carolina wrens often shelter in brush piles

Carolina wren, a tiny bird with a mighty voice.

Birds (including wrens, cardinals, juncos, thrashers, robins, sparrows, mourning doves, and towhees) often forage close to the ground. All my life, I’ve been fascinated by birds and by all of nature. We’ve watched them search through leaf litter and brush piles for worms, seeds, insects, and other sources of food. They also will find materials for nest-building activities in late winter and spring.

Some birds seek shelter among the piles of twigs when storms blow in. And they’re handy places to hide when predatory hawks are spotted overhead. Wrens are particularly active around these structures, so you might want to construct one within view of the house.

Any Other Benefits?

There are ecological benefits of keeping in place the biomass produced on your property. Considering the “carbon footprint”, nature’s mulch is an improvement on bringing in bagged mulch that had to be processed and transported to your retailer and then to your home.

Truth be told, though, I often used mulch in gardens that I installed for customers. But I also planted a variety of evergreen and deciduous material, flowering plants, and ground covers. These gardens hosted a rich assortment of indigenous insects and animals, even after the fall cleanup.

And, of course, you won’t need as many of those yard bags often seen lining residential curbsides. Imagine the savings in resources by making brush piles on your property: plastic bags, paper bags, and time, gasoline, and money spent picking up mulch or paying the town to recycle garden debris. Recycling is better than the landfill, but not removing debris from the property is even better.

Another bonus is the compost that gathers under the pile as organic materials break down. Scoop it out and use it in the vegetable garden or in potted plants. Replenish with leaves and twigs as the material reduces to compost. You might want to start a separate compost pile for leaves, weeds, twigs, and kitchen vegetable scraps and eggshells. Or simply bury the kitchen scraps in a hole in the garden. If earthworms are active, they’ll consume it within a week or two.

It’s entertaining, for many of us, to watch the birds on a cold winter day. Provide a source of clean water and a bird feeder to attract them to your yard.

Undisturbed environments provide habitat for overwintering insects and animals.

“But what will the neighbors say?”

I realize this requires a leap of tradition to implement. One suggestion is to edge the beds and to keep grass neatly mown. Plant up a few colorful pots for the summer and winter seasons. This will indicate that the gardener living there does care about her property and that her brush piles are intentional. Maybe the neighbors will take a cue and do likewise; mention the pollinators! And the carbon footprint!

If space permits, keep a few brush piles in the back yard, out of public view. If you have space only in the front, perhaps you can hide your Pollinator Palace behind some shrubs.

Suburban Life

Now, if you have a homeowner’s association to deal with, you can keep the front yard looking presentable and still be ecologically correct. Even in the city, constructing attractive twig sculptures as “garden art” can serve several purposes at the same time. I’ve seen twigs and leaves molded into animal shapes and simple mounds.

During the fall cleanup, rake or use a mulching mower and direct the chopped leaves under the trees and shrubs and into flower gardens. Smaller pieces of material decompose faster and are less conspicuous. Then place a 1″-2″ layer of shredded hardwood mulch or pine bark nuggets over the chopped leaves. Nice and tidy. Earthworms will feast on those leafy bits while the worms are still active, and insects will hide in the debris.

Move fallen twigs and dead stems to the piles out of view. If you’re absolutely overwhelmed with too much material, choose which parts will go to the recycling center. But if you notice a mantis egg case or butterfly chrysalises, cut those parts of the stems and add them to your brush pile or tuck them among the shrubs.

Replacing Grass with Mixed Plantings

Making brush piles is a natural part of the fall cleanup in rural areas. But many of us live where expansive lawns, trees, and HOA’s predominate. By adding shrub borders and undergrowth, though, more birds, mammals, and insects will make your garden their home.

A verdant, layered landscape naturally provides more opportunities for insects and animals to find food and shelter. This kind of environment supports the rich biodiversity that is becoming increasingly rare as suburbs gobble up more territory. We can help by providing conditions that attract wildlife: food and water, shelter, and places to raise offspring. For starters, let the dandelions bloom! If you see a large area of clover, mow around it and let the honey bees collect nectar and pollen. And, of course, avoid using pesticides in the landscape.

Replacing grass with trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and annuals gives me the greatest satisfaction. And, no, it doesn’t have to look like “a jungle out there”. Well-designed and diversified borders are very attractive, and they bring biological activity within view. They also add to the property value!

Being connected to nature is an innate need that benefits us psychologically. And shrub borders afford a measure of privacy in communities where houses line up with little space in between.

You’ll enjoy seasonal blooms, dazzling fall color, winter structure, and the promise of spring in delicately unfolding leaves. While we enjoy the beauty of the garden, the wildlife will have found a welcoming home for generations to come.

Brush Piles: Basic Construction

There’s no formula for building these brush piles. Frankly, anything will work. Make it large enough, though. Several feet on each side will do, and 2′ or 3′ tall to begin with. Smaller lodgings will function well enough for pupating insects.

If you have the space, however, construct something more substantial. A large twiggy brush pile in the old Maryland garden discouraged deer from jumping over the fence in that location. And all kinds of animals found food and shelter there.

Removing all the dead stems and leaves during the fall cleanup severely reduces populations of these little critters. Advancing up the food chain, fewer caterpillars and beetles means less food for larger insects, frogs, and birds…which means less food for snakes, bigger birds, and foxes. So, that means less life overall in the garden.

Multiple Brush Piles

Chrysalis of gulf fritillary butterfly.

Several habitats around a spacious yard are better than one big brush pile. Think of a little caterpillar roaming around, looking for a place to pupate in late summer. Close, in his case, is better than far.

Caterpillars are in a race against time when looking for their winter homes. As masters of camouflage, chrysalises often look like dead leaves or sticks, blending in with the surroundings. But caterpillars traveling a greater distance have a higher risk of being consumed by predators.

The gulf fritillary’s chrysalis (photo, above) is difficult to detect on plants that are dying down in autumn. Unfortunately, this one pupated on the door frame, and ended up as dinner for a local lizard.

The Process

Oak leaves keep a more open, airy structure.

First, lay down a bed of fallen leaves. Then pile large branches on the leaves, and add twigs, and more leaves on top. Add some perennial stems from the front yard, and the frosted zinnias and seedy marigolds. Simple!

Add more branches, leaves, and twigs through the season. The shelter doesn’t need to be airtight. Insects and animals will find nooks and crannies to hide in. Adding a layer of evergreen boughs on top and on the windward side will help keep the pile dry for the inhabitants inside.

Keep some openings large enough for birds to enter when they need shelter from a predator. Chipmunks, mice, toads, and reptiles also will enjoy your efforts. Some are likely to hibernate in the soil under the brush pile.

The old potting soil from the summer pots can be used in the gardens, where organic components will continue to break down and improve the soil. Or place it on the windy side of the shelter.

Perennials In Place, Then To the Brush Piles

: Purple coneflower (Echinacea) with bumble bee.

: Pollinators on goldenrod (Solidago).

: Two varieties of tickseed (Coreopsis).

: Sedum seedheads.

If possible, let the herbaceous perennials, such as black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, R. fulgida), coneflower (Echinacea), tickseed (Coreopsis), goldenrod (Solidago), asters, and ornamental grasses remain in place as they go dormant. Bees and other pollinators will busily collect pollen and nectar as long as the flowers produce it. Birds will pick at the seedheads in autumn and winter.

Insects that fed on plants during the summer will shelter or lay eggs on or near them for next year’s generation. A good time to cut back the dead plant stems is in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins. If you must remove the stems earlier, add them to the brush piles. But leaving the dead plants standing in place distributes the habitats—and the sheltering wildlife—throughout the property.

: A green anole basking in morning sun, NC.

: Insect on Itea virginica.

An Attitude Adjustment

While the fall cleanup has been the normal practice for generations of homeowners, the consequences include diminished populations of wildlife. Most of the plants that feed us and animal life require insects to pollinate them. Disposing overwintering insects in enormous bags for curbside pickup, however, eliminates huge numbers of beneficial organisms.

And then we wonder why there aren’t as many fireflies and ladybugs, moths and butterflies, frogs, lizards, and birds as there were in generations past.

Fewer caterpillars and beetles will support fewer toads and birds. It’s as simple as that. Bird populations in several types of ecosystems are disappearing at an astonishingly rapid rate. Loss of habitat is part of the cause, but we can start to reverse that trend by simply adopting a fresh attitude toward wildlife. Appreciate it. Encourage it. Nurture it. Where you live.

Watch Douglas W. Tallamy’s videos or pick up a copy of his book, Bringing Nature Home, for inspiration and lists of plants that attract wildlife. Also, there are loads of pictures of insects, and a strong emphasis on using native plants. On the back cover:

“…Douglas Tallamy presents a powerful and compelling illustration of how the choices we make as gardeners can profoundly impact the diversity of life in our yards, towns and on our planet.”

Female gulf fritillary butterfly.

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The Imperial Moth: A Magnificent Creature!

Jul26

What Is This Big Yellow and Purple Moth?

Dorsal view of the Imperial moth on the glass storm door.

Most of us follow some sort of routine after sunset or before retiring for the evening. First, I bring the bird feeder indoors. If I don’t, the raccoons will surely empty it—every last seed. Once, a few years ago, they had removed the feeder from the hook and entirely disassembled it.

Second, I turn on the front porch light, and, later, secure the storm door. If I hadn’t done this a couple of nights ago, I would have missed this visitor. In the few seconds it took to grab the camera, the moth had already slid partway down the glass. I’ve never seen one of these Imperial moths, and it was an impressive sight!

After taking photographs, I gently nudged the moth into a glass bowl for the night. She didn’t seem terribly eager to fly away, and didn’t require much encouragement. The plan included show-and-tell with a couple of neighbors the next morning before releasing the moth to the trees down the block.

This Imperial Moth Is a Big One

This female moth has a 5.5″ wingspan.

This Imperial moth has a wingspan of 5.5″, although adults normally measure from 3″ to 7″ wide. This one is a female. Males have more purplish-brown spotting on their wings. Another distinction involves the antennae on males, which are feathered in order to more easily detect pheromones given off by females.

In formal circles, she is known as Eacles imperialis imperialis (Drury, 1773). The Imperial moth is found in rural and suburban habitats from Argentina north to New England, and, in the United States, from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic Ocean.

In the northern U.S. and Canada, its populations have been in decline since the mid 1900’s due to artificial lighting, pesticides, and diminishing habitat. This moth is quite common throughout the mid Atlantic region.

Life Cycle of the Imperial Moth: 4 Stages

1. The Egg

A small caterpillar emerges from the yellow egg in 10 to 14 days, consuming its shell (chorion). But the young caterpillars might roam for a few days, I’ve read, before settling down on the branch of choice. (***Update***: Eggs can hatch within a day or two, as documented under “They Hatched!”, below.)

2. The Five Instars

When it emerges from the shell, the larva can puff itself up to about 1/3″ long, appearing larger. The black spines (scoli) at the head and the posterior end might ward off predators.

After feeding for a while, the larva is ready to molt. The caterpillar attaches silk to the main vein of the leaf, and grasps the silk with its legs and prolegs. Each time the caterpillar molts, it expands, and the exoskeleton firms up. Sometimes the larvae eat their exoskeletons for the protein content.

As members of the Saturniidae family (the giant silkworms), Imperial moth larvae undergo 5 instars. During the first instar, the larvae are orange with black crossbands, and have short hairs. They grow darker after each molt, although there are regional variations and subspecies.

By the last instar, the caterpillars are 3.5″ to 5″ long. Color morphs will be dark brown, burgundy, or green, and they have long hairs and shorter spines. In sensitive people, these hairs and bristles can cause a rash.

The dark colored larvae have white spiracle patches, while green caterpillars have yellow spiracle patches. Spiracles are breathing pores, located in a line down each side of the caterpillar.

The University of Florida has excellent photographs at their website.

Food Sources

Larvae of the Imperial moth feed on native oak, maple, sweet gum, sassafras, and pine trees. Some websites indicate the caterpillars’ preference for pine trees. They also feed on eucalyptus, box elder, and Norway spruce. Less commonly, the larvae feed on elm, hickory, persimmon, honey locust, and many others.

This caterpillar is a favorite food source for birds.

3. The Pupa

After the 5th instar has matured, it burrows into the ground to pupate. The Imperial moth does not make a cocoon, as other silk moths do. The overwintering pupa is dark reddish brown to black, and has appendages on the posterior end that help it rise in the soil just before the adult emerges. While buried, it is not vulnerable to birds, although burrowing animals might eat it.

4. The Adult Moth

Adults emerge, usually at dawn, to mate. In the northern part of their range, adults appear in mid-summer (June-August). In the southern part of their range, they emerge over a longer period of time, from April through October.

Imperial moths have only one brood per year. In warm areas where they’re found, some observers have stated that they have 2 broods. But it is believed that the one brood is actually emerging over a prolonged period of time.

Males appear before the females. After mating, female Imperial moths lay eggs on foliage at dusk.

A Mommy Moth!

This is the ventral surface of the moth, and what I saw first. “Oh, wow!”

It appeared that the right hindwing had been damaged. So, I didn’t think she had recently emerged from her pupa. Imperial moths live only a week or two, for the sole purpose of mating and laying eggs. Their mouth parts have been reduced, preventing them from feeding. Neither the male nor the female takes sustenance as an adult.

To make the Imperial moth more comfortable during her overnight accommodations, I added some greenery from the garden. No, not for the purpose of providing food. I just thought she would feel more at home, while being held captive, until she could return to her natural habitat. Incidentally, people also benefit, psychologically, when we’re in the presence of living plants.

There was a surprise the next morning. A dozen eggs had fallen under the greens to the bottom of the bowl. So, dutiful subject that I am, I will place them on the leaves of an appropriate tree.

What fun! (Behemoth or Beshemoth?)

(***Update***: Over the past week or so, I’ve noticed a few more Imperial moths flying through the yard. Two of them were eagerly followed by hungry birds, but I didn’t see the birds catch them. 8/3/2020).

Here are some of the eggs.

They Hatched!

By yesterday morning (7/25), about 2/3 of the dozen eggs had hatched. That was unexpected! So, I took a few leaves from the red maple tree (Acer rubrum) by the mailbox and placed them in the bowl. This morning, it was clear that they had begun eating. The edges of the leaves were nibbled (photo, right), and tiny dark feces fell to the bottom.

(***Update***: When I read that Imperial moths can be raised in captivity, I decided to keep the eggs. I assume that Mommy Moth laid the rest of her clutch after I’d released her. 8/4/2020)

The remaining eggs hatched last night, and those caterpillars were visibly smaller, but only slightly so, than their older siblings. I brought them to the kitchen table to photograph them. If they weren’t eating (the maple leaf, that is), they headed toward the brightly lit patio door, requiring persistent redirection. This reminded me of sea turtle hatchlings scurrying instinctively toward the water.

First Silk For the Imperial Moth

I gathered all but a few of the caterpillars, placing them and a maple leaf in a bag for release. At the maple tree, I placed each one on a leaf, until it “stuck”.

Newly hatched larvae attach themselves to the leaf with a fine silk thread, apparently not just during molting. When I picked up the tiny caterpillars to place them on the leaves, I could feel the resistance of an invisible thread. Smart little caterpillars.

White Hairs

Something else I noticed concerned those hairs on the caterpillar. All caterpillars had the black scoli and many white hairs. Most of those hairs seemed to be somewhat irregularly placed on the caterpillar, although others were extensions of the scoli. And, coincidentally, the maple leaves had fine white trichomes (extensions of the epidermis) on the back of the leaf, mostly along the main veins. The trichomes and many of the hairs on the larvae looked exactly alike.

It looked as though they might have picked up some of those trichomes, because some caterpillars had several hairs around their heads, and others had very few. Most hairs on the segments appeared to have been randomly placed and at odd angles to each other.

: One day old. Ruler marks are 1/16″ apart.

: Two days old.

Caterpillars and trichomes on maple leaf.

***Update***: The following section was added 9/14/2020.

New Food For the Imperial Moth

This caterpillar has been feeding on crape myrtle. No hairs!

For a few days, I added different types of leaves to see if the caterpillars demonstrated a preference. They were not interested in loropetalum, oak, holly, or passiflora. They did, however, love the crape myrtle—more than they liked the native maple. When offered a buffet of several kinds of freshly picked leaves, including maple, the caterpillars ate only the crape myrtle. How perplexing that the caterpillars preferred this non-native tree (Lagerstroemia indica)! And, surprisingly, they lost all their white hairs (photo, above) after feeding on crape myrtle for a few days.

To attract more wildlife to your property, plant a large number of native plants. As we’ve seen with this imperial moth, our native insects and birds will feed on some non-natives as well. But the best bet is to plant more natives than exotic species of plants. Choose plants that flower at various times of the year to attract more species of insects and animals. And plant them in multiples; a single specimen plant might not get the attention from a female insect looking for a nursery to host her young. Contact your local native plant society for plant species recommendations.

Keep in mind that lawn chemicals and insecticides could kill imperial moths while they’re pupating in the ground.

I released the caterpillars to a 6′ crape myrtle. This plant had volunteered in the front garden from seed and was transplanted into a 5-gallon pot. The larvae regrew those fine white hairs and now all caterpillars are thriving in their new home!

Mature imperial moth caterpillar on crape myrtle stem.

Imperial moth caterpillar on crape myrtle in the Charlotte garden.

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Bees and Butterflies: At Home In Your Garden

Jun23

National Pollinator Week: June 22-28, 2020

Lavender and honey bees.

In 2007, the U.S. Senate passed a bill designating one week in June as National Pollinator Week. This legislation recognizes the importance of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, in our food supply and in the health of all ecosystems.

Every third bite of food we consume is directly attributable to pollinators. The global economic value is worth between $300 billion and $600 billion per year. Around 85% of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects, ensuring the regeneration of forests and fields as well as high yielding edible crops.

Our morning coffee beans are primarily self-pollinated, depending on crop species. Introducing bees, however, can increase the yields and lower costs of production.

In tropical regions of South America, Africa, Indonesia, and, more recently Australia, a tiny midge is responsible for pollinating cacao trees, bringing us chocolate. Chocolate contributes, incredibly, $100 billion annually to the global economy.

In the southern hemisphere, pollinator awareness programs take place in November. The Australian Government’s Department of the Environment recognizes November 8-15 as their pollinator week for 2020. Many countries throughout the world observe this initiative, and local organizations sponsor programs to raise awareness.

An outdoor project can be an enjoyable and healthy way to use our time. Having the children participate will teach them valuable skills they will carry with them wherever they live.

**And, if there’s one thing we could use more of, it’s nature.**

A bee house.

What Bees and Butterflies Need

All living creatures need food and water, shelter, and a place to raise their young. By adapting the way we maintain the property around our homes, we can achieve both an attractive landscape and one that fosters populations of wild creatures. Currently, 40% of the insect pollinator species are at risk of extinction. A few of us can make a small difference in our neighborhood; millions of us can really shake it up!

Houses—entire communities—generally have been built after felling all the native trees, bulldozing the rest, and covering the ground with a high maintenance lawn. Streams were diverted to concrete pipes underground, taking habitat from frogs, salamanders, and turtles. Where this tradition is changing, developers are roping off and protecting native stands of trees and understory species.

Maybe the builder spotted in a fast growing silver maple, a row of clipped hollies along the foundation, and a couple of forsythias in the back. Well, that won’t do much for all the bees and butterflies, or for the hummingbirds, bats, moths, and beetles that pollinate our crops and wild plants. And right there, in this yard and in that yard, lie the broken links in the food chain. Our monocultured and unnaturally manicured properties are sold as low maintenance, but there’s little life there.

The Missing Elements

We concentrate instead on creating an “indoor oasis”, untroubled that the quiet stillness outside the door is not what Mother Nature had intended. No birds chirping or warbling…no cicadas or katydids…no lizards leaping for their dinner…nowhere for the dragonfly to land.

Yes, we need more nature in our lives. By cultivating a relationship with the natural world, there’s more than just a pretty sight beyond the living room windows. There’s life. Birds will continue to follow million-year-old migration paths. Mason bees and swallowtail butterflies will secure homes for their young. And there will be less talk of scarcity.

Need to feel better? Try gardening!

1. A Garden of Annuals for Bees and Butterflies

Bumble bees in the marigolds.

Maybe this week’s goal is to carve out a section of the big lawn in the sunny back yard, and plant a flower garden. Mid summer isn’t too late for annuals, either from seeds or from transplants. Or, for now, consider how your family can use the property in the future. It’s always a good time to decrease the amount of lawn space we have to mow, fertilize, and treat for insects and diseases.

Be sure to plant significant drifts of flowers instead of a dot of zinnias here and a couple of marigolds over there. Large blocks of similar colors are more likely to get attention from pollinators. If your space is limited, though, there are some options. Sunny windowbox gardens and pots filled with bright colorful flowers will generate interest from the pollinators. Or perhaps there’s room for hanging baskets.

Each pollinator has its own preferences. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, but bees can’t see it. Bees are initially attracted to blue, yellow, and white, and then will visit a red flower nearby. Hummingbirds can feed from long tubular flowers, but hover flies need short little flowers.

At night, moths can detect white or pale colored sweet-smelling flowers that are open at that time. Almond flowers are pollinated primarily by honey bees, and tomatoes by bumble bees. Butterflies are especially interested in landing platforms, such as those found on plants with wide, flat flowers.

What Is An Annual?

An annual grows from a seed that germinates, generally, in spring or summer. It grows for several weeks to a few months, matures, and then begins to flower. Many species of annuals bloom all summer, until frost ends their lives in autumn, roots and all. But, by then, the plant will have set seed, with help from the local pollinators. An annual completes its life cycle within one growing season.

Those seeds will remain dormant over the winter, protected by their seed coats. With favorable weather conditions next spring, some of the seeds will germinate. Many, however, will be consumed by small mammals, birds, and insects.

What Do Pollinators Do?

Bumble bees on passion flower vine. Arrangement of flower parts facilitates pollination.

Bees and butterflies, and other pollinators, transfer pollen grains from the male anthers of a flower to the stigma, the female part of a flower. Sometimes male and female flowers grow in separate flowers on the same plant (that’s a monoecious plant). And other plants have either all male or all female flowers (dioecious plants). Some have both male and female reproductive elements within each flower (perfect flowers).

Pollinators don’t do this intentionally. Instead, their goal is to collect the flowers’ pollen and nectar. They inadvertently pick up the pollen on their hairs or wings, after being lured in by the flowers and the sweet nectar. Then the pollinators transfer pollen from flower to flower, from plant to plant, as they forage. Thus, they enable fertilization of the ovules, germ cells in the ovary of the female flower.

The male and the female parents must be the same species in order for their chromosomes to be compatible. However, interspecific and intergeneric hybrids sometimes do occur among closely related individuals.

The end result is a ripe fruit with viable seeds. That could be a zinnia’s seedpod, for example, or a blueberry, a peach, or a tulip poplar’s samara.

Cross Pollination

Ah, the genius of nature. Pollen grains and stigmas in many species mature at different times, preventing self-pollination.

Moving pollen among different plants of the same species permits cross-pollination, resulting in stronger genetics and, potentially, a better future for the species. Apple trees and blueberries are two crops that benefit from cross-pollination.

Single? Double? Triple?

double pink vinca--less nectar for bees and butterflies

Catharanthus ‘Soiree Double Pink’, an annual vinca. Extra petals replace reproductive parts.

Flowers with single rows of petals usually have more pollen and nectaries than those with a more complicated petal structure. Plant breeders all over the world have brought to market thousands of these kinds of fluffy triple-flowered hybrids, and they are beautiful. That’s fine, for aesthetics.

But, for bees and butterflies, there’s less treasure for them in flowers filled with petals. Reproductive structures that produce nectar and pollen are often reduced and replaced with additional petals (photo, above). Collecting pollen or nectar from these packed doubles is less efficient, and requires extra visits to gather sufficient quantities. So, pollinators will look for more desirable plants elsewhere, to conserve energy, and avoid such anomalies of nature.

When choosing the varieties for your annual garden, keep these details in mind. Gardens loaded with heavy producers of nectar and pollen (in other words, single flowers) will better serve the pollinators that visit them.

Sunflowers

Many varieties of recent sunflower introductions have been hybridized to grow flowers with very little or no viable pollen at all. When looking through catalogs, make note of the ones called “pollenless”. These varieties will make less of a mess on the credenza and won’t cause you to sneeze. But they have little to offer bees and butterflies.

Pollenless sunflowers won’t develop mature seeds filled with sustenance for birds and other animals. If pollinators and full seedpods are what you want, ask the seed supplier for varieties that make edible seeds, not just edible flowers.

These varieties of sunflowers will attract pollinators and make edible seeds: ‘Big Smile’, ‘Black Peredovik’, ‘Chocolate’, ‘Giganteus’, ‘Hopi Black Dye’, and ‘Kong Hybrid’. Also, ‘Mammoth Grey Stripe’, ‘Mammoth Russian’, ‘Paul Bunyan’, ‘Royal’, ‘Royal Hybrid 1121’, ‘Sunzilla’, ‘Super Snack’, and ‘Titan’.

Sunflowers have a row of showy ray florets surrounding the disc florets. Disc florets open slowly over time, from the outer edge to the center, ensuring many visits from different pollinators.

The Asteraceae family is perhaps the largest, with 1900 genera and over 32,000 species. (The orchid family is its main rival, but no one knows exactly how many species are in either family.) Members of this extended family include sunflowers, dianthus, lettuce, coreopsis, marigold, zinnia, coneflower, gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, and shasta daisy.

Where to Plant?

Thin peduncle (flower stalk) under summer squash flower indicates a male flower. A female flower has a rounded peduncle.

A large bed of color around the patio or the mailbox, a free-standing raised bed, and a border close to the vegetable garden are just some of the possibilities. Farmers often include wide bands of wildflowers alongside their fields of crops for better pollination and heavier yields.

One plant that attracts all sorts of pollinators is ‘African blue’ basil. This is a sterile herb—unable to set seed—so it flowers constantly. Other varieties of sweet or flavored basils customarily are used in the kitchen. Plant an ‘African blue’ basil in early summer, close to tomatoes, peppers, and squash to encourage bees to visit the veggies. And let it flower.

Check with local garden centers to see what they have available. Ask for help choosing annuals—seeds or transplants—that attract pollinators.

Before you do any digging, ask your municipality (call 8-1-1) to mark underground utilities. Whether you’ll be tilling the area or digging it by hand, you’ll certainly want to avoid damaging any of those lines.

Locate the garden where a source of water is easily accessible. New transplants and young seedlings will need consistent moisture until they’re established. During summer drought, water the bed thoroughly every week or so.

Sun or Shade?

Fuchsia flowers.

Find an area that gets full sun if you want lots of flowers. Full sun is at least 6 hours, but annuals will positively thrive in more sun than that. Summer annuals blooming heavily in sun will attract the most pollinators.

But several species prefer shade, such as impatiens. The ‘Imara’ impatiens, resistant to impatiens downy mildew, provides a carpet of color under the trees and shrubs. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, and also hummingbirds.

Where summers aren’t too hot, the fuchsia baskets (photo, above) will entice the hummingbirds to visit every day, like clockwork. This plant does well in dappled shade or early morning sun. And it likes moist soil. As the temperatures climb and fuchsia fails, hummingbirds will flock to the single petunias and salvias, which need lots of sun. They also visit herbs in bloom, including basil and lavender.

How Big Is Big?

Hummingbird.

With proper soil preparation and regular maintenance, a plot that measures 10′ x 6′ can become a magnet for pollinating insects. The flowers will buzz with activity from perhaps dozens of species of bees and butterflies, and moths and hummingbirds, too.

This country is home to over 4,000 species of bees alone! More than 20,000 species live around the globe. Some live in colonies, and many are solitary creatures. Interestingly, the honey bee is not native to the United States. It was brought by European settlers hundreds of years ago and proliferated throughout the country.

To increase the activity and the number of pollinating species lured in, make the bed even larger. And include more variety in the plants selected. Use masses of the same plant, and repeat elsewhere in the garden, if you want. Planting larger blocks of a particular color or flower type will attract more pollinators than scattering them about.

If this is your first gardening effort, keep the garden a manageable size so you’re not overwhelmed. There will be maintenance involved! Weeds, no doubt, will have to be pulled. And your garden will need fertilizer a few times through the growing season for the best results. An inch or two of mulch will help cool the soil, retain moisture, and restrain weeds. You can always expand the area as you gain confidence in your skills.

Container Gardens

Even in a very limited space, some of the local bees and butterflies will find the lovely combination pots on your balcony or the patio. Use bright colors, and have your camera ready—for the flowers and their visitors. Once they find their preferred flowers, pollinators will come back day after day.

Remove seedpods to encourage more flowers to develop, although finches and other birds will feed on seeds remaining on stalks late in the season. Fertilize regularly to keep the plants in prime condition. Plants in containers might need daily watering.

Added Benefits

Vegetables and Fruits

Blueberry flowers.

Insects are on a constant lookout for sources of pollen and nectar. You might discover your fruit trees, blueberries, and vegetable crops yielding heavier harvests since installing a flower garden.

Edible crops and plants growing naturally in or around your property will benefit from complete pollination because of the larger populations of pollinators. Include plants whose flowers attract pollinators early and late in the growing season, as well as during the summer months.

: Bumble bee visiting broccoli flowers.

: Flowers on mustard greens. This edible plant readily self-seeds.

: Red Russian kale in bud.

I grow many kinds of greens (photos, above) in the cool seasons. Before they’re replaced with summer crops, I allow them to go to flower in late winter to early spring. Most are biennials in the Brassicaceae family, including kale, collards, broccoli, arugula, and mustard greens. Although they don’t require pollination for a harvest, the cruciferous flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, braconid wasps, hover flies, and other pollinators at the time of year when little else is available.

Pansies and violas provide sustenance for bees that emerge on pleasant winter days. These colorful cold-tolerant biennials grow in garden beds and in containers.

Braconid Wasps

Braconid wasp.

The tiny non-stinging braconid wasps are hardly noticeable, but they help keep populations of live-bearing aphids in check. A female braconid wasp deposits an egg in or on an aphid. After hatching, the wasp larva consumes the tissues, killing the aphid. One braconid wasp can parasitize 200 aphids in her brief lifetime. Adults emerge to mate, and a new generation of females will begin hunting aphids.

Pollen is an important food source for the braconid wasps, which will feed on some aphids as well. So, even these tiny insects help pollinate plants.

Photo at right shows a wasp about to deposit some eggs. White aphids have been parasitized, and the others are alive. I’ve often seen leaves with a hundred aphid mummies (the aphid’s empty exoskeleton) attached, with no living aphids.

Planting a wide variety of flowers helps these beneficial insects. Self sustaining populations of beneficials contribute to the overall health of your garden, reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides.

For the Birds

Let’s not forget about the birds! Although most species, other than hummingbirds, don’t play a major role in pollinating plants, songbirds certainly have a place in any natural ecosystem. We can play an important part, in our own yards, by maintaining an environment that fosters healthy populations of native animals.

The tiny ruby-crowned kinglet at a winter feeder.

The numbers of many species of birds are declining, due primarily to human interference. We’ve removed their habitat in favor of expansive lawns and non-native trees and shrubs. And we’ve killed off their food sources by spraying pesticides every time a “bug” shows up. Can we please adopt a new attitude?

After all, birds help by consuming huge numbers of insect pests that otherwise could destroy crops or damage potted plants. Birds and bats keep mosquitoes and moths in check. More insects in the garden will support more avian activity.

Restoring healthy populations of all native animals and insects will return balance to the ecosystem. Sometimes, though, the songbirds fall prey to foxes, snakes, or hawks. Predator and prey: yes, folks, that’s how it works.

There are many benefits to living in modern society, but loss of habitat for wild creatures is not one of them. Letting nature be is a crucial step in re-establishing native populations and preventing extinctions.

Let ‘Em Seed About

Finches, sparrows, and chickadees feast on seeds that develop after the flowers fade. So, don’t be too hasty to deadhead the last round of flowers. Allow them to remain in place through the fall and winter, so the birds have another food source available when they need it. Birds will soon recognize your property as a wellspring of year-round sustenance.

Bright yellow and black American goldfinches are fond of zinnias, cosmos, salvias, and asters that have gone to seed. In late summer and autumn, the finches, northern cardinals, thrashers, blue jays, and other animals eagerly consume seeds atop the black-eyed Susans and tall sunflowers. And you might notice plants germinating next spring from seeds the birds overlooked.

Water

Include a source of clean water for the birds. A birdbath in the garden is fine, or you could keep a large plant saucer on the deck. Change the water frequently to prevent mosquito wrigglers from reaching adulthood.

The bees and butterflies also will appreciate a small saucer of water on a hot summer day. Place a flat rock island in the water for safe sipping. A mud puddle, just a bare patch of wet sandy clay, provides moisture and minerals for butterflies.

Cut Flowers

Another benefit of growing a garden of annuals is the almost endless supply of cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Include plans to expand the garden next year, to keep the pollinators happy, too. Check with your agricultural extension service to see which flowers last longest in a vase.

Try Some Of These For the Bees and Butterflies

Ageratum, alyssum, bachelor’s button, cleome, cosmos, fuchsia (hummingbirds), herbs, impatiens, lantana, marigold, and pentas. Rudbeckia (annual and perennial varieties of black-eyed Susan), salvia (annual and perennial types, a hummingbird favorite), some of the sunflowers, tithonia, verbena, and zinnia.

: Sweet alyssum.

: Cosmos.

: Zinnia angustifolia ‘Star’ series, disease resistant.

Headings

Page 1: National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2020, What Pollinators Need (The Missing Elements), and A Garden of Annuals for Bees and Butterflies (What Is An Annual?, What Do Pollinators Do?, Cross Pollination, Single-Double-Triple?, Sunflowers, Where To Plant?, Sun or Shade?, How Big Is Big?, Added Benefits, Vegetables and Fruits, Braconid Wasps, For the Birds, Cut Flowers)

Page 2: Perennial Favorites For Bees and Butterflies, Lavender, Herbs, Brush Piles, Go Native, A Comprehensive Garden Plan (Dream, Plan, and Implement, On the Right Path, Stone, Diversify, Some Native Woody Plants, Asking for Help, Dig In!, Small Is Beautiful), and Links

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Tornado in Matthews NC! Time for Smaller Trees?

Feb13

2020

Updated 11/4/2024

An old oak tree felled by the Matthews tornado.

Tornado!

I’ve been out of town for a few days, visiting family in New Jersey. On the return drive, the weather report on Charlotte’s WBT radio warned of impassable flooded streets and a tornado that had toppled old oaks and mature maples near my home, in Matthews, and in nearby towns. Over 3″ of rain fell last Thursday, swelling streams and rivers and saturating the ground. When the soil is that wet, it becomes more fluid; a brisk wind can push over 200-year-old trees.

Rot inside the trunk, a weak spot.

And that’s just what happened. Shallowly rooted evergreens and even perfectly healthy bare trees couldn’t stand up to the sustained high winds. Trees with rotten cores (photo, right) fell over at ground level or shattered some distance up the trunk. Healthy or somewhat compromised—it didn’t seem to matter. Tornadoes choose their victims indiscriminately.

On Friday, I drove around and saw those damaged trees, twisted and gnarled, some sheared of all their branches and leaves. On Pineville-Matthews Rd., the junipers, cypresses, and evergreen magnolias fell like dominoes, one against the next. For all the beauty Nature reveals to us, there’s always the flip side, too—devastation and death.

Police were out directing traffic. Stoplights were dark, and trees leaned on overhead wires. When this happens, remember to observe local laws. Here, we treat an intersection with a non-functioning stoplight as a 4-way stop. I was pleased to see cars on the main road come to a stop to allow vehicles lined up on the side streets their chance to proceed.

The main roads had been cleared of debris, but some of the side streets were still littered with limbs, piles of greenery, parts of roofs and fences, and road signs.

Aftermath of the Tornado

After the tornado, something will benefit and grow after the wreckage has been removed. Shrubs and flowers shaded by the thickening canopy will be reinvigorated by brighter light. And, of course, more weeds will grace our gardens.

Sure, we’ll have to move the shade lovers to more appropriate locations, or plant a new tree. Residents whose homes border main thoroughfares will reestablish screening plants that provide a measure of privacy. The silver lining in this cloud could also mean more fruitful harvests from our blueberry bushes and vegetable gardens. But certainly, we’ll miss our trees.

Half the tree landed on this house in Matthews NC.

Roots or Consequences

Checking the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) website confirmed the presence of a few tornadoes in the Carolinas on February 6, 2020. Around 12:15 p.m., an EF1 tornado cut a swath 150 yards wide and 17½ miles long south of Charlotte, from Pineville to Matthews. It lasted 16 minutes, with winds that reached 95 miles per hour.

Warm moist air masses clashed with strong cooler fronts, setting this severe weather pattern into motion. Local media recorded some of the devastation.

There were no deaths in this area, although two casualties, unfortunately, were reported elsewhere in North Carolina. I spoke with a man in Matthews, who said his aunt and uncle were in the room right below where part of a tree trunk had crashed through the roof. They were not injured, thankfully, but the Fire Department declared the home unsafe to occupy (photo, above).

Pancakes

It’s incredible, when viewing the uprooted plants, that almost all the tree roots are in the top foot or 18″ of the soil. You’d think these 50′ or 80′ tall trees would have deep roots that anchor them to the ground, but most do not.

Compacted soil, bedrock, and natural growth patterns for the species keep the roots shallow. And there is more of the necessary oxygen, fertility, and microbial activity closer to the surface. So, tree roots spread out from the trunk in search of water and nutrients, extending beyond the drip line.

When the force of the wind is stronger than the ability of the tree’s roots to hold it in place against resistance, the tree will succumb. Plants might hold up at first, but, after a while, trees can begin to fall over.

: A toppled tree in Matthews, with a 10′ wide “pancake” of roots.

: Three 40′ tall pine trees in the Raintree area.

Time for a Tree Check-Up

A huge tree, at least 100 years old.

This might be a good time for a tree health check-up from a licensed arborist. Granted, there are no guarantees. But a trained specialist can see aspects of the tree’s growth that could indicate the likelihood of trouble in the future. Pruning trees properly when they’re young and as they grow, if they need pruning at all, will improve their branching structure for decades to come.

The arborist might find decay where a few trunks come together 30′ from the ground. This is where leaves and water might have been collecting for years, eventually rotting the bark. Decay then spreads deeper into the interior wood. Also, as trunks and large congested branches grow in girth, they compete with each other, compromising transport of water and nutrients, and, therefore, structure and strength. Many of the trees that came down in this tornado had rotten cores.

A topped tree, showing weak epicormic shoots.

Another weak point occurs where several stems grow as a result of topping or heading back the trunk or side branches. Those epicormic shoots (photo, above) have feeble connections to the wood and compete with each other. Most of them fall from the tree over time. Never top a tree! It’s a difficult decision to make, but you’re probably better off replacing large trees that have outlived their usefulness (too large, too close to the house, cracking the foundation) instead of topping them.

Girdling root on maple tree and no trunk flare.

Another clue to look for is a missing flare. That part of the trunk looks flat (vertical) where it descends into the ground. This usually indicates a girdling root or some other obstruction underground, and possibly a sparse root system on that side. Rocks and soil discarded against a tree trunk can cause problems later.

Mother Nature does not issue guarantees. Sturdy trees that give no indication that anything is wrong can blow over in high winds, regardless of the care it has been receiving.

Trees for Shade

In areas with hot summers, such as here in the Carolinas, we love our trees. We value our family’s lives and the integrity of our homes, of course, so it makes sense to evaluate the plants on our properties, especially those standing close to structures.

Certainly, a mature tree canopy helps reduce energy bills and adds aesthetic value. But ignoring unhealthy trees or pruning them improperly can be very costly in the long run.

Alternatives to Towering Trees

Magnolia Flowers Plant Petals - ottawagraphics / Pixabay

Small to medium-sized cultivars of magnolia are suitable for most home landscapes.

Although you might be inclined to replace a dead tree with the same species, now is the perfect time to reconsider that choice. Visit a reputable garden center and ask the tree expert for recommendations. ‘Bradford’ pear? Silver maple? Weeping willow? No thanks!

There are many other options that will fit better in your landscape. Find species with strong branch attachments, and those that won’t litter the ground and fill the gutters with twigs or fruits every time a breeze blows through the neighborhood.

Landscape Considerations

Always look at the scale of the site, how your home fits into the local surroundings. A 3-story Victorian could look lovely framed by a natural stand of stately scarlet oaks. If they’re growing 15′ from the sunroom, you could enjoy the shade for 10 years or even 50. But a microburst or a tornado could send tons of wood hurtling toward Logan’s antique Firebird…or your home.

It’s safer to locate the tallest trees much farther from the house. Then you won’t have to deal with the oak trees’ acorns in the driveway every year.

Ask about native trees and shrubs, although there are so many beautiful exotic species I must have. Each species has many cultivars to choose from. If one tree doesn’t seem substantial enough, plant three or five of them in a raised bed, properly spaced. Perhaps large shrubs will work better for your situation or in tight spaces.

Add drifts of small shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, a patch of colorful annuals, and spring flowering bulbs for a complete garden. Mulch to suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and prevent erosion.

A Short List of Small to Medium-Sized Trees

Check with local garden centers, agricultural extension offices, botanical gardens, and native plant societies for suggestions. Here are several of the species (native and non-native) that grow in this part of North Carolina:

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
Birch (Betula ‘Whitespire Senior’ and others)
Carolina silverbell (Halesia)
Chaste tree (Vitex)
Chinese pistache (Pistache chinensis)
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Dwarf evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Flowering dogwood (Cornus spp.)
Fringe tree (Chionanthus spp.)
Full-moon maple (Acer japonicum)
Golden chain tree (Laburnum)
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica)
Lilac (Syringa)
Magnolia (Magnolia spp.)
Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
Parrotia (Parrotia persica)
Peanut butter tree (Clerodendrum trichotomum, can be invasive)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
Witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.)
Smaller varieties of oak, birch, maple, tupelo, plum, crabapple, cherry, conifers.

Do Your Research

Research cold/heat hardiness (USDA plant hardiness zones), disease resistance, forms and colors that enhance your property’s appearance, and seeds or fruits that feed wildlife. Include some natives in your garden to support diversity of local insect and animal species.

: One of the small cherry trees.

: Japanese snowbell, Styrax cultivar.

: Fall color of crape myrtle.

Severe weather events can cause considerable damage to our homes. Each year, they claim human lives. The cost for cleaning up and repairing the damage is quite high, but, of course, some of the losses we can’t recover.

The United States leads the world in the number of tornadoes, averaging more than 1,000 annually. North Carolina averages 22 per year. The states with the highest number of tornadoes, in descending order, are Texas (135/year), Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Although a tornado will alter the look of our landscape, this is an opportunity to view it with a fresh perspective. Looking into the future, planting smaller trees and shrubs appropriate for the site might prevent the heartache of real loss.

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Northern Cardinals: Flashes of Brilliance

Jan8

Welcome the Northern Cardinals

Whose heart is not warmed by the sight of brilliant red cardinals feasting at backyard feeders? Add a fresh snowfall and the birds’ familiar calls as they defend their territory, and you’ve got some delightful moments on a cold winter day. I almost wrote a “dreary winter day”, but living close to nature precludes this dismal perception; every day is a lovely day.

This commonly seen favorite songbird normally remains in the area, both winter and summer, as long as food is plentiful. Now doesn’t that just lift your spirits!

A male northern cardinal.

Where Cardinals Live

Other species of cardinals live in Central and South America, and there are many subspecies within their range. This article is about the northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, whose name derives from the red vestments worn by Catholic cardinals.

Cardinals are abundant throughout most of the United States: in the area from the Atlantic coast west to eastern Montana and eastern New Mexico, including all of Texas and parts of the deep southwest. They also live in Mexico, but not commonly in higher elevations.

Fortunately, the cardinal’s population has remained stable while the numbers of many other songbirds have decreased dramatically. Some songbirds no longer live in areas where they used to be abundant.

Female and male cardinals.

The cardinal’s range, in fact, has expanded northward, to include areas in Canada north and east of the Great Lakes. Although the cardinal has been seen in Canada for many years, it’s only since about 1980 that proof of nesting activity has taken place there. The prevalence of well-stocked feeders is considered the primary explanation for this expansion.

Border regions close to their usual ranges see cardinals settling into those areas. They’re not yet commonly found in those border regions, but populations are increasing.

Habitat

Part of the cardinal’s success lies in the species’ adaptability to various environments. They reside in woodlands, shrubby thickets, swamps, and forest edges and clearings. Northern cardinals in the desert southwest live near streams and washes, in tall brushy growth and mesquite groves.

City parks and suburban residential gardens often host these beautiful birds, as long as it’s fairly quiet. They retreat to the security of thick undergrowth if disturbed but will return soon afterward. Cardinals are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave the backyard bird feeders. When I rise, before it’s light, inevitably it is the cardinal that comes first to the feeder, unless the opossum is having a late night out.

Northern cardinal and wren on back fence.

Plant a Garden for the Birds

You can encourage birds and other wildlife to make your property their home. Contact the local Audubon Society or other birding experts and find out which plants attract birds. One option is to have a landscape plan drawn up, incorporating features that will bring in the wildlife.

The garden depicted in the blueprint below shows the hardscape for a water garden I planted in the 1990’s: paths, stonework, pond, footbridges, and the underground wiring and plumbing. This new garden replaced all the lawn on the slope with a series of 5 waterfalls and a 35′ pond, stone steps, and layered plantings all around. Over time, my clients asked me to expand the gardens and remove more lawn, incorporating plants that offered berries, seeds, perches, and protection for birds.

The year-round availability of water attracted all sorts of wildlife, including dragonflies, frogs and toads, turtles, songbirds and birds of prey, and snakes. Occasionally, the owners added inexpensive feeder goldfish, after the great blue herons had picked off the ones that couldn’t hide fast enough.

Plant a lush landscape—less grass to mow!—that provides food, water, shelter, and nesting options. Include trees (small ones if your space is limited), evergreen and deciduous shrubs, and flowers that produce edible seeds or berries. Trees planted where they can shade the house and windows from hot afternoon sun will lower your energy bills.

Native Plants

Native plant species attract insects and offer food for birds and much of the rest of the food chain. Caterpillars will eat the leaves, and that’s a good thing. Resist the temptation to spray the “bugs”, which will feed many kinds of birds, lizards, and frogs. Although adult cardinals consume primarily seeds and fruits, they feed mostly insects to their nestlings. Pesticides will harm not only the insects but also the birds and other animals that feed on them.

Group together several trees and shrubs in the landscape. Birds prefer density of growth rather than a tree here and a couple of shrubs over there. If they can quickly retreat to dense undergrowth, they’ll feel more secure in your garden.

Walk through a local botanical garden and note the native species you might be able to use in your garden. Observe how the taller species are underplanted with masses of shrubs and perennials, giving a layered and full appearance. Keep these principles in mind when landscaping your property.

State Bird

This beloved bird has achieved state bird status in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina (Mother’s favorite!), Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. In some areas, they’re called “redbirds”.

Headings

Page 1: Welcome the Northern Cardinals, Where Cardinals Live, Habitat, Plant a Garden for the Birds (Native Plants), and State Bird

Page 2: The Cardinal’s Diet (The Problem with Seed Husks), Live Cam (links), The Yellow Northern Cardinal, Water, Growing Sunflowers, Nesting Cardinals (Sexual Dimorphism, Courtship, Longevity, The Nest and Eggs), Predators, and Bird Watching

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South Mountains State Park, North Carolina

Oct21

Introduction to South Mountains State Park

Yesterday, I spent a couple of enjoyable hours at South Mountains State Park hoping to get some late afternoon pictures of fall color. But there wasn’t much going on quite yet. This was my first trip here, but fall foliage is a good reason to return. If you like being surrounded by nature, this is the place for you!

Poison ivy.

South Mountains State Park is the largest in North Carolina’s state park system. It is located south of Morganton, about an hour and a half northwest of Charlotte. You can hike along 50 miles of trails, enjoy camping and equestrian paths, and pack a picnic lunch. There are no designated swimming areas. But there is poison ivy (photo, right) on the ground and climbing trees, so you are advised to learn how to recognize–and avoid–it. It can cause a rash even from dormant stems.

The park comprises two separate areas:

the larger Jacob Fork Access, 3001 South Mountains State Park Ave. (S.R. 1904), Connelly Springs NC 28612 (828 433-4772)
Clear Creek Access, 5999 Branstrom Orchard St., Morganton NC 28655

More information is available from the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, at south.mountains@ncparks.gov or www.ncparks.gov. Some activities require a permit and carry fees, so check first.

The Visitor Center

My first stop was at the Park Office, not far from the entrance sign, to pick up a map and purchase a couple of books (insects and butterflies) from the store. I walked through the interactive display room, with information on various topics, including watershed pollution, river basins, seasonal changes in the forest, and the 80′ tall High Shoals Falls (a strenuous hike, according to the list of Trails).

You can also learn about the unique plant and animal ecology of the Spray Cliff Community. This type of biome is rarely seen in this terrain (elevation approximately 1500′) of the North Carolina piedmont. Throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, though, this kind of constantly wet environment is more common.

Sounds of Nature

Kids of all ages will want to press the buttons to hear the drumming of a pileated woodpecker, the call of a wild turkey, or the song of a Swainson’s warbler. And you’ll learn that just one bat can consume 3,000 insects in one night! At the exit, various brochures are available, listing, for example, wildflowers or birds of South Mountains State Park.

Going For A Walk

I asked the park ranger about hiking to High Shoals Falls, but it didn’t sound like a good idea; my knee certainly would have objected. She highlighted on the map where I could find the easy trails. The road continued downslope about a mile from the Park Office, ending in a parking lot.

Here was the beginning of the Hemlock Nature Trail and the River Trail, the two easy trails. Downstream, a fisherman cast his line for trout, and most hikers were packing up for the day. This time, I walked the gravel-and-earth-surfaced Hemlock Nature Trail, alongside Jacob Fork River, easy enough even for a wheelchair. Maybe next time I’ll try a moderately difficult trail; one can always turn around!

At intervals down the path, signs described features such as local trees, animal tracks, salamanders, rotting wood, and species of fish living in the river. And there are handrails, some benches, and a restroom on the Hemlock Nature Trail.

A Carolina wren sang nearby, accompanied by the stream’s whooshing refrain. Lovely walk, less than half a mile into the woods. I love this. The clean fresh smell of moist woods…

Death and Birth

The steep hillside across the river was home to huge evergreens, including Rhododendron maximum, and deciduous trees in various stages of succession. Big old trees claimed much of the canopy, but eventually they, too, will fall. Opportunistic saplings and forest floor flowers take advantage of the new sunlight and quickly fill the space.

: Young pine tree, lower right, growing through a sunny gap in the tree canopy.

: A low growing plant, Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata), and lichen.

: A rotting tree trunk.

: Rhododendron.

Why wait for a summer vacation “to get away from it all” when a trip to one of the state parks takes just an hour or two? For me, there’s no greater power than being in nature to restore feelings of wellness. I need that connection with the natural world. The sights, the smells, the music of the trees, birds, and water…nothing is more refreshing!

Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis.

forest at South mountains state park, river, rhododendrons

Riverside Rhododendrons and trees.

This mushroom gives shelter to a passing fly.

Mushrooms and Other Fungi

After the mushroom’s gills mature, the spores disperse. When the spores germinate, they grow a complex system of hyphae that absorb nutrients and water from the ground and leaf litter. The fruiting structures—the mushrooms—ensure that a new generation will continue to decompose and recycle organic matter.

The mushrooms themselves are fleeting, but the mycelium, the collective term for the branching hyphae, can live an incredibly long time, perhaps thousands of years and spreading over many square miles in undisturbed forests.

Birth, growth, maturity, procreation, death, and decomposition. It’s all part of Nature’s plan to use and to recycle nutrients, giving new life to generation after generation.

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A Garden For The American Goldfinches

Oct8

Updated 7/12/2024

Male American goldfinch.

American Goldfinches and Basil

basil going to seed, kept for American goldfinches

Basil ‘Genovese’ going to seed.

There’s been considerable excitement, lately, around the old basil plants on the deck. Flashy yellow American goldfinches have been flitting around the plants, landing near the tops of 4′ tall stems.

Normally, I would have cut the stems to prevent flowering, but the herb has had basil downy mildew. So I just let it go, curious to see who would show up. What a pleasant surprise to see the goldfinches move in for a feast of seeds!

Before the seedpods ripened, though, ruby-throated hummingbirds came for the white flowers’ sweet nectar. Almost like clockwork, these tiny marvels stopped by for their daily visits late in the afternoon.

Recently, I moved the big pot of basil to a sunnier place less than 10′ away. But the hummingbirds continued looking for the flowers in the old location. They hovered for a few seconds, and then flew away. The birds repeated this pattern for a few days until they rediscovered their treasure.

Memories from Childhood

Sparrows.

We’ve been feeding birds all our lives, through the generations. I vividly remember my grandmother feeding the sparrows outside her kitchen door, and can recall the fevered chirps as they jockeyed for position and pleaded for more.

When my parents were dating, my mother’s green parrot bit right through my father’s fingernail.

Growing up, we always had a caged canary singing in the kitchen. And his name was always Tammy.

Before and after our own children were born, we kept various tiny chirpy finches, pairs of parakeets, and, for 20 years, a cockatiel named Narcissus. Narcissus was a rescue, and like my mother’s parrot 80 years ago, he never really warmed up to anyone else. For me, though—kisses, conversations, and a few bars of “We’re In the Army Now”. He sat on my shoulder, chuckling in my ear, between flights to the window for a peek outside.

Yes, we have an affinity for birds. Whether it’s bread crumbs, suet, pieces of fruit, peanut butter/seed pinecones, or bird seed from a bag…and water…our birds can count on us.

To the Rescue!

While growing up in Oradell, New Jersey, I often took in nestlings that fell from the neighbors’ trees. First I tried placing them back into their nests. At times there was nothing I could do; they were beyond help. And who knows? Maybe the parents pushed small or sickly birds out of the nests so they could concentrate on raising the rest of the brood.

Although not all the rescued chicks survived, I did my best to raise them to independence. Today, there are several organizations nationwide which will take orphaned animals.

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar waxwing.

One year, I raised a beautiful cedar waxwing, which returned year after year, coming much closer than the rest of the flock. They fed on insects and berries, timing their migratory visits to coincide with the harvests.

Decades later, I occasionally witnessed a rare moment in the Rockville, Maryland back yard. A flock of perhaps 50 cedar waxwings gathered around and hovered over the small goldfish pond, chattering and dipping their beaks into the water. After only a few minutes of this hasty business, they were gone, off to warmer climes!

If I hadn’t peered out the kitchen window at just the right time, I would have missed it. We lived in that house for about 30 years, but I saw this activity only 3 or 4 times.

American Goldfinches

Migrations

The American goldfinch (Spinus tristus) spends its summer breeding season from North Carolina to Washington state, and north to parts of Canada. Its winter range shifts farther south, across the United States, except for the coldest regions of the northern states, and to parts of Mexico.

Populations will remain near stocked feeders in northern parts of their range if temperatures are above 0°F. Many migratory birds will hang around for the winter, and not head for warmer habitats, if food is readily and consistently available.

This sociable little finch travels in flocks, often in association with pine siskins and common redpolls. Peak migration seasons are mid-fall and early spring.

Its flight pattern is an undulating wave. The bird flaps its wings a few times, and then glides. It often chirps during flight while it flaps its wings, and is silent when gliding.

The American goldfinch is the state bird in New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington.

Habitat

American goldfinches are common in weedy fields, meadows, floodplains, and in open woods. They’re found among shrubbery, along roadsides, and around suburban residential properties. All season, they seek semi-open areas, trees, and dense evergreens for shelter and nesting.

The National Audubon Society reports that songbird populations are declining in most areas around the country. Habitat loss, using harsh chemicals, exotic plants displacing native species…these are some of the factors that take their toll. One practice that would help all seedeaters is simply letting plants remain in the garden after they’ve gone to seed.

Median Strips

When traveling several hundred miles north a couple of months ago, I noticed that miles and miles of the median strips, in Virginia and Pennsylvania, had been allowed to go “natural”. There were mature stands of wild “weeds” including milkweed, Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot), goldenrod, ironweed, chicory, black-eyed Susan, grasses, and various asters. And there were lots of moths and butterflies, including monarchs, and American goldfinches, of course, feeding on the seeds.

It was quite a shock to see this about-face in landscape management style. Where mowers and machines previously had kept the near-sterile ground cover at a mere inch or two, these long stretches boasted complex systems of flowers and seedheads, saplings, and greenery in various stages of development…in other words, life!

Although this style of landscaping won’t appeal to everyone, I was happy to see nature catch a break. Maybe it’s time to adopt a new attitude…one that takes into consideration all organisms within an ecological system, seen and unseen. It’s time to look beyond aestheticism and to incorporate principles of sustainability if we’re ever to see a decline in population loss and extinction.

Food Sources

Perennials

A smorgasbord for goldfinches: pink coneflower, orange sunflower, blue globe thistle, white yarrow.

American goldfinches forage in flocks, except while breeding. They prefer habitats we consider weedy, feeding on many plants in the Asteraceae family (the composites). That includes native perennials such as:

globe thistle (Echinops)
flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)
field thistle (C. discolor)
cobweb thistle (C. occidentale)
wayleaf thistle (C. undulatum). Thistle is their first choice. Check with your cooperative extension service to see if any of these native American species are considered invasive in your region.
goldenrod (Solidago)
ragweed (Ambrosia). This one—not goldenrod—causes late season hay fever.
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
New England asters (Symphiotrichum [formerly Aster] novae-angliae)
cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium, formerly Eupatorium)
yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia spp.)

Thistle and European goldfinches.

More Perennials

bee balm (Monarda)
anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). A patch of lemon balm grew outside the kitchen window when I lived in Maryland. In late summer, I let it go to seed for the American goldfinch. These agile acrobats grasped the 2′ stems, bobbing up and down while feeding on the seeds. American goldfinches apparently enjoy several plants in this family (Lamiaceae)—the balms, hyssop, basil, catnip, sage…
the sages (Salvia spp.), annuals and perennials
dandelion (Taraxacum)
gayfeather, or blazing star (Liatris)
western fescue (Festuca californica)
yellow-eyed grass, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium spp.)
little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
big bluestem (Andropogon)
California field sedge (Carex praegricillis)
common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Milkweed seeds for food and nesting material.

Goldfinches also feed on young twig bark, maple sap, and tree leaf buds.

Deadheading your plants—removing the aging seedpods—results in a tidier garden, but one that is devoid of goldfinches. So, if you enjoy watching these sprightly birds, allow at least some of your plants to go to seed. Other insects and animals also will benefit from a more casual approach to gardening.

A flock of goldfinches feeding on salvia seeds.

Annuals

Zinnia angustifolia, the Star series.

Annuals that goldfinches feed on include zinnia, cosmos, daisies, salvia, marigold, poppies, and black-oil sunflowers. The American goldfinches are granivores, feeding almost exclusively on seeds. Consumption of insects is more accidental than it is intentional.

If you have an abundance of zinnia, cosmos, or sunflower seedheads, but prefer cleaning up the garden before planting the autumn pansies and violas, consider harvesting them after the seeds ripen. Save them in a cool dry place, where mice can’t reach them, for the autumn and winter feeders.

But don’t wait too long to first offer the seeds. You want to invite American goldfinches to stay before they migrate from the area. Once you start offering food, continue feeding them through winter.

Nyjer (Guizotia abyssinia, an herb of Ethiopian origin) and black oil sunflower seeds can be purchased from garden centers, hardware stores, warehouse clubs, and from specialty wildlife centers. Nyjer is grown in Ethiopia and Kenya, and is sterilized before importation. Often called “thistle”, this is an unrelated plant.

Trees and Shrubs

Ask your local Audubon chapter and other bird specialists for specific advice about native trees and shrubs that support populations of the American goldfinch. Some species that offer seeds and shelter include:

elm (Ulmus americana). Look for varieties that are resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.
American basswood (Tilia americana)
hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)
American beech (Fagus grandifolia)
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
river birch, and other species (Betula spp.)
western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and other arborvitae species
white alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
island mallow (Lavatera assurgentiflora)

Greens

Goldfinches have been seen feeding on beet greens and on foliage of sunflowers and zinnias. Those evenly spaced V-shaped bites on the edges of Sedum leaves are due to birds seeking moisture and maybe nutrients. But I can’t yet definitively accuse the goldfinches of this practice.

Male American goldfinch.

Headings

Page 1: American Goldfinches and Basil, Memories from Childhood (To the Rescue!, Cedar Waxwings), Migrations, Habitat (Median Strips), Food Sources (Perennials, Annuals, Trees and Shrubs, Greens)

Page 2: Feeding American Goldfinches: To Feed or Not To Feed (On the Menu, Feeders, On Sunflowers), Weeds and Water, Nesting, Cowbirds, Other Goldfinches, a New Perspective In Gardening (Some Simple Fixes To Help American Goldfinches)

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Return To The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Jul15

2019

Updated 10/28/2024

An Early Summer Visit To The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

“Petunia’s Hideout”

On Wednesday, I headed once again for the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, hoping to find respite from this prolonged period of high humidity and temperatures in the mid 90’s. Yes, I could retreat to the air conditioned confines indoors. But that’s too close to the refrigerator. As usual…the mountains!

The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the missing huge maple (photo, right) at the end of the parking lot. It had a great rotten hollow at the base and was taken down as a precaution. It didn’t take long for someone to put a green roof on the stump and to invite The Bear to reside in the cozy void.

Another thing I noticed was that it wasn’t much cooler here than in Charlotte. Lake Lure sits at 1,000′ elevation, so I expected it to be a bit cooler. Regardless of the temperature, I needed pictures.

The New Information Station

The information station was stocked with all sorts of maps, diagrams, and mailboxes brimming with brochures since my last trip here. At that time, only the frame had been built. The volunteers at The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge do an excellent job informing the public.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re an avid gardener or a beginner; the flowering bridge is simply a wonderful place to enjoy plants or to walk through on your way to the lake or to lunch in Chimney Rock, just up the road half a mile or so. I met two friendly ladies here, in the shade—a volunteer who plants herbs in the garden and a visitor enjoying a private tour.

: Information printouts.

: Butterflies.

: Birds.

: Bees.

: The information station.

: A map of the gardens.

Daylilies Galore At the Flowering Bridge

I don’t recall ever seeing as many beautiful daylily hybrids (Hemerocallis) on the flowering bridge. Some flowers were enormous! (Missing were cultivar identification tags. Next time, I’ll look more closely.) These perennials have sturdy flower scapes, and some have high bud counts.

Although each flower lasts only a day, you can see from the photograph of the double orange daylily that many buds have yet to open, and several scapes grow on each plant.

Peak Bloom at The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

True blue balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) and their round buds invite inspection. Pink and white cultivars also are available, and dwarf types, such as ‘Sentimental Blue’.

Several varieties of hydrangeas boldly proclaimed their presence throughout the garden. Those with cone-shaped inflorescences, Hydrangea paniculata, include ‘Pinky Winky’, ‘Strawberry Vanilla’, and the popular ‘Limelight’. A few smaller mopheads (H. macrophylla) also grow on the flowering bridge.

Crocosmia, grown from bulbs native to South Africa, was in full golden bloom. Crocosmia, sometimes called montbretia, is hardy in zones 5 to 9 and is a member of the iris family (Iridaceae).

Dwarf butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii ‘Pugster Blue’, has strong stems and grows only about 2′ tall. It’s hardy to zone 5, growing in full sun and well-drained soil. Other colors are available in this series of small butterfly bushes. Most of these perennials were humming with pollinators—bees, wasps, moths, and butterflies.

: Dwarf butterfly bush ‘Pugster Blue’.

: Crocosmia.

: Hydrangea ‘Limelight’.

: Balloon flower.

Roses

The roses were in full bloom, and some had wonderful fragrance.

Hibiscus

Growing to about 4′ in height, Hibiscus ‘Starry Starry Night’ is a stunner with flowers up to 8″ across! They appear from midsummer to fall. Leaves are dark burgundy-black, with the deepest color in full sun. This one likes moist, well-drained soil, as most hibiscus plants do.

Hardy hibiscus grows in zones 4 to 9, and stems die to the ground in the colder zones. Apply a few inches of mulch under young plants before winter. Hibiscus is native to North America and is said to be deer resistant, but…

: H. ‘Starry Starry Night’.

More Native Perennials At the Flowering Bridge

goldenrod, buddleia at lake lure flowering bridge

Early goldenrod next to the dwarf butterfly bush.

Goldenrods (Solidago) were just beginning to open in the flowering bridge garden, and will continue all summer. Their bright yellow flowers and those of the ‘Pugster Blue’ butterfly bush played well off each other, a nice combination.

Stokesia laevis, native to the southern U.S., likes acidic soil and remains evergreen in warmer regions. It tolerates drought when well established. Stokes aster grows to 2′ tall and blooms over a long period of time, in full sun.

Tickseed (Coreopsis), with its canary yellow flowers and finely textured foliage is always so pretty. When choosing coreopsis varieties for your garden, check their hardiness zones. Some do not tolerate frost. But, among the annual tickseeds, breeding efforts have come up with some spectacular new colors. The family Asteraceae includes around 80 species of coreopsis, all native to the Americas.

Stately clumps of billowing garden phlox (family Polemoniaceae) showed off their peak bloom. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators are attracted to these plants. Most of the 67 species are native to North America.

Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), zones 4 to 8, spreads rather invasively by rhizomes. This plant is a member of the Lamiaceae family, along with many other herbs. Its small pink flowers sit above silvery bracts. This plant can be used to make a mild tea. Kind of understated with its unusual flowers, but a strong pollinator magnet.

Black-Eyed Susan

The widely adaptable black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida var. fugida, was in top form. Among my favorites of the hardy Rudbeckias, this variety is perfect for meadow, prairie, mass plantings, or clustered among the shrubs. Use it to highlight a garden around a lamp post or off the patio. And they’re well-suited in combination with ornamental grasses.

Deer are not especially fond of this variety, but they might take a bite now and then. They came in for seconds in the Maryland garden. Give them full sun or sun for 2/3 of the day and well-drained soil that doesn’t stay wet. The best thing about “Ruff” is its incredibly long bloom period. Although it begins flowering a short time after Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, it blooms until frost, weeks longer than ‘Goldsturm’. Deadheading helps maintain the display.

: Coreopsis, one of the tickseeds.

: Stokesia.

: Mountain mint, Pycnanthemum, an invasive spreader.

: White and purple coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea cultivars.

: Garden phlox.

: Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida.

Annuals

Zinnia, lantana and ‘Bat Face’ Cuphea attracted pollinating insects. Although they will die with autumn frost, annuals give us the opportunity to plant different varieties each year. And they flower all summer. Although some varieties of lantana perennialize in zone 7, they’re usually planted only for the current season’s flowers. Coleus, grown for its colorful foliage, is another heat-tolerant annual.

Elephant ears (Colocasia) produce large tropical leaves from underground tubers. This garden had both the black and the green-and-black-mottled varieties. They’re perennial in warmer sections of zone 7, but I don’t know if they survive the winter in Lake Lure. Because cold winter air passes under the bridge, the soil is not as well insulated from temperature extremes as is garden soil.

: Cuphea ‘Bat Face’.

: California poppy, Eschscholzia californica.

: Lantana, next to the hot sidewalk.

: Zinnia with a silver-spotted skipper butterfly.

: Coleus echoes color in a red Hibiscus.

: Colocasia.

Styrax

Styrax japonica seedpods.

A Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica) that had been growing for 25 years in the Maryland garden was cut down by the family who bought the house from me. I loved that tree for it fragrant pendulous white flowers and for the umbrella-shaped canopy. It’s a great tree for shading a sunny patio. C’est la vie.

That tree in Maryland seeded heavily, but there never were many seedlings popping up in the bed below it. I did, however, gather a few, germinated them, and then brought them with me to North Carolina, where the grounds maintenance crew whisked them away with the loropetalum trimmings…

This species of styrax has many ornamental features in addition to the flowers and habit—the fruits will split open later in the season, revealing shiny brown seeds. The leaves and twigs are fine in texture, and it has a pleasing horizontal branching pattern. A perfect small tree!

Osmanthus

False holly, Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’.

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ has variegated leaves, with some pink at the tips of the stems. ‘Goshiki’ means “5 colors”—white, creamy yellow, gold, pink, and green—for the different hues that appear in the somewhat spiny leaves.

Plant in full sun, or in morning sun in hot zones, and in moist soil. Strong, hot sun will burn the tender new foliage or the white parts of the leaves.

This Asian native is hardy in zones 6 to 9. Use it in mass plantings or as a specimen, in borders or in a bright woodland setting. Small flowers are fragrant. This compact evergreen grows 5′ to 7′ tall.

Peanut Butter Tree

clerodendrum trichotomum at lake lure flowering bridge

Clerodendrum trichotomum, the Harlequin Glorybower.

What?! Yes, apparently, crushed leaves from this suckering tree from eastern Asia smell like peanut butter. Clerodendrum trichotomum (family Lamiaceae), more commonly called Harlequin Glorybower, grows in zones 7 to 10, and reaches 10′ to 20′ tall, and wider than that.

Hummingbirds and butterflies sip nectar from its flowers, which appear most of the summer. This large-leaved tree makes a bold statement in the landscape.

But If There’s Work To Do

A simple screen or workshop like this one can be constructed to hide the works of the garden—the compost pile, tools, and stacks of pottery. It defines the edge of the garden, and it also can hide the neighbor’s trash cans.

Incorporating structures into a landscape adds another dimension, enriching the experience. Finally, personalize with a green roof, interesting twigs and vines, and small hanging pots that express your whimsical side.

The Twig Chair

Here’s a great place to rest after the day’s transplanting and weeding, surrounded by peace and beauty. With iced tea, some magazines, and the family dog for company, it’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon. All that’s missing is the “Please do not disturb” sign.

Every time I visit the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, something new is in bloom, or one of the sections has been completely replanted. It’s only about an hour and a half from Charlotte, and there are plenty of restaurants and mom-and-pop shops to make this area a delightful way to spend the day.

Bring the kids; a Merry-Go-Round and other children’s activities are only a mile away in the Village of Chimney Rock. There are lots of reasons for returning to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge over and over again!

: Sit…relax…observe.

: Granite outcrops around Lake Lure.

Hurricane Helene

This section added 10/7/2024:

***Update***: Hurricane Helene and the resulting floods and landslides scoured the western North Carolina mountains and other regions in the southern Appalachian Mountains for a few days on and after 9/27/2024. It destroyed small towns, roads, bridges, and people’s lives. Around 100 people died and many more are missing in NC alone. Heroic efforts are being made by individuals, churches, and charitable organizations to assess the damage, bring food, water, and communication to trapped families, and to begin the process of mitigating the damage and rebuilding.

Most shops and restaurants in Chimney Rock have been washed downstream to Lake Lure. From what I’ve seen in news coverage, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge has been reduced to the only remaining feature: part of the concrete balustrade at the edge of the bridge (as in the photo at the top of this article).

Mark Huneycutt documented what he has seen, and here’s one of his videos:

I walked to Chimney Rock for answers… Hurricane Helene Aftermath – YouTube

Rescue operations request that you not venture to the area on your own, even if offering help and supplies. The ground is unstable, and you could end up being one of those needing rescue, so leave it to the professionals. Ask them if you can help.

Please, generously donate money and requested goods to legitimate rescue operations. I donated to Samaritan’s Purse and will forward a portion of my proceeds earned at the farmers’ markets. Samaritan’s Purse, headquartered in the area, has tractor trailers, machinery, supplies, and an army of dedicated volunteers. They are doing a fantastic job, so please help them in their efforts. Thank you.

Added 10/28/2024:

This video demonstrates hope, determination, and generosity in the face of a devastating life-changing event. I also have donated to hurricanehelenewnc.com from my revenues at Wellspring Gardens (Elkin NC farmers’ market):

Asheville is Worse than We Realized – Can They Rebuild?

Thank you again.

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The Garden Patch, McFarlan’s, Strawberry Hill

Jun18

2019

The Garden Patch, McFarlan Bakery, and Strawberry Hill U.S.A.

The Garden Patch, Columbus NC

Last weekend, I took a drive toward western North Carolina, and stopped in at a nursery I often saw when traveling out that way. The Garden Patch is located on West Mills Street, in Columbus, not far from Route 74. I was given a friendly greeting by Jeanine Gauen, the owner, and then proceeded to the hardy plants section.

After seeing the cute little holly with tiny leaves, I asked permission to take some photographs for The Farm In My Yard. Jeanine gave me a business card, and then we started chatting.

She moved to North Carolina 11 years ago, from Chicago. It’s no wonder the population is shifting southward. The climate is so much more comfortable! Maybe it’s the longer growing season. Winter greens that grow with little or no protection is high on the list of must-haves.

Yes, it does get hot in the summer, and that’s why the mountains and the foothills are popular. It’s cooler than the lower elevations, but the winters are still quite mild. You just have to pick the right elevation. And, to me, there’s the unmistakable appeal of smaller towns.

Luna, the long, lovely dog, came out to say hello. So, of course, Jeanine and I exchanged naughty dog stories for a few minutes, before I was gently reminded that the store had closed for the day…..Horrors!!…. Bold me, I asked if I could just get a few pictures before leaving. “Thank you!”

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Kaori Hime—Party Princess’

Osmanthus het. Party Princess, at The Garden Patch

Osmanthus ‘Party Princess’.

‘Party Princess’ is a false holly, and it grows in USDA hardiness zones 7-9. This patented variety can be kept at 2-3′, but it has big fragrance.

Plant this evergreen in sun or part sun, grouped around the lamp post or in the garden near the mailbox. It also works well as a border or a short hedge. In hot climates, it does best with light shade during the harsh afternoon hours.

Enjoy the fragrance when it’s in flower, late summer to fall, near the patio in the back yard. With some selective pruning, this tiny-leaved shrub is well-behaved in the garden. It appears to be a low maintenance plant, and not bothered by deer. Very cute. Another must-have!

Here are more discoveries at The Garden Patch:

: Callicarpa dichotoma Wine Spritzer.

: Cryptomeria japonica Chapel View

: A fragrant Gardenia.

: Sunny Knockout Rose.

: Pineapple Lily, Eucomis comosa Sparkling Burgundy

: Ice Plant, Delosperma nubigenum Golden Wonder.

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Wine Spritzer’

This deciduous Callicarpa, a new beautyberry called ‘Wine Spritzer’, grows in zones 6 to 9. It stays a bit smaller than its green-leaved cousins, to 4-5′ tall. The more direct sunlight this plant receives, the brighter the variegation. However, in hot climates, the foliage can suffer sun scald in full sun, so consider planting it in morning to early afternoon sun. It does not fruit as heavily as the green varieties.

If it’s like the green types, this shrub does best with an annual hard pruning in late winter to early spring. I used to prune the ones in Maryland to within 1′ of the ground or lower. Since it flowers on new wood, pruning like this didn’t diminish the crop of purple berries. And growth is more controlled this way. In fact, the later I cut them back (May, at the latest), the shorter the shrubs ultimately grew. New shoots regrew quickly, although this variegated variety might respond more slowly.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Chapel View’

Cryptomeria ‘Chapel View’ is a beautiful evergreen with dense blue-green foliage. This Japanese Cedar grows in zones 6-9. It has minimal, if any, winter bronzing. This one is not as large as some, growing up to about 10′ tall and 6′ wide. If needed, the plant can be pruned to shape.

‘Chapel View’ is a good variety for an informal screening hedge, as a specimen in a large rock garden, or on the corner of the house. Plant it in slightly acidic soil, and mulch it.

Hydrangea ‘Little Honey’.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’

‘Little Honey’ Oakleaf Hydrangea shines in the lightly shaded garden with its bold gold leaves and white summer flowers. This variety grows only 4′ tall, and is hardy in zones 5-9. A sport of ‘Pee Wee’, it is derived from the native species.

Shade doesn’t have to be a drab, dark green forgotten space. Mass a few of these eye-catching shrubs, and add yellow variegated hostas, and Hakonechloa (golden Japanese forest grass) to “echo” the hydrangea’s color. Plant a cluster of autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliant’) for contrasting texture and copper-colored new fronds. Sweet!

Another way to enjoy ‘Little Honey’ is to plant a drift of Liriope ‘Royal Purple’ in front of the shrubs. Rich royal purple flowers are attractive with the chartreuse background. You might have to spray for deer, though.

‘Little Honey’ will burn in hot sun, but without some direct sunlight, the color will be closer to green. It tends to deepen in color over the growing season. Morning sun is appreciated. If more light is needed, consider limbing-up lower tree branches or creating openings in the canopy, but avoid hot afternoon sun. Prepare the soil well for this shrub because it needs good drainage. This hydrangea puts on another show in autumn with its red fall color.

A running water fountain brings additional elements to the shade garden—mesmerizing sound and birds! Don’t forget to add a bench, from which to enjoy it all.

Delosperma nubigenum ‘Wheels of Wonder—Golden Wonder’

‘Golden Wonder’ is an ice plant, native to South Africa. It grows in zones 5 or 6-9, and needs very well-drained soil. It will tolerate dry conditions. Bright flowers develop in late spring and early summer. This plant stays short, so it’s good candidate as a ground cover in hot spots.

Sedum telephium ‘Desert Black’

Sedum ‘Desert Black’.

Here’s another succulent bred by Terra Nova Nursery. ‘Desert Black’ has chubby purplish leaves on short upright stems. More sun = deeper color.

It grows to only about 7-8″ tall. Deep pink flowers rise in clusters a few inches above the leaves in late summer to early fall. It’s hardy in zones 4-9, and likes full sun and dryish soil that drains very well.

Great for rock gardens or perennial gardens not under irrigation. These sedums, when in flower, are visited by every passing butterfly and other pollinators.

The Garden Patch

The plants were in great condition at The Garden Patch. Look for some of these varieties for those problem spots in your landscape, and have a chat with the employees. But remember that hours are limited on Saturdays.

Address: The Garden Patch, 39 West Mills St., Columbus, North Carolina

thegardenpatchnursery.com

828-894-2200

* * * * * * * *

McFarlan Bakery, Hendersonville NC

Mother looks forward to the little treats I bring home from these trips, so I would never want to disappoint her…

I often drive through downtown Hendersonville, and stop for lunch, brochures at the Visitor’s Center, or butter rum lifesavers at Mast General Store. This is a great place to spend an afternoon, especially when the thermometer heads for the high 90’s in Charlotte. It’s almost always 5-10°F cooler here.

On this day, I bought a few donuts and cream cheese-filled pastries. Yum! This bakery has been delighting its customers since 1930. Here are some possibilities for the next trip:

McFarlan Bakery

Michael W. Cole, owner

Address: 309 N. Main St., Hendersonville, North Carolina

mcfarlanbakery.com

828-693-4256

“Ursula” The Bear

There have been several bear sightings in downtown Hendersonville.

: Ursula the Bear.

: Details…

Fabulous detail! This bear was sponsored by NCSDAR and was painted by Starlotte Englebert. It will be auctioned on October 19, 2019, to benefit Crossnore School and Children’s Home. For more information: DowntownHendersonville.org.

* * * * * * * *

Strawberry Hill U.S.A., Chesnee, South Carolina

Part of the fun of these day trips is discovering new routes to travel instead of using the old familiar ways. A very pleasant drive home along Route 11 East, in South Carolina, took me past the Cooley Brothers Peach Stand. Take exit 5 off I-26 South for the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, or Route 11. The stand is located 5 or 6 miles west of Chesnee.

It was well worth the stop. I bought a bagful of delicious local peaches, a large cantaloupe that ripened perfectly, sesame sticks, and several beefsteak tomatoes at a price no one could beat! They also stock jellies and jams, baked goods, and t-shirts.

Another building across the street was busy with customers, so I had to take a look. Several people were sitting outside, enjoying their ice cream. Perfect, since I mustered some restraint and had not yet touched the pastries. I ordered a hot fudge sundae, and for less than $4.00, this mountain of chocolate chip mint and whipped cream and hot fudge…well, it was almost too much!

There are places of historical interest not far from here, so next time…

Strawberry Hill U.S.A.

3097 Hwy. 11 W, Chesnee, South Carolina

strawberryhillusa.com

The Shed 864-461-7225

The Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor 864-461-4000

Road Trip

Take advantage of the lower gasoline prices, pack a few essentials, and enjoy a summer road trip. Even now, I’m wondering what the next destination will be. Often, I don’t have a specific goal in mind…until an interesting place finds me. Have fun!

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Fig Trees: How To Grow Edible Figs

Jun4

2019

Updated 4/14/2024

Delectable, Edible Figs

The plant wish list grows longer each day. Within the next couple of years, I hope to move to a property with larger garden space, so I can shrink that list. First to be planted will be a couple of fig trees…blonde figs, purple figs…

Many years ago, our local Derwood, Maryland grocery store brought in fresh figs. I couldn’t believe it. So, I indulged in the extravagance, and bought a small box, at $9.00 or $10.00 per pound. The last time I had had fresh figs was about 25 years earlier, in Oradell, New Jersey… …

As a young girl, my first introduction to the delectable fig was when my maternal grandfather picked them from trees growing in his Englewood garden, two towns over. A substantial brick wall surrounded the back yard, as I recall, just beyond the monstrous cast iron stove in the kitchen.

My grandfather’s figs grew on the right side of the garden. On the left were my grandmother’s tomatoes, herbs, and where she threw out bread for the birds. I can still hear them—sparrows, tons of sparrows!

Papa’s Fig Trees

Salvatore and Catherina D’Arrigo married in Sicily, after, according to tradition, his sisters had been married and settled into their homes. Now, in 1906, they sailed across the Atlantic, to enjoy a new life of freedom and opportunity in the United States. After passing through Ellis Island, they settled near extended family members in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Nanny and Papa D’Arrigo, before setting sail for America.

Industrious and self-sufficient, Nanny and Papa wasted no time getting down to business. They opened a tavern/restaurant and purchased a house. I imagine that, like Johnny Appleseed, wherever my grandfather landed, a fig tree grew. That part of the eastern seaboard, though, is quite cold in the winter, and not considered “fig country”.

But my grandfather had some tricks that worked, apparently, for his fig trees. In addition to his skills in business, Papa was also a landscape gardener. Must be in the DNA!

Every autumn, after the trees went dormant, he surgically severed part of the root system near the base of the tree. He bent over the trunk of the fig tree until it was just above the ground. Then he covered the trunk and branches with piles of leaves and burlap…all tucked in for the winter. In early spring, each fig tree was raised, pruned, and staked. (Other family members recall the standing trees simply being cloaked in layers of burlap, so he might have tried different methods.)

Recently I read that this was a common practice in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and other cold cities where the fig tree could not survive without a little manipulation.

Second Helping

It was a full half century after my grandparents had arrived on these shores when I had my first… fresh… fig from their garden. Papa passed away when I was 10 or 11, and Nanny, 5 years after that. So, we didn’t have too many years to enjoy those figs, but they certainly made an impression.

A quarter century after the last of Papa’s figs, those fresh figs showed up at the grocery store in Maryland. And yes! They tasted exactly as I had remembered them!

Origins Of the Fig Tree

The common fig (Ficus carica) is native to Turkey. By 5,000 B.C., it had been distributed throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean region by Greek and Roman traders. Fig trees readily adapted to hot, dry summers and mildly cool winters, and they also made their way to England and China. They grow from sea level up to over 5,000′ in elevation.

But its roots go back much further than that. At a Neolithic archaeological site called Gilgal I, in the Jordan Rift Valley, evidence shows that fig trees were cultivated 11,400 years ago.

Remains of a plant found in a home dating to that period indicate that early populations knew how to vegetatively propagate fig trees from cuttings. The parthenocarpic “mutant” they grew was a sterile form that bore fruit without pollination.

Cultivated for human consumption, figs are probably the oldest domesticated crop. Figs predate by a thousand years the earliest agricultural grains—wheat, barley, and rye.

Sumerian stone tablets from 2500 B.C. recorded culinary uses of the fruit. For thousands of years, before sugar gained widespread use, figs sweetened foods and desserts.

Legendary twins Romulus and Remus have been depicted under the bough of a fig tree as they were fed by the mother wolf. The forbidden fruit, of Bible fame, was probably the fig and not the apple. Figs have long figured in religious symbolism, associated with peace, prosperity, and fertility.

The term “fig” was first used in the English language in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French figue, and the Romance fica (Ficus is the genus name for edible figs and for the hundreds of tropical species).

The Fig Moves To The New World

Early explorers brought fig trees to the New World as early as the 15th century. And the Spanish Franciscan missionaries are credited with planting figs in southern California from 1769. ‘Mission’ is a well-known variety, with excellent flavor and sweetness. It is parthenocarpic, not requiring pollination to set fruits.

Worldwide Production

Worldwide, Turkey produces the most figs, with 26% of the crop. Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Iran, and the U.S. round out the rest of the top 6 producers. California, with a climate similar to the tree’s native land, grows almost the entire American commercial crop. Texas comes second.

Figs as Houseplants

Variegated weeping fig.

This article describes the edible fig, which grows outdoors. The weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), the creeping fig (Ficus pumila), the rubber plant (Ficus elastica), and the ever-popular fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) are primarily tropical houseplants, but they don’t produce edible figs for humans.

The edible fig tree does not grow well or produce fruit indoors.

Inside the Box

My father’s career centered around food photography, mostly with the Nabisco cookie company. We kids were delighted when he brought home samples of Fig Newtons, first becoming available in 1891. In fact, as a teenager, I spent one summer at the Fair Lawn NJ Nabisco plant deftly packing boxes of chocolate chip cookies and Fig Newtons.

This explains not only my fondness for these cookies, but also my complete aversion to anything sticky. Dirt’s okay; sticky is not.

If It’s Too Cold

Okay, I was determined to grow a fig tree. Most experts at the time said they wouldn’t survive Maryland’s cold winters. Much later, with a little research, I learned that there are several hardier varieties of fig trees. Most fig trees grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 9, with a few growing in zone 6, and several tolerating warmer zones. ‘Chicago Hardy’ is hardy to zone 5. Before choosing a particular variety, check its hardiness zone from a few sources. There are over 200 varieties to choose from.

A garden center called Behnke’s Nursery was the go-to place for plant nerds like me. But it was some distance around the clogged Beltway circling Washington, D.C., in Beltsville, Maryland. They retailed more species of plants than I had ever seen. Certainly, they’d have figs!

I bought a variety called ‘Brown Turkey’, one of two types available. The next year, I transplanted it into a bigger pot. Smaller varieties of figs can grow in 20-gallon pots or larger. The plan was to grow it outside in the summer, let it drop its leaves in the fall, and then move it into the unheated garage for the winter. There, it wouldn’t suffer from the lowest winter temperatures. And, because the fig tree bears fruit even when growing in a large container, this small effort would have fruitful dividends.

This routine served us well for several years, until that killer winter. One year, the temperatures dropped to lows we had rarely seen, and the wind blew its icy breath through the gaps around the garage door. My fault—I didn’t raise the fig tree off the floor or move it inside. Consequently, it froze solid and died. When the garage door was replaced, I went for the more expensive well-insulated model.

A Nod To Behnke’s

Just a few weeks ago, I read in one of the trade magazines that, sadly, Behnke’s is about to close its doors. Another pillar collapses. Many in the gardening world, it seemed, knew this company.

In fact, recently at the Hendersonville Garden Jubilee, Larry Morton, the bonsai vendor at Bella Bonsai Nursery, told me that he had worked there for a few years in the ’60’s. Small world… Here’s to Albert and Rose Behnke, German immigrants, who opened this nursery almost 90 years ago.

Headings

Page 1: Delectable, Edible Figs, Papa’s Fig Trees, Origins Of the Fig Tree (The Fig Moves To The New World, Worldwide Production, Figs as Houseplants, Inside the Box), and If It’s Too Cold (A Nod To Behnke’s)

Page 2: How To Plant and Grow Fig Trees, Hardiness, Sun, Soil Preparation For Fig Trees, Time To Plant (Mulch), Watering Fig Trees, Fertilizing, Pruning Fig Trees, Foliage, Fruits Of Fig Trees, That Little Fig Wasp, Problems, Types of Fig Trees, and Varieties of Fig Trees

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Spring Is Coming: The Earliest Signs

Feb13

2019

Signs of Spring

cherry tree, late winter to spring blooms

An early blooming cherry tree in the neighborhood. Rain darkened the bark, providing contrast with flowers.

Early Spring Bloomers

: One of the small cherry trees.

: Rows of lenticels in the bark.

The birds are singing their spring songs (I love waking up to that), and the delicate sweet fragrance from early blooming trees floats on the breeze. Spring-flowering bulbs of all sorts are pushing up emerald green spears, and some of the daffodils are coming into full bloom.

A few varieties of cherry trees, with their characteristic horizontal banding of lenticels on the bark, are blooming now, in late winter. Lenticels are pores that allow gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere. Autumn cherry trees (Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’) in neighborhoods I sometimes drive through have been flowering non-stop for months. They don’t have the short, showy burst of a ‘Yoshino’ cherry, but any flowers on a winter day are a welcome sight.

magnolia's big pink blooms, early spring

Saucer Magnolia.

Neighborhood saucer magnolias (Magnolia x soulangeana) just started blooming with their pinkish-purple cup-shaped flowers. This can be a tricky species; an untimely frost can turn all the open flowers brown in a flash. Look for a later-blooming cultivar to plant in spring, plant it in a protected location, or take your chances! You can now find a wider range of flower colors (yellows and purples) thanks to modern breeding.

Star magnolia.

The related star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is another late winter or early spring flowering tree. Its blooms are white or pink, depending on cultivar, shown against silvery gray bark.

Magnolias prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil. They dislike root disturbance, so situate them where you won’t be digging around the root system.

Their smaller size recommends them to areas of the property where large trees would be out of place. When designing your landscape, always consider the mature height and spread of a tree’s canopy.

The ‘Yoshino’ Cherry For Spring Flowers

‘Yoshino’ is a hybrid between Prunus speciosa and P. pendula, and was first introduced to Europe and North America in 1902. It grows in USDA Zones 5-8, to a height of about 35′ or 40′. Plant taxonomists proposed that the true scientific name should be Prunus x yedoensis ‘Somei-yoshino’. (The lower-case “x” after the genus Prunus signifies that this variety is an inter-specific hybrid; “yedo”=Tokyo.)

There was some doubt, now resolved, whether this variety was distinguishable from the Jeju flowering cherry. ‘Yoshino’ is genetically different from the King cherry, now named Cerasus x nudiflora. The Jeju cherry is an endangered species, with only a few hundred specimens remaining on Jeju Island.

If you’re planning a trip to the U.S. capital, try to schedule it when the ‘Yoshino’ and other varieties of cherry trees are in full bloom around the city, and particularly at the Tidal Basin (photo, below). Just gorgeous! Much has been written about Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki’s generous gift of thousands of cherry trees back in 1912, meant to celebrate the growing friendship between Japan and the United States. See if you can find a live cam of the Tidal Basin’s cherry trees as they begin to bloom.

cherry trees, Tidal Basin, early spring bloom

The Washington Monument and cherry trees around the Tidal Basin.

One year, my daughter, Brynn, marched with her high school band in Washington D.C.’s National Cherry Blossom Festival parade. The festival is an annual commemoration of Japan’s gift and a celebration of spring. Check with the National Park Service for the progress of the trees’ buds (posted about March 6), because the two events—the festival and the trees’ peak bloom—often don’t coincide.

In the Landscape

I planted a ‘Yoshino’ cherry in a customer’s garden, behind a pergola that the owner had built at the end of a large pond installed in the family’s back yard. Their concern that it would grow too slowly for them to enjoy the flowers and the full stature of the tree was dispelled after only a handful of years. This is a fast grower, with smooth maroon bark and attractive horizontal branching. Pink flower buds open to clouds of white to pale pink blooms. For many gardeners, ‘Yoshino’ cherry trees are synonymous with spring.

It’s no wonder cherry trees are held in such reverence in Japan and in gardens around the world. They are perfect complements to a pergola, a pond, or an old barn, and often feature prominently in Asian-style naturalistic garden design. Although the ‘Yoshino’ cherry is not the longest living ornamental tree, there are some gnarly 100-year-old specimens in Washington, D.C.

I used to cut budded branches from a tree in our back yard, and force them in a vase indoors. Use stems with buds that have visibly swelled in anticipation of spring.

Another show takes place when all the petals fall to the ground, like pink snow. It’s a lovely sight, and the flowers blow away or disintegrate after a few days. They will stick to the soles of your shoes, so consider that fact if you want one near the house or a frequently used sidewalk.

Headings

Page 1: Early Spring Bloomers, and The ‘Yoshino’ Cherry For Spring Flowers (In the Landscape)

Page 2: Finally, Amaryllis! (“Can I Plant Amaryllis Outdoors?”), Primrose For Spring, Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs (And After They Bloom?), Daffodils, Columbine, The Vegetable Garden (Herbs), Viola, A Rare and Perfect Day, and Ah, Spring!

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Pages: 1 2

This Is Why Fall Color Happens

Nov14

Updated 9/6/2024

One of the most phenomenal transformations in nature occurs in autumn when leaves take on fall color.

Deciduous tree canopies change from shades of green to the reds, oranges, yellows, browns, and purples associated with this time of year. A drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or even a glimpse out the window to the Japanese maple in the courtyard, elicits feelings of delight and wonder.

Equal to the spectacle unfolding in front of us, as we watch colors brighten from day to day, is the curiosity for an explanation. Why does fall color happen?

Plant Pigments and Fall Color

Looking up in Lincolnton NC.

It all starts with plant pigments, which give leaves their color.

Sandwiched between a leaf’s upper epidermis and the lower epidermis is a layer of cells called the mesophyll. The mesophyll is composed of the upright cells of the palisade layer, near the surface of a leaf, and the more loosely arranged spongy mesophyll. Both kinds of cells within the mesophyll contain chloroplasts, with chlorophylls “a” and “b”. Also present within the leaf is a network of vascular tubes—phloem and xylem—which carry water and nutrients between the leaves and the roots.

These chlorophylls absorb wavelengths from different parts of the spectrum. Chlorophyll a absorbs violet-blue and orange-red wavelengths, and chlorophyll b absorbs blue light. All plants have “a” but not all plants have “b”. In lower light levels, “b” more efficiently absorbs energy from available light and transfers that energy to “a”.

In autumn, as chlorophyll degrades into transparent compounds, the carotenoids become the dominant colors. Those pigments were there all along, but the green chlorophyll masked them. We don’t see the oranges and the yellows until the greens begin to die down.

Spring foliage on maple tree in the woods.

Chlorophyll

Oak leaves, at Mabry Mill, Meadows of Dan, VA (2020).

The green pigment is the familiar chlorophyll. We see it every day as plants grow and produce foliage. Chlorophyll, contained within a cell’s chloroplast, is responsible for manufacturing sugars during photosynthesis. Carbohydrates, made from oxygen and hydrogen in water, and carbon from carbon dioxide, permit growth and development of the plant. Chlorophyll is continually depleted and replenished throughout the season.

We see green leaves because most of the green wavelengths in light are not absorbed but are reflected instead. Chlorophyll pigments absorb primarily red and blue wavelengths.

Changes occur in late summer as days shorten and temperatures drop. Cells at the base of the leaf’s petiole, where it attaches to the stem, begin to cut off the vascular system. Water and nutrients no longer move freely between the leaves and the stems. Production of new chlorophyll stops, revealing the yellows and oranges. Sometimes the leaf veins are the last parts to change color and remain green as the rest of the leaf turns color (photo, above).

Carotenes and Xanthophylls

yellow fall color, maple in charlotte nc

A maple tree in Charlotte NC.

Carotenoids are composed of xanthophylls and carotenes. These are the yellow, orange, and brown shades seen in plants and animals—daffodils, corn, buttercups, bananas…and canaries, egg yolks, shrimp, fish, and flamingos. These pigments absorb wavelengths from the blue and some of the green parts of the light spectrum, which chlorophyll can’t absorb efficiently.

Xanthophylls and carotenes protect foliage from oxidative stress (cell damage) during photosynthesis. When the tree is exposed to strong sun, carotenoids absorb excess energy from excited chlorophyll molecules and release it as heat. In autumn, carotenes protect leaves as the nutrients are withdrawn from the leaves to the stems. The tree will re-use these nutrients when new foliage emerges in spring.

Beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are more carotenoids, present in leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables. These pigments are good for plants and for us, too—in squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, colorful ripe peppers, carrots, oranges, apricots, and grapefruit.

Between 15 and 30% of tree species have yellow or orange fall color. Trees that turn these colors include hickory, ash, redbud, yellow poplar, birch, aspen, black cherry, sycamore, maple, fringe tree, cottonwood, sassafras, Parrotia, pomegranate, alder, ginkgo, witch hazel, and Katsura.

Lincolnton NC.

Red twig dogwood ‘Arctic Fire’ and yellow-twig dogwood ‘Flaviramea’ stems turn color in cold weather and good sun. Cut back the plants in late winter, almost to the ground, to encourage a multitude of young twigs that will take on color later that fall.

Brown is often the color of cell walls and can appear in the absence of other pigments. Sometimes, leaves turn brown without turning color as a result of an early freeze. A Japanese maple that normally turns red in autumn, for example, can turn brown when the temperature suddenly plummets. Also, a tree that has been cut down in late summer or fall will turn brown instead of displaying its usual fall color. More on that later, under marcescence.

Anthocyanins

Fall color of crape myrtle, Cane Creek Park, Waxhaw NC.

What about the red colors? Unlike the yellows and oranges, the red pigments, called anthocyanins, are produced in the sap when sugars break down in bright light.

This happens after some of the chlorophyll has degraded in autumn and as phosphate levels decrease. Phosphates break down sugars manufactured by chlorophyll in the summer in order to carry out cell activities. However, in the fall, phosphates and other nutrients move from the leaves to the stems.

You might notice that in some years, the red colors are more vibrant than in other years. Rich red colors are visible when anthocyanins are produced in greater quantities. Bright sunny days, adequate soil moisture, and cool but not freezing temperatures foster the blazing displays we look forward to each year.

Edible berries with high levels of healthy anthocyanins.

Nutritionists encourage us to “eat all the colors” of vegetables, greens, and fruits. Anthocyanins, among the most powerful antioxidants, are found in many fruits and vegetables, including apples, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, plums, red cabbage, and red lettuce.

Carotenoids can combine with anthocyanins to form deep orange, scarlet red, and bronze fall colors.

In temperate regions, about 10% of the trees turn red or burgundy. But the percentage can be as high as 70% in areas such as New England. Some plants with predominantly anthocyanin pigments include maple, oak, sweet gum, tupelo, sourwood, dogwood, cherry, and persimmon. Purple-leaved cultivars of smokebush and redbud turn deep red in autumn.

Variety Selection in Your Landscape

burgundy fall color, Japanese maple with lantern

Certain varieties of Japanese maple display great color in summer and again in autumn.

When choosing shrubs and trees for your landscape, be sure to ask the nursery about fall color. There could be several cultivars within a species, each with a different color in autumn.

Japanese maple.

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), for example, comes in many varieties. Red-leaved cultivars of this tree seem to be the preferred choices among customers. Foliage that remains mostly red all summer will gradually deepen to a rich reddish burgundy. And then it suddenly looks as though the plant is on fire, turning bright red. On the other hand, green-leaved cultivars can be multi-colored in the fall, or rich orange, or sunny yellow. It just depends on the cultivar.

If you’re looking for a specimen tree, and fall color is a factor, visit garden centers and public gardens in autumn when the trees show fall color. Research the full botanical names (Genus, specific epithet, and ‘Cultivar’) of the varieties you like.

This is not a guarantee, however, that young potted trees will have the same fall color as established trees. Plants in nursery pots can behave differently than plants in the garden, so take that into consideration.

Fall Color Might Depend on Weather

parrotia persica, reddish fall color in snow

Parrotia persica in the snow.

Seasonal weather conditions also affect a tree’s fall color. In the Maryland garden, a Parrotia persica grew in an island bed. The leaves of this witch hazel relative often turned a bright yellow color. In other years it was amber-gold, and, more rarely, salmon-red.

Prolonged mild fall weather also affects the display. That Parrotia (photo, above) occasionally held its leaves until December. Many oak species keep their orange, russet, rich red, or brown leaves through early winter before shedding them.

Red fall color is particularly dependent upon weather conditions. In 2018, trees that normally turned brilliant red were rather dull here in Charlotte. The heavy rains, high winds, and overcast weather did not promote the production of anthocyanins.

Hormones and Abscission

Abscisic acid (ABA), produced in terminal buds, slows growth and signals the plant to produce bud scales that protect the buds over winter. ABA is also produced in the root system and is translocated to the leaves during drought in the growing season, signaling the leaves’ stomates to close. This reduces transpiration, conserving water content in the plant.

Hormones produced in leaves and in the tips of twigs influence development of the abscission layer. This layer is a few cells thick, characterized by short cells with thin walls, and sits between the base of the leaf stem (petiole) and the twig. During the growing season, higher levels of auxin regulate the influence of ethylene, two hormones, resulting in the leaves’ ability to remain attached. Auxin levels fall in autumn, however, exposing cells in the abscission layer to the effects of ethylene, which promotes leaf detachment.

Cells between the petiole and the twig are differentiated, disintegrating on the leaf end and depositing lignin and suberin on the twig side. This layer of cells is weakened, causing the leaves to fall off by their own weight or with help from wind and rain. Enzymes, such as pectinases, help the process by breaking down cell walls.

Remaining on the twig is a leaf scar, with remnants of vascular strands. Over several days, lignin (tough woody tissue) and suberin (corky bark tissue) will seal the fresh leaf scar, protecting it from infection and desiccation.

Marcescence

Beech tree.

Oaks (Quercus spp.) sometimes remain in brown leaf until early spring. Beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) can be spotted in the winter forest by their tan leaves dangling from the branches. Leaf retention through winter is called marcescence. The reason for this trait is open to speculation.

Nutrient Release

One theory claims that, by holding onto its leaves until new foliage is about to sprout, those newly fallen leaves will stay near the tree’s root system instead of blowing away in the winter winds. Since they have yet to begin decomposition, the nutrients locked inside the leaves will be released at a time when they can benefit the tree—when growth resumes in spring.

Browsing Animals

Another theory indicates that browsing animals are less likely to feed on marcescent twigs. In studies where deer were presented with both marcescent twigs and leafless twigs, they chose the leafless twigs.

Weather Abatement

Maybe the dead leaves help slow down fierce winds, protecting the buds from drying out. Even better is the accumulation of snow, as in the photograph (above) of a beech tree, decreasing exposure even more.

Another possibility is the protective shade cast by marcescent twigs on thin-barked trees, such as beech (photo, below). Large differences in temperatures, between night and day, can damage tissues on the south or southwest side of the trunk. Frost cracks and sun scald can be minimized when the trunk is partially shaded by brown leaves during the warm hours of the day.

If cracks occur, callus tissue will seal them, and healthy bark will compartmentalize the wound. There’s no need to paint it with “wound sealer” products. And never fill the cracks or hollows with concrete or dump rocks and debris at the base of a tree!

When a severe early frost suddenly kills a tree’s foliage, the abscission layer would not have had enough time to mature. Consequently, leaves can cling until those cellular changes occur. Young oak trees might exhibit this feature, but it often disappears with maturity. Sometimes only parts of the tree have leaves that cling.

You might have noticed that trees felled in the summer often hold onto their brown leaves.

Beech tree in winter, Charlotte NC.

Why Do Leaves Fall Off?

For a plant to keep its leaves all year long, resources would have to be consumed at a time when they are less efficiently gathered. When light levels are less than optimal, and cold temperatures suppress metabolic processes, it’s easier for the plant to reabsorb nutrients and drop leaves. Water loss, insect predation, foraging animals, and damage from ice, snow, and high winds are some reasons why it just isn’t worth staying in leaf through the winter. The cost is too great.

Pine tree with aging needles.

Conifers, on the other hand, have adapted to those conditions, and are able to photosynthesize all year. But they do slow down in cold weather. And the sticky sap in some species (pines, spruce, fir, and others) effectively fends off animals and most insects.

Evergreens drop some of their foliage each year; needles don’t cling forever. Some homeowners are alarmed when they see a large percentage of brown needles fall to the ground. That’s normal, as long as the tips of the stems remain green. A pine needle carpet is an effective mulch.

Protective Red Fall Color

Scientists have long speculated on the merits of anthocyanins—the red, blue, and purple pigments. Those adhering to the Photoprotection Theory claim that anthocyanins protect leaves from harmful effects of light. This pigment also helps the tree absorb nutrients more efficiently in cooler conditions, before leaf drop.

‘Miz America’ mustard greens and other brassicas.

Coevolution Theory claims that insects avoid feeding on leaves high in anthocyanins. The red fall foliage color signals them to stay away, but red berries signal birds to come and feast. (***Update***: Growing many flats of colorful fall greens illustrates this point. Among brassicas [mustard, kale, broccoli, cabbage], the deep reddish burgundy ‘Miz America’, one of the mustard greens, is entirely free of damage from caterpillars that ravage green varieties in this group. 10/7/2022)

Dogwood trees, hollies, barberry, and pyracantha have red berries that attract birds. After consuming them, the animals help distribute the seeds. Poison ivy has whitish berries that birds eat, but its foliage is fiery red, signaling birds to come around.

fall color in red berries of winterberry

Fall color in berries of a dwarf winterberry, Ilex verticillata, at Freedom Park, Charlotte NC.

Red colors in some species of maple trees are produced by a different metabolic process than through chlorophyll breakdown. These anthocyanins aid in preventing competition with the tree’s own offspring by stunting the growth of saplings trying to grow nearby. This is one type of allelopathy.

**But Only Part of the Tree is Turning Color**

You might have noticed that a portion of a tree is prematurely turning color while the rest of the tree is still green. I’m not referring to an even coloring at the ends of branches, but rather to the one branch that is conspicuously different in color from the rest of the canopy. That branch is stressed…

on the side of the tree where the roots are exposed to hot sun and poor, dry soil, such as on a south-facing slope (northern hemisphere).
from root compaction.
due to root disturbance, from working in the soil under the tree, severing roots.
because it’s heavily shaded and not contributing to photosynthesis.
from the tree being coppiced, or cut back to the ground. As several stems regrow, the dominant ones interfere with the others. Weaker stems will show early color and die.
due to girdling roots. Maple trees are notorious for this. Look for and sever a root that crosses over the base of the trunk. The trunk will try to grow over the root, but could end up being constricted. Look up from that point, and you might see branches that are developing early fall color. One indication of a girdling root is the absence of an even flare all around the base of the tree. One side of the trunk will look flat where it enters the ground.
from clotheslines, hammock ropes, or other items tied around the trunk or branches, eventually girdling the stem.
where lightning or physical damage stripped bark off the side of a trunk, killing parts of the tree above the damage which no longer receive water and nutrients.
from insects and diseases causing disruption in the flow of water and nutrients, affecting parts or all of the tree canopy. This can happen at the base of a leaf, a twig or branch, in the trunk, or in the roots.

Fall Color and Species Distribution

Red fall color in a maple tree, Lincolnton NC.

Some parts of the world are known for their fall color. Southern Canada, parts of the northern U.S., Scandinavia, northern and western regions of Europe north of the Alps, the Russian Caucasus region, Japan, parts of China, the Korean peninsula, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, and New Zealand’s South Island are some.

Certainly, there are pockets in millions of places around the world with absolutely dazzling fall displays! One option is to create your own by including in your landscape a few specimens with spectacular fall color.

In this country, changes in color begin as early as September in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains, far north Minnesota, and upper New England (far north New York state, Vermont, New Hampshire, and southwest Maine). Southern states, part of the Atlantic coast, and the California interior between mountain ranges begin their autumn displays in November. Check out this map, where you can see how fall color progresses throughout the country.

Speaking of Cold

North America is home to a diverse habitat of 800 species of trees, including 70 oaks. Northern Europe has fewer—51 species, 3 or which are oaks. These numbers do not include cultivars of the species. One thing scientists can agree on: they can’t agree on the number of tree species inhabiting the planet. Some say the number is 10,000, and others estimate over 100,000 species.

During the Ice Ages, North American tree species in southern regions and along the north-south mountain ranges were spared extinction caused by glaciers. As glaciers expanded from the north, trees were able to find refuge farther south of their original range. This took place over thousands of years. The last Ice Age occurred from 18,000 years ago to approximately 12,000 years ago.

However, in Europe, glaciers covered a larger area of land. The Alps acted as a massive barrier to species trying to retreat toward southern latitudes. Those trees were cornered, and then covered up by mile-thick sheets of ice, causing mass extinctions. This explains the disparity in the number of tree species between North America and Europe.

At the height of the last Ice Age, about 18,000 years ago, glacial ice covered one third of the planet’s land surface. Today, about 10% of the land is covered by ice.

Fall color is nature’s last hurrah of the season.

I hope you’ll consider planting trees and shrubs that have brilliant autumn color. If you’re not planning to do any landscaping, you can still enjoy the colors of autumn by visiting parks and public gardens, or by taking a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. Maybe it’s time for a road trip. Don’t forget the camera!

Love it.

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The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Sep25

2018

Updated 10/28/2024

A Trip To the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Yesterday, US 64/US 74-Alt/NC 9 delivered me to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The weather forecast predicted a hot Saturday here in Charlotte. So, I decided to take another trip to the mountains of western North Carolina. There’s rarely a plan or an itinerary of any sort, but I always end up somewhere.

I have been there before, once a couple of years ago to walk the length of the bridge, and many times as a drive-by viewer on my way to…somewhere. If I had stayed home, I would have felt compelled to plant the potted vegetables that were quietly pleading, “Plant us…Plant us!”

View from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

A Little History

This “Gateway to Somewhere Beautiful”, it’s called, opened in 2013, after a new bridge had been built 2 years earlier, right next to it. The original 1925 bridge and now this pedestrian walkway span the Rocky Broad River, which feeds Lake Lure, an easy stroll along the Town Center Walkway. (Parts of the movie “Dirty Dancing” and other movies were filmed here.) Stunning stone backdrops surround the lake, where you can enjoy water sports, dine, or simply sit back and take it all in.

The Visitor Center, between the lake and the garden, houses a small museum with artifacts and informative historical displays. You can trace the history of the Hickory Nut Gorge from the time of the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Read about the area’s involvement in the Civil War and the Gold Rush, to today’s economy, centered around agriculture, industry, and tourism.

The garden has been designated a Monarch Way Station by Monarch Watch. And the National Wildlife Federation includes it in its Certified Wildlife Habitat program. It is known as “Historic Bridge Seven” in the Register of Historic Places.

Path through the gardens, with scenic backdrop.

A short drive down the road is Chimney Rock State Park (“The Last of the Mohicans”) and the always bustling Chimney Rock Village. Here you can enjoy shopping and outdoor dining while being mesmerized by the sound of rushing water cascading down the rocky incline. Did I mention how scenic this area is? Spectacular!

The beautiful Rocky Broad River.

Back to the Garden

A paved pathway takes visitors through a succession of gardens. There’s an herb garden, a fragrance garden, and one that highlights tropicals. And a miniature train garden, succulents, and roses. Annuals are planted here and there, providing vibrant color and nectar for the bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Perennials and woody plants are the backbone of this garden, and each section has a plant list to help identify individual specimens. This garden is open all year, inviting opportunities for new experiences every time I visit.

Expanding gardens spill out over the ends of the bridge span, offering more potential garden space. The parking lot is at one end, near the huge maple tree (2019—now a stump!). Planted near the other end of the garden is a Franklin tree, which no longer exists in the wild. You can stay on the level curvy paved path or explore several side pathways.

There is no charge to visit, but do leave a donation in the box near the lake end of the walk. Contribute $200 (today=?) and have an engraved brick placed along the path. This garden is planted and maintained entirely by a group of hard-working volunteers.

Everywhere you go, you will see whimsical additions to the landscape. There are bird baths with good-luck coins (cameras are watching, the signs say), and repurposed painted doors. That’s a nice touch along a path as the garden transitions into another style or simply to add a splash of color.

You’ll see metal sculptures from inconspicuous to the can’t-miss Opuntia, houses for birds and bees, and an old chair with the seat replaced with a sack of soil and succulents.

Wildlife

: Gulf fritillary butterfly.

: Chrysalis on elephant ear.

: Red-spotted purple butterfly.

The bright orange butterfly is a Gulf Fritillary. Males are bright orange, and females are slightly browner. The caterpillars feed on passion flowers (Passiflora), and adults take nectar from butterfly bush (Buddleia), lantana, zinnia, and other flowers.

Where water drained from one of the raised beds, a butterfly called the Red-Spotted Purple paused for a mineral drink. The larvae of this butterfly feed on several species of trees, including amelanchier, aspen, birch, poplar, and wild cherry. Adults find sustenance from dripping tree sap, rotten fruit, carrion…and dung. Sometimes they sip nectar from spirea, viburnum, and privet flowers. Birds avoid the red-spotted purple because it mimics the poisonous pipevine swallowtail butterfly. But I wonder if that’s the only reason.

This chrysalis (photo, above) clings to the back of an elephant ear leaf. Tropical Colocasia plants add dramatic presence to a garden, with huge green or purplish-black arrowhead leaves.

Another butterfly skipping around the lantana and the basil flowers was the Clouded Sulfur butterfly. Small lizards (green anoles) scurried off when disturbed.

A tall perennial sunflower, Helianthus, for late blooms and bumble bees.

A cultivar of the perennial native sunflower (Helianthus) was a favorite of the bees. This stately plant grows to 7′ tall and offers bright color in sun to partial shade when little else flowers there at this time of year.

A water hose thoughtfully left on the edge of the sidewalk filled a bowl for thirsty dogs. It was a hot day! Heading back to the parking lot, the metal archway misted cool water on visitors who chose to take this route. That felt great.

So, What’s Blooming Now?

Perennials

Pollinators at work on the goldenrod, Solidago. This is not the plant responsible for hay fever.

Camera in hand, I clicked away as others smiled hello or asked “What’s that?” There were visitors from New York, and several from other countries. A lovely woman from Hickory commented on the turquoise-winged wasps all over the goldenrods (Solidago) and was curious to know the name of another yellow flower. It was listed on the nearby clipboard as Rudbeckia fulgida, a small-leaved black-eyed Susan. It’s native to the eastern U.S.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida.

A popular seller at the Maryland markets where I sold plants was Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida, a better choice, in my opinion, than the ubiquitous ‘Goldsturm’. I’m not sure if the specimens on the bridge were R. fulgida, as indicated on the plant list, or R. fulgida var. fulgida. The latter black-eyed Susan, a slightly glossy-leaved variety of the species, starts blooming a week or two later than ‘Goldsturm’, but it continues non-stop until frost.

And it is not susceptible to that unsightly black mildew that often covers leaves of ‘Goldsturm’. Sure, the flowers are smaller, but, to me, it is the superior variety.

Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’.

Reblooming bearded irises (“Update”, below) were budding up for an encore presentation, and chrysanthemums filled in the gaps. Tall, white Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ lit up the partly shaded recesses of the metal archway.

mum and glass sculpture, Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Burgundy chrysanthemum echoes similar color in glass bead sculpture.

More Perennials

New England asters, Gaura, pink turtlehead (Chelone obliqua), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ were finishing up their blooms. Ripening seedheads of coneflowers (Echinacea) and black-eyed Susans attract hungry birds, especially the finches. Now there’s a lesson for visitors to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge—keep the seedpods on the plants for the birds!

Heuchera, also called alumroot or coral bells, is bulking up foliage for what I’m sure will be an impressive display next year. Cooler temperatures bring out a vibrancy in the heuchera foliage that rivals fall tree color. Hummingbirds visit the airy flowers for their sweet nectar.

Also growing in part shade was toad lily (Tricyrtus), with orchid-like purple spotted flowers. It won’t grab your attention as other brightly colored flowers will, but, viewed up close, it has its charms. The fact that it blooms at the end of the growing season and in mostly shady conditions merits placement along a woodland path.

Annuals

Ruellia, sometimes called Mexican petunia.

There’s great botanical diversity on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. The brochure states there are over 700 species of plants in this garden!

A few heat-loving annuals are blooming overtime, such as lantana, scaevola (fanflower), ruellia, cuphea, and zinnia, attracting butterflies and bees. Coleus varieties, partly shaded by the maple tree, will stay in leaf until cold weather or frost claims them.

While perennial gardening offers many benefits, the annuals deliver an abundance of color and the opportunity to grow something different every year.

Violas in our front yard flower through the winter.

In our front garden, near the sidewalk, I planted biennial violas a few weeks ago. Smaller cousins of the pansy, violas bloom all winter and spring in this USDA zone 7b location. They will succumb to late spring’s high temperatures.

The deer are fond of violas, so I spray the plants with a deer repellent every 3 or 4 weeks. These plants will “bridge the gap” in this garden between fall and spring.

Shrubs

Many of the plants on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge have noteworthy features in the fall. When landscaping your property, look for not only flowers, but also ornamental bark, attractive twigginess or structure, fragrance, fall color, fruits, and benefits to wildlife.

Beautyberry

White Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, overhanging Rudbeckia fulgida.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), with branches gracefully bending under the weight of their fruits, is an easy shrub to grow. The birds feed on the ripe berries, distributing their seeds. Robins, mockingbirds, and thrashers will eat the berries when their favorite foods are no longer available.

There are both purple- and white-berried Callicarpa americana shrubs on the bridge. This beautyberry is a multi-stemmed shrub growing 4′ to 6′ tall. It’s native to the southeastern U.S., from Texas to Virginia, in USDA zones 6 to 10. Cultivars of the related Callicarpa dichotoma and other Asian species range from 3′ to 10′ tall.

Purple beautyberry, Callicarpa americana.

I used to cut back the purple beautyberry (C. dichotoma) in our Maryland garden to only 6″ or 12″. Because flowers, and therefore berries, form on new growth, this approach keeps it more manageable in the landscape. In fact, delaying the pruning until mid-spring (instead of late winter to early spring) will cause it to leaf out a bit later, keeping the plant even shorter and less “wild” looking.

Beautyberry is undemanding in a casual mixed border. This plant vigorously self-seeds, although birds consume many of the fruits.

Colchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’.

Planted near purple beautyberry in the Maryland garden, a fall-blooming bulb called Colchicum autumnale ‘Waterlily’ perfectly echoed the berries of the shrub. It is poisonous, so use with caution.

Mosquito Repellent

Fresh leaves of American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, contain a substance that is said to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects.

I haven’t tried the beautyberry, but catnip (Nepeta cataria) always did an excellent job keeping mosquitoes away from me. Simply crush a leafy stem and rub it on your skin, adding a few drops of water to help distribute the natural repellent. If I reapply the solution soon after the first one dries, mosquitoes keep their distance all day. Prepare a concentrated solution a cup at a time and store it in the refrigerator, where it can last for a few weeks.

Strawberry Bush

Native strawberry bush, Euonymus americanus.

Another shrub sporting curious-looking fruits is “hearts-a-bustin”, or strawberry bush. Euonymus americanus, native to the eastern U.S. (zones 6 to 9), is a suckering shrub, growing eventually to about 6′ by 6′. Inconspicuous flowers develop dark orange-red fruits in autumn, providing food for birds, but they’re toxic to us.

The untamed nature of this shrub is well suited to a wild native garden or on wooded slopes. Deer feed on the foliage and twigs.

This plant is susceptible to crown gall and, like other Euonymus species, to euonymus scale. But it does have interesting characteristics if you’re looking for a native plant to add to a woodland garden. Strawberry bush tolerates clay or sandy soil and growing near black walnut trees.

The Franklin Tree

Franklinia tree, F. alatamaha, at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

The Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha.

A Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) grows near the lake end of the path. This medium sized tree is related to Camellia and Stewartia, in the family Theaceae. It has late season white flowers, vibrant red fall color, and ornamental striated bark. It needs well-drained, acidic soil, and dislikes compacted clay and wet conditions. Don’t plant it where cotton has been grown.

Franklinia has the reputation for being difficult to grow, but if you live within zones 5 to 8 and welcome a challenge…

Pennsylvania botanists John Bartram (1699-1777) and his son, William (1739-1823), “discovered” this plant in 1765. They collected specimens, saving the species from extinction, and named it in honor of their friend, Benjamin Franklin. All existing Franklin trees originated from specimens collected over 200 years ago, near the Altamaha River in Georgia. Unfortunately, it disappeared from the wild at about that time.

Styrax Japonica

Japanese snowbell, Styrax japonica.

Another tree, one of my favorites, is the smooth-barked Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica). This is a finely branched medium-sized tree with fragrant dangling delicate white flowers that appear after the spring rush is over. Some of the seedpods can be seen splitting open (photo taken Nov. 3), revealing brown seeds inside.

The species has a lovely broad umbrella-shaped canopy, but newer cultivars tend to be more upright. It grows in zones 5 to 8. A pink-flowering cultivar is available.

Time To Go

On the road again, Route 64 climbs to a cool 2500′ elevation as it continues winding through small towns and apple fields toward Hendersonville, where I sometimes have a hefty tuna sandwich on marbled rye before heading home.

I’d like to see the garden’s winter light display, so I might return to see that. But the fall color in the mountains of western North Carolina will probably draw me back in a month or two. Most likely, the trip will include a stop at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.

Update: November 3, 2018

A pair of painted gourds.

On a quest for pictures of fall foliage in the foothills and lower elevation mountains of western North Carolina, I was reminded instead of the consequences of recent storms: broken limbs, toppled trees, and some rockslides…but no photo ops of fiery maples or golden hickories. The power of nature!

Today’s trip to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge presented a few new subjects…

The rich purple reblooming irises didn’t disappoint. Several plants were in full flower, and some had more buds yet to unfurl. Blue fall-blooming asters welcomed busy honey bees, and purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) still had some flowers. Clusters of yellow quilled petals crowned a robust Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’.

Reblooming iris.

: Fall-blooming aster.

: Late blooms of Rudbeckia s. ‘Henry Eilers’.

Throughout the garden, seasonal decorations nestled in among the plants and structures. Pumpkins of various shapes and colors, painted squashes, sequined straw-stuffed figures… Soon these undoubtedly will give way to wintry themes and holiday lights.

A local company called Mark of Excellence, Inc., had just completed building this new information kiosk (photo, below). Mark, like all other contributors to this garden, volunteered his services for the enjoyment of all visitors.

Even though it’s November, you can see that the growing season is hardly at an end! Visiting public gardens, parks, farmers’ markets, and garden centers during off-peak times of the year will tempt you with some of these season-extenders.

It doesn’t take much to get me outdoors, but give me some plants to fuss over, admire, or photograph…and, well…dinner will be a little late.

Information station at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

The new information station.

Hurricane Helene

This section added 10/7/2024:

Mark Huneycutt documented what he has seen, and here’s one of his videos:

I walked to Chimney Rock for answers… Hurricane Helene Aftermath – YouTube

Added 10/28/2024:

Asheville is Worse than We Realized – Can They Rebuild?

Thank you again.

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Dealing With Deer: A Multi-Pronged Approach

Aug23

Dealing With Deer: A Multi-Pronged Approach

Today’s garden projects include adding netting and tall stakes around the tomato plants that the deer have nibbled. There are lots of fruits on the ‘Big Beef’ tomato, and I don’t want to lose any of them as these animals tug on the vines.

Your perception that there are more and more deer roaming our neighborhoods is valid. Several accounts I’ve read over the years claim that there are far more white-tailed deer now than there were in colonial days.

The Costs Add Up

Damage to our landscapes, to farm produce, and to our vehicles is staggering. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 1.3 million vehicular collisions with deer cause more than 150 human deaths and tens of thousands of injuries per year. The damage amounts to over $3500 per vehicle. Add the suffering from Lyme disease and other diseases caused by infected deer ticks, and the toll climbs.

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, so be especially vigilant then. Mating season occurs in the fall, and there’s only one thing on their minds at that time of the year. This is when accidents are more likely to happen, so, in the absence of oncoming traffic, use your high beams to warn the deer and to light up the edges of the road.

About a decade ago, I was driving slowly through known deer territory (Brookeville Rd. in Brookeville, Maryland) when one of them came flying off the bank and over the hood of my pick-up truck. I missed him by an inch. Or he missed me. Two other times, in Thurmont, Maryland, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, my truck did make contact, but there was no damage. They walked away apparently unharmed, but I’m not sure the deer didn’t suffer at least a little.

Keep Your Distance

Deer are powerful animals; do not attempt to approach them to scare them away or to “make friends”. They’re becoming bolder and more comfortable in our suburban neighborhoods, even in mid-day. Years ago, in my almost-enclosed back yard, I startled 2 large animals, who reacted by thundering randomly through the yard, looking for an exit. They were unseen, blending in with the background, and perfectly still, until suddenly…they weren’t.

I was able to back up and reach the kitchen door just in time. This incident was a vivid reminder that they can kill you!

Yeah, adorable…

Changing Diets

Don’t get me wrong. I love animals. But the damage to our landscapes and vegetable gardens is enormously frustrating! The time, effort, and money invested in our gardens are wasted if we can’t realize the benefits.

Astilbe.

Numerous websites have lists of plants that describe those species severely, sometimes, or rarely damaged by deer. These are guidelines only. Deer that eat Astilbe, Asarum, and Brunnera in one part of the country might not touch it in another state—not yet. When they’re desperate for food, they’ll try almost anything.

Deer might be more likely to feed on plant species they evolved with, in other words, native species. When deer pressure builds (a large population in a limited area or during drought), they will sample the exotics, or imported species. If they don’t die or get sick, they’ve found another item they will teach their offspring is safe to keep on the menu.

In fact, some studies indicate that deer prefer imported flowers, trees and shrubs, which compose a greater percentage of our landscapes. Even though they had passed up the Asarum europaeum (European ginger) in the Rockville, Maryland, garden for 25 years, they decided in year 26 and afterward that it was perfectly yummy!

Deer are now accustomed to browsing in residential communities, where there’s an abundance of well-maintained plant material. We fertilize and water on a regular basis, making them that much more tender and palatable to animals.

The formerly common native wildflowers have almost entirely been consumed by deer and are not regenerating. The rapid increase in deer populations, from lack of predators, is changing the character of both our native and cultivated landscapes.

Decades of Observation

After watching deer for many years, I can confidently assert that taking a “multi-pronged approach” is the most effective way to keep deer at a distance. Sure, one product will work pretty well for a short while. But the key to long-term success is to use several different repellents or barriers at a time. Mix it up a little!

Dozens of products can be found in garden centers, hardware stores, online, and at home and garden shows. There are sprays that smell like rotten eggs, mint, and rosemary. Others taste bad. You can buy capsules containing dried coyote urine, giving the impression that there are predators around. And then there are the barriers that prevent access to the plants.

Although it is often said that deer do not climb steps, a Maryland neighbor discovered that they do. After finding a large potted hibiscus on Julie’s deck, they regularly climbed the 5 or 6 steps to get to it.

Headings

Page 1: The Costs Add Up, Keep Your Distance, Changing Diets, Decades of Observation

Page 2: Deer Repellents (Sprays and Tablets, Repellex, More Spray Repellents, Devices, Granules, Barriers, Deer Netting, Gravel and Santolina, Got Milk?, Eggs, And A Few More)

Page 3: Plants That Deer Love (Hosta = Deer Bait), Plants Deer “Might Not Eat”, and What To Do

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Pages: 1 2 3

The Resilience of Plants: Confined Spaces

Drimiopsis Maculata

Repotting Drimiopsis

Classification Confusion

Binomial Nomenclature

Swiss Chard

Agave

The Old Orchid

Bonsai

Headings

How To Make a Festive Evergreen Swag

What is a swag, exactly?

Step #1: Gather Materials For the Evergreen Swag

Using Evergreens From Your Gardens

Buy a Taller Christmas Tree For More Greens

Berries and Seedpods

Cones

Other Materials For the Evergreen Swag

Step #2: Prepare the Greens

Step #3: Layer the Greens

Step #4: Add More Layers Of Greens On the Swag

Step #5: A Beautiful Bow For Your Evergreen Swag

Step #6: Pine Cones

Step #7: Finishing Touches For the Evergreen Swag

Celebrate the Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

A New Home and New Gardens!

Inspections

The Lay of the Land

Preliminary Plans for New Gardens

After Moving In

Trees and Shrubs

Poor Pruning Practices

The Root of the Problem

Constricted

Flares and Girdling Roots

English Ivy

Headings

Native Plants vs. the Non-Natives

The Benefits of Native Species

First, native plants require less pampering to get them established.

Second, gardeners concerned about local pollinators choose plants that foster bees, butterflies, and other animals that pollinate farm crops and wild vegetation.

Making a Case For Single Flowers

Third, planting a multitude of native species helps secure the future of threatened or endangered insects and animals.

Fourth, incorporating native plants into the landscape helps keep the entire food chain intact.

Native Species and Nativars

Red Leaves and Wildlife

The Untold Story

Deciduous Trees For the Eastern U.S.

The Hollies

The Curious Case of Crape Myrtle

Evergreens

Good Looks

Before Planting Trees

Headings:

It’s Time To Plant Trees!

Room For Improvement

Plant Trees To Transform Your Landscape, In Two Parts

The Sun’s Path

For the Record

Drawing Up the Plans

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Tools Of the Trade

Start the Sketch

Elevating Your Skills

Simple Might Work Better

Symmetry vs. Balance

Depth Perception

Take This Photo, For Example

Options For Cooling

Headings:

Mabry Mill

Getting to Mabry Mill

Caution

Camera’s Ready

Building Mabry Mill

The National Park Service

Farther Up the Road

Biodiversity

From the first superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stanley Abbott:

2020: The Year That Wasn’t?

**What is a swag, exactly?**

**And, if there’s one thing we could use more of, it’s nature.**