Native Plants Almost Gone Wild

Cardinal flower has held our attention for many years.  Starting with a single purchased plant from Sandy Mush Herb Nursery, we learned by both experience and books the habits and needs of this native plant.  Much of what is written does not agree with what we have  seen but little credence is given to the observations of two former math teachers.  Our plan is to find a location where this native will grow without human assistance.  This is a moisture loving plant and the rough road to the gravel bank created a basin, with no outlet, that holds water after rainfall.  This should be enough liquid to both keep the plant alive and encourage its seeds to sprout.  Both the Cardinal flower and the roughly chopped leaves were placed here.  Unfortunately, Garlic mustard seeds were hiding in the leaves.  Some were removed but more need to go.  That will happen soon.

 Directly adjacent to the roadway, sword like leaves grew but no flowers were seen.  Blue flag is another native plant that we have purchased but we were unsure about their actual identity.  They closely resemble Siberian iris so our question was valid.  Since a nearby bog is loaded with Blue flag growing in shallow standing water, there is a chance that these plants grew from their seed.  These flowers are the first to appear here and with any luck we will have a total of six blossoms.  It is solidly possible that these native plants grow in close proximity to each other in a natural setting.  The fern also meets the conditions to escape a jerk from the weeder.  The gravel bank hill delays the arrival of direct sunlight so these plants are slow to begin their year's growth escaping some of the harsh temperature swings of early Spring.  If we can eliminate the Garlic mustard, there is an excellent chance that these plants will survive on their own.  Brilliantly colored red flowers should fill this area later in the year.  More photos can be expected. 

A More Natural Setting

Cardinal Flower is a native plant that does not grow freely in our area.  North or south of  the Southern Tier of New York, this plant flourishes but here it is rarely seen in the wild.  Despite the low chances of success, we continue to search for a wild location that will meet the needs of this treasure.  The time between initial snow melt and somewhat stable temperatures is when this plant dies out.  A naturally protected location is what we are searching for.

Here at the base of a north facing slope, snow melt comes later than nearby places.  Additionally, water drains down the hill and is trapped by the nearby road to our gravel bank.  Cardinal Flower needs generous amounts of moisture in addition to protection from early hard frosts.  Last year ten of our potted plants were set out in this wild ground.  A generous mulch of fallen tree leaves was placed to try to limit the growth of undesirable weeds.  All ten plants survived.

What actually survived was the new growth that appears in the fall as the flowering stem dies.  Under the best conditions, six new daughter plants will appear long before snow season.  These evergreen young plants will flower the following summer if all goes well.

This photo taken in August shows the beauty of Cardinal Flower.  A single blossom consists of three downward pointing petals with two additional ones spread upward looking like wings.  A white beard tops a tubular structure that leads to the ovary where seeds may form.  Hummingbirds find these flowers irresistible and visit them often even while we are working close by.  It is not uncommon for a hummingbird to momentarily hover close to Becky's face as if thanking her for providing these flowers.

Seeds formed and dropped last year will not germinate on this moist ground until the soil has warmed.  It may be as late as July before the from seed basal rosettes are seen.  They look much like the new growth seen in the first picture.  That is the form that they will take into winter.  If this year's new growth is killed by frost, there is still the possibility that from seed new plants will survive next winter.  Even with two different methods of providing for the next generation, this plant remains uncommon here.

These blades of green new growth may belong to another native treasure Blue Flag.  If that is the case these two plants will look good together.  It is possible that what is actually here may prove to be Yellow Flag.  If that is the case our removal efforts will focus on both the Yellow Flag and the Garlic Mustard.  Neither of these highly invasive aliens will be allowed to grow freely here.  In the long run both will likely survive but it will not be because we did not try to end them.

Natives Or Aliens?

In my opinion when it comes to the garden, it is not where you are from it is how you behave that matters.  I adore native wild flowers like this lovely Virginia Bluebells.

However I also love many alien plants including the snow drops that come up early in the spring and raise my spirits after a long, sometimes longer than others, winter.  I never worry about having too many snowdrops.  They do naturalize, but they do it in such a dainty controlled way.  I don't think you will ever read about out of control snowdrops taking over anywhere.

 The snowdrops in this picture are definitely not the aggressor!  The other plant is the villain!  Now we come to a plant that I consider a pernicious weed!!  Garlic Mustard, Alliaria officinalis,  is an alien with some serious behavior problems!  I have never liked the plant and I never planted it, but while I was not watching it has grown up what seems like everywhere.  Brought to this country as a potherb, the plant is a favorite of foragers like "Wildman" Steve Brill.

He would be after the tender pointed leaves and flower buds.  The plant is described a spicy and hot to some and bitter to others.  Frankly I would welcome a busload of foragers if they would pull up the plants and take them home! 

The basal leaves are shaped like violet leaves.  I have been pulling this plant, but when I discovered that the plant apparently destroys mycorrhizae fungi in the soil I declared war!  Ed's trailing arbutus and other wildflowers need the fungus in the soil to survive,  Even the Eastern red backed salamander is reportedly endangered by this plant.  So if you are looking for a garden alien to eradicate this is one you can go for with gusto.  If you want to eat it do some research first.  Here I just want it gone !!!

March Has Arrived

This first day of March featured both garden work and a walk in the woods.  At our age we need to vary our activities to limit the impact of various physical impairments.  Today we got it right.  After activity ice on the hips was all that was needed to control the pain following outside work.  If we can stay smart, we may get to work every day weather permitting.

Partridge Berry is a native wildflower that persists in our dry woods.  When we happen upon it, the patches are usually small or limited to a single plant.  We encountered a huge group of these plants while exploring a nearby waterfall.  Conditions there favored its growth.  Here the plant is in competition with escaped pasture grasses.  There is little doubt about which plant will survive.  The consequences of early farming activity continues to inhibit the occurrences of our native plants.

These plants were growing under the fallen tree leaves.  I simply cannot understand how covered plants continue to function when fallen leaves block their exposure to life giving sunlight.  Jane has told us of finding arbutus plants in bloom when the only clue to their existence was their scent drifting on the breeze.  She brushed aside the covering leaves to find arbutus plants in full bloom despite the blanket that had hidden them.  Willing to take no chances, I keep my arbutus clear of fallen leaves with careful hand picking.

We planted snow drops near the memorial bench built to mark the final  resting place of Becky's parents.  The pictured plants self seeded from the introduced plants.  They have pushed their new growth above the leaf cover in most spots.  Some leaves have been pierced by the new growth.  The serious bad news here is the appearance of a garlic mustard plant.  We have recently read that garlic mustard puts a chemical into the soil that may limit the growth of desired plants.  It directly attacks the mycorrhizae fungi that aide wildflowers in extracting nutrition from poor woodland soil.  This garlic mustard will have to go.  Garlic mustard is on the eradicate list for 2017.

The mechanics of how seeds naturally dropped on the soil surface form underground bulbs has always puzzled me.  Here bulbs were found growing above the ground.  They were carefully pushed into the soft moist soil.

Becky found this hemlock tree with two trunks growing in the back woods.  The near trunk is dead and it was likely opened by a Pileated Woodpecker.  We frequently hear the sounds of their drilling echoing from the ridges but rarely see them.  The fascinating texture of the exposed dead wood needed to be photographed.  We wonder what creature will find this opening to be a suitable home site.

This tree had the misfortune of taking root along the line separating a field from the woods.  A fence was set to keep the cows in the pasture.  The tree simply grew around the wire.  Seven strands of barbed wire seems excessive but as original strands weakened with rust new wire was simply added.  The fallen fence post shows that the tree survives long after the artificial posts rotted and fell.  We will need leaves to identify the type of tree still growing here.  Scars in the bark limit accurate identification.  The tree is showing buds so identification should be possible when they open.

A Slow Start But A Wonderful Beginning

This morning  the temperature started out in the twenties, but it's April now, and with the sun shining by this afternoon it was glorious outside.  Enough snow had melted for Ed to put his new lettuce plants out on the wall for a little fresh air and sunshine.  He took his tools and headed down to work on the muddy driveway.

I got the camera and went to take a walk exploring today's  newly uncovered patches.  My spirits really got a lift when I spotted a wooley bear caterpillar. I've seen one or two very frozen looking ones before this spring, but this caterpillar was alive and moving.  I gently picked him up and he curled up into a ball in my hand.  It might have been awake for a very short time.  Perhaps I should have let him be, but I couldn't resist.  After all these years, I'm still just a big kid. The other great thing in this picture is the green grass.  Once uncovered and  heated by the sun the brown thatch is giving way to new growth.  At last there is something green for the deer to eat besides my garden plants.

As I walked by the stone patio, I picked up this uprooted, dried out and dead thyme plant.  Apparently the deer don't eat the roots, they spit them out and leave them for me.  Once I had future compost in my hand it was inevitable that I headed to the basement to get my  trug and garden cart.  The rattle of its wheels was music to my ears and I only had to cross a short patch of snow to get to where I could work on the bed in front of the house.  Mostly I cut back dead seed heads and stalks of  New England asters, Black-eyed Susans and Brown-eyed Susans, Rudebeckia triloba. I picked up a lot of black locust seed pods. They are everywhere this year.  It's too soon to do much in  the garden beds when it is still so wet.  I kept my cart on the stones and worked only where I could easily reach.

I wasn't going to pull weeds. It is really too soon.   I don't like it when they break off leaving the root behind, but a pernicious  garlic mustard was too much for me and I gave it a good yank!

What could give a gardener more satisfaction than pulling a hated weed and getting all of that incredibly long tap root?  Oh my, that felt good!  I didn't stay out too long.  One container of weeds to compost was a great beginning.  Like Ed's lettuce I had my time in the garden to enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air.  We don't want any sunburn and I have hope for tomorrow without sore muscles!

Quick Garden Thaw

It was kind of a dreary day, but with the snow completely gone from the garden I just had to walk around and take a look.

Ed's gorgeous stone entrance to the basement was all cleared of snow.

The lamb's ear looks fuzzy and fine!

In the bed down by the road most of the plants look great, but this perennial flax looks especially terrific.

This big mound of foxglove  looks all ready to put on a magnificent show in the spring.

Of course the weeds are  getting ready for spring too. This garlic mustard just begs to be pulled, but the ground is only soft at the surface.  I'll deal with it later.
 

Finally a very small patch of yellow caught my eye as I headed inside. I suspect it is a temporary fungus. If you click on the picture to make it bigger and look closely you can see a tiny slug.  I have never seen one that small before. I usually dispatch slugs found in the garden, but this baby slug was a cute as they ever get. I let him live. It was fun to see the garden uncovered briefly but I'm sure these plants would like their blanket of snow back.  It sounds like they won't have long to wait!

Weeding In The Shade

A hot sunny day always sends me looking for a shady place to work.  In our garden at this time of year shade is scarce.  It was no surprise to Ed to find me weeding in the shade garden.  Many of the shade garden plants are gorgeous now.  The white star of Bethlehem and the pale blue bluets are stunning.  That bright  spot of blue next to the tree is a planting of Spanish bluebells. On the far side the red of a wild columbine can be seen.  I need my glasses to weed in this bed.  I search among the favored plants for those plants that I know to be weeds.  Pink poppies, thistles, sunflowers, clover and garlic mustard find there way here.  Some people have the idea that planting native wildflowers means you can just sit on the bench and enjoy the view.   You can for awhile, but over time those nasty weeds and invasive plants like garlic mustard will try to muscle in on your prize plants.  To the invaders I say "I'm watching you, and I love to weed in the shade!"