Plug List

Perhaps it was the great, warm weather we've had for weeks--all winter really--that has had me outside even more than normal for this time of year...whatever the reason, I have been putting off creating a list of plants that I want to order as plugs from my favorite native plant nursery--Archewild in Quakertown, PA (formerly known as American Native Nursery).  I just finished composing a list and I want to post it here for future reference.

My list...although I want them all, those with asterisks *** are my top choices.

1. Eragrostis spectabilis   (purple lovegrass)***
2. Gentianopsis crinite (greater fringed gentian)***
3. Tripsacum dactyloides  (eastern gamagrass)***
4. Sporobolus cryptandrus  (sand dropseed)***
5. Fragaria virginiana  (Virginia strawberry)
6. Deschampsia flexuosa  (wavy hairgrass)
7. Bouteloua curtipendula   (sideoats grama)
8. Bouteloua gracilis      (blue grama)  PA ecotype?  I only looked at once source, but didn’t think it was native to PA
9. Tridens flavus  (purpletop)  Height? —one source listed it as 2-7ft tall...that is quite a wide range!

Now...I'll have to call and hope they are still available.  Next, I'll move on to ordering more seed from Ernst Seed Company for my meadow planting.

Spring is in the Air

Despite the dusting of snow still on the ground in the shady areas when I got up, today felt a lot like spring to me--yesterday too.  I was outside both days.  I was actually happy for the snow, since I had planted some of my meadow seeds outside yesterday (more on that in another post), and I am hoping they will go through some more freezing and thawing (although the forecast has us in the 60s this week--and it is only early March).

I took a few shots of some birds that frequent our yard because of the frequent offerings of black oil sunflower seeds.  I was hoping the emerging pussy willow buds would add a sense of spring to the photos of the birds perched there.

These were the bird photos I thought I'd be posting about.  Little did I suspect that my favorite tenants would show up today! :)

Walking into the kitchen, I peered out the window into the side yard...

It always surprises me that I can spot a bird approximately 300 feet away--although, I've been mistaken at times...this time, I felt sure that the bluebirds had come to check out their favorite nestbox in the yard.  (I'm glad I cleaned it out a month or two ago.)  In my excitement, I ran for the camera that I'd left in the other room.  Sure enough, their was a bluebird perched atop the birdhouse.

The photos are not that clear, but clearly the pair has returned (I always assume it is the same pair that I started with...or some of their descendants).  Although I am happy to see a multitude of native birds nest in the yard (and I want more), when the bluebirds return to nest, it always brings me a special kind of joy. ~smile~

 


Last year, for some reason, I was concerned that they would not return.  They did.  However, they only raised one brood instead of the two (sometimes three?) that they normally do--a pair of tree swallows took their favorite box after their first brood fledged.  I'm hoping that they maintain control of that nestbox and are able to raise three broods this year--if my gut is right, it will be an early spring.  If so, perhaps with an early start, they can squeeze in three broods. :)

Harbingers of Spring

For a couple of weeks, I have been keeping my eye out for the return of the red-wing blackbirds.  Early, I know, but, with much warmer than usual temperatures in February, I was really starting to think spring.  As is my habit, on my drive into work, I began to scan the roadsides where I've seen red-wing blackbirds staking their claim in the past few years.  Normally, I don't start looking in mid-February though.  For the past two weeks, I'd yet to see one, then, this morning before leaving for work, I looked out the window into the back yard, and there were about half a dozen male red-wings feeding on the black oil sunflower seeds I put out!  It made my day.

I had forgotten that we had a little snow overnight.  Just a coating...but still...

In my mind, spring is really here--I was taught that the males come first to stake out their territory, then in two weeks the females arrive...along with spring!

My mood was only slightly dampened by seeing a European starling along with them.  Even that couldn't dampen my spirits.

Still Not Finished

Even with an extra day in February this year, I am still not finished with my winter sowing.  Over the past 2 weekends, I have sorted through my seeds, and I even sowed the wetland species that I collected last year.

I plan to direct sow a custom mix of native seeds (including those that I collected myself), but I will also want to plant some of several species as plugs to add as needed.

Today, I filled four trays full of pots (from those that I purchased last year--and probably I've yet to post about).  I had an open bag of Promix in the greenhouse, and I bought another one which is still unopened by our sliding glass door along with a potted tray of last years seed order.  I'm hoping that they will all still germinate.

 Well, it has been a strange winter...but we will still have some freezing and thawing as spring arrives, so I am hoping my seeds will germinate with no problems.  Honestly, I am not even sure if most (or any) of them even need cold, moist stratification.

I'm looking forward to spring...and making more progress on the native meadow I have envisioned here for years now.

At it Again

For years now, I've collected seeds of native plants from my yard...and the roadside.  I propagate them...and as the years go by, I seem to collect more and more--I do have 2 acres to fill. ~smile~

Early this fall, I was out collecting things and waiting for more to ripen.  After a while I slowed down...I think I collected a bit more last year than this.  Today, while walking the yard, I spotted some seedheads of one of my favorite goldenrods--early goldenrod (Solidago juncea--I had to look that up).  Up until now, I've not included the seeds of Solidago species in my seed mixes--they have occurred naturally on their own, and through natural succession, the goldenrods do eventually seem to take over.  I want to include them--for their beauty and their high wildlife value.  I just don't want to speed up the succession process.  I'm making an exception with S. juncea...it doesn't appear to be one of the goldenrod species that tends to make huge stands.

I collected the seeds of the 2 or 3 individuals that showed up a couple of year ago--they've not spread on their own...and, being a favorite, I want many more of them.

Before my walk was over, I'd collected a handful of the goldenrod seeds along with some frost aster, and a few other aster species.



I'll add this bouquet to my seed collection.  February is fast approaching--that has become my traditional winter sowing month. 

Winter Dreaming





 





 

potential bench:  a before picture



 




Despite how quiet I've been, I have been making steady progress--even some large strides in some areas.  I've even had some "post-worthy" wildlife encounters.  My best bet for sharing those are to go through the past year or so's pictures and share them (and the stories that go with them) as I rediscover them.  It is hard to believe that I've basically lost a year of so of documenting my progress.

Yesterday, I was out walking the yard, waiting to see if we'd even get an inch of snow from the huge storm (Jonas, I think) that was walloping areas south of here.  We got nothin'

Surprisingly, I was a little disappointed, (considering how THRILLED I've been with the unseasonably warm weather we had in November and December--I worked outside every chance I had).  Part of me wanted about 2 or 3 inches, just enough to blanket the ground to simplify and beautify the yard.

While walking, my mind toyed with various ideas I've had lately about making a natural-looking bench that would blend in with the natural landscape I envision for our habitat garden.  As I walked past a 5-foot tall locust tree growing at the edge of a path alongside my future native meadow, instead of my usual thought of cutting it down (it is invading the meadow which I want to keep in an earlier stage of succession)...I looked to the lower branches and decided to cut the tree right above its three lowest branches--my thoughts, far-fetched perhaps, are to encourage it (and manipulate it) to grow some low, thick, horizontal branch (a horizontal trunk really), that I will eventually be able to turn into a natural seating area.  Eventually, I plan to kill the tree...but its wood resists decay, so I'm hoping I'll have it for many years to come--assuming the idea comes to fruition.


The placement, right by the path and in the middle of the meadow, seems ideal for a "bench.



Cut to the lowest branches...bench height.

This will be trained to grow horizontally...or even arch to the ground.

Here is another potential (and more realistic) natural seating area.  This  was my first idea--using a chainsaw to carve out a bench that would (hopefully) appear natural.  This wood, though, is already showing signs of decay, so its life span would be fairly short.

You've Got to be Kidding Me

First, I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted anything here!  Second, after a long stretch of unseasonably warm weather (which I got very used to), things have gone unseasonable in the other direction; the temperatures went below freezing over night--into the 20s!  We had snow today--not that it lasted.

The last time I put off posting was on April Fools' Day--another day we got snow! (...and I wasn't happy about that either--even though it didn't last either.  (I searched for the April snow pictures, but didn't find them.  I doesn't matter--the purpose of this post it to start me posting again anyway.)

Some flurries this morning and ...

...hail this afternoon.  Okay, I confess, both pics are of hail.
I slept in this morning...and it is hard to take pictures of snow!

  

I have to get past the idea that everything must be kept in chronological order--that has kept me from posting all sorts of things...until I post what had happened prior to it.

So, later (I'm a procrastinator, remember), I will post some highlights of that past several (plus) months.