GONE NATIVE*

First, let me apologize for such a long hiatus from the blog!  In addition to novice-gardening, I'm also an artist.  I've got a show coming up in October, so I've been pretty consumed with working in the studio.  I'm also a teacher, so with the commencement of a new school year, things around here have been... NUTS!

With that said I'm going to cover some posts I've been meaning to publish for awhile.  This post is dedicated to Kitsy and David's gardens and property in Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C. (Zone 6B). 

We had a lovely dinner there one evening in mid-August, which seems like AGES ago!  Their property is a beautiful balance between tame and wild.  On their 10 acres is a pond, a small orchard, a seedling house and large fields that seem to transport you into another world... which seems like a long, long way from our nation's capital.

We walked around a bit before dinner just to take it all in and to see what was in bloom.  I absolutely love the purposeful inclusion of native plants here that have been left to grow wild.  They are not only sweet little surprises that jump out amidst the tall unruly grasses, but they also serve the health of the local wildlife.  Let's take a look...

(above) This is the view from the back of the house.  There are perennial beds in front of the pond, but Kitsy even allows some indigenous species, like Nodding Thistle, to pop up through the Russian Sage and Peonies. 

An old tree that fell years ago is left to become a beautiful sculptural element along the pond's edge.

Paths are mowed through the native grasses and plants and around trees like this Princess Tree or Empress Tree (non-native).

We stop to smell the flowers.  These Butterfly Bushes are about 14 years old and are HUGE!  When we were admiring them, they were covered with... BUTTERFLIES!  Go figure.  It was lovely.

A couple of Swallowtail Butterflies stopped to have their picture taken.

The blueberry bushes were so healthy and full of berries.  I can't wait for ours to be this plentiful! YUUUUUMMM.

We stopped to admire the showy Cardinal Flower, an indigenous plant.  Unfortunately the deer love it, so Kitsy has caged a few of the others (below).  Interestingly, it is pollinated mainly by Hummingbirds because the shape of the flower makes it easier for them to pollinate.  They were given the name Cardinal's Cap/Flower because they resemble a Roman Catholic Cardinal's robe.  These precious things are quite scarce from picking and from deer feasting... which explains why I've never seen this kind of Lobelia before.

(above and below) At the edge of the pond are Cattails and a tall native flowering plant called Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (pink flower).  Its natural habitat includes damp meadows, thickets and shores, and apparently smells like vanilla when its foliage is crushed.

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed at the pond's edge.

The lovely Pokeweed is pictured above.  This native plant is poisonous, but its emerging shoots can be eaten as greens before the pink appears.  Apparently the colonists used it as a dye to improve cheap wine... HA!  Move over, Franzia.

The field to the right is full of wild native grasses, Queen Anne's Lace and Milkweed.

(above) Common Milkweed is extremely beneficial to the Monarch butterfly.  This plant contains cardiac glycosides, which are similar to digitalins used in treating some heart disease.  When these glycosides are ingested by Monarch butterfly larvae, the larvae and adult butterflies become toxic to birds and other predators.  The Monarch butterfly's sole source of food is the Milkweed plant.

Unfortunately, it got too dark to be able to take a good picture of the Crown Vetch that Kitsy let take over the beds out in front of the house, but here is a picture of this sweet native plant.

And last but not least....DINNER!  There was a seedling house on the property used by the previous owners to start young seedling plants, under the protection of a slatted canopy of lath.... the most wonderful place to eat a meal!  Thank you to Kitsy and David for such a nice visit!

If you are interested in learning more about indigenous plants or visiting a beautifully "maintained" garden full of native species, take a day trip to Wilimngton, DE to visit Mt. Cuba Center.  To find out more click on http://www.mtcubacenter.org/


* resource sited: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers