Prairie Garden by Rick

Was anyone else excited to see the sun still in the sky this evening during the commute home? Warmer temperatures, the sun, birds chirping! Am I dreaming?

While I'm rather certain that we may still get at least one more cold snap of the season, I'm definitely thinking Spring. As we sit back pondering all of the yard chores that is ahead of us this coming season, and trying to figure out what we're going to conquer next in the garden, perhaps we can get some suggestions or ideas from fellow members and their wonderful plantings.

These photos are from Rick W. capturing his backyard prairie garden in Downingtown, PA, which he began six years ago. His main herbaceous plants are:

• Big and Little Bluestem
• Switchgrass
• Culvers-Root
• Butterflyweed
• Queen-of-the-Prairie
• Purple Coneflower
• Blackeyed-Susan
• Rattlesnake Master
• Gayfeather

He also has some woody plants on the east side of the garden:

• Serviceberry
• New Jersey Tea
• Virginia sweetspire
• Summersweet
• Spicebush
• Smooth Sumac (volunteers)

He includes birdfeeders with black sunflower seed and thistle seed and a bird fountain.

Summer 2005

Summer 2008

October


Rick, your pictures are lovely and the gardens are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing these with the other members.

Everyone, continue sending in emails that you would like to see posted.

Homeowners Course Completed

Saturday definitely brought warmer temperatures, but a few nature lovers were sitting inside the walls of Penn State Brandywine talking garden plans, trees and critters. Our second Homeowners Wildlife Habitat Course for 2009 is now complete.

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For those of you who had the opporunity to come out this past weekend, please do not hesitate to share your experience and your habitat plans here. You can even post pictures and get suggestions from other members!

A Little Wildlife Humor

Video: www.usgs.gov

Hurry! Before it's too late!

Sign up for the upcoming

HOMEOWNER WILDLIFE HABITAT CLASS:

CREATE A CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT

Saturday, March 7, 2009

8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Penn State Brandywine

Tomezsko Classroom Building, Room 101

25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, PA 19063

(many thanks to our co-sponsor, Penn State Brandywine!)

COST: $40 per person or $50.00 per couple. (Includes lunch and course materials)

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Habitat destruction is the leading cause of species decline, not only in the rainforests, but here in our own corner of Pennsylvania. As our land is used for human purposes, there is less undeveloped land to sustain birds, butterflies, frogs, insects and other wildlife. We can change how we landscape our individual properties to provide a home and sanctuary for wildlife, as well as for our human families.

Course topics include:

• How to restore and create wildlife habitat on your property by providing food, water, shelter and places to raise young.
• The importance of native plants to our local ecosystem, plant selection and sources
• How to design for people (including children) and wildlife
• Sustainable gardening practices that are good for the earth, people and wildlife
• The process of Wildlife Habitat Certification through the National Wildlife Federation and Audubon.
• Additional resources and information tailored to each homeowners’ landscape.

Lastly, the Invasive Species blog (which we follow) just recently posted a disturbing message for those of us in PA who have Ash trees on our properties!

http://invasivespecies.blogspot.com/2009/02/eab-in-c-pa.html

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Pictures from: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/index.html

The Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Wild Columbine is a native flower of Pennslyvania and grows in a variety of soil and light conditions that range from woodland edges to riverbanks, and gravelly shores and ridges. Columbine is a beautiful, native wildflower which blooms in the spring (April to July). Its drooping flowers are red and yellow, 1 to 2 inches long. Its pollen attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

Growing to a height of 1-2 feet’, columbine does best in partial shade to filtered sun. As the tiny black seeds ripen, they can be collected by hand over several days from August to October by gently tapping the follicle (old flower) into a container.

Picture © Thomas G. Barnes University of Tennessee Herbarium.