Native Gardening

[Alice_Bee]

I have a couple of native coral honeysuckles I have never seen a bloom on, and I took those root cuttings myself, from a blooming coral honeysuckle. (with the owner's permission) If you have any tips, I'd be happy to hear them

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The spring growth has begun!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Here's my native plant seedlings. Royal Catchfly and Hairy Beardtongue are the biggest priorities, along with a few species of grasses. Not growing as big of a variety as I normally do, but I feel like I've got the same quantity as usual.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Last year, or maybe two years ago, I realized there was a red twig dogwood growing along my driveway. I collected six cuttings a few weeks ago and today I noticed roots beginning to form on half of them.

I have no idea where I'm going to plant them yet, but I bet I can find a place for them!

 

[j.w]

Neat find and always room for a new something somewhere in our gardens!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I started this project last spring. There's an area along my driveway that is shaded by a line of maple trees. It's been loaded with weeds for as long as I've lived here. I pulled a ton of weeds and non-native shrubs last year. This year, I was impressed by how few weeds came back. There was quite a few, but maybe only half of the year before. I pulled most of them today.

I added a dozen or so plants last year as well, and they're all coming back. Mostly Wild Geranium, Eastern Red Columbine, and a few ferns. I also added non-native Bleeding Heart that I got from my grandma. This year I'll be adding Hairy Beardtongue seedlings and more geranium/columbine seedlings.

I think the area is starting to took pretty good, though I'm pretty worried about the invasive creeping bellflower my neighbors have just on the other side of the trees. It's been creeping onto my side for the past few years. I pull it when I see it, but it may be a bigger problem in the future.

 

[Alice_Bee]

Beautiful.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I continued working on the area today. There was a thick line of grasses and weeds where the dirt meets the driveway. I removed it all, and found about three more inches of driveway.

The area is now essentially weed-free. I also planted maybe a dozen seedlings. Not much else for me to do now but wait. I'll water occasionally so the young plants can become established.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

At least a half dozen of my Wild Geraniums have opened their first flower of the year today.

Fern-leaf Bleeding heart also started blooming. Native on the west coast, but I had to have it.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The fun keeps going. Found my first Blue-eyed Grass flower of the year! I must have at least 150 clumps and somehow found the first flower.

My columbine looks great today, too!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Took another photo of my new woodland garden yesterday, and then it got its first bloom today!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I've been very happy with my new woodland pollinator garden this year. When I planted these here last year, I was almost certain most wouldn't make it. I think everything I planted survived. Wild Geraniums, Eastern Red Columbine, and Redtwig Dogwood are all blooming now. I also found out that a flowering shrub mixed in with the trees appears to be another native, Nannyberry.

I decided to measure the space today so I know exactly what size it is - I like keeping track so I know how much habitat I'm providing. This area, when complete, could become as much as 540 sq. ft. of woodland pollinator habitat. I had originally guessed it to be around half of that.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

First Monarch in the native garden this year!

 

[Mmathis]

That’s awesome! What are the purple and red flowers? And how much sunlight do they need?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

That’s awesome! What are the purple and red flowers? And how much sunlight do they need?

Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) and Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum). They do well in all lighting conditions in my zone.