Wildflower Week Self-Guided Tour | JULY 2020 by Willistown Conservation Trust

Wildflower Week WILDFLOWER WEEK SELF-GUIDED1 TOUR | JULY 2020

Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed). Kristen Henwood

WELCOME TO WILDFLOWER WEEK IN WILLISTOWN! Traditionally each July, Willistown Conservation Trust hosts a Wildflower Walk to celebrate the bounty of native wildflowers that bloom on our conserved lands. This year we couldn’t safely gather, but we hope you will take the opportunity to explore these magical meadows, fields and gardens on your own, and learn how to incorporate some of these ideas in your own backyard. Wildflowers enhance our landscape with their beauty, but their importance goes well beyond what the eye can see. They provide critical food and habitat to native wildlife, help conserve water, reduce erosion and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Throughout this tour you will learn more about both the why’s and how’s of planting native wildflowers and plants, and how you can turn part of your own yard, field, or patio into an oasis of beneficial habitat. As you stand in the Hartman Meadow, or observe the rain garden and wildflowers at Rushton, we invite you to pause and notice the life teeming around you - bees, butterflies, beetles, and birds abound. Here, among these flowers, you’ll see nature at its finest. We hope this experience inspires you and brings you peace and joy this summer season.

CONSERVE. INSPIRE. RESTORE.

CONSERVING OUR LAND Using our conserved lands as a platform, we provide programs designed to benefit people and nature now and in the future: healthy food systems, wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and watershed protection.

INSPIRE OUR COMMUNITY By providing immersive, experiential â&#x20AC;&#x153;in the fieldâ&#x20AC;? teaching of our holistic approach to conservation, we work to foster longterm learning relationships with nature and develop better stewards of the natural world.

RESTORE OUR EARTH Through scientific research and community outreach, our farm, bird, stewardship, and watershed protection programs are implementing and modeling practices that ensure the continued health of local habitats.

We are grateful for all of the supporters of our all-important Annual Fund who continue to help conserve our natural world for future generations. 4

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OUR PRESERVES

WILDFLOWER WEEK SELF-GUIDED TOUR MAP & LOCATIONS

Hartman Meadow Willistown Conservation Trust Office 925 Providence Road, Newtown Square

Rain Garden & Foundation Garden Rushton Conservation Center 915 Delchester Road, Newtown Square

Native Shade Garden Entrance to Rushton Farm Area 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square

Rushton Farm Wildflower Meadow Rushton Farm, crop fields near hedgerow 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square 5

Ashbridge Preserve E. Strasburg Road, West Chester Over 125 native trees and shrubs were planted as part of a streamside buffer restoration project along the west bank of Ridley Creek. Kirkwood Preserve Grubbs Mill Road, Newtown Square Over 600 native trees and shrubs have been planted along Crum Creek and Massey Run within Kirkwood Preserve. To view this area, see the map in the kiosk. Rushton Woods Preserve & Farm 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square The lush woodlands of Rushton Woods Preserve are an excellent space to gather ideas to create your own shade garden. In the spring, native ferns, including Northern maidenhair ferns can be seen along the trails throughout the woodland. Additionally, a woodland restoration project completed in 2017 features a variety of understory trees and shrubs including, eastern redbud, silky dogwood, and winterberry holly.

HARTMAN MEADOW It has been well documented that mowed lawn areas are typically a monoculture of non-native grasses, which require a great deal of time, water, and chemicals to maintain while providing little benefit to wildlife. In 2008, the Trust decided to create a demonstration one-acre wildflower meadow to highlight a simple, attractive, and sustainable planting alternative to a manicured lawn. With over 48 million acres of lawn in the U.S. today and studies indicating worrying declines in bird and insect species due to habitat loss, it is time to begin viewing our lawns as places where conservation can occur. Native plant species provide cover and seeds for birds, provide nectar and food for butterflies, bees, and other insects, and offer aesthetic diversity through their varied colors and textures. Over time, native grass and wildflower species in a meadow generally out-compete the weeds, making the wildflower meadow far less maintenance-intensive than a pure lawn. The roots of established native plants reach deep into the earth, sometimes even mining groundwater, making a native meadow much more drought tolerant than a lawn. The establishment of these deep root systems can take 2-3 years, but the rewards are worth the wait. To ensure the successful establishment of our meadow we purchased about 800-1200 landscape “plugs” (young plants) each year beginning in 2008 and planted them in manageable 20’ x 30’ plots, adding one new plot each year. Plugs were planted one per square foot directly into the existing turfgrass by hand in late April or early May; the turfgrass acts as a cover crop to discourage other weeds. Native grasses were incorporated as plugs or seeds into the plots along with the wildflowers. The plots are mowed only once annually, typically in late March/early April to provide food and cover for over-wintering bird species and other wildlife. -Phlox -Common milkweed -Tall coreopsis

HARTMAN MEADOW

-Virginia mountain mint -Butterfly weed -Joe Pye weed -Leaved goldenrod -Short-toothed mountain mint

-Black-eyed susan -Gayfeather -Sunflower -Purple coneflower

-Culver’s root -Poke weed -Cup plant PR OV I

ER OA D

-Bergamot

HARTMAN MEADOW | was named in February 2020 in honor of the previous Director of Stewardship, Bill Hartman for over thirteen years of service and dedication to Willistown Conservation Trust.

Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)

Coreopsis tripterus (Tall coreopsis)

Eupatorium fistulosum (Joe Pye weed)

Heliopsis helianthoides (False sunflower)

Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot)

Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ (Garden phlox)

Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-eyed Susan)

Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant)

Solidago graminifolia (Grass-leaved goldenrod)

Verbena stricta (Hoary vervain)

Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s root)

Photos: Blake Goll/Staff, Kristen Henwood, Stephanie Kuniholm, Lady Bird Johnson, High Country Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden, Budburst, Gardenia.net, U.S. Forest Service, American Meadows, Cochato Nursery, Centerton Nursery, Gerris, and Wikipedia.

PERENNIALS

RUSHTON CONSERVATION CENTER RAIN GARDEN The Rushton Conservation Center (RCC) driveway wraps around the Rushton Rain Garden, planted in 2018. Designed by Johnathan Alderson Landscape Architects, this garden features a variety of perennials, grasses, and woody plants carefully selected for their ability to withstand wet soils to help mitigate the stormwater runoff created by the paved driveway. Roadways, driveways, and sidewalks carry water to storm drains, which feed directly into our local waterways. This water can carry pollutants and debris like road salts, heavy metals from cars, and sediment that impacts the water quality. Increased development of impervious surfaces, or surfaces that water cannot seep through, can also lead to increased flooding because more water is carried to our streams through the storm drains. Rain gardens are designed to intercept water and help return it slowly back into the ground while filtering out contaminants. They can have deep basins, like ours at the RCC, or the depression can be subtle. Our basin has a drain in the center for excess water during heavy downpours carrying the water downhill to a meadow where it will also slowly filter back into the ground. The plants used in rain gardens, or other soggy areas in a garden, like to â&#x20AC;&#x153;have their feet wetâ&#x20AC;?. Their deep root systems can withstand heavy rainfall over a short amount of time and periods of drought. These plants can also be the perfect addition to areas near downspouts and along driveways. The Rushton Conservation Center Rain Garden was made possible by the generosity of Lida A. Wright.

Graphic by Cornell University.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)

Monarda bradburiana (Eastern beebalm)

Oenethera fruiticosa: (Sundrops)

Penstemon digitalis (Beardtongue)

Rudbeckia laciniata (Cutleaf coneflower)

Aster oblongifolius ‘october skies’ (Aromatic Aster)

Packera aureus (Golden Groundsel)

Solidago “Little Lemon” (Goldenrod)

TREE Thermopsis caroliniana (Carolina Lupine)

Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia)

PERENNIALS

RUSHTON CONSERVATION CENTER FOUNDATION GARDEN The gardens surrounding the Rushton Conservation Center (RCC) and along the entrance drive were designed by Johnathan Alderson Landscape Architects and planted upon completion of the RCC in 2018. All of the gardens at the Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office and preserves have been loosely planned, but the gardens surrounding the RCC exhibit the use of native plants in a more manicured way, maintaining a variety of textures and colors while attracting insects and birds. These gardens also have our largest variety of trees, shrubs, and grasses with perennials scattered throughout. While the flowering plants offer a delightful palette of color throughout the year, several varieties of grasses provide complementary textures and colors ranging from silvery blues like the Bunny Blue sedge to bright greens like Blonde Ambition Grama grass. While celebrating Wildflower Week, we thought you would also appreciate a look at these other options of native plants for your property.

Rendering by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects Inc.

Aster divaricatus (White wood aster)

Geranium maculatum (Cranesbill)

TREES & SHRUBS

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry holly)

Amelanchier canadensis (Shadbush)

Betula nigra (River birch)

Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar)

Rhododenron atlanticum (Coast Azalea)

Bouteloua gracilis “Blond Ambition” (Blue Grama Grass)

Schizachyrium scoparium “standing ovation” (Little bluestem)

GRASSES

PERENNIALS

NATIVE SHADE GARDEN

This enchanting little garden changes throughout the seasons. The life cycle of a shade garden has several important stages including flowering, developing seeds for birds or insects, and decomposing. Some of the plants rise from the soil and tilt their faces to the sun, but the majority of the plants in this garden are for shade or part shade. Shade gardens can help fill gaps under trees and shrubs and add color to wooded areas while creating visual texture throughout all four seasons. All of the plants bring their specialty to this habitat, whether seed or shelter for the birds, color in their flowers, or a tasty morsel from their foliage for a chipmunk. The few plants that prefer a bit of sun are the Stokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aster, Tickseed, and Northern Sea Oats as you can see by their location a bit closer to the front edge of Delchester Road.

Graphic by ABQ Stew.

Anemone canadensis (Canada Anemone)

Coreopsis auriculata ‘Leading Lady Charlize’

Penstemon digitalis (Beardtongue)

Coreopsis verticilata (Thread-leaf coryopsis)

Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh)

Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Kline’ (Beebalm)

Stokesia (Stoke’s Aster)

Stylophorum diphyllum (Wood poppy)

Onoclea sensibilis (Sensitive fern)

Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)

FERNS

PERENNIALS

RUSHTON FARM WILDFLOWER MEADOW In the old days, farming was automatically performed in concert with nature. Hedgerows and wild “weedy” meadows next to farm fields were common; the farm acted as part of the surrounding ecosystem. Now commercial agriculture is much more intensive and often involves clearing all surrounding habitat to make way for expansive farm fields; erosion, soil degradation, and chemical inputs ensue. Rushton is an example of regenerative farming that aims to increase biodiversity, ensure the long-term health of the land, and enhance natural ecosystem services like pollination. The wild meadows you see next to the working farm fields at Rushton provide habitat for a myriad of insects including species that are predators to farm pests and other species that promote pollination of the crops. Research shows that the wild pollination services of native bees and butterflies are twice as efficient as the supplemental services of managed honeybees. In other words, managed honeybees cannot replace wild insects in most cases. Therefore, farmers benefit immensely by adopting wildlife-friendly practices such as restoring patches of the natural landscape in their fields. Our natural wildflower strips have been in place since the birth of Rushton Farm over 10 years ago. Although some perennial plugs were planted early on, it is largely just “let-go” and only mowed once a year in spring to prevent woody growth. Naturally occurring goldenrod and milkweed abound. This thick habitat not only supports beneficial insects but also many bird species including migratory warblers and sparrows passing through in the fall in search of cover and food.

Wildflower meadow in September. Photo by Blake Goll/Staff.

Achillea millefolium (Common yarrow)

Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed)

Aster novae-angliae (New England aster)

Cirsium discolor (Field thistle)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)

Erigeron annuus (Daisy fleabane)

Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common boneset)

Pycnanthemum muticum (Short-toothed mountain mint)

SHRUB Solidago speciosa (Showy goldenrod)

Rubus pensilvanicus (Pennsylvania blackberry)

PERENNIALS

September – January: Pick a location for your meadow that is generally sunny and well-drained. Existing lawn areas or fields are ideal. The size of the meadow should be determined by how much space you are willing to dedicate to the project and your budget. As a guide, a one-quarter acre meadow would require approximately 2,700 wildflower plugs planted 2 feet on center. February – Late March: Work with a landscape professional or reputable nursery that specializes in native plants to place an order for wildflowers that can be scheduled to arrive for installation in mid-April – early May. Late March – Early April: Begin preparing the meadow area by mowing it to a height of 2-3 inches. Continue to mow the project area until you are ready to install the wildflower plugs.

SHADE GARDEN

TREES & SHRUBS, PERENNIALS, AND GRASSES & FERNS

PREPARE: Choose a location for your garden that receives full or partial shade from either nearby canopy trees or existing structures. Once you choose a suitable location, determine the size of the garden based on how much space you are willing to dedicate to the project and your budget. Once you determine the size of the area you are planting, work with a landscape professional/designer or native plant nursery that specializes in native plants to receive an estimate on how many plants should be ordered for your space. If there are existing plants in the space you identified, take an inventory, and decide what to retain and what to remove and replace. Pay particular attention to the guidelines for the plants’ recommended height and spacing. Gain inspiration from local woodlands by noting the various vertical layers of plant life and aim to echo these layers in your design by including a mix of native plants in the upper canopy, understory, and ground layers. Use the plant list on the back of this page as a guide.

PREPARE:

TREES & SHRUBS

RIPARIAN BUFFER

PLANNING & MAINTENANCE GUIDE

MEADOW

WILDFLOWERS & GRASSES

PREPARE:

Choose a location along your stream where the riparian buffer area is degraded or non-existent. Measure the square footage of the area you intend to plant. If your project involves planting where no buffer exists, measure outward from where the bank drops off to the stream, and while there is no specific ideal buffer width, the wider the buffer area, the greater the environmental benefits. We suggest a minimum of a 25’ buffer width. Once you know the size of the area you will be planting, you can work with a landscape professional or reputable nursery that specializes in native plants to estimate how many trees and shrubs should be ordered. Typically, plants are spaced 12-15 feet apart. Prior to planting, you may want to prepare the project area by mowing it to facilitate digging the holes.

PLANT:

PRESERVE:

Mid-April – Early May: Once your wildflower plugs arrive, it may be tempting to lay out plants in neatly arranged rows, but clustering plants together while still paying attention to plant spacing will echo the more organic patterns found in nature. In addition, wildflowers planted in clusters with several plants of the same species within a few feet of each other will also help to attract more pollinators. Use a handheld auger (2” +/- in diameter) or shovel to open holes for your wildflower plugs. Then you can easily insert each plug in the hole and tamp the soil around it.

Early May – Early October: Once your wildflowers are planted, regularly inspect your meadow to ensure that invasive weeds are not colonizing the space. Hand pulling or cutting weeds below the height of native species should help to manage any invasives that may creep into your meadow. Year Two and Beyond: Mow the entire meadow once a year in late March to early April to a height of about 6 inches -- before the young wildflowers start pushing through the grass. Although some landscape professionals recommend mowing meadows in the fall as well, leaving plants unmowed over the winter provides important food and shelter for wildlife during the harsh winter months. Should you decide to mow a second time in the fall, wait until the year following installation to give the young wildflowers a chance to establish. Wildflower plugs generally take three years to fully mature, so patience is required, but the result is well worth the wait!

PLANT:

PRESERVE:

Prior to digging holes and removing the plants from their containers, place them in the garden according to your intended design; this will allow you to visualize the layout and adjust plant spacing and location as desired.

Once you have planted your shade garden, it is important to mulch it annually and weed it regularly to give the native plants the best chance to establish successfully. Including a mix of diverse herbaceous plants that will spread and expand will also help to suppress weeds. Following the first 3 +/- years after installation, the garden should require less maintenance. While native plants are best suited to their region and generally require less care and maintenance than many non-native ornamental plants, it will likely be necessary to water plants for the first couple of years, especially during periods of drought or high heat during the height of summer.

We recommend planting the trees and shrubs first. To start, dig holes at least as deep as the container and twice as wide. Remove the plant from the container and loosen the roots, especially if they are tightly bound. Adjust your plant in the hole, adding or removing soil as needed so the root flare/crown (where the roots start to spread from the trunk or stems) is just above ground level. Tamp the soil around the roots as you fill the hole to ensure that the plant is firmly planted. Once the trees and shrubs are planted, add the herbaceous plants as appropriate. Planting guidelines are similar to trees and shrubs, with a focus on proper hole depth and width, loosened roots, and tamped soil around the plant to provide the support it needs to grow. A good dose of water after all plants are in the ground--and regularly thereafter--will help ensure their successful adaptation to their new home.

PLANT:

PRESERVE:

Follow guidelines for spacing your trees and shrubs the appropriate distance from each other, but your plants do not need to be installed in perfect rows. Creating more naturalistic groupings of plants can echo the more organic patterns found in nature.

Once your trees and shrubs are planted, it is important to protect them from deer damage! Placing tree guards (right photo) or constructing your own fencing (left photo) around individual trees or shrubs is the best way to protect them from deer until they become large enough to survive without protection (typically 8-10 years). Once installed, periodically check the plants and manually remove any aggressive vines climbing on the tree guards or fencing. Avoid the use of chemicals to fight the vines; they can harm the plants, insects, and the water system.

Many of your trees and shrubs will likely arrive in pots. Dig the hole at least as deep as the pot and twice as wide. Remove the plant from the pot and loosen the roots, especially if they are tightly bound. Adjust your plant in the hole, adding or removing soil as needed so the root flare (where the roots start to spread from the trunk) is just above ground level. Take care not to bury the plant too deep or cover the trunk with soil, while making sure your plant isn’t sitting too high, with its top roots exposed. Tamp the soil around the root ball as you fill the hole to ensure that the plant is firmly planted.

Written by Bill Hartman & Kristen Henwood

STAFF BIOS

MIKE CRANNEY, PRESERVE MANAGER | Mike is responsible for the management of the Trust’s 400 acres of nature preserves—Ashbridge, Garrett Mill, Kirkwood, and Rushton Woods. He also manages and works with volunteers and assists with monitoring the Trust’s conservation easement private properties. Mike interned and worked at Morris Arboretum as a gardener. Mike earned his MS in Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. FRED DE LONG, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY FARM PROGRAM | Fred manages Rushton Farm which is located within the 86-acre Rushton Woods Preserve. The farm grows food for 120 CSA member families and over 30,000 pounds for local food cupboards. Fred has been developing and managing farms for over 20 years with a focus on promoting local food production while fostering an understanding of the interrelationship between agriculture and the surrounding ecosystem. His work has helped to educate and underscore the importance of the mutually beneficial relationship between healthy local food and nature. Fred has written and been an invited speaker on numerous topics including organic agriculture, farmland conservation and agroecology. He regularly presents to gatherings of the conservation and farming communities and lectures at local universities including the University of Pennsylvania, Villanova, Temple and Rutgers. Fred is a graduate of Ithaca College. BLAKE GOLL, EDUCATION PROGRAMS MANAGER | Blake oversees the Trust’s nature education initiatives. As the creator of the Rushton Nature Keepers program, she provides youth with opportunities to develop relationships with nature through multi-disciplinary year-round programming. She also assists with daily operations of the songbird banding and owl banding stations seasonally and provides outreach to help educate the community about conservation. Prior to the Trust, she was an environmental educator at Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, following which she completed a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) internship, banding songbirds in Washington State for the Institute for Bird Populations. Blake is a North American Banding Council (NABC) certified bird bander. She is a frequent contributor to the Trust’s digital content channels, local magazines, and speaker at like-minded organizations. Blake holds a BA in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Pennsylvania State University. NOAH GRESS, RUSHTON FARM FIELD MANAGER | Noah has twenty years of experience in organic sustainable agriculture and has been a strong voice in the southeastern Pennsylvania farming community for the last ten years. He got his start at the revered Solviva Farm in West Tisbury, Massachusetts before moving to Pete’s Produce Farm in Westtown where he independently ran organic production at the farm. He owns and operates Raindance Apiaries, a beekeeping business focused on honey production and pollination. The happy bees at Rushton Farm are part of his “herd”. SARAH HUTCHIN, GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE COORDINATOR | Sarah Hutchin manages the maintenance of the gardens at Rushton Farm and tends the RCC gardens, rain garden, and meadow. An avid gardener and horticulturist, Sarah has been a docent for many years at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. She also grows natives throughout her property on a ridge in Downingtown, PA. ANDREW KIRKPATRICK, DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP | Andrew is responsible for all environmental stewardship initiatives as well as the oversight of more than 80 conservation easements held by the Trust. Andrew has a broad background in environmental planning, restoration and management. Prior to joining the Trust he was the Manager of Land Stewardship at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education where he managed a 340-acre preserve, led trail projects, coordinated volunteer activities, and managed a retail native plant nursery. He has also worked at the Morris Arboretum, The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Ambler Arboretum at Temple University. Andrew holds an MS in Landscape Architecture from Temple University. 18

INTERESTING READS

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS & ARTICLES “Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies” The Xerces Society, published by Storey Publishing As mentioned earlier, the Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. The recent decline of pollinators such as the honey bee and monarch butterfly poses a serious ecological challenge since pollinators are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants and serve as a key food source for birds, fish and other animals. This 380 page book, loaded with color photographs and illustrations, reflects the latest understanding about creating and managing pollinator habitat. Support the Xerces Society by purchasing this book directly from its website (www.xerces.org).

“Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants” Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, published by Timber Press As development and habitat destruction accelerate, there are increasing pressures on wildlife populations. In Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. But there is an important and simple step we can all take to help reverse this alarming trend: everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. By acting on Douglas Tallamy’s practical and achievable recommendations, we can all make a difference.

“The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden” Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, published by Timber Press The Living Landscape shows you how to balance both ethical and functional design in your own home garden by creating spaces that support wildlife without sacrificing aesthetics and providing spaces for play, entertaining, and privacy. The authors examine the layers found in healthy ecosystems such as canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs and the ground layer and provide examples of how these layers can be applied in your home garden. The book features outstanding photography as well as an extensive list of Mid-Atlantic plants which includes information on their landscape value and ecological function.

“Urban and Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces” Catherine Zimmerman, published by Matrix Media Press Author and photographer, Catherine Zimmerman, combines her expertise in photography, storytelling, environmental issues, horticulture and organic practices to offer meadowscaping as an alternative to reduce monoculture lawns. Zimmerman crafts a guide that provides step-by-step instructions on organically creating and maintaining beautiful meadow gardens. Four experts in meadow establishment lend their knowledge for site preparation, design, native plants, planting and maintenance. The book provides plant lists and resource sections for nine regions across the United States along with local sources to assist the meadow creator in bringing diversity back to urban and suburban landscapes. Meadows can be big or small, short or tall. However large, the benefits are great. Meadows sequester carbon, retain water, filter pollutants, eliminate the need for fertilizers or pesticides and provide habitat for wildlife. Reduce your carbon footprint. Improve your neighborhood. Credit and Descriptions: The Xerces Society, Timber Press, Matrix Media Press, and Amazon.com

Reprinted

September 2017

Late Blooming THE SECRET TO AN ENDLESS SUMMER Blake Goll, Nature Education Coordinator at Willistown Conservation Trust

HERE’S A CERTAIN WITCHCRAFT

that settles into an autumn wildflower meadow. The ironweed and goldenrod create a dreamlike palette of deep hypnotic violet and harvest yellow, while brown seedpods add a cathartic nostalgia to the romantic cornucopia. In the September wind, swaying stems, quivering blooms and fluttering wings create the same serenity one feels gazing out onto an oceanscape. Yet, unlike the ocean, in the meadow you’re surrounded by extraordinary winged animals everywhere you look. Even after gardeners have finished the season’s weeding, children have gone back to school, and beach bags have been stowed away, the energy of summer continues here. Flashy goldfinches frolic across the meadow from one sunflower to the next, honeybees covered in pollen eagerly wriggle among the velvet petals of the mountain mint, and butterflies of myriad species—monarchs, fritillaries, sulfurs, buckeyes, skippers, swallowtails—dance with rapture around the profusion of aster blooms! Indeed, late September and October are the pollinator after-party, where the champagne of the aster takes center stage. NATIVE PLANTS AND NATIVE INSECTS Contributing in a meaningful way to this kind of biodiversity throughout the year and deep into the fall starts with mindful plant selection.

Although many plants available in garden centers and nurseries are beautiful, only native plants function well in our ecosystem’s food webs. This is ultimately because plants don’t want to be eaten. Consequently, plants have developed chemical defenses against the insects drawn to them, which in turn set in motion an arms race for the insects to develop ways around these defenses. As a result of many years of evolution, our native insects specialize in targeting species of native plants. For example, a native oak tree can be used as a caterpillar host plant for 500 native species of butterflies and moths, although a nonnative gingko (native to China) supports only about five of our native insect species. AND BIRDS It follows then that a wildflower meadow filled with native perennials is a self-sustaining bird feeder filled with insects, a major food supply for most North American land birds. This is especially true in the summer when, for example, one pair of chickadees must feed their young up to 500 caterpillars a day. In September and October when some of the flowers are spent, finches and sparrows feast on the seeds to prepare for the cold weather ahead.

This article was originally published in County Lines Magazine in 2017.

Tiger swallowtail on garden phlox in July PHOTOS BY BLAKE GOLL

During the cooler months, billions of birds are migrating south and may stop to hunt insects and spiders in a wildflower meadow. And finally, during the winter the unmown wildflower meadow can provide nourishing seeds in an otherwise barren landscape for overwintering birds like dark-eyed juncos. KALEIDOSCOPE OF WILDFLOWERS Part of the joy of a wildflower meadow is the long-lived kaleidoscope of colors changing throughout the seasons and extending into fall. The show starts in mid-June with beardtongue, butterfly milkweed, and false sunflower creating a lively tapestry of white, orange and yellow. Common milkweed—a big whimsical ball of tiny pink flowers—also fluoresces at this time, luring many pollinators including the iconic monarch butterfly. Late June is greeted with delicate sprays of white of the Virginia mountain mint, bright fuchsia of the purple coneflower and the fanciful blue petals of the curious spiderwort. July is the peak display with splashes of lavender of wild bergamot, dusty rose-colored Joe Pye weed and multi-colored garden phlox. Finally the robust August performers of asters, ironweed, trumpet honeysuckle and goldenrod do not tire until well into October, helping sustain migrant species like monarchs and ruby-throated hummingbirds. A WILDFLOWER GARDEN While this profusion of color and life is occurring aboveground, something marvelous is occurring below the earth. Native wildflowers spend the first couple of years developing impressive root systems that can stretch 8 to 12 feet underground, allowing them to mine groundwater. Compare that to your typical Kentucky bluegrass lawn— with roots barely reaching 6 inches— and you can see how much hardier native wildflowers are. Even setting aside a few drifts on your property for wildflowers instead of lawn grass can substantially reduce your water usage. Mowing your wildflower patch is also necessary only once a year in early

Butterfly milkweed in July

spring. Leaving the wildflower growth during the fall and winter months provides habitat for overwintering birds, cocoons and other wildlife. Not only are native wildflowers easy to care for, they’re also relatively easy to establish. Simply stop mowing a manageable sunny area of your property in the spring and tuck a thoughtful variety of landscape plugs into the ground among the existing lawn, each plug about one square foot apart. The planted plugs may need occasional water at first if you notice wilting, but within a month or two their tough roots will be able to sustain the plants. Yearly weeding may be needed during the first few years until the perennials reach their full competitive size. That’s all it takes. As you wistfully take in those last sips of summer from the September air, look around your yard and think about where you could begin to enhance your garden with the unparalleled natural beauty of wildflowers. This time next year as the rest of your garden begins to rest, you could be

Spiderwort and false sunflowers in late June

reveling in your endless summer landscape of late blooming color and life. ♦ Willistown Conservation Trust, a nonprofit land trust that’s protected over 7,200 acres of wildlife habitat, scenic views and agricultural lands in the Willistown area, has a mission to inspire in people a lifelong love of the land through education. Its Rushton Farm bird banding station is open to the public through November and the one-acre wildflower meadow at the Trust headquarters is also open for viewing. 925 Providence Rd., Newtown Square. More at WCTrust.org.

Variegated fritillaries on aster in late September

21 CountyLinesMagazine.com | September 2017 | County Lines

The Impact of Native Plants 532 Number of butterflies and moths native oak trees support. Nonnative ginkgo trees host just five.

1,200 Simple Steps to Create a Native Plant Garden at Your Place of Worship Like us, birds need food, water, and shelter. You can transform the outdoor space at your place of worship into a bird sanctuary that also saves resources such as water and combats climate change. The secret to success lies in choosing locally native plants, which brim with nutritious insects, berries, nectar, and seed to give birds vital food and refuge. Use the steps below to create and maintain a bird-friendly habitat that brings colorful birds, sweet melodies, vibrant colors and more of nature’s gifts close.

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Select a site that’s practical to convert into a garden and allows room to expand. Consider: • Do you have full sun? Partial sun? Shade? Is the soil rocky, loamy, sandy, clay, or gravel? Does it drain well? Is your site flat or hilly? Near water? What’s the elevation? • Learn what’s optimal from your local native plant society (see sidebar). Plant in the spring or fall months and on cooler days. Follow planting instructions carefully and get tips on mulching around plants. Water only as needed when young plants are adapting to their new habitat. Prepare your garden well to save headaches later. You may need to dig up lawn, remove invasive plants, and add organic compost to the soil. An easy method is to lay down newspaper at least six sheets deep, with plenty of overlap; wet it down; cover it with 4 to 6 inches of mulch, and let it sit until you are ready to plant. Use deep edging to keep out lawn grass.

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Plan for a variety of shapes, sizes, and kinds of plants to give vertical structure to your garden. • Cluster the same plant species together. • Design for color palettes and seasonal blooms. • Add habitat features like hollowed boulders that catch rainwater for birds to drink and bathe in. Steward your native plant garden with tender loving care. • Pull up noxious and invasive weeds. • Enhance with brush piles that hide birds and shelter other wildlife too. • Leave dead trees and branches. Focus on plants that support high variety and quantity of bird food. • Red tubular flowers—columbine, jewelweed, and bee balm serve up nectar for hummingbirds. • Native sunflowers, asters, and coneflowers produce seeds for songbirds. • Bushes with berries ripen at different times, so include a seasonal variety to sustain birds:22 dogwood and spicebush; cedar and holly trees.

U.S. crops that depend on pollinators to grow. Native plants are essential for pollinators — from birds, bees, butterflies, and bats.

Water-wise, droughttolerant native plants reduce water use, especially critical in droughtstricken, arid parts of our country.

Percentage of land birds that feed insects to chicks. Native plants are nature’s bounty.

80 million

Number of pounds of pesticides homeowners apply to the 40 million acres of lawns in the U.S. each year. Native plants, on the other hand, support a vibrant balance of predator and prey insects and thrive without pesticides.

Your native garden joins a collective effort to give back to birds and plant hope for their future.

Spend more time with birds and less time with noisy lawn mowers that pollute the air and water.

800 million

Estimated number of gallons of gas Americans burn in lawn mowers annually. This produces significant amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

MORE INFORMATION: Create bird-friendly communities: Native Plants for Birds at audubon.org Find a native plant society in your area: American Horticultural Society Buy Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy: Bringing Nature Home book

Photo: David Liittschwager

HOW TO: A BIRD-FRIENDLY SANCTUARY

UHGEXG native plant nursery A SPE THAN CIAL TO OU K YOU WILD R 2020 FLOW WEEK ER SPON SOR! Owners Julie Snell and Lisa McDonald

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Kit plant list and ordering instructions will be sent via email 904 N. Providence Road, Media www.redbudnative.com 610.892.2833 23

WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST | 925 PROVIDENCE ROAD24 NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073 | 610.353.2562 | WCTRUST.ORG

Wildflower Week Self-Guided Tour | JULY 2020

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Hartman Meadow Willistown Conservation Trust Office 925 Providence Road, Newtown Square

Native Shade Garden Entrance to Rushton Farm Area 911 Delchester Road, Newtown Square