Earliest Blooming Native Plants of the Northeast

Earliest Blooming Native Plants of the Northeast

by | May 28, 2016 | Ecological Gardens, Landscape Design Ideas, Plants

Spring brings an element of excitement to many of us who experience long winters. Whether those winters are mild or extreme, we live without foliage and blooms during those many months. Here are thirty different blooms you can plant to welcome spring next year. Many of these flowers are still blooming now, while some are very ephemeral and finished soon after the frosts passed.

Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium cuneatum

Trillium luteum

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)

Hepatica nobilis (round-lobed hepatica)

Lindera benzoin (spicebush)

Oxalis violacea (wood sorrel)

Prosartes maculata (nodding mandarin)

Mertensia virginiana (bluebells)

Erythronium americanum (dogtooth violet)

Erythronium americanum (dogtooth violet, white variety)

Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman”s breeches)

Amelanchier canadensis (serviceberry)

Dicentra eximia (wild bleeding heart)

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)

Viburnum lantanoides (hobblebush)

Lowbush blueberry blooms

Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s seal)

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)

Styllophorum diphyllum (wood poppy)

Uvularia grandiflora (merry bells)

Houstonia caerulea (bluet)

Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal)

Phlox divaricata (woodland phlox)

Chrysogonum virginana (green and gold)

Halesia carolininia (silverbell)

Tiarella cordifolia (foamflower)

Cercis canadensis (redbud)

Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)

New England Caterpillar ID

New England Caterpillar ID

by | May 17, 2016 | Ecological Gardens, Wildlife Habitat

Since spring is solidly here for us here in the Northeast and people are out exploring their gardens, this caterpillar identification key might come in useful: Caterpillars of the Eastern Forests. The Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilo polygenes) caterpillar in the photo was on a plant in the retail area at Garden in the Woods. Keep your eyes open, you never know what you’ll see!

The larval host pants for the Eastern Black Swallowtail include plants in the carrot and parsley (Apiaceae) family: parsley, Queen Anne’s lace, wild carrot, celery, dill, and fennel. Many of those plants are not native, and it is important to note that many of the native plants in the Apiaceae family are quite poisonous, such as poison hemlock, water hemlock, and cow parsnip. I mention this because many species need wild spaces where native plants that are not suitable for gardens or cultivated spaces can grow.

The adult host plants for nectar include: pawpaw, red clover, phlox, asclepias, asters, and thistles.

 

Spring Butterfly – Morning Cloak

Spring Butterfly – Morning Cloak

by | May 3, 2016 | Ecological Gardens, Wildlife Habitat

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) When flying, these often look black with a yellow margin on the bottom of the lower wing, but if you get a chance to look at one when still, they have quite a few more colors.

Caterpillar Host Plants: Birch, willows, poplar, red maple, elm, aspen, and hackberry.

Adult Butterfly Hosts: Predominantly sap from trees, rotting fruit, and occasionally larval host nectar plants.

Early Spring Butterfly – Spring Azure

Early Spring Butterfly – Spring Azure

by | Apr 26, 2016 | Ecological Gardens

Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)

Caterpillar Host Plants: Woody shrubs such as native flowering dogwood, blueberries, viburnums, New Jersey tea, and small blue-eyed Mary (Collinsis parviflora).

Thanks to Sam Jaffe of The Caterpillar Lab for photo permission of the Spring Azure caterpillar. Check out his other photos (they are spectacular) and educational programs at The Caterpillar Lab or on The Caterpillar Lab Facebook page. The Caterpillar Lab and Museum is based in Keene, NH.

Adult Butterfly Host Plants: Dogbane, New Jersey tea, blackberry, elderberry, ninebark, common milkweed and flowers of larval host plants.

Soil Microbes – Do You Need to Add More?

by | Mar 29, 2016 | Ecological Gardens

A_laboratory_manual_of_soil_bacteriology_(1916)_(20809944975)

By Fred, Edwin Broun, 1887-1981 [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons

I live in an urban environment and it is assumed that most soils in the city are degraded and compacted, and that is probably correct. Compacted soil with little available nutrients can negatively impact plant growth, making the plants weak and susceptible to pests and disease. Establishing healthy soil with balanced nutrients and active microbes is an important goal for a successful garden. One of the popular recommendations that you will see these days comes in the form of microscopic evaluation of soil and brewing of microbial teas to apply to the soil with the intent of increasing nutrients and microbial activity in the soil. Usually, it is presented as a highly technical science that requires elaborate mixing and brewing of exact nutrients and microbes. This science and required equipment and space for said equipment is beyond most people’s understanding and abilities. A compost tea specialist I heard speaking at conference repeatedly uttered, “It’s really quite complicated.”

My question is and always has been, “What is the simplest solution I can use?” My reasoning is that there is a greater likelihood that it can and will be embraced by my clients (and me!) So I’ve been talking to people and reading as much as I can and I’ve found a couple of helpful posts that discuss this issue, including the following reviews of research studies and articles: Soil Bacteria – The Myth of Identification & Management and Compost Tea: Examining the Science Behind the Claims. You decide what you want to use, but I like the simplest method!

Plants for Pollinators

Plants for Pollinators

by | Mar 17, 2016 | Ecological Gardens, Plants, Wildlife Habitat

We hear a lot about supporting pollinators in mainstream publications, but it is often difficult to find information that provides thorough lists of plants (not just the top 5 flowers), includes both larval food and nectar plants, includes bats and beetles rather than just bees and butterflies, or is specific to the regions in which we work. This is a great resource from the Pollinator Partnership on choosing Plants for Pollinators in our ecoregion here in the northeast. Does it include all the plants that support pollinators in our region? No. But it is a great place to start!