Be Inspired

 

Native thistle and Monarda

Here we go again into a brand new year, full of possibilities ... and more coronavirus variants. Over the last two years, many of you have gotten more into gardening and more into native plants in particular. I hope that continues.

Many of you want to attract more birds or butterflies (or both). Does the task of transforming your property to a more wildlife-supportive place seem daunting? How about an inspiring idea for each month? Feel free to double up on any of these.

January – Remove non-native nandina berries (and shrubs) to avoid harm to cedar waxwings. Want more berries for birds? Here are some ideas (whether you have nandina or not). January can still be a good time to plant in Georgia, especially in mid to south Georgia, although native plant nurseries may only be open by appointment. Give them a call.

February – Georgia celebrates Arbor Day pretty early: the third Friday in February. It’s a good time to plant trees and shrubs in Georgia. Replace just one of your non-native shrubs or trees with a native one this month (here are some of my ideas for native choices: shrubs or trees).

March – Resist the urge to tidy up the garden completely too early; birds are still eating seeds and/or small bugs hidden in the dried foliage and bees may be nesting in the plant stems. Wait until mid to late-March for the upper half of Georgia. Tall perennial stems that you remove can be laid gently on the ground for any bees to emerge.

Penstemon are so good for bees

Penstemon digitalis

April – Take stock of what’s starting to bloom and evaluate if you need more flower power for spring. Seasonal plant sales by volunteer groups and at nature centers start end of March and early April so make a list. Try to get at least 3 of each kind and group them near each other so insects have a nice buffet. Also take note of what doesn’t seem to be returning.

May – Spring is awesome but butterflies and bees work all 3 seasons so make sure to add some summer and fall-blooming plants to your shopping list. You still have plenty of time to plant and nurseries are well-stocked this time of year. Check out the list of nurseries on the GNPS website.

Rudbeckia is a great summer one

Lobelia loves summer heat

June – It’s starting to get warm so check on the new things that you planted in April and May and give them some water. You also want to make sure critters are not bothering the new stuff (squirrels love to pull up new things); spritz them with a little deer/rabbit repellent if needed (I use Liquid Fence). 

July – Trade your gas leaf blower or weed whacker for a battery-powered one. I love to use my battery weed whacker to hit any spots of stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) while it’s young. It’s an annual so any that you whack to the ground should not grow back (any native perennials that you accidentally hit should return just fine).

August – Are things looking buggy? August is a prime time for caterpillars, also known as bird food. Up your tolerance for some bug damage or use non-pesticide approaches to controlling them. I use my fingers to squish non-native yellow oleander aphids on my milkweed, I pick off Japanese beetles and put them in a bucket of soapy water, and I use the hose to convince large populations of milkweed beetles to find a new place. Even fall webworm nests can be discouraged with a stick instead of pesticides.

Furcula caterpillar loves wild cherry

September – Plants sales are back and perhaps you’ve noticed that you really didn’t get enough asters, goldenrods, blazingstars, ironweed, or other fall-blooming flowers. Go pick some up at seasonal fall sales and get them in the ground. This year was a beautiful year for climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus). My friends at North Georgia Native Plant Nursery (formerly Night Song) grow a lot of it and it was still blooming when I stopped by this week.

October – Get out the rake or a broom and get some of those fallen leaves off the old-fashioned way. Do a section at a time to keep it from being too much and think about whether you’d like to convert some of that lawn into native perennials instead. I do some of my best thinking while raking.

Start 'em young! He really liked doing it.

November – Cool weather returns and it’s tree and shrub planting season again. Did you make note of some plants that you wish you’d had during the blooming season? Ready to replace another non-native tree or shrub? Here are some of my ideas for native choices: shrubs or trees (same links from February).

December – now is a great season to convince your friends and family to get more into native plants and supporting the environment. Convincing other people creates a bigger impact than we have alone, especially immediate neighbors. Here are some gift ideas for you to consider. 

Or just go hiking! Georgia often has mild days where the fall rains have pumped up the waterfalls. There’s nothing like a day in nature to inspire you to want more natural beauty at home. Best wishes to each of you for a Happy New Year and a garden that uses regionally appropriate native plants to support bees, butterflies, birds, and more.