A Flower for Every Month

 

A question was recently posed about finding 12 native flowers to paint. Of course, that made me think of a calendar and flowers that might bloom in each of the 12 months of the year. Given the size of Georgia – from the northern counties in the mountains to the southern counties near Florida – it shouldn’t be a surprise that we could have something bloom in every month of the year, even the winter ones.

While I'm in the metro Atlanta area, this post includes a few plants that would be in the southern part of the state. Note: flower to the left is Rudbeckia fulgida which is a late spring or early summer native perennial.

January: In northern Georgia, it is not unusual to find the tiny Hepatica americana (syn. H. nobilis var. obtusa) blooming where it is nestled up close to large tree trunks and somewhat protected. You can read more about it in a January 2013 post that I did. You might also find this in parts of the Coastal Plain, but for south Georgia I want to highlight Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) which can start in January and go for several months.

February: Trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) has to be my choice for February. I have written about it several times, once for north Georgia and once for the fantastic population in south Georgia at Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve.

March: Spring ephemerals are in full swing in this month but the one I think of the most is bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). It is featured in a number of previous blog entries about spring wildflowers, but this is a good one.

L-R: Hepatica, Trout Lily, Bloodroot

April: Another busy floral month but I always think of native azaleas when I think of April. Two of my early favorites with good statewide distribution are Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) and Florida flame azalea (R. austrinum), both of which are wonderfully fragrant (why not get double duty out of your plants with beauty and fragrance?). Read more about native azaleas here.

May: This month finishes up spring plants and starts to move us into summer. The hydrangeas start to bloom and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is the most well-known native one. There are certainly a lot of other May shrubs I could have chosen, but oakleaf hydrangea is worthy of its selection for May.

June: Milkweed has to be one of the 12 and the pink species Asclepias incarnata is certainly a popular one in Georgia. It is one of the later ones to bloom for me so June is a good month for it. There are approximately 20 other species of milkweed in Georgia.

L-R: Piedmont azalea, oakleaf hydrangea, swamp milkweed

July: In this month, temperatures rise and there seems to be a little bit of a lull in what's blooming. That allows blooming plants like sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) to really shine and it is my choice for this month. I have written about it many times, including my posts about double-duty trees as well as underused native trees.

August: I've got to feature one of our latest-flowering beebalms and the new 2023 Plant of the Year: spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata). It probably blooms earlier in south Georgia but in my area late summer is its time.

September: Goldenrod is one of my favorite native perennials; we have quite a few species and they are so important to wildlife. Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) is the one I'll choose for its clumping habit and beautiful form. Here is one of my earliest blogs about goldenrod.

L-R: Sourwood, spotted beebalm, gray goldenrod

October: What would fall be without our native asters? Dull and disappointing to many, many insects! Learn about them, appreciate them, plant them in your landscape! Even those tiny white ones.

November: If you've not heard about our fall-blooming witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), let me be the one to encourage you to seek it out. We found beautiful patches up it blooming at Vogel State Park in November.

December: The blooms in December depend a bit on whether we get early cold spells but I have seen both soapwort gentian (Gentiana saponaria) and climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus) blooming in December. In the south, reports of tickseed sunflowers (such as Bidens laevis) are common.

L-R: Georgia aster, witch-hazel, soapwort gentian

Prairie Up (the book)

 

Why would a Georgia blog review a book about prairies? The heart of this book is in the subtitle: “An Introduction to Natural Garden Design,” and its ability to educate and inform on that is the reason I am reviewing it. I am also familiar with the author, Benjamin Vogt, from my early blogging days, and he is booked to be the keynote speaker at an upcoming virtual conference with the Georgia Native Plant Society and Georgia Audubon. One of his early catch phrases was ‘rethink pretty’ and it has always resonated with me.

This is not a big book but it is packed with information, good photos, helpful illustrations, and resources. One of my favorite features is at the end: A Candid Q&A that helps answer some tough questions that you might have or which others might ask you.

Here are some of the reasons why I think this book is useful to people in Georgia. In the beginning he offers some powerful statements about “gardening from a prairie perspective” but they are just as meaningful to say “gardening from a native plant perspective.” 

He showcases a few southeastern photos on pages 6-7 as he talks about grasslands (yes, we have some), and there is useful information in that section about grasses in general such as how they sequester carbon and support soil health and growth.

Understanding the role that native plants provide in plant communities is covered thoroughly in Chapter 2. He finally pulls out that phrase I love – rethink pretty – which is to say the gardener learns to value ‘ecosystem function as much as aesthetics.’ He then covers in detail some of the ecosystem services that we should appreciate. This chapter includes a plug for plant diversity and includes some examples of plants from functional groups: cool-season grass, warm-season grass, nitrogen-fixing legumes, plants that bloom in different seasons.

Most of the plants listed happen to be southeastern natives but don’t feel limited to those; use them to find others (for example, there are other native species of Lespedeza and Liatris plus there are many other grasses). Focus on the idea of what function the plant is providing. If you need suggestions on Georgia plants that bloom in different seasons, check out the charts I’ve created in the past:

Spring Bloomers

Summer Bloomers

Fall Bloomers

The dive into understanding plant communities is a good and the quote by John Weaver on page 43 is a great one about how plants work together “by sharing the soil at different levels, by obtaining light at different heights, and by making maximum demands for water, nutrients, and light at different seasons of the year.” Vogt’s subsequent sections on plant layers, layers of seasonality, and layers of succession help explain this further.

Ready to get started? Chapter 3 provides guidance on planning, installing and maintaining. This chapter includes tips on working with HOAs and – for those who need it – a full page on ‘how to pass a weed inspection’ (something he has personal experience with!).

Not many books cover starting landscapes from seed but this one includes it as part of Chapter 4. It also covers using plants and plugs and has a number of illustrated layouts to help inspire and guide. For those of in the southeast, find equivalent plant swaps for the Midwestern plants, choosing southeastern species suitable for your ecoregion.

In summary, I think this is a book with well-explained concepts and ideas that are useful for Georgia gardeners. Our journey to using more native plants in our landscapes requires many steps and resources and this book can be part of your path.

On January 24^th, the publisher is sponsoring a Virtual Book Launch at 12 pm Central Time. The link to register is below if you’re interested. On Facebook, follow him on the community page called MILK the WEED.

Prairie Up Virtual Book Launch: Getting Started with a Lawn to Meadow Conversion with Benjamin Vogt

2022 in Pictures

I take a lot of pictures throughout the year and not all of them make it into a blog post. At the end of the calendar year, it’s a good time to reflect on the beauty of nature as well as share some of the extra pictures.

I believe that each day is an opportunity to find and appreciate something beautiful in the native plants and creatures of Georgia.

We had a little snow in January. My grandson and I had hung these ornaments on an Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) near the driveway and this made for a nice photo. The snow was light and didn't last long, just how I like it. By February, blooms were already starting including this early sedge (Carex sp). This pollen on the male flowers may support early insects.

March is a huge month for blooms but these are two of my favorite photos from that month. I've been delighted with the deer resistance of our native pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens) and the blooms are a real treat. This Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) was especially beautiful at Bert Adams Scout Camp in Covington where I was helping with ideas for native plantings.

In April, I released a few overwintered butterflies as they eclosed. This is a female Black swallowtail, held by my grandson before releasing. This orange azalea (likely a natural hybrid between a Piedmont and R. flammeum) fooled my husband several times into thinking the dwarf palm behind it was blooming.

We took a trip to Ohio in May and it was during cottonwood (Populus deltoides) season so the fluff was really flying. This plant's natural range does include Georgia, but I've not seen it here. In June, I spotted this bee checking out old holes on my mailbox. This is the giant resin bee, a non-native bee that was first discovered in North Carolina in 1994. Learn more about it and how it impacts native bees here.

July and August brought some critters. After a disappointing year for butterflies, I found this question mark butterfly flitting through the woods in July (they like to take nourishment from tree sap and other non-floral sources so the woods is a good place for it).  In August I finally found a spring peeper frog; I had been hearing them but this was the first time I've seen one in my yard. 

A new plant for me bloomed in September: halberd-leaf hibiscus (Hibiscus laevis). I had purchased it at one the GNPS chapter plant sales in the spring. I spotted a gorgeous stand of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) on pine tree near me in October.

Vaccinium reticulatum

Osteomeles anthyllidifolia

In November, we celebrated my retirement with a trip to the Big Island of Hawai'i. We chose that island for its natural beauty and the chance to see volcanoes. While I was there, I bought a native plant reference to help me identify the plants. The two plants I'm showing have Georgia relatives: on the left is a blueberry relative: Vaccinium reticulatum. It was quite abundant on the moist side of the island, including being found in the middle of old lava flows. Its Hawaiian name is ʻōhelo ʻai. On the right is a member of the rose family: Osteomeles anthyllidifolia; it looks rather like a hawthorn and some plants had a dull fruit. Its Hawaiian name is u‘ulei.

Red-headed woodpecker

To close out the year, I was excited this week to have a rather uncommon bird (for me) visit my suet feeder several times: red-headed woodpecker. I see red-bellied woodpeckers often but this one rarely despite it being a year-round Georgia resident.

Wishing you a good year in 2023 and more native plants and critters in your daily life.

December 2022 Moment in Nature

As I drove around running holiday errands this week I spotted an unmowed roadside with goldenrod seedheads (Solidago altissima). As you can probably tell, they look very much like fluffy, white Christmas trees. I knew immediately this would be my #momentinnature for December which falls on Christmas Day itself this year.

There was another reason I was happy to see this roadside decoration. These plants, spared from the seemingly endless human need to tidy up the great outdoors, represent food for the birds. The birds will feast on the seedheads as well as any tiny insects hiding within the stems and leaves of the plants.

As you consider how your landscape might support more than just humans, leave your standing vegetation as much as possible to feed the winter birds.

Appreciating the Last of the Foliage

 

Sometimes I like to highlight the little things you might not notice. The #amomentinnature focus that I borrowed from a friend in 2021 is along those lines. Over the last few weeks, I have noticed some beautiful fall foliage hanging on some trees and shrubs in my yard, and those plants deserve some recognition.

These are plants whose foliage turns a little later so they help to extend the fall show (winter doesn’t start until Dec 21!). The plants are not limited to a particular genus, such as like Viburnum. Some of my earliest fall color come from blackhaw viburnum (V. prunifolium) while one of the last to turn is my species plants of arrowwood (V. dentatum). Strangely, my V. dentatum cultivar ‘Blue Muffin’ loses its leaves early.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

One of the most well-known of these – in the native plant world – is oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). Its large, oak-shaped leaves are consistently both colorful and late to drop. This is a large shrub, but thanks to the breeding of natural dwarf forms, smaller cultivars are available for smaller landscapes. Persistent old flowerheads add even more interest in the fall.

Here are some other native plants with late season color in my area. Use these ideas or find some better suited to your area to help extend the season.

Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii)

Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) and mapleleaf viburnum (V. acerifolium)

V. dentatum

V. acerifolium

White oak (Quercus alba)

What Happens in Winter?

 

Winter is almost officially here – December 21 is the first day – but most of us consider that once December arrives ... it's winter. We’ve had some balmy weather this past week, but remember that we had snow this week just five years ago in metro Atlanta. December temperatures can vary but the change in the number of light hours is the signal to plants that it’s time to do something different.

Loblolly pine

Winter is a time of rest for many plants; woody deciduous plants discard their leaves and stop the processes that support leafy growth. Note: the fallen leaves still support the plants because they return nutrients to the soil as they break down. Fallen leaves also support many insects; the leave the leaves message is an important one. 

Perennial herbaceous plants (these are not woody) will die completely to the ground although some will have a rosette of winter leaves (cardinal flower (Lobelia) and beardtongue (Penstemon) are two common ones). [Also a time for rest for us unless you want to tackle winter weeds.]

Winter is also a time for growth in Georgia. In most of Georgia the ground doesn’t freeze so plant roots can grow and we also have good rainfall. Experienced gardeners know that trees and shrubs do well when planted in November and even December in Georgia. Georgia’s Arbor Day is in February (still winter!) and it is a great time to plant. Use the time to grow your garden with new (or replacement) trees and shrubs.

Without the distraction of so much foliage, it’s a great time to appreciate our evergreen plants, or the structure (silhouettes) of our majestic trees. I also enjoy getting out for winter hikes. The waterfalls can be especially full and beautiful thanks to our winter rains.

Enjoy your winter and know that the plants are getting ready for spring.

The Gift of Gardening

 

I’m a size 6 … in Felco pruners. Having good tools is essential to happy gardening so if you have people in your life that love to work outside, consider giving them tools, or gloves, or something they might not have considered for themselves. Last year, my best friend gave me a whole bunch of stakes to prop up weak plants. They were most welcome. Today’s post offers more ideas.

A similar post that I made last year is full of ideas, all still perfectly relevant. Read that post here. One of my favorite ideas (as a gardener myself) is the one in the last paragraph about gifts of time: “Gifts of time are especially appreciated by older folks who need help in the garden or just appreciate your company. Create your own gift certificate with messages like “Will plant your new plants for you or Weed your garden” and package it up with a few tea sachets and a message that you can enjoy a cup of tea together after the work is done.” 

You might need ideas for people just getting started. How about some book ideas for beginning native gardeners? Here are several of my blogs about books:

Ideas for Beginners and Southeast Native Plant Primer and Climate-wise Landscaping

Ideas for Winter Reading (deeper selections) and more ideas 

Doug Tallamy's books: The Nature of Oaks and Nature's Best Hope and The Living Landscape

Plant Identification Books: Field Guide to Wildflowers of Georgia and Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast  

Looking for something to inspire children? Three very good books can be found at Pollination Press (which also has great books for adults). Another good book about bees is available at Beecatur.

I hope this post both inspires you and gives you ideas for meaningful gifts. Back to those pruners I love … one important act of service might be to offer to get their favorite pair of pruners sharpened. Gifts don't have to cost a lot but the thought behind them means so much.