Tag: NC

Master Gardener Reflections: What Brings Joy in the Garden?

On By durhammastergardenersIn cover crops, gardening, Gardening information, Gardening Joy, gardening NC, native plants, regenerative agriculture, Uncategorized, wildflowers

By Martha Keehner Engelke North Carolina Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

As 2024 comes to an end, we celebrate the success of the Durham County Master Gardener SM Blog. There have been 68 posts this year. These posts have been viewed 131,381 times by 105,658 visitors. Most visitors live in the United States (114,033) but we have had a significant number from Canada (5,324) and the United Kingdom (3,177). Visitors from countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa have been the recipients of research-based information posted on our blog.

This is possible because of the contribution of the 16 authors who have written for the blog. They have generously shared their knowledge and insight over the past year. They are experienced gardeners with a wealth of information. To close out the year and offer the “gift” of their knowledge to our readers we asked them “What brings you joy in the garden?” Here are their thoughts:

Creating Happy Soil

I am trying a new to me technique for starting cover crops in my vegetable garden. These are eight raised beds which contained the remnants of my tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zinnias.  I removed and composted the biomass, covered the area with a silage tarp for two weeks to slow down the weeds, spread an inch of compost, and raked in the cover crop seed. No tillage.  I watered daily for a week, and tada, I have cover crop coming up.  This will keep a living root in the soil all winter, and make the soil happy for spring planting.  The cover crop is the over wintering mix from Sow True Seed (5 lbs), containing cereal rye, crimson clover and hairy vetch.  These do not winter kill, and will require termination in the spring.  (Peter Gilmer)

‘Finessing’ the Details

Without a doubt, the most joy I derive from working in the garden is ‘finessing’ — taking something excellent and making it superb. Whether it’s pulling weeds with curved forceps out of a cactus container, raking patterns into a gravel pathway, deadheading spent flowers, or pruning small stems to keep the shape of a topiary, devoting the time, attention and effort to the smallest of details is like a meditation for me. It fills me with satisfaction, and I absolutely love it. (Deborah Pilkington)

A Subtle but Brilliant Native

I had many garden delights this year but my favorite was incorporating the native spotted bee balm (Mondarda punctata) into my perennial beds. I’ve only grown brilliantly-colored bee balm cultivars in the past. Spotted bee balm is less showy, but its subtilty is its beauty, with its soft greens and creams that mature into ballet pink bracts surrounding purple-spotted pubescent flowers. Plus, it’s got a fantastic, whimsical shape. Did I mention it is always buzzing with pollinators? This plant makes me smile. (Melinda Heigel)

Transition in the Landscape

What brought me the most joy this year was my ongoing development, planting, experimentation, and maintenance of my landscape sun and woodland gardens. The first and foremost objective of my efforts was continuing to transition the gardens to primarily native trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. This season I reached a benchmark of 60% native with a target goal next season of 70%. Several years back I achieved certifications from the NWF certified Wildlife Habitat and the NCWF Butterfly Highway Programs. Participating in the Southeast Pollinator count and the Cornell Birdfeeder watch have been frosting on the cake this year. (Jeff Kanters)

Learning Resilience

The plant in my garden that has given me the most joy this year is Salvia microphylla. What’s not to love about a plant that goes by “Hot Lips”? She has bloomed from spring to fall despite the multiple major pruning sessions I have provided. Every time that I cut her back she rewards me with more red and white flowers-looking quite patriotic on the 4th of July and quite seasonal as Christmas approaches. The thing I value most about Hot Lips is her resilience–knock her down and she gets back up stronger and more beautiful! Deer, humans and disease are no match for her. This is a lesson I needed to hear this year and she was there for me! (Martha Engelke)

Bursts of Color

In the spring of 2020, I planted a dahlia (‘Otto’s Thrill’). Over the years, it produced about 4 big blossoms before it would be struck down with the first frost of the season. After 4 years of applying leaf mulch before every winter, it finally performed this year and I was delighted to see as many as 14 blossoms at once. I also planted three different classes of chrysanthemums (‘disbud’-type) that I got at the State Farmer’s Market after I was notified by Pana, Master Gardener Program Assistant, that these plants were available from the Central Carolina Chrysanthemum Society (CCCS). I followed the instructions carefully and slowly they appeared in late summer and grew into large buds (I snipped off the smaller buds). I attribute my success to weather that was timed just right for these late bloomers: an unusually high rainfall in September (over 13 inches) and a warm October and November. The worm castings I applied while they were growing helped too! Thank you Pana and the CCCS for bringing such pleasure and a smile to my face as I walked out my front door this fall. (Wendy Diaz)

Delighful ‘Eyesores’

Although I love to see the hummingbirds lapping up nectar from the columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) in the early spring, the bees and wasps flitting about mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species) in mid-summer, and the goldfinches eating seeds on the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in late August, the observation that brings me the greatest joy is what many may consider an eyesore—the dead trees on my property. While even I will admit that they don’t add the beauty that flowering plants do, when I see the lichens, fungi, and moss growing on the dead wood and contemplate the many ants, beetles, bumble bees and even butterflies that rely upon dead wood as their home for at least part of their lifetimes, I have a deep appreciation and yes, joy for the many ecological functions that my dead and dying trees provide. (Jeannie Arnts)

Building Community

Out of many beautiful moments spent gardening, what was especially fun was helping install the landscape at Durham’s Stanford L. Warren Library. The rudbeckia in this photo (taken at dusk in August) were cultivated from seed by Extension Durham Co. Master Gardener Volunteers. We nurtured, planted, and trained excited library staff to continue care. It’s rewarding to connect with the community while doing something I love. Stop by the library, borrow a book, and check out the garden! (Ariyah Chambers April)

Dancing Wildflowers

I am a new Master Gardener, from the class of 2023, and just beginning to learn about the incredible variety of plants out there. I have found a new favorite. It’s called gaura, (oenothera lindheimeri ), and it has a perfect common name, wandflower. Watching the flowers dance in the wind and the pollinators attracted to the delicate flowers brings me joy every time I see it in my garden! (Lisa Nadler)

(Image credit: cassi saar: cc by-NC-4.0)

An Existential Voyage

When gardening, joy is never far away if you look for it. 356 days a year, I can walk outside and see the fruits of my labor growing. For every ‘continuing challenge’ there are always both old reliables putting on a show and new surprises brightening the day. The joy continues when the cut flowers come inside and are put into the vase, the fruit sliced onto morning cereal, and the herbs and vegetables chopped up for dinner. The joy multiplies when I go to Briggs Avenue Community Garden every week and meet up with my fellow garden voyagers as we journey into new challenges, unexpected rewards, and lots of laughs. So looking forward to the joy continuing. (Eric Wiebe)

(Image credit: Allie Mullin)

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to the blog this year and especially to our agent Ashley Troth who has given us unwavering support! If you know people that would like to receive regular postings from the blog, they can sign up by entering their email and clicking on the FOLLOW link on the right side of this post.

Note

Unless otherwise noted, all pictures were taken by the authors of the quotes. Special thanks to Extension Master Gardener volunteer Allie Mullin, whose photographs have been a treasure to the blog editors throughout the year.

Resources and Additional Information

Whatever Brings you Joy! Stay tuned for next year. Our authors are already planning posts on garden innovations, upcoming events, and plant spotlights! See you in 2025.

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From Beloved to Invasive: How does it happen?

On By durhammastergardenersIn benign non-native plant, bird friendly habitat, bugleweed, conservation, crape myrtle, Durham NC, ecological sustanability, ecology, gardening, Gardening information, gardening NC, heavenly bamboo, hellebore, how plants become invasive, Invasive Atlas of the United States, invasive plants, Japanese stiltgrass, lenten rose, lesser threat invasive plant list, liriope, monkey grass, nandina, native ecology, native ecologynative plant ecology, native plants, Natives, NC biodiversity, NC conservation, NC Native Plants, New Hope Bird Alliance, non-native plants, ox-eye daisy, perennials, polyculture, privet, protecting native plants, Rose of Sharon, Russian olive shrub, sustainable garden design, sustainable gardening, sustanability, Uncategorized, urban garden, urban gardening, watch list for invasive plants

By Jeannie Arnts , North Carolina Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

I have volunteered as a recorder for the New Hope Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon) Bird Friendly Habitat (BFH) team since 2018. The BFH team, consisting of a plant expert and a recorder, visits homeowners’ yards to identify native and invasive plants and make recommendations for improvements to achieve an ecologically beneficial habitat for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Since I have joined the group, plants previously recognized as non-native, non-invasive plants have been moved onto the “Watch List” or “Lesser Threat Invasive” list. Other plants previously considered lower threat have been moved to a higher threat category. The question arises, “What is it that changes a benign non-native into an invasive?

When is a Plant Determined to be Invasive?

Plants are categorized as invasive once they disrupt the ecology of intact, functioning eco-systems, leading to loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation. This results in huge economic damage valued in the billions of dollars to agriculture, forestry, and personal property. Invasive plants compete with our natives for critical and often limited resources like sunlight, water, nutrients, soil, and space. Anyone who has ridden the train at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and seen the Russian olive shrubs (Elaeagnus sp) overtaking the landscape along the tracks or been on a hiking trail in many Triangle forests and seen the stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) engulfing the entire ground cover of the forest floor can easily see the impact of invasive species.

Russian olive shrubs (left) out-compete native plants and dominate riparian areas primarily in central and western USA. Japanese stiltgrass (right) was accidentally introduced into Tennessee around 1919 as a result of being used as packing material for porcelain from China.  it has invaded many woodlands in North Carolina. (Image credit: NC State Cooperative Extension)

What Factors Influence a Plant to Become Invasive?

Biologists have been “vexed for decades” by the question of what causes some plants, once thought to be benign, non-invasive exotics, to become a risk to our eco-systems due to their invasive characteristics. The ecologist, Charles Elton, wrote the book, The Ecology of Invasions by Plants and Animals, in 1958 and, more than 100 years earlier, Charles Darwin pondered this question during his voyage on the Beagle (1831-1836). Johnny Randall, former Director of Conservation Programs at the NC Botanical Garden, noted that one reason plants become invasive is that in their new environment, they no longer have natural controls, such as pests, pathogens, and herbivores. This gives them an advantage over native plants that have been part of a region’s ecology for millennia; consequently, the invasives often out compete the natives.1

In addition, a plant’s propensity to become invasive is a function of the plant’s own biology, including a relatively short generational period, large seed production, its ability to reproduce asexually (without the need for fertilization), and having large fleshy fruits, such as those produced by Autumn or Russian olive trees (Elaeagnus sp), privet (Ligustrum sp.) and heavenly bamboo (Nandina sp.) With this latter trait, birds will eat the berries and deposit the seeds far from the original location of the plant.

A non-native, is especially prone to invasion when it sets its roots in a “matched habitat” similar from which it came, i.e., their native ranges tend to have similar temperature extremes, precipitation levels, and seasonal cycles. Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an example of a plant that meets most of the criteria for becoming invasive. It is an annual that produces up to 1000 seeds per year, has no natural controls, reproduces asexually, and its seeds are distributed by the wind. In addition, the seed bank may take up to five years to germinate. Many gardeners who think they have eliminated stiltgrass on their property one year are befuddled to find a number of plants from the seed bank sprouting the next summer. The good news is that if you continue to manage the stiltgrass, you will have fewer plants each year.

Beloved Plants that Become Invasive

I think we can all agree that we want stiltgrass eliminated from our property, but there are non-native plants that have been beloved by gardeners for generations that are being added to the invasive lists, much to the consternation of gardeners. One example is the lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis).

Some hellebores  have started to escape into woodland areas and are able to stifle our favorite native understory flowers. They prevent seedlings of other plants from getting established as dense mats of their offspring grow. (Image credit: NC Extension Toolbox, Bob Gutowski CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0; Jim Robbins CC-BY-NC-4.0).

There are many good reasons that hellebores are such a beloved plant: they bloom over the winter months when very few other plants are blooming; they require little care; they are deer and rabbit resistant; they tolerate a wide range of light conditions; including light shade; and they survive even deep frosts. Unfortunately, they meet many of the conditions that place them at risk to become invasive in our region: they have no natural pests or pathogens; they can successfully fertilize themselves (although bees will seek nectar and pollen from the plants); and they produce a multitude of fertile seeds. While there is not a perfect native substitute for hellebores, the gardener may consider planting a matrix of sedges (Carex species), coral bells (Heuchera americana), and ferns, many of which are host plants, to provide winter interest .

While not yet on the invasive lists in N.C, another beloved plant that is of concern is the crape myrtle (Lagerstroemai indica). Its spread is being tracked in Southern states by the Invasive Atlas of the United States and the plant’s spread is being watched with caution by conservationists in N.C. Each flower of the crape myrtle produces a prodigious number of seeds that are carried or blown far from the mother plant. I have had a crape myrtle in my yard for probably the past 40 years and it has only been recently that I have seen it sprouting up elsewhere in my yard and ¼ acre woods.


Crape myrtles are seen along roadways and in gardens in North Carolina but conservationists have raised concerns because it outcompetes many native plants (Image credit: NC Plant Toolbox, skdavidson)

Liriope (Liriope muscari and L. spicata), bugleweed (Ajuga reptens), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) are all common ornamental plants that have been added to the NC Invasive Plant list as “Low Threat” species. While they have the potential to harm our local ecology, they are not yet doing so.

Liriope (Liriope muscari), bugleweed (Ajuga reptens), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) are plants that many of us have in our garden. They are considered to be “Low Threat” to native plants of North Carolina. (Image credit: North Carolina Toobox, Manuel-CC-BY-2.0; Jim Robbins-CC-BY-NC-ND; Frank Mayfield, CC-BY-SA-2.0)

As gardeners, we can control the spread of potentially invasive plants in our own yards or we can choose to remove them and plant a native that supports our native ecology. A follow-up blog will suggest options to consider for replacing invasive plants with natives that power our ecosystems.

Notes

  1. Personal communications Peter Schubert, NC Invasive Plant Council, October, 2024 and Johnny Randall, former Director of Conservation Programs, NC Botanical Garden, October 2024.

Resources and Additional Information

NC Invasive Plants List adopted by NC-IPC, November 16, 2023NC Invasive Plant Council
https://nc-ipc.weebly.com/uploads/6/8/4/6/6846349/invasive_plant_list_-_ranked_-_2023-11-16.pdf

Grzędzicka, E., Assessment of Habitat Selection by Invasive Plants and Conditions with the Best Performance of Invasiveness Traits, February, 2023. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/333

Invasive plant Atlas of the United States University of Georgia-Center for Invasive Species and Ecological Health, October 2018 https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/index.cfm

Jones, M., Gaster, R. Invasive Species, NC Cooperative Extension, Lee County, July 30, 2019 https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/07/invasive-species/

Moony, H.A., Cleland, E.E., The Evolutionary Impact of Invasive Species, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. May 2001, 98(10) 5446-5451 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.091093398

Moorman, C, Megalos, M, Douglas, K. Invasive Plants and Your Forests, NCSU Extension Publication. Revised September 11, 2024. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/invasive-plants-and-your-forests

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