The transition to fall is underway in October, but it seems a bit slower this year with the warmer temperatures. The attention of pollinators shifted from goldenrods to asters, particularly our latest bloomers… the aromatic asters (Raydon’s Favorite, October Skies, and straight species). There is still some butterfly and caterpillar activity. We are on the…
Tag: fall
Winter Appreciation and Assessment
Now that the leaves are down from most trees and shrubs, it is a good time to get into the landscape for a bit of appreciation and assessment. Without foliage and the colors of the growing season, beauty emerges from the form, flow, texture, and earth tones present in the landscape. You can see the…
Stop What You’re Doing
In her newest book, The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, Margaret Renkl begins the prologue with “Wherever you are, stop what you’re doing.” This is a call to attention in words to savor. I have been awed in the last few weeks by the colors of fall this year. The leaves of so many…
Identifying a Persistent Weed at Catchfly Commons
Hairy Bittercress or Lesser-Seeded Bittercress? Don’t take your eyes off the ball! A ubiquitous weed in our landscape is hairy bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta. Now begins the time of year for scouting these tricksters, just as much of the gardening work winds down. The first time I saw this plant in our landscape beds was probably…
Helping Pollinators Overwinter (Part II)
In Part I of Helping Pollinators Overwinter, I concluded by saying the dormancy of pollinators varies a lot. They are dormant in different ways and in different stages. The location of nests and shelters are also varied. This means as we garden in fall and winter that we need to give care to ground disturbances,…
Helping Pollinators Overwinter (Part I)
Ensuring our landscapes have host plants, nectar, and other aspects of native habitat during growing seasons is very important for biodiversity. The increased awareness of this is making a positive impact on how people garden. Unfortunately, this progress can be undermined if we do not also help insects and other creatures survive fall and winter….
Asters and Goldenrods in a Home Garden? You Bet!
Asters and goldenrods are major actors at this time of the year in the native plant garden because of their high value as late season nectar sources for pollinators and migrating butterflies. Goldenrods are represented in three genera, listed here with the number of Ohio native species in each: Solidago (25), Euthamia (2), and Oligoneuron…
Catchfly Commons 