Mulch Madness

Our newly established garden beds on the farm necessitated a massive load of mulch, as weeds were popping up left and right and we were in a race against time to defeat them.  My husband & I layered newspapers down thick before piling on the mulch, and hopefully the weeds will be smothered and the battles of summer will be less tiresome, allowing me to simply enjoy the pleasures and beauty of favored plants.  It will surely take a few years before my shrubs and perennials have filled out and covered ground, but in the meantime, my new best friend is...mulch.

Bush Honeysuckle Must GO!!

Since I started my garden a year ago, I have been committed to filling the landscape with mostly native plants and those that can attract wildlife such as birds, bees and butterflies. Definitely I am seeing results and yesterday alone, I saw 3 different species of birds visiting my bird bath within only an hour time frame. Still, I am not a die hard "nativism" adherent, and so far I have not ripped out any plant simply because it is not a native. My large fan-shaped Euonymous Alatas (i.e. Burning Bush) is so lovely and fitting in its place, that I have respect for this plant despite its less-than-ideal reputation for being invasive.


However, the Bush Honeysuckle is a whole different story. I like the fragrant flowers, I like the nice lime green color of the leaves when Fall arrives, I like the mildly weeping habit of this understory plant, but I DO NOT like the crazy amount of seedlings that are sprouting up everywhere! They are hard to yank out, and now I clearly see why Bush Honeysuckle is such a threat to woodland areas. I plan to replace it with Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringe Tree), an attractive native with a very unique look while in flower. I will not regret saying goodbye to the Honeysuckle.

Mulching Leaves

We have a heavily wooded lot and could easily produce 100 large bags of leaves for the curbside each Autumn, but instead we mulch and compost and this is working out great for us. Below is an illustrated demostration of the process we follow for getting a wonderful organic end-product.

Step 1:
Rake leaves into piles and mow with a mulching lawnmower, then place these mowed-over leaves in a big pile.


Step 2:
Mow over the big pile again and again, until the pile is reduced by 90%.


Step 3:
With the leaves now chopped until fine-textured, gather and use to mulch garden beds & borders, or place in your compost pile.

10 Arbor Day Trees

I was very excited to receive 10 Tree Seedlings after becoming a member of the Arbor Day Foundation, they arrived yesterday and were planted this morning! Hopefully, they will be ready for transplanting to their permanent location in about 2-3 years. Since we bought our home earlier this year, we've planted 4 trees (3 Eastern Redbud 'Forest Pansy', 1 Flowering Dogwood 'Cherokee Brave'), and definitely I'd like to plant at least a few more. I *LOVE* trees, and they are so great for the environment!



10 Arbor Day Trees
2 Sargent Crabapples
2 White Flowering Dogwoods
2 Eastern Redbuds
2 Goldenraintrees
2 Washington Hawthorns
+ 1 Crapemyrtle Shrub

Toads and Loads of Wildlife

Since moving into our new home we have spotted various creatures large and small on and around our property, and that makes me HAPPY because many of them are actually very beneficial to my garden and the environment as a whole. Recently, we had our backyard credentialed as a "Certified Wildlife Habitat" by The National Wildlife Federation, and definitely it meets the criteria of providing the "four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive." I have spotted chipmunks, rabbits, and even a large Yellow Tabby Cat from time to time, and we have a wide variety of birds and even some butterflies that like to hang out on occasion too! If you wish to attract more Wildlife to your garden, be proactive and make sure the following are widely available:

Food Sources - For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, nectar
Water Sources - For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream
Places for Cover - For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse
Places to Raise Young - For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting box, pond
Sustainable Gardening - For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden, chemical-free fertilizer