ANOTHER PROJECT

When we first began to seriously identify our existing plants and acquire more North Carolina natives for the Woods, we realized we would, if others were to share in the richness of this environment, need to label our plants ( those ID stakes referred to in a previous blog).  Numbers became the most practical option, coupled with a laminated list with the common and botanical names, kept in a box at the trail head.  But what happens when you miss the bloom, wouldn't it be nice to be able to reference a photo taken at the right time?  Ah ha, we need a photo album where the stake number, botanical and common name appear with photos of the plant in all of its stages.  As we acquire more plants more photos need to be added and sometimes we have wait years for a plant to mature to the point at which it blooms.  This is an ongoing project and we have had several photographers contribute. Dennis is our latest and here are some his favorites from this spring.

 Rhododendron calendulaceum. Flame Azalea

                                 Photos by Dennis Pagano







Penstemon smallii  Small’s Penstemon

Photo by Dennis Pagano

                                                   Mertonsia virginica. Virginia Bluebells

Photo by Linda Lafferty

                                                Rhododendron canescens  Piedmont Azalea

Photo by Dennis Pagano
Phlox glaberrima  Appalachian Smooth Phlox

Photo by Dennis Pagano
Salvia urticfolia. Nettle Leaf Sage

TOURING CLOSE TO HOME

                     Here we are ready for a tour of Sullivan Woods Memorial and Botanical.

MARCH 12, 2020

The world as we knew it at Twin Lakes changed on this day. As a continuous care retirement community we became abundantly aware of the meaning of “lock down”. What had been a community of seniors, awash with activity choices and freedoms, became a quiet place. All activities, clubs, exercise classes, social events, lectures and community gatherings of every kind were cancelled. Our three “higher levels of care” units were off limits to all but nursing and maintenance staff and eventually every public indoor space was closed to all but staff. Off campus activities soon followed. What had, the day before, been a calendar almost too full was  today a blank page.
My grandma often said that

                                   



                                         Louise is tidying trees.

                                 






      The Kerbows  are replacing worn out ID markers.

                                Pat and Vera are attacking this year’s crop of tree seedlings.

                       



   Dee has taken on a long dreamed of and much needed project: the mapping
     of our over 300 native species.
                                     
                 

Raking up last fall’s leaves and putting them through a mulcher makes

life happier for our understory of herbaceous perennials and new seedlings:

less competition, good mulch and soil enrichment.

 even dark clouds have silver linings, and it was only a short time, before several of us found our silver lining. Sullivan Woods!  Where better to “social distance”, get good exercise, improve our mental states and fill newly idle hours than to work in the Woods.  Spring has always been a busy time, looking for first blooms, cleaning up the messiness of winter and preparing for that wonderful parade of nature’s wonders that we call SPRING.  Since we started this project back in 2009, our numbers had dwindled ( us old folks get older) and our calendars filled with other pursuits.  But now, the rules of the game have changed, and Sullivan Woods became something fun to do. Spring cleaning became the project du jour and today, we revel in the fruits of our labors.

It wasn’t long before those who enjoyed walking in the Woods, began to notice the difference! They were right, never had the Woods looked so wonderful. Attention, care, a mild winter and an overall program of fertilization had indeed made a difference.   But how do we get more folks outside and enjoy the lift of spirit we have enjoyed. Joy is to be shared!  So we began to offer tours of the Woods, small groups, social distancing and mask required.  What fun to share this beautiful spot with folks who had never experienced it before!

April, 2020
Native azaleas offer the most extraordinary pallet for the woodland. The blooms begin in Mid-March here in the Piedmont and continue well into summer. We have planted as many as we could find, purchased as tiny sticks in many cases and our patience has been rewarded over the years with robust beds of changing color and if that were not quite enough the range of scents is equally delightful.

Oh the glory of Spring!!

Foam flower Tiarella cordifolia

Eastern flowering dogwood Cornus florida

Sandy, watering our new Green and Gold transplants.
Who would have thought that all of these were just one small plant last spring at this time.
Guess they like us!

Wild bleeding heart Dicentra eximia

Any one know their fungus?

 We are thrilled with the "springing" of the Woods.
Amazing that we raised the Columbine from a tiny
seed, the miracle never stops delighting us.  

Eastern Red Columbine Aguilegia canadencis



    

Mayapple  Podophyllum peltatum
Close-up of the Mayapple bud
it will drop as it grows to present under the leaf.

Sandy's Report

Atamasco Lily Zephyranthes atamasco

After supper we walked over to see what had come out today. Discovered the Atamosca Lilies in the "bloodroot bed" are about to bloom. One of the baptisias in the meadow is about a foot high and has several bloom buds on it. One of the azaleas we bought with Gay's gift last fall and planted over by the spool table has two buds that are only a day or two away from being in flower. The button bushes are starting to leaf out. The yellow passionflower tendrils are starting up. The buckeye is fully leafed out. Each day brings something new!

Piedmont Azalea Rhodendron canescens

WELCOME SPRING

   The Spring ephemerals have begun.  Blood root is blooming where we transplanted it last spring.
The Spring Beauties are exactly that, and one brave trillium is fully up with a bud just aching to burst into flower.  "Bucky" as we call him ( Aesculus pavia  Red Buckeye) is almost in full leaf. These days in the 80's in mid-March really accelerate the emersion of our sleepy friends.
   Last week we planted 6 new Ilex verticilliata Red Sprite  Deciduous Holly and their red berries are looking so perky at the edge of the Woods. We are experimenting this year with a  Pachysandra terminalis, the grower had been disappointed with its performance, but by the look of its roots, it was very constrained.  We are hoping it will be happier in the wild than in a pot.
  Yesterday we received replacements for our Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea which had not performed in the ground well last spring.  We have planted all 3 dozen of them in pots in hopes of being able to monitor their water intake better and track how many actually survive.  We also planted over 20 flats of seeds, some of which were placed in the refrigerator for the next 2 months to simulate winter for them.  The balance will go into Jane's nursery until fall when we will, hopefully, once again plant out several hundred seedlings.  Three of us are members of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill.  As a benefit of membership we receive several free packets of native seeds each and we use these to populate 'the Woods".
  Our big news for the spring however is not plants, but rather irrigation and walls and walks.
We have, in our very hot and dry summers, found a need to irrigate our Woods, particularly to establish new plantings, but also to compensate for the fact that although we are always planting NC natives, we are planting natives that are not necessarily happy in a xeric woodland setting.  We will soon have a wonderful automated watering system, which should save water in the end, by using a timer we will no longer forget we left the sprinkler on, watering will take place at night giving plants an opportunity to absorb before the heat of the day and the amount put down will be measurable.  The savings of time will be enormous as well!  The wall locations have been charted and construction should begin soon on the new Twin Lakes Memorial Garden for the interrment of ashes.  This peaceful setting is a wonderful new additon to our community and although it saddens us to loose the company of our friends and neighbors, it pleases us to be able to share our dear Woods with them.  The final improvement to the Woods for this year is a upgrading of our paths to include a metal edging.  Although we love the apperance of the Chapel Hill sandstone, it does migrate.  Edging should minimize this, reducing the necessity for "re-rocking" and rearranging so often.
Now I just need to get into the Woods with a camera - Spring - so much to do!!