Spring is honestly playing hide and seek with us here in north NJ. Since Thursday morning (March 7) to Friday (March 8), it snowed heavily, about 8 inches, along with strong wind. Before Thursday, the weather was a balmy spring weather with temperature around 52 degree.
This was the scene on Friday, behind our house .
Since Friday, the weather has been spectacular, azure blue sky with white floating clouds, bright sun, cool breeze with temperature hovering above 50 (though it is dropping to below freezing in night). Crocuses are the only flowers that are blooming in our backyard now.
Wild crocuses, if any such thing exists, growing in our backyard. We do not know where they have come from.
Spring is not here yet though; as I told you, it is playing hide and seek, and we are expecting another snow front this coming Friday!
However, in anticipation of spring, we have started getting ready. We attended the annual meeting of NJ Native Plant Society.
Every year they have a huge native plant sale at the end of the meeting. I ended up buying a big beach palm (prunus maritima), Eupatorium Hyssopifolium (some kind of native flowering plant), Lupine Lupinus (again a flowering plant that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies) and two large spice-bushes. The sale take place in order to raise money for the foundation, and all the trees are donated by NJ nurseries which specializes in native plants. That's why everything is cheap. I got all those huge plants and bushes under less than fifty-bucks. If I were going to buy them in any nursery, they were going to cost me quite a fortune. Ah! I wish we had a big car to buy more plants.
Whoever stayed in our house before we bought it planted both native and non-native plants around the property. I am not a purist who advocates only native plants, but I myself going to plant native plants only for various reasons:
1. They will get easily established in the garden because these plants have evolved through millennia to survive in the climate and soil of northern NJ. I do not have spend money on watering them or fertilizing them.
2. The native population of mammals, birds and insects have evolved, along with these plants, to survive on these plants. These plants provide food (nuts, berries, seeds, leaves), shade and nectar to these native animals. In the harshest of winter with freezing temperature and everything covered in snow, I have seen the cardinals, bluejays, nuthatches, chickadees and other birds eating on the seed-pods and leaves of native plants. They are very important for the survival of many of the native butterflies and bees.
3. I sometimes go around, volunteering with some organization in removing invasive species. I have seen what invasive species can do. Once I volunteered to remove this invasive species of rose (I am forgetting the name but they form huge dense forest of climbing plants with big thorns) that were brought to the US from China to create some kind of natural hedges/fences. They have escaped from their confinement and now spreading throughout NJ. They form such dense mass that they not only become difficult to remove but they kill all the other plants around them; these other plants simply cannot compete with the roses for light and nutrients. They are almost literally strangled to death by these climbing rose bushes. In my own backyard, I have the problem of invasion of Persian Lilac trees and day-lilies. I don't know who planted those for what reasons as the flowers are not long lasting. So, I have left them in their original confinement and have to constantly weed out any new ones trying to rise. I don't think they also have any values for pollinators or birds as I have hardly seen any bees flying to their flowers or birds eating the seed pods on the tree.
4. More than 99% of all grassland, meadow, prairie or savannah wildflowers of NJ are gone. Native plants are disappearing at an alarming rate. Already all the big mammals of NJ (except common deer, black beer, squirrels, groundhogs and some other smaller mammals) are extinct. Once American Bisons used to roam around in NJ!! Even if we do not care about survival of animals during winter, still we need to make sure that plants do not become extinct for our own good only. Every day scientists are discovering one thing or another that can only be obtained from plants and that cure cancer, AIDS or any other diseases or disabilities that affect human species. For example, scientists have found that Madagascar Primrose flowers have a chemical that can completely cure blood cancer (even when the cancer is at very late stage). So, who knows what sorts of chemicals can be obtained from the native plants of NJ that will beneficial to human beings? So, we have to make sure that these plants do not become extinct.
5. Many parts (like bark, flowers, leaves, seeds, roots) of these native plants can also be eaten. For example, one can eat the flowers and leaves of violet, seedpods, leaves and stems of yellow wood sorrel, every parts of a trout-lily plant, young blossoms and seed pods of common milkweed, leaves of stinging nettle or every parts of a common cattail.
6. Many of the native plants can also become invasive. But, even if they spread, I will know that they will be providing something for the native animals. The native NJ violet can become invasive and spread throughout the yard, but eight different species of fritillary butterflies completely survive on these violets. Once the caterpillar hatches, it has to find the violet plants to feed on and survive!!
Thus, my goal is to have as many native plants and flowers in the yard as possible. At the same time, I will also have some non-native species but only those that will not become invasive and mostly annuals. My vegetable garden is of course non-native, but they are not invasive (ah! how I wish they were and I would have fresh veggies throughout the year); and, hey, I am yet to eat any of the cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli or pears that I grow. So far they have become the food for groundhogs, rabbits, deer, squirrels and who knows what. Alas!! For vegetables also, there is the controversy between heirloom and hybrid. I need to do more research before I jump into the heirloom bandwagon. After all, what is hybrid (plants created by mixing the genes (seeds)/cuttings of two or more plants) can become the heirloom of tomorrow. All the heirlooms also originated in the same way -- farmers of past selecting and breeding good quality plants and in the process creating a plant with unique quality. Anyone knows about all these heirloom and hybrid controversies and why heirlooms should be chosen?
Since Friday, the weather has been spectacular, azure blue sky with white floating clouds, bright sun, cool breeze with temperature hovering above 50 (though it is dropping to below freezing in night). Crocuses are the only flowers that are blooming in our backyard now.
Spring is not here yet though; as I told you, it is playing hide and seek, and we are expecting another snow front this coming Friday!
However, in anticipation of spring, we have started getting ready. We attended the annual meeting of NJ Native Plant Society.
Every year they have a huge native plant sale at the end of the meeting. I ended up buying a big beach palm (prunus maritima), Eupatorium Hyssopifolium (some kind of native flowering plant), Lupine Lupinus (again a flowering plant that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies) and two large spice-bushes. The sale take place in order to raise money for the foundation, and all the trees are donated by NJ nurseries which specializes in native plants. That's why everything is cheap. I got all those huge plants and bushes under less than fifty-bucks. If I were going to buy them in any nursery, they were going to cost me quite a fortune. Ah! I wish we had a big car to buy more plants.
Whoever stayed in our house before we bought it planted both native and non-native plants around the property. I am not a purist who advocates only native plants, but I myself going to plant native plants only for various reasons:
1. They will get easily established in the garden because these plants have evolved through millennia to survive in the climate and soil of northern NJ. I do not have spend money on watering them or fertilizing them.
2. The native population of mammals, birds and insects have evolved, along with these plants, to survive on these plants. These plants provide food (nuts, berries, seeds, leaves), shade and nectar to these native animals. In the harshest of winter with freezing temperature and everything covered in snow, I have seen the cardinals, bluejays, nuthatches, chickadees and other birds eating on the seed-pods and leaves of native plants. They are very important for the survival of many of the native butterflies and bees.
3. I sometimes go around, volunteering with some organization in removing invasive species. I have seen what invasive species can do. Once I volunteered to remove this invasive species of rose (I am forgetting the name but they form huge dense forest of climbing plants with big thorns) that were brought to the US from China to create some kind of natural hedges/fences. They have escaped from their confinement and now spreading throughout NJ. They form such dense mass that they not only become difficult to remove but they kill all the other plants around them; these other plants simply cannot compete with the roses for light and nutrients. They are almost literally strangled to death by these climbing rose bushes. In my own backyard, I have the problem of invasion of Persian Lilac trees and day-lilies. I don't know who planted those for what reasons as the flowers are not long lasting. So, I have left them in their original confinement and have to constantly weed out any new ones trying to rise. I don't think they also have any values for pollinators or birds as I have hardly seen any bees flying to their flowers or birds eating the seed pods on the tree.
4. More than 99% of all grassland, meadow, prairie or savannah wildflowers of NJ are gone. Native plants are disappearing at an alarming rate. Already all the big mammals of NJ (except common deer, black beer, squirrels, groundhogs and some other smaller mammals) are extinct. Once American Bisons used to roam around in NJ!! Even if we do not care about survival of animals during winter, still we need to make sure that plants do not become extinct for our own good only. Every day scientists are discovering one thing or another that can only be obtained from plants and that cure cancer, AIDS or any other diseases or disabilities that affect human species. For example, scientists have found that Madagascar Primrose flowers have a chemical that can completely cure blood cancer (even when the cancer is at very late stage). So, who knows what sorts of chemicals can be obtained from the native plants of NJ that will beneficial to human beings? So, we have to make sure that these plants do not become extinct.
5. Many parts (like bark, flowers, leaves, seeds, roots) of these native plants can also be eaten. For example, one can eat the flowers and leaves of violet, seedpods, leaves and stems of yellow wood sorrel, every parts of a trout-lily plant, young blossoms and seed pods of common milkweed, leaves of stinging nettle or every parts of a common cattail.
6. Many of the native plants can also become invasive. But, even if they spread, I will know that they will be providing something for the native animals. The native NJ violet can become invasive and spread throughout the yard, but eight different species of fritillary butterflies completely survive on these violets. Once the caterpillar hatches, it has to find the violet plants to feed on and survive!!
Thus, my goal is to have as many native plants and flowers in the yard as possible. At the same time, I will also have some non-native species but only those that will not become invasive and mostly annuals. My vegetable garden is of course non-native, but they are not invasive (ah! how I wish they were and I would have fresh veggies throughout the year); and, hey, I am yet to eat any of the cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli or pears that I grow. So far they have become the food for groundhogs, rabbits, deer, squirrels and who knows what. Alas!! For vegetables also, there is the controversy between heirloom and hybrid. I need to do more research before I jump into the heirloom bandwagon. After all, what is hybrid (plants created by mixing the genes (seeds)/cuttings of two or more plants) can become the heirloom of tomorrow. All the heirlooms also originated in the same way -- farmers of past selecting and breeding good quality plants and in the process creating a plant with unique quality. Anyone knows about all these heirloom and hybrid controversies and why heirlooms should be chosen?
Sounds like you got a good deal at the plant sale. Of the plants you mention, I do have spicebush, which is really worth planting. I also try to plant mostly natives, and I'm perfectly happy to have violets growing in the lawn. I do grow some exotics, though.
ReplyDeleteJason, I also grow some exotics (non-native flowering and other plants). But, I know people who are so purists about native plants that they take out big trees which are non-native!!
DeleteSpring is playing hide and seek here too, with the return of cold weather and snow. Nice buy at the plant sale!
ReplyDeleteThank You Mark&Gaz :-).
DeleteThe weather is the same here too. It is as if someone picked us all up and deposited us in The Arctic when we weren't looking.
ReplyDeleteThe native/non-native discussion is quite complicated. I take each plant on its own merits since although certain native plants are essential for some creatures, non-natives can be valuable too, for example Buddleia (a well-known source of nectar for butterflies in the UK) is not a native plant, it is from China. That said, we must never be careless with non-native plants which are invasive in our countryside. In the UK, The Royal Horticultural Society has been undertaking a project to see if there is a recordable difference in invertebrate species/numbers between natives/non-natives - it's called the Plants for Bugs Study.
Good luck with your veggies and well done on your bargains!
That's a good study that they are undertaking. If you come across their results, please let me know as I know that this issue is very complicated. However, in many places in the US, they have found that these invasive species are so strangling that they are completely destroying the native flora and along with it the fauna. I am forgetting the name, but some kind of plant from Japan is spreading across Oregon and destroying the native wildflower there. The rose that I mentioned in my post was also like that. What's happening with the destruction of the flora is that the animals which depended on them cannot evolve so quickly and thus dying. Saying and understanding all those, still I have lots of non-native in my garden :-P.
DeleteGood deal with the plants!
ReplyDeleteWow it is snowing heavily there. But you still can be so active which is good.
I probably be in bed more than half the day.
Hahahaha..malay-kadazan girl, we have to be active even with lots of snow because that's the life here - since october till may, it's cold and freezing.
DeleteYou certainly did get a bargain. I often wish I had a bigger car when buying plants - It's a common affliction amongst gardeners!
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with The Gardening Shoe re native/non natives - I do grow both but tend to choose plants which are said to beneficial and do choose carefully.
Oops - meant to add...in response to your comment on my blog re peonies falling to the ground. Support is vital. The earlier you can get the support in the better! I use those grid supports that push into the ground. I push them right down Feb/March when the shoots are around 1 inch high. That allows the shoots to grow up through the grid sections - I raise it as the plant gets taller.
DeleteMy grandfather used to use sticks and small branches he gathered from here and there but I never paid the slightest bit of attention on how he used to assemble them altogether!
Hi Angie, thanks for the info. I have never heard about grid support. I need to look about it, and see if I can buy them. Things are so costly here and I am such a miser :-). I might then follow your grandad's footsteps of using twigs and sticks.
DeleteSeems like your weather is playing up just as badly as our's is, no let-up from the ice cold wintery spell we have. Yesterday was the coldest March day in 27 years in England. I can believe that! Let's get some nice warm spring weather soon!
ReplyDeleteUhh...coldest day in 27 years!! what's happening with world's climate? I hope it will not become something disastrous.
DeleteKL what a great post. We are going to get more snow here after it finally melted...cold weather too for several days...oh well it will pass. As for the natives, I only plant natives now in the garden and have removed invasives. By the way, native plant folks taught me that natives are aggressive not invasive (I guess they reserve the word invasive for non-natives)...aggressive natives can grow in large stands so be careful where you plant them. I have learned the hard way with some of mine.
ReplyDeleteInvasives I removed have been butterfly bush...as it may not be invasive in some areas, here it seeds itself everywhere including the woods. Others are burning bush and barberry. I grow my natives for all the reasons you say here. I love the history of these native plants as I have found that they were used by native people hundreds of years ago in some cases which is why I profile them so people will understand their rich history and plant them. I love the look of the violets in the lawn as they are beneficial and the lawn is not.
As far as veg gardens, I have to net mine to keep the critters out as they have other food in the garden. My cabbages and other veggies in that cabbage family are food for the cabbage butterfly that is not native so I have to cover them with garden cloth.
I have grown both hybrid and heirloom tomatoes but the heirlooms are too susceptible to blight here so the hybrids tend to do better. I am trying some grafted heirlooms and growing hybrids from seed to compare and see how they all do. Then I can finally maybe settle on tomatoes that will be good producers in my garden.