The Rewards of Less Clean-Up
Three migrating Hermit Thrushes have been foraging on our Chokeberries (left) and newly planted bright red Wintergreen (right). They appreciate the berries left behind by our minimalist approach to fall clean-up!
Less Clean-Up, More Time for Fall Planting
Although spring is the time most gardeners’ thoughts turn to planting, fall is really a better time to plant. Already in the ground, roots can start to grow once soil temperatures reaches 40 degrees in the spring – before it is safe to plant due to freezing nighttime temperatures. Another plus – plants are often on sale in the fall!
The Peak Landscapes crew is pictured below – Erin, Aysia and Andrew, who is an incredibly talented ecological landscaper!
We went a little crazy this fall. We redid the beds in front of the house, moving some of the existing native plants – False Indigo, Butterfly Weed, Foxsglove, and Flowering Spurge to the front slope. We replaced them with showy nonnative perennials – Iris, Daylily, Hollyhock, Delphinium, Monkshood, Tall Phlox, Geranium, Catmint and Clematis – hoping for some “wow” around the front entrance. On the front slope, we added 70 Lady and Christmas Ferns and Black Cohosh.
At the top of the driveway we cleaned up a messy, neglected area and created a new bed. Here we planted native Foam-flower along with 18 nonnative daylillies for a pop of color. We wanted to add native Creeping Phlox along the front edge, but we were not able to find it, so that will have to wait for spring. (There are some drawbacks to fall planting.)
In the back garden, we divided our New England Asters which are doing so well they threatened to become a hedge. Hopefully they will also thrive in their new home on the front slope. We also planted more ground cover – Wintergreen and Bunchberry. This brought our fall new plant total to over 300!
If you want to make a big difference for birds and insects, you don’t need to go crazy with new plantings like we did. Adding just a few “keystone” native plants will help insect populations and promote biodiversity. Research has shown that only 14% of native plants are important to support beneficial insects. Here is a list of keystone trees, shrubs and perennials for our region ranked by how many native insects they support.
In our garden, the trees and shrubs which seem most attractive to caterpillars and pollinators are Oaks, Tamarack, Birch, Serviceberry, Chokeberry and Clethra. The perennials are Butterfly Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Liatris, Evening Primrose, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrods, Asters, Partridge Pea and Echinacea. Here is a late season Tri-colored Bumble Bee on a New York Aster.
Seeds
At the suggestion of Andrew, we are trying something new – sowing native seeds. We chose Wild Strawberry, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Bee-Balm, and Virginia and Broad leaf Mountain Mints, as they are listed as good for beginners (below right). We are sowing some directly on the front hillside and some in pots to be transplanted in the spring after they sprout (below left).
This is a very inexpensive way to get new native plants, which are not easy to find locally. Wild Seed Project is a great place to buy seeds sown in Maine, and learn about how to sow them. Can’t wait to see how it all works out!
On close inspection, the fall garden lacks the exuberance of summer, but is still beautiful!
