A friend gave us these curved cement blocks, so I’m thinking they might make a nice walking meditation circle. The Kioti tractor will be of great help in moving the boulders.
Category: June 2016
Rose Campion Survives Drought
Lychnis coronaria’s pink blossoms and silver foliage are a welcome sight. They’re also helping to stabilize this area of the slope, while giving natives an opportunity to establish themselves.
Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina, or staghorn sumac, likes to pop up in this area. I cut down the inconvenient ones and like to prune the lower, downward-facing branches of those that remain. I’m looking forward to its fall color.
In the background on the right is a burgundy-colored ninebark. Just to the left of that is a redbud, whose location on this rather exposed slope has dictated its shrubbier form.
Closer to the ground, lamb’s ears help choke out knotweed resprouts and iris foliage provides a spiky contrast.
Asclepias Syriaca, Common Milkweed
Not a weed, it’s beautiful, smells terrific, supports insects and butterflies, and it’s drought-tolerant! What’s not to like?!
Heritage River Birch
Here’s what the river birches look like from the other side. This year, perhaps because they’re bigger, and even with the drought, (or perhaps because of the drought?) they’re less affected by sawfly larvae.
Teenaged Trees
In the background are the Heritage river birches (Betula nigra) that were mere twigs when we planted them in 2012. Fast growers, they’re now much taller than the white pine, willow and variegated dogwoods.
Drought-Tolerant Plants
Variegated Red-Twig Dogwood, Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) and Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears) join native plants Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar), alder, Galliardia (Blanket Flower) and coreopsis to beat the heat and dryness.
Chips are Down
Our piles of mulch and wood chips have dwindled, as we struggle to help our trees and shrubs retain every last drop of moisture.
June 2016 Dry Pond
The pond is usually twice this size at this time of year. We’re experiencing an unusual drought.
Brilliantly-Colored Smokebushes
Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ smokebushes make quite a statement in the back acre. To their left are branches of one of the weeping willow trees, growing fairly enthusiastically, despite the low rainfall amounts we’ve had.
The native willows, viburnums, bayberries, witchhazels and dogwoods in this same general area are soon to be joined by buttonbush, clethra and allegheny serviceberries.
A few years ago, this area was overgrown with multiflora rose, buckthorn, some phragmites, and other invasives.
