Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is such a pretty plant! This one seems to be quite happy, growing in an area that’s very wet in the spring. On the left are blooming stems of swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). New to this particular planting bed, they’re marked with a stake, so they don’t get weeded out by accident.
Here’s the buttonbush in context – it’s part of a large swath of plantings on the east side of the back acre. This is an area that’s extremely wet in the spring. Formerly, about 6 years ago, there was nothing here but the low part of a mown field. Before that, it was a field with lots of invasive plants that hardly ever got mowed. These days, there’s a lot more cover for wildlife. The plants here now are mostly natives that support various species of animals and insects. From left to right: viburnum, swamp milkweed, buttonbush, false spiraea, purple smokebush, alder, willow.
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and Virginia creeper vine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), with an occasional twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) grow in moist, deep shade underneath a large, old oak tree on the pond’s east side.
Can’t believe this area used to be all knotweed! On left, Princeton elm, center, river birches, and at right (flowering) is one of my favorite shrubs, highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum).
This may not look like much, but it’s important. The plants immediately bordering the pond (dogwoods, pussy willows, elm) remain unmowed for the winter. A strip that contained some wildflowers (milkweeds, asters, daisies, goldenrods, etc.) yet also some invasives (mainly field bindweed, or mile-a-minute) benefits from being mowed.
The west side of the back acre needed more wildlife-friendly planting. This long swath begins in the nearfield with evergreens to grow up and eventually block the view of the wood chip pile from the house. It then winds all the way across the field to the right.
Yes, this is the title of an old Broadway show tune, and it’s certainly true here!
Looking up the slope is a mix of volunteers and things we planted for erosion control. In the latter category are junipers, phlox, bayberry, rose campion, willows, and in the former are native daisies, grapevines, asters and goldenrods. In the foreground are cattails and a winterberry holly (“Jim Dandy”); both like the damp area next to the pond.
The pond is at its high water mark on a misty day. Beyond the pond, on the left, is an area I’ve been planting a native corridor for wildlife cover. Formerly, it was full of invasives, along with an old fence, shack and sunken backhoe. Quite improved now, from a human perspective also!
Just for jollies, here’s what it looked like 6 years ago, in May of 2011:
Another gorgeous wildflower, pollinated by bumblebees, Gentiana andrewsii.
The three main concerns of invasive plants on this property are:
Phragmites, Common Reed – the grass (it can take over)
Japanese Knotweed patch (the reddish stalks). Our neighbor’s driveway also has a large patch, across the street. Put in a request, because it will need herbicide, and the timing is crucial.
Oriental Bittersweet – They had to show me what this is; at the time, I had no experience with it.
Down next to the pond, they show me an alder (speckled?) which gets about 8 feet high and leggy, they say, but it’s a good plant. Cattails in the pond are good. You can distinguish them from the phragmites because they have a wider leaf. They’re also more graceful; their leaves split away from the stalk lower. The Phragmites is narrow, roundish, grassy. On the far side of the pond is a patch of sensitive fern, a “good” plant.
On the boulder wall, there’s a blackberry type plant (rubus) with thorns; it’s good, but it gets thick. There’s also a grapevine type plant and a red maple, which are okay. Above the biggest rock toward the end where you walk down, there is an invasive honeysuckle. The little grass, sort of round-ish, is rush, it’s okay. There’s some horsetail (equisetum), which is not great, but not terrible.
On the west side of the pond, is an invasive autumn olive, a ginormous old invasive multiflora rose, and obviously, a large area of invasive phragmites (the grass). There are nice aspen, white pine and cedar trees here. Unfortunately, a huge, old bittersweet vine is growing up the aspen and choking it. The aspen is really nice, and there’s some nice blackberry here, too, they say.
I can tell, they’re trying their best to be positive and encouraging!
DECK/GARAGE
Concerning the siting of the garage/deck, it looks like we’re keeping pretty much the same footprint, except if the foundation extends out to where the end of the deck is now, instead of just where the blacktop ends now. And even then, it at least looks like we’re definitely 50 feet away from the wetlands, which is the absolute minimum, which is good. But they really like to see 100 or 70 feet, because 50 feet is just the buffer zone.
They explained, a wetlands person can be a good advocate for you, to assist with the permitting process for the immediate goals for the deck/garage, form an overall assessment and plan for the pond’s restoration, and prioritize what should be done there and how. During the permitting process, it may come down to if you’re pouring a foundation that extends right up to that 50 foot mark, or further, it can be mitigated by doing some wetlands planting and/or restoration.
Other than its site, one of the main concerns with the actual construction of the garage/deck is with water runoff and treatment of storm water runoff, so there’s not one source of water coming off of it. They would also like to see a natural exterior and no chemicals used. I’m heartened to agree with what they say, and relieved to discover we’re on the same page. It’s fascinating to find out the identify of some plants in this jungle!
Fortunately, I also know a trombone player who also happens to be a wetlands person.
