Gardening Update

Today’s gardening session was hijacked by the park’s natural resources officer, Irene Frentz.  She requested help in saving some of the native plants in the Heritage Center landscaping, which in a few days will be cleared of vegetation and redesigned.  So it was a combination gardening and rescue session, well attended by Friends and Virginia Master Naturalists.  We dug out many, many plants and stuffed them in pots, to be held at the district office until assigned to a new location, or, possibly, back to the Heritage Center in the redesigned landscaping.

We did get a few minutes to pull weeds in the Rain Garden.  It needs to be checked again soon.  While there we added one Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) from the Heritage Center.

New identification signs are now in hand for the Native Plant Garden.  Unfortunately, the clay subsoil proved too hard for us to install them.  The storms tonight may alleviate that problem.  Weeding and thinning are needed in this garden.

Some of those present walked to the Butterfly Garden.  It’s in good shape except for minor damage by turtles making holes for depositing eggs.  Upon return, they reported that the CCC Museum docent has a list of the plants originally planted in that landscaping bed.  The CCC Museum Garden needs just a touch-up to keep ahead of the crabgrass, dandelions and other weeds.

Christy and I started the day at the CCC Field, pulling grass and spotted spurge from the brick walk.  Eric and I finished the day here, pulling crabgrass and weeding under one of the mountain laurels.  We also planted a couple of clumps of what we think is a sunflower from the Heritage Center.  Weeds and grasses are coming up here almost faster than we can rip them out.  Much work remains to be done.

We need to get back down to the Pool Gardens.  There’s more Bermuda grass to dig out before it gets too happy there, and other weeds move in whenever we aren’t looking.  Below the swimming pool, the Anniversary Garden is looking good, but the deer have munched on the little redbug I planted.  We need a deer-resistant small tree to replace it.