Progress

Front yard wildflower planting - 9/5/20

I've just signed a new lease to stay in this home for another year. It seems like just months since I moved here, not years, and a lot has changed. What began as a turf-grass  desert with clipped hedges of "plastic" non-native shrubs has morphed into what these photographs are documenting. The wildflower planting in the front yard is very different today than when I planted it, but is is vibrant. Some of what I planted has not thrived and I suspect a few have become overwhelmed by the species that have excelled.  Two of the goldenrods, for example (Solidago odora var. chapmanii and S. stricta) have both suckered a bit and reseeded. To keep the balance I want, I am going to have to weed out the new ones next season.  In a natural area, however, plants will find their location over time and landscape plans that contain a sense of order are not realistic. The laws of entropy make sure of that.

I have planted a few small trees along the northern edge of this to provide some cover and screening. They pose no danger of shading the native wildflowers and grasses because of their location and they give a good place for birds, butterflies and bees to rest and sleep. The summer haw (Crataegus flava) on the lower northwestern corner of the framed meadow has grown the quickest and produced huge numbers of flowers and fruit this summer. For a time, I was a bit perplexed by the number of gray squirrels that became active in the front. They had always pretty much stayed in the back yard where the habitat is more suitable. Then I began to notice the large number of partially eaten haws beneath this tree. The other small trees - another haw (C. lassa) and a silk bay (Persea humilis) are also doing well and should provide much more habitat benefit next year.

The meadow itself still harbors about 50 species of native wildflowers and grasses. Like I designed it to be, different flowers bloom and disappear in progression as the year unfolds.  Summer is a generally slow time for most. The many species of blazing stars and asters, for example, will bloom later. Right now, the Chapman's goldenrod is taking up the bulk of the duties in feeding my pollinators. There are butterfly milkweeds (Asclepias tuberosa), tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii) and a few others too. The key is to always have targets for the pollinators, it is not to plant a "pollinator magnet" that never changes. As I watch my flowers, I see a clear pattern of use. Different bees and butterflies are drawn to different plants for the most part and the diversity I've created here has benefited the greatest diversity of pollinators possible.

Wetland pot and planted woodland looking east

Woodland with the outer edge of wildflowers

The woodland has been the area of greatest change and it is developing quickly. What was once an area solely composed of turf grass (and turf weeds), is now a thriving woodland dominated by deciduous trees and shrubs. It is important to me to have deciduous plants dominating this area. For one, I want the natural leaf fall to mulch the understory for perpetuity. Second, I want the sun to reach all of the underplanted shrubs in the winter and early spring so that I get a maximum number of flowers. The species I have added are far too numerous to list here, but it includes all of my favorite spring-blooming woody plants - various hawthorns (Crataegus spp.), serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), two-winged silverbell (Halesia diptera var. magniflora), and flatwoods plum (Prunus umbellata). There also are three species of viburnum (Viburnum spp.) - none of them V. obovatum).  I can't contend with that one suckering in a small crowded space like I have. This space is anchored by an eastern basswood (Tilia americana). Eventually, this tree will rise above the rest and partially shade everything. In the spring, its fragrant flowers will draw bees and as it matures its branches will provide nesting sites for birds (and possibly gray squirrels.  There is only room for one canopy tree here. I made my choice carefully based on the many goals I have for this landscape. 

About six months ago, I expanded the southern edge of this space so that I could add wildflowers that I have no room for in the front. I chose this location for the woodland planting (along the northern edge of my backyard) so that adding wildflowers would be possible. For the most part, I've added asters. Many are rather rare in cultivation in Florida and I am testing their hardiness over time and with the goal of making the hardy ones available to others through my hobby nursery, Hawthorn Hill. This space also is an important area in keeping my pollinators satisfied year-round. Prior to this, nearly all of the nectar sources I had after early spring were located only in the front yard.

The created wetland

The last major area of my landscape that was installed from the beginning is my created wetland along the eastern edge of my home. I have written about its installation in a number of earlier blog posts so I won't repeat any of that here. The flooding of my home and the creation of a mosquito hazard issues have not been realities. The pond liner that prevents the rainwater from soaking in too deeply is several feet from the house and the wetland itself slants slightly towards the other direction so that water never moves towards my home. This slight slope also prevents water from standing in this area for more than 30 minutes or so - even after some of the most torrential rains 

The area defined by the liner is actually quite small - a circular area with a diameter of about 6 feet, but it is large enough to allow me to grow a variety of wetland plants I could not grow otherwise. They have done quite well over the past 2 years. Right now the water dropwort (Tiedemannia filiformis) is blooming and I suspect they will soon be consumed by eastern black swallowtails.  The three wetland milkweed species are also doing fulfilling their roles. Around the edge, I've planted native azaleas.  They have done well in the relatively high levels of sunlight and the soil that stays cooler and moister because of the leaf mulch.

Landscapes change. Some plants will die. A few may do too well and have to be removed. After two years, however, the weeds are mostly under control  and I'm simply sitting back and letting nature guide it from here.