Bayscape Blog 11/07/10
“Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”
By Judy DeFiglio

The holiday season is upon us, and as I start to decorate my home I am reminded of yet another reason to “go native”. Native plants don’t only add beauty to your garden but can also be used to beautify your interior as well. Start singing “Deck the Halls” and head outside.
First stop, the American holly (ilex opaca) with stiff branches of dark green holly leaves and bright red berries. Nothing is more festive. Snip some holly to bring inside, but handle with care, the leaves are very sharp. I recommend placing the holly in a vase with water, if not it dries out quickly. Another native holly, inkberry holly (ilex glabra) has small, smooth, green leaves similar to boxwood and black berries that will add to your holiday décor.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some evergreen boughs. Pines, spruce and even Easter red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) with its blue fruit, can be used to decorate, and your house will smell great too. Again, use care because the needles can be sharp. Also be careful with the placement of these branches since they may ooze sap which could damage surfaces.

My favorite native to use for winter decorating is the red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea). It’s not the flower display that’s the star of this dogwood, it’s the stems. They turn a spectacular red in winter. They look great against the snow and add color to the winter garden, but they also make an interesting, colorful accent inside. This dogwood likes to be pruned so feel free to cut as many branches as you want. The new growth is the reddest. An added bonus, several of my branches have rooted in the vase and I planted them back in the garden in spring. Virginia sweet spire (Itea virginica) also has reddish stems that can make a nice addition to a holiday arrangement.
The large flower heads of the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) can be dried and added to wreaths and decorations. You can also snip the seed heads of our native grasses to bring indoors. Try Northern Sea Oats (chasmanthium latifolium)or switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) for a unique look.

This holiday season let’s celebrate the beauty of nature. Let your native plants do double duty and deck your halls with boughs of real holly instead of plastic imitations. Mother Earth is giving you a beautiful gift. Enjoy.

Bayscape Blog 11/30/10
Divide & Conquer
By Judy DeFiglio

I have been sharing with you all the great things about growing native plants, and while they are easy to care for and less work than other exotic ornamental, even natives need some occasional maintenance when grown in a garden setting. Especially if your garden is small, you may want to take steps to keep your plants from growing to large or spreading too much.

The easiest way to control any plant in your garden is do your homework before you start. Do a little research on the plants you think you want in your landscape and be sure you choose the right plant for the right space. That’s more then half the battle. Sun, shade, water, soil type all play a major role in determining how big your plant will grow. A little time spent on planning will save you lots of time digging and moving unhappy plants.

Even with the best research and design you may still find you’ve made a mistake or years have passed and the conditions have changed. Your garden spot used to be shady but the tree came down in last year’s storm or the neighbor’s new sprinkler is now drowning your drought tolerant natives. Don’t worry. Most natives can be moved with little problem. The exception is those plants like butterfly weed (Asclepias turberosa) that have a tap root. Here’s how: First, decide where you want to move the plant. Second, dig the new hole. Next, dig around the plant and gently lift it trying to keep the root ball intact. Finally, place it in the new hole at the same depth it was growing, fill in with soil and water well.

If you are happy with the placement of a plant but it has overgrown its space you can dig and divide the plant, replant one section in the same place, then plant the rest of the divisions in a new location or pass them along to friends. Most perennials can be divided spring or fall but a good rule of thumb is if it blooms in the spring divide in fall and if it blooms in the fall divide in spring. This way you will be sure not to interrupt the bloom cycle.

Another way to control your natives is to deadhead them before they go to seed. Simply snip off the spent flower so no new plants will grow. Personally, I usually leave a few flower heads go to seed because I enjoy a few surprises and few free plants.

If your garden has gotten out of control, divide, conquer and share the extras.

Bayscape Blog 11/23/10
Why Native?

By Judy DeFiglio
Living at the Jersey shore is a dream come true, but, if you are a gardener, it can be a challenge. The sandy soil and intense sun can stress for even the hardiest plants, not to mention the gardener. A good solution is to choose native plants. Natives have adapted to these harsh conditions so they are easy to grow and easy to care for.

Most natives don’t need supplemental water once established. Not only does that make less work for you, but it also makes it easier on your pocket The cost of irrigation can be expensive. Most importantly, this helps to conserve this valuable resource. Running a hose for just one hour uses 375 gallons of water.

Another plus, natives don’t need fertilizer, again, saving both time and money. Matter of fact, if you fertilize natives, the plants will get floppy, weedy and produce fewer flowers. Environmentally, using less fertilizer is essential as we try to prevent the destruction of the Barnegat Bay. Run off from the over use of fertilizer is a major problem for our waterways.

Native plants attract beneficial insects to your garden. These beneficials will take care of the harmful insects on your plants, allowing you to garden without the use of toxic pesticides, another benefit to the environment. Flowering natives also attract butterflies to your garden and provide food for the larvae stage.

Many natives have beautiful fruits, berries and seed heads. These provide food for birds and other wildlife as well as adding interest to your landscape.

Beautiful, low maintenance, economical, and good for the environment, this is a combination that is hard to resist. For list of native plants visit the Littoral Society website at http://www.littoralsociety.org/. Sign up to become a Shore Steward. For more information and ideas on native plants check out the other articles on this blog site. The cold days of winter are coming. While we wait for spring, why not sit back and plan your new garden full of native plants.

Bayscape Blog 11/15/10
Oh Deer! Deer Resistant Plants
By Judy DeFiglio

It seems no matter what garden topic I am giving a lecture on, one of the first questions I am asked is, “what can I plant that the deer won’t eat?” Unfortunately, my response is always, “If the deer are hungry enough, they will eat anything.” That being said, there are a number of plants that the deer are less likely to eat. Not surprising, many of the deer resistant plants are natives.
Love‘em or hate’em, deer can cause big problems in your garden. Even the most enthusiastic nature lover can get frustrated when all their hard work gets eaten in a single evening by a herd of hungry deer. While fencing is a sure way to protect your plants, it needs to be eight feet tall, or otherwise the deer can jump over it. This is a problem for many gardeners because most communities’ zoning laws prohibit fences over six feet, not to mention the aesthetics and expense of such a large structure.
Deer repellants, homemade or commercially available, can be effective but are often smelly and labor intensive since they need to be reapplied after every rain. A better solution is stop growing the plants that deer love. If deer are a problem in your garden you might want to try a few of the native perennials described below. They are all wonderful plants that are not only deer resistant but have lots of other great features to offer.

Amsonia tabernaemontana ( Bluestar) grows three to four foot tall with blue, star shaped flowers that bloom in spring and leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall.

Aquilegia (Columbine) is a spring beauty that has unique red and yellow flowers and interesting fernlike foliage.

Asclepias (Butterfly weed) is a must for anyone who wants to attract butterflies to their landscape. These orange flowers withstand the heat and drought of a Jersey shore summer.

Aster is a fall bloomer that does get up to 6 foot tall, but the pink, lavender, or purple flowers are beautiful and provide nectar for butterflies.

Baptisia australis (false indigo) seen in the above picture, has gorgeous, four foot spires of intense blue, pea-like flowers on blue-green foliage. Black seedpods in autumn add extra interest. This is one of my personal favorites.

Liatris spicata ( gayfeather) has spikes of purple flowers three to four foot tall and is another plant that butterflies love.

Monarda (Bee balm) with its stunning scarlet flowers and fragrant foliage attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden.

Bayscape Blog 11/5/10
Fall for Natives
By Judy DeFiglio
I’ve always wondered why people travel all the way to New England to enjoy the autumn leaves yet overlook the gorgeous possibilities in their own front yard. Fall color is an important component of every garden. Spring and summer flowers are beautiful, the stars of the show, but by this time of year they are faded and gone. You can still have an interesting, colorful garden by including plants that have good fall color.
I make it a firm rule that before I select any plant material for my garden I learn what color the leaves will turn in autumn. Some people do consider this when purchasing trees but this rule goes for trees, shrubs and flowers. There are so many perennials to choose from so why not choose one that gives you an extra season of color.

Not surprising, many of our native plants provide the most dazzling fall color. As you travel the countryside, enjoying the fall foliage, realize how many of those gorgeous trees are provided by nature. Native plants are adapted to the climate and conditions of the area. They are healthier and less stressed then the exotics that need extra water, fertilizers and pesticides to exist here. The more stressed a plant is, the sooner it will lose its leaves, providing less colorful foliage. By careful selection of native plants you can duplicate nature’s array of brilliant color in your own landscape.

Some native plants recommended for great fall color are:
Red Fall Color-
Amelanchier (Serviceberry), Aronia (Chokeberry), Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed), Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) , Itea virginica (Sweetspire), Rhus copallina (wingedsumac),Vaccinium corymbosum ( Highbush blueberry),
Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood)

Yellow Fall Color-
Amsonia tabernaemontana ( bluestar),Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush), Cercis Canadensis (Eastern Redbud), Chionanthus virginicus (Fringetree) , Clethra alnifolia( Summersweet)

Orange Fall Color
Fothergilla (bottlebrush)

Try some of these native plants then sit back and enjoy the fall foliage in your own back yard.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about native plants
Bringing Nature Home—How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants
Date: Sunday, November 21
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Cost: $25
Location: The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
53 E. Hanover Ave.
Morristown, NJ

Dr. Douglas Tallamy is Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, where he has authored 69 research articles and taught for 28 years. Dr. Tallamy’s book “Bringing Nature Home” has sparked a national conversation about the link between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being. Learn about the key role native plants play in the restoration of our denuded landscapes and how we must change our approach to gardening and landscaping if we hope to share the spaces in which we live and work with other living things.

Bayscape Blog 10/25/10
This is for the Birds!
By Judy DeFiglio

There are so many great reasons to grow native plants in your garden and one of the best ones is that many natives have wonderful berries that add interest to your landscape and attracts birds. This is the time of year that many of the plants display their red, blue and orange fruit. Along with the vibrant autumn leaves, they really add gorgeous color throughout the fall.

Welcome birds into your yard. Not only are they fun to watch, they also do a great job of eating unwelcomed insects that could harm your plants. Plant a variety of native trees, shrubs and flowers to provide a food source for the birds as well as place to nest and protection from predators.
The following are some good choices for native trees and shrubs with great fruit displays:
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is a tree that has white flowers in early spring and tons of red berries in the fall.
• The chokeberry (Aronia), highlighted in an earlier blog (9/20/10), also has white flowers in spring and long lasting red berries into the winter.
• The American holly (Ilex opaca) is a large evergreen tree with typical holly leaves and clusters of red berries that you can enjoy all winter long.
• One of the natives that is good for a wet site is winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata). It is a deciduous holly that has a brilliant display of large red berries after the leaves drop.
• The arrow wood (Viburnum dentatum) is a large shrub that has clusters of white flowers in late spring and dark blue fruit in autumn.
• For a different color try American beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana). This shrub is aptly named because it has spectacular lavender berries that really add beauty to your landscape.
Bird watching is an interesting hobby that the whole family can enjoy and if you plant natives that berry they will come.

Bayscape blog 10/19/10
Itea a Great Idea
By Judy DeFiglio

Pardon the play on words but Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire) really is a great idea for your landscape. This native shrub is a stand out in any garden at any time of the year. Itea is a multi-stemmed plant that has a suckering growth habit. Three to five foot tall and up to six foot wide, with gracefully draping stems, this plant can stand alone or be used in mass plantings. It is an easy plant to grow because it will take sun or shade, and wet or dry.

Tons of fragrant white flowers appear in June on six inch long racemes and persist into July. The dark green leaves turn a brilliant burgundy red in fall. It is a deciduous plant, but the leaves hang on until December. Even then this plant has more to offer as the red stems add to the winter interest of your garden and look great against the snow.

One of my favorites, I have planted this in several locations in my landscape. Each site has different conditions: some irrigated, some not, some shade, some sun, sometimes it’s left to spread freely and sometimes my husband (Edward Scissorhands!) has attacked it with the hedge trimmers. It has thrived in every case. I have never fertilized this plant and have always had lots of flowers. Who could ask for anything more?