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.