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Planted by: Jennifer Tidwell
Date: Sunday November 29, 2009
Planted in: Garden Planning,Habitat Project,Shrubs
After being off work for a few days, I’m not sure how quickly I’ll get back into the groove. I’m glad to have a job, but I’d much rather spend my days working in the greenhouse – especially today. The rain is pouring and it’s chilly. I don’t need to lie in bed all day, but I could certainly tolerate working in a warm greenhouse surrounded by green plants and the smell of soil.
The first killing frost came through on Thanksgiving night, knocking back any tender foliage that was left. Although it was over a month late, I have certainly enjoyed the extended warmth and greenery of plants that would have otherwise been long dead by now.
I got the November/December issue of The American Gardener, which is published by the American Horticultural Society, and promptly read it from cover to cover. There was an interesting article about native evergreen hollies. I’ve been considering adding a few hollies to my landscape for winter interest and as a food source for birds. The article provided sources for procuring hollies, and I found some other plants that sparked my interest.
I have a large wooded area behind the house that I’ve been clearing out, trying to tame the honeysuckle and brambles that have taken over. There is a small pond (watering hole, really) that’s choked with algae and surrounded by brush. I need a five-man clearing crew with a backhoe, bulldozer and a couple of chainsaws, but it’s just me for now. My dad is going to borrow a backhoe and clear out some of the larger brush that I can’t handle. If it ever stops raining.
Once the blackberry and honeysuckle are cleared out, I’m going to plant native azaleas (Rhododendron), American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) and bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) along with some gold winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) and yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) on the edges of the woods.
It’s going to be a long process, but well worth it. Anyone want to volunteer?
Reading:
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