And the contenders are:

In one corner with green trunks and burgundy petals from the Republic of China we have the colorful, crazy and charismatic colonel of killer color – the chrysanthemum.

And in the other corner with green trunks and purple petals from the US of A we have the artistic, apoplectic and amazing arsonist ablaze with blooms – the aster.

Let’s get ready to rumble.

Round 1.  The first round is all about the birth certificate.

New York Aster, copyright N. Brewer

The chrysanthemum is from Asia and northeastern Europe, whereas, the aster is mostly from the United States.  In the Midatlantic States, there are nearly 150 known aster species that are native to the area.  A few favorites include New England aster, New York aster, calico aster, and heath aster.  Why is nationality an important quality of plants?  Simply because native plants belong here.

With a native plant, there is less opportunity for the introduction of foreign, invasive pests and diseases.  Remember the American chestnut?  Well, they were the most prevalent native tree, and now they are basically extinct because of a fungus that was inadvertently brought here on an Asian chestnut tree in the early 1900’s.  In addition, native plants themselves do not become invasive in natural areas because they have natural checks and balances that have evolved with them to keep them well-behaved.  Native plants are more accustomed to our climatic conditions, so they tend to thrive with little care.  They create a sense of place because they are the plants that have a history here.  And the most important reason is that they feed our wildlife; specifically our pollinators, butterfly caterpillars, and our native songbirds.

Round one goes to the aster.

Round 2.  The second round is all about color, since color choice is key to a successful garden design.

Chrysanthemums do indeed come in nearly every color of the rainbow, and new cultivars are continuously being introduced into the nursery industry.  However, there are many color choices available in the aster family as well.  From light powdery pink to brilliant fuchsia, from baby blue to vivid royal purple, and white of course; the aster has its own rainbow of color options.  Unlike the chrysanthemum, asters are not yet available in yellows or maroons; however, unlike the aster, chrysanthemums are not yet available in purples or blues.

Round two is a tie.

Round 3.  The third round is all about the birds and the bees.

Bumblebee on New England Aster, image copyright N. Brewer

The value a plant brings to wildlife should be the most important consideration when choosing a plant.  After all, we have covered more than 80 per cent of the land in lawn and cement, so we should all feel a sense of responsibility to try to offset the damage with the choices we make in our own yards.  Every gardener has the power to improve the lives of our local butterflies, birds and native bees.  Every gardener has the ability to either help a species to survive or to propel it to its demise.  It is all a matter of choice and education.

Since the chrysanthemum is not a native plant to our area, it automatically loses this round.   A non-native plant is unable to sustain wildlife because it did not go through millions of years of co-evolution with the insects, birds and mammals that live together in a specific region.  It is true that the chrysanthemum may be attractive to some pollinators because it may offer nectar; however, that is where its benefits quickly end.

Conversely, the native aster offers numerous benefits to hundreds of species of wildlife for multiple seasons.  Starting in early spring when new stems and leaves begin to rise out of the soil, a small brown and white butterfly, known as the pearly crescent, will begin to lay its eggs on it.  Throughout the summer months, pearly crescent caterpillars of different stages of growth will munch on the leaves, all the while trying to hide from hungry predators.  These caterpillars, and other insects that use the aster as a host, are a fantastic food source that birds use to feed their brood of nestlings.  (Be sure to plant the native species of aster, and not a cultivated variety, in order to ensure the plant is a viable host.)

Clouded Sulpher Butterflies on New England Aster, image copyright N. Brewer

In the early fall, the flowers begin to bloom, providing an intoxicating source of nectar for countless bees, butterflies, bumblebees, and others.  I have seen dozens of hungry pollinators on my asters, including the monarch butterfly, which is trying to build up its strength in preparation for its migration south.

In late autumn and throughout the winter, songbirds will find the seeds to be a much needed source of protein and fat.  Many of these songbirds would never come to feeders, but depend on native seeds left behind in fields and in gardens.  These birds may include towhees and fox sparrows, both of which I have seen gleaning seeds from asters in my own garden.

Round three goes, without question, to the aster.  Chrysanthemum just got pummeled.

Now that you have the goods on the benefits of the aster versus the chrysanthemum, which one will you choose?  Both are easy to grow, both provide color, but the aster is the plant that provides nourishment to birds and butterflies, nourishment that is so important to their continued existence.  So the next time you decide to add some autumn color to your garden, remember, for wildlife, the choices that you make can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

To Rake or Not To Rake

by Natalie Brewer, Univ of Md Extension Howard County Master Gardener

Trees are a fantastic asset to the landscape. They add value to the property,
create shade, prevent erosion, filter rain water, clean the air, and provide
invaluable food, nesting and hiding places for all kinds of wildlife. However,
the more trees you have, inevitably this time of year, the more fallen leaves
you have to deal with. So, what can you do with all of those leaves?

Fallen leaves are nature's way of protecting plants and wildlife for the
upcoming freeze. They are also nature's way of enriching the soil. It's a shame
that most homeowners' standard practice is to rake up and bag those leaves.
Instead of removing all of those leaves, try to put them to good use.  Here are
some ideas. 

If you don't have a ton of leaves, try mowing them. Leaves that are on the lawn
can be mowed and left on the lawn. If the leaf cover is still thick, you may
have to run over the leaves a few times in order to chop them up finely.
Shredded leaves add a rich source of carbon. Together with the grass clippings
that have been mowed at the same time, they create the perfect recipe for
compost. This compost will add valuable nutrients to your lawn. Just be sure to
leave a fine layer of chopped leaves so that you don't end up smothering your
lawn. 

For leaves that are in your garden beds, if the leaves are not too thick, you
can just leave them in the garden. This will help protect the plants from frost
heave (when frozen soil lifts up plants and roots after freeze/thaw cycles).
Remember to push leaves away from the base of plants so that they do not
encourage rot.  

If the leaf cover is too thick and suffocating your plants, you can rake the
leaves out into piles, run the mower over them, and then rake them back into the
beds.  I  have a riding mower with no bag attached and after raking the leaves
out into piles, I ride in a small circle, blowing the chopped leaves into
another pile and sometimes running over them a second or third time until the
leaves are finely chopped. Then I aim the mower toward the beds and when I run
over the leaves for the last time, the mower blows the leaves directly back into
the flower beds for me.

If you have a bag attached to your mower, you can just dump the shredded leaves
from the bag directly into your compost pile or spread onto your garden beds or
around trees and shrubs.
Other ways to use leaves include:  investing in a shredder, or leaf vacuum with
shredder, and adding the shredded leaves to your garden beds, adding the
shredded (or non-shredded) leaves to your compost piles, or making leaf mould. 

Leaf mould is a fantastic, humus-rich amendment for your garden.  Start making
leaf mould this year by bagging the leaves in dark plastic bags, poking holes in
the bags, wetting the leaves until just damp, and leaving them in a sunny
location. By next summer, the leaves should be partially rotted and looking like
very dark, partially (or fully) decomposed leaves, almost like soil. Use leaf
mould as you would use compost by top-dressing garden beds, mixing into potting
soil, or adding to the planting hole.

Leaves are a fantastic insulator. If you have tender plants that tend to get
frost damage, pile shredded leaves around the plant as an extra mulch to protect
the roots.  Many roses and evergreens which are susceptible to frost damage
could benefit from this extra layer of mulch. 

All of the leaves you use in your garden this year, should be just about
decomposed by next spring, adding a rich, fertile layer to your garden beds. Any
leaves that are not fully decomposed by spring can be left on the garden beds
and mulch can be added on top.   

Leaves are also important to wildlife. Amphibians use leaf litter to hide in and
stay warm during cold winter months. Many butterly caterpillars also hide in
leaf litter. Birds love to dig around in leaves to dine on tasty bugs. Some
species of birds specialize in finding bugs in leaf litter, such as the brown
thrasher, so there is a good chance that you may have new birds visiting your
yard. Adding leaves will improve your soil, so you will not need to use as much
(or any) synthetic fertilizers. Even 'organic' fertilizers that contain nitrogen
are not healthy for the Bay or for other wildlife. 

So this year, consider putting your leaves to work in your yard. You may just
find that you not only use up all of your leaves, but you also start
confiscating the bags of leaves your neighbors put out to the curb. For more
information on amending your soil, check out the December/January issue of
Mother Natures newsletter or visit the Home and Garden Information Center at
www.hgic.umd.edu and look under publications.

Have you realized that it hasn’t rained in a long time? Nineteen days as of
Saturday, to be exact. Although, it may rain a little this week, it may not be
enough for our deep-rooted friends, our trees. Most people believe that trees,
especially mature ones, don’t need our help. But that is far from the truth.

In nature, trees develop in areas where leaves and dead grasses and stems are
never removed. This dead stuff creates what is often called ‘black gold’, or
compost. Compost creates a soil that is loose, so that it drains easily, but is
also like a sponge, so that it holds moisture. Trees manage stress better when
their roots are kept in moist, cool conditions.

In our yards, the conditions are a far cry from what most trees have naturally
evolved with for thousands of years. Usually, trees are put into a soil that has
been stripped of its top layer by the builder, compacted by heavy equipment when
the house was being built, and then surrounded by a sea of grass, which drinks
up a lot of the moisture and leaves little for the tree’s roots. To make matters
worse, when the tree sheds its leaves, which in nature is its way of providing
its own nourishment, we promptly rake it away in the name of cleanliness (and
because we are so fond of protecting our lawn).

But trees are irreplaceable in their ecological value to birds, insects, and the
environment. Grass is an ecological desert. So here is a suggestion for keeping
trees healthy during this time of stress.

Water your trees! No matter how old they are, they will benefit from a deep
soaking. Drip irrigation is your best bet for trees. Water needs to soak in at
least 12″, so it needs to seep slowly into the ground and not run off or
evaporate.

There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you could invest in a tree-gator,
those rubber bag-like things you see around trees in town. The trick is to USE
it. Fill it up, let the water drip out. If the tree is very large, fill it up
again. And then move it to the next tree and start all over again. When
finished, remove it and store it. The tree-gator will last longer and you won’t
subject your tree to possible bark-eating rodents who could use the tree-gator
to hide their unscrupulous ways.

Second, you could hook up a drip irrigation hose. But remember when you turn the
water on and off. Perhaps investing in an inexpensive timer would be a good
idea.

Third, the way I do it (the lazy and cheap way) is to let my hose drip. I
actually have a broken hose right now, so I take advantage of it and move it to
a different tree or shrub a few times per day. Dripping water does not go to
waste on my property! Or you can set your hose to a very slow trickle or just a
drip, and leave it for about 30 minutes per tree. For large trees, I move the
dripping hose to the other side for an additional 30 minutes, so that the water
reaches all the way around. This method may not work for everyone. And you do
have to set a timer for yourself. I have a stopwatch or I use the microwave
timer. Just be sure you don’t have to go any where so that you don’t forget
your hose is on!

Other ways include using a watering can or a hose and slowly letting the water
pour out, making certain that it is not running off. If you don’t have many
trees, this method would work fine. Just remember to give the tree a GOOD
soaking. Count one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi until you get to one or two
minutes. Count slowly…

If you soak your trees, you won’t have to do it again for at least another week.
If it rains, you can wait longer. Normally trees can hang on on their own, but
when the ground hasn’t received a good rain for nearly three weeks, it becomes
overly dry, and even if it rains, the water may not make it down to the tree
roots. It is just too dry. The worst part is, you may not even know that your
tree is under stress. But if it has to survive through these conditions for a
number of years, come a big windstorm or a heavy snowfall, and that tree can
come crashing down.

Trees are our biggest investments in time, property value, and the health of our
planet. Be sure to keep yours healthy.

Right now, the best plan of action is to prevent more crabgrass from sprouting next year. This means:  Do not let them go to seed. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by pulling the weeds NOW. Crabgrass is an annual and its survival mechanism is to produce thousands of seeds.  Just think, for every plant you pull now, you are saving yourself from adding thousands more weeds to your garden next year. Sprinkle the soil with some water, or wait until after a rain, since damp soil is easier to work with, and pull the weeds out by yanking out as much of the root as possible.  Don’t procrastinate, crabgrass becomes tough to pull out and produces its seeds very quickly.

For those areas that are covered by nothing but crabgrass, or other weeds, I recommend a trick I use in my garden. I smother them.  Newspaper is a gardener’s friend.  When my neighbors are putting out their bundled newspapers, I go and pick up a few bundles to have on hand for the garden.  Newspaper makes for a great mulch and since the inks are soy based, newspaper is safe even for the vegetable garden.  Just be sure to throw any shiny advertisement pages back into your recycle bin.

The technique is easy.  Lay about six sheets of newspaper down on top of the weeds being careful to cover them completely, sprinkle some water on the newspaper, cover with hardwood shredded mulch (or your mulch of choice).  And …voila!  Go ahead and get yourself a glass of lemonade because you are done.  In a few weeks, the newspaper will start to decompose and the weeds will also decompose, adding compost and valuable nutrients to the soil, and all the while, the place looks great with a fresh layer of mulch.  You can even plant in it, but it is better to wait a few weeks (4-6 weeks) so that the weeds underneath die down.  Just push away the mulch, cut through any leftover newspaper with a shovel, dig your hole, plant, water, and push the mulch back to cover the bare soil.  Flat cardboard can be used instead of newspaper, just be aware that it will take longer for it to decompose.

In order to discourage crabgrass from sprouting in the first place, try these techniques.  For the lawn, make sure to seed any bare spots in early spring and late fall, and set the mower to the highest setting, so that the taller grass has a chance to shade out the soil and out-compete weeds.  Short-cut grass is more prone to stress and disease.  Taller grass equals healthier grass.

In garden beds, keep bare soil covered by either plants or mulch.  Locate plants in beds so that eventually they grow in and shade out any bare ground, just be careful not to overcrowd plants and use mulch in between plants.  In new beds, use mulch and annual flowers to fill in bare spots.  Bare ground means more weeds, so cover it.

In addition, next spring try corn gluten meal, an organic pre-emergent herbicide.  Corn gluten meal is all natural, safe to use, and adds nutrients to the soil.  It prevents weed seeds from germinating, so it won’t work once seeds sprout.  The best time to use it for the prevention of crabgrass is in the early spring, after the forsythia flowers have faded, but before the lilacs begin to bloom.  And remember, it prevents seeds from germinating, so don’t use it in places where you planted YOUR seeds.  Make sure to follow package directions carefully.

So, go out and weed!  Your garden will look better, your plants will be happier (weeds rob plants of vital nutrients and water), and your neighbors will be envious at how nice your yard looks, especially when they see you sipping your lemonade.

Natalie Brewer, Master Gardener

BAY-WISE GARDEN TOUR

September 18 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM
2304 Frederick Road, Catonsville

All Howard County Master Gardener events are free to the public.

This beautifully landscaped, self-sustaining, 2 acre property serves to

demonstrate how one can garden with the environment in mind all the

while saving oneself time and money. Learn how to “garden with ease”

by planting the right plants and doing little or no watering and spraying.

For a full article go to

http://mastergardener.umd.edu/local/Howard/index.cfm
click on the Bay-Wise Garden Tour at the top right.

Parking will be along Hillside Road.
Chesapeake Natives will be there with great native plants to sell.

For more information email bev.devuono@gmail.com

Each season brings its own challenges when it comes to keeping your yard tidy. Mother Nature’s can help with ideas for organic pest management and fertilizing.

What’s hot right now: Bee balm is wonderful for hummingbirds and now comes in a variety of colors. There is even a variety that grows a bit shorter than the traditional ones. Bee balm is actually an herb and is really an old fashioned variety.

Here’s a tip: after the flowers have stopped blooming, trim heads off. You’ll probably get a second bloom from them. It’s a nice surprise to have them rebloom during the hot summer months!

Happy Hummer!