Second ANN-ual Day of Maintenance

2nd ANN-ual Day of Maintenance

On Saturday April 13th, 34 volunteers gathered for the 2nd ANN-ual Day of Maintenance to honor the legacy, impact, and hard work of Watershed Steward Ann Jackson, whom we sadly lost in 2022. You can read more about Ann, her dedication to maintenance, and last year’s event here. 

This year, the project site was Native Plant Demonstration Gardens and Groves, a Chesapeake Ecology Center (CEC) project located at Mary Moss @ J. Adams Academy in Annapolis. The project was designed and implemented under the leadership of Zora Lathan. When Zora reached out to Suzanne to ask for support maintaining the project, just as we were starting to plan the 2nd ANN-ual Day of Maintenance, we knew it was the perfect fit! 

Here's why:

1. Maintenance: It's a huge project, right on College Creek, and was in need of a lot of maintenance. Installation began in 2003, and invasive plants had taken over portions of the project. We know that many hands make lighter work.

2. Simple:  There are a few species of invasives we chose to focus on removing. This meant participants would be able to have a big impact fairly quickly, and be a species-specific experts by the end of the morning! 

3. Children: This project is located at an Anne Arundel County Public School site. Ann loved working with children, and children are our future (and current!) environmental Stewards!

4. Connections: WSA is a hub of connections, and so is this project! The partners that were involved in the beginning, in the time since, and the future illustrate that strength and value of community and working together!

5. Momentum: We got the momentum started, and are counting on Stewards and other locals to continue it!

Here’s a recap of the day, by the numbers:

• 20,000 sq. ft. of invasive plants removed including:

  • Wine berry

  • Garlic Mustard

  • English Ivy

  • Bush honeysuckle 

  • Japanese honeysuckle

  • Multiflora Rose

  • Privet

• 7,264 sticks (approximately), gathered and used to line and redefine a path

• 101 trees saved from ivy 

• 20 lbs of trash

• 18 rotten easter eggs (well, they were plastic but littering is rotten!)

• 4  Rainscaping signs replaced

• 1 talented woodworker - Brad Knopf built a custom tabletop to replace the old weathered one and reattached the rainscaping signs to their original home at the path entrance.

• 1 mascot - Ever the naturalist, Lindsay Hollister brought along a rescued and sick box turtle whom we all fed earthworms throughout the day 

A special thank you to these wonderful people who helped lead the day:

• Mike McCormick 

• Amy Clements

• Juliet Page 

• Brad Knopf 

• Jim MacNicholl

• Lara Mulvaney

• Lindsay Hollister

• Cindy Wells

Flip through the photo slideshow below!

About Zora Lathan:

Zora Lathan is a local environmental leader and the founder of the CEC. She is a long time partner and friend of WSA and has had a big impact. The term "rainscaping" has become synonymous with WSA, and she is the one who popularized and elevated that word in the local environmental community.

Latin For Gardeners: April

Latin for Gardeners

April’s Native Maryland Plant

Clethra alnifolia L.

(KLETH-ruh al-nih-FOE-lee-uh)

Common Name: Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet

April is the month when our gardens come to life – as we pass our last frost date most bees are seen just coming out of hibernation and plants are pushing new buds, some even showing fully developed leaves. That’s not the case for Clethra alnifolia, a shrub that is so late to leaf out that often it fools people into thinking it hasn’t’ survived the winter – but don’t be fooled! Sweet Pepperbush may be late to show life but once it does it’s an impressive plant that blooms in shade and is just as comfortable in a residential rain garden as in a shady moist site or even on a slope or streambank where it is often found providing erosion control.

This plant will sucker slowly, it turns a golden yellow in fall and has a distinct fruiting capsule that makes it easy to identify in the winter landscape. NOTE: The ‘pepper’ in the common name refers to the fruit capsules which slightly resemble peppercorns.

Many pollinators are attracted to the nectar and pollen of Clethra alnifolia. Moths are less studied pollinators that are typically attracted to strongly scented and pale-colored flowers. I can rely on finding moths enjoying the nectar of the ‘Ruby Spice’ in my garden - well after midnight. This plant is host to several lepidoptera including the Sweet Pepperbush Nola Moth (Nola clethrae).

C. alnifolia is considered an ornamental native plant often used in fragrance gardens; it is most often found in nurseries as a shorter cultivar. ‘Hummingbird’ is a 2’-4’ plant, ‘Sixteen Candles’ is 4’ - 5’, and ‘Ruby Spice’ is even taller, up to 6’, with rose colored flowers and dark green leaves.

Whichever you choose, the many pollinators and the very pleasant, sweet fragrance of Sweet Pepperbush will be sure to delight you.

NOTE: When I first began looking for evening moths, I wore a headlamp on my forehead so I could keep my handsfree, good idea, right? Imagine my surprise (silly me) when I encountered many moths flying in my face attracted to the light. I don’t recommend this method.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013

Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP

aligmilligan@gmail.com

April's Sugg-JEFF-tion: To Prune or Not to Prune

To Prune or Not to Prune,

That is the Question…

We made it! Spring is here and that means it’s time to get outside and begin prepping your planting areas for the growing season. It’s time to begin weeding, dividing overgrown perennials, planting new native plants, checking trees and shrubs for winter damage, tidying up, and of course pruning shrubs.

But hold on! Not all shrubs and trees are created equal, and not every shrub should be pruned this time of year. In some cases, you can severely impact bloom time, berry production, shape, and even the plant’s overall health with improper pruning. Some shrubs bloom on new wood, which means their flower buds develop on new growth produced each year. Other shrubs bloom on old wood, which means they bloom on growth from the previous year, and produce flower buds for next year’s blooms on this year’s new growth. It is important that you understand each plant’s individual life cycle to ensure you are not setting your plant (and your landscape) up for failure. Here are some examples:

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

After showing off all winter, your winterberry holly is likely void of berries thanks to the local bird population. Pruning for winterberries is recommended right after berries are gone, or early spring- whichever comes first. Winterberries bloom, and produce berries, on old wood. Therefore, any pruning should be done lightly and selectively to maintain shape as needed. Ideally you would plant a winterberry in a place that does not require it to be pruned, as any pruning will reduce bloom/berry production. However, if done early, new growth will have time to set buds for the following year.

Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

This attractive dogwood species is usually planted for its beautiful red stems rather than its flowers. The red twig, aka red osier, dogwood, is a plant of great wildlife value and provides excellent winter interest….until it doesn’t. In order to maintain the brightest, most vibrant red twigs that its famous for, you must encourage new stem growth each year by pruning out ~1/3 of the oldest stems at the base of the plant each spring, right before the buds open. This will allow the plant to develop new younger stems and set flower buds to keep the plant looking happy, healthy, and vibrant all year long.

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry is an example of a shrub that is hardy and adaptable when it comes to pruning. The plant blooms on new growth, so can be pruned anytime from the fall to early spring when the plant is actively growing. You can cut the shrub down almost to the ground each spring, leaving as little as 6-8 inches remaining, and it will come back nice and full and still produce berries. It can also be selectively pruned to remove old and dead branches to make a nice full plant.

Native Hydrangeas (Hydrangea sp.)

You would think nature would have just made it simple for us when it comes to native hydrangeas. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) bloom on new wood, and can be pruned hard, down to as little as one foot, before new growth begins in early spring if desired. Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) on the other hand bloom on old wood. Pruning oakleaf hydrangeas should be avoided, if possible (think right plant, right place), but can be done right after blooming in summer if absolutely necessary. Cuts should be made right below each bloom with enough time for buds to set for next year’s bloom.

Dormant Perennial Stems

I hope you left last year’s perennial stems standing to provide habitat in your garden all winter long. If you wish to “tidy up” a bit, you can cut the stems down in March once daytime temperatures are regularly in the 50s, leaving 10-12 inches remaining. Not only does this provide a habitat for pollinators as they look for nesting areas in spring, but it also is a good visual reminder of where you have plants located in the garden. In a few weeks you won’t even see them as new growth quickly covers the old stems.

So, to prune, or not to prune- that is the question. Take advantage of a rainy afternoon to learn when and how to prune the shrubs in your garden before you start cutting. The birds, bees, and butterflies will thank you. Just a sugg-Jeff-tion!

JEFFREY POPP
DIRECTOR OF RESTORATION
JEFF@AAWSA.ORG | 301-458-6537

RePollinate AACO 2024 Update

RePollinate AACO 2024 Update

Two of our Watershed Stewards, Kathy Lough (Class 15) and Lauren Toomey (Class 13), had the privilege of supporting the interagency FWS/USGS Wild Beelab at the Philadelphia Flower Show. During the evening when the bee experts were gone, they were able to call themselves the "B team" since the "A team" was away.

RePollinate AACO is well-positioned as we enter 2024. Thanks to the contributions of both AACO Master Gardeners and the Watershed Steward Academy, we have an ample supply of soil, pots, labels, and markers. Additionally, there will be an abundance of seedlings available. AACO has already sowed 42 flats of native seeds, complementing the hoophouse full of flats sowed by the Beelab. RePollinate will also utilize seedling quarts currently available from Bonnaterra.

The priorities and approach for RePollinate in 2024 will focus on strong collaborative efforts with AACO Recreation and Parks (R&P). This includes an emphasis on biodiversity and the addition of shrubs using materials from Bonnaterra. Furthermore, community groups slated to receive plants in the fall will be encouraged to gather volunteers for transplanting seedlings. This can occur either at the beelab on Thursdays and Saturdays, or at a potential satellite site within the AACO R&P system, to be announced.

If you would like to be on the distribution list for the beelab, email lauren_toomey@hotmail.com.