Vibrant Fall Foliage Are you drawn to bright scarlet leaves in autumn? You have probably admired sumac shrubs growing along the roadsides even if you didn’t know their name. Sumac’s huge, compound leaves can grow to two feet long, made up of as many as 31 leaflets arranged along its colorful central stem. They are deep green and glossy through much of the year, until they turn golden, orange, scarlet, or even deep purple from September until the leaves finally...
What is Forest Bathing? Have you ever wondered about the practice of forest bathing? It is one of several recent eco-prescriptions to help us heal what ails us and adapt to the stresses of contemporary life. Many therapists and physicians are sending their patients outdoors to enjoy the benefits of unplugged time in nature, away from screens, pings, and climate-controlled spaces lit with fluorescent tubes and LEDs. Ecotherapy has proven highly successful for millions of people. Biophilia Medical professionals...
Maidenhair ferns look so delicate and fragile I avoided planting them for the first thirty-odd years of my gardening adventures. I had no confidence in keeping them alive through a Virginia summer because I expected them to be fussy, requiring far more skillful care than I could offer. Native Northern Maidenhair Ferns When I first toured the Williamsburg Botanical Garden as a newly minted Master Gardener intern in April of 2018, our guide, Dr. Donna Ware, pointed out a...
A Fun-Filled Learning Experience for the Whole Family! Are you looking for an engaging and educational event to spark your child’s curiosity and excitement? Pollinator Palooza is perfect for combining fun, hands-on activities with meaningful learning! Join us on Friday, June 20th, from 9:00–11:00 AM at Veterans Park (3793 Ironbound Road), next to the Pollinator Garden, as part of James City County’s Longest Day at Play. Why should you bring your child to Pollinator Palooza? 🌿🐝 Exciting Hands-On Activities –...
This superb specimen of Compton oak (Quercus xcomptoniae) is located in Market Square, within the boundary of historic Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. For the benefit of non-US residents, Williamsburg was founded in 1632 by English settlers. It became the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia in 1699 and remained so until 1780. Tensions between the Colony and the British Crown and Government developed, fuelled particularly by British attempts to impose taxation without representation in Parliament. This led to...
Perennial Grasses have many uses in the landscape, including helping to control erosion and adding structural interest to the landscape. They tend to be very drought tolerant, tough, and seldom will be grazed by deer. Most grasses are left standing through the winter and cut back in early spring, making room for new growth to emerge. Some grasses, like river oats, self-seed freely. Clumps of grasses expand as the plants mature. Perennial Landscape Grasses Andropogon spp., Bluestem, Beardgrass,...
The question of invasive plants is an interesting one, in part because the list keeps growing. Some of the plants on this list may surprise you because they are so commonly found in our local yards and landscapes. A few plants have just been added to the list over the past year. While some, like stilt grass are noxious weeds, many of these ornamental plants are still available in the nursery trade. Several are beloved by local butterflies and...
Pawpaw Flowers Pollination Challenges Pawpaw flowers are a dull red to purple color which resembles rotting meat, and they have a putrid odor to attract the flies and beetles that pollinate them , much like native skunk cabbage and jack-in-the pulpit. Pawpaw’s small flowers have six petals and are rarely larger than a half-dollar. These are ‘perfect’ flowers, having both male, pollen bearing stamens and a female pistil, whose base will develop into the fruit after about five to...
If you happen to come across a pawpaw patch in the springtime, when the trees have covered themselves in small, deep red blossoms, please don’t be tempted to step closer to smell the flowers. Admire them from afar. Zoom in to take a photo. Like skunk cabbage and jack-in-the pulpit, pawpaw flowers have a putrid odor to attract the flies and beetles that pollinate them, and the dull color of their flowers resembles rotting meat. Pawpaw’s small flowers, rarely...
The Elements of Life Water, light, and air fuel our lives. We depend on them, as does every plant and animal. Light energy powers the chemistry of photosynthesis to transform elements like carbon and hydrogen into sugars, food. Oxygen fuels the production of life energy in every living cell. And water fills every cell of every living creature; gives us sap and blood; powers every process of life. There is no life, not even the tiniest microbe, without water. ...