Volume 10, Num- THE TURK’S The Newsletter Of The Delaware Native Plant Society Summer 2007 In This Issue Page 1 Natural Quotes New Members ■ DNPS Vision Page 2 Thoughts From The Edge... Resources and Reviews Page 3 Feature Article Resources and Reviews Page 4 Gardening With Native Plants Resources and Reviews Page 5 Feature Article continued Resources and Reviews Page 6 Booklet Announcement Resources and Reviews Page 7 Upcoming Events Natural Quotes “Love of the land is the basis for the unending struggle of those who really care against those who see only material rewards.” Sigurd F. Olsen, Reflections from the North Country , 1976 A Glowing Red-Orange Sunrise Welcome To Our Newest Members How Can I Get Involved? The Delaware Native Plant Society is open to everyone ranging from the novice gardener to the professional botanist. One of the primary goals of the society is to involve as many individuals as possible. The DNPS is working on some significant projects at this time. We have completed four refor- estation projects in the Prime Hook area, at Black- bird Creek in New Castle County and Cedar Creek in Sussex County where we have installed tree tubes around newly sprouted seedlings, and are perform- ing annual management of the sites. Help is also needed at our native plant nursery at the St. Jones Reserve with the monitoring and watering of plants along with many other nursery activities. For more information, E-mail us at dnps@delawarenativeplants.org. Or visit our web- site at www.delawarenativeplants. org. Our website will have all of the past issues of The Turk’s Cap along with a large section on native plants, as well as links to other environmental and plant related organizations. April through June Jeremy & Emmalea Ernes Cece & Ed Niemi Martha Stephens Donna Valese The DNPS Vision T he purpose of the Delaware Native Plant Society (DNPS) is to participate in and encourage the preservation, conservation, restoration, and propagation of Delaware’s native plants and plant communities. The Society provides information to government officials, business people, educators, and the general public on the protection, management, and restoration of native plant ecosystems. The DNPS encourages the use of native plants in the landscape by homeowners, businesses, and local and state governments through an on-going distribution of information and knowledge by various means that includes periodic publications, symposia conferences, workshops, field trips, and a growing statewide membership organized by the DNPS. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 2 Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden Society intern Our intern for the year has completed his mission and is now done with his internship with the Society. He was a senior at Polytech High School and has successfully graduated as well, so we wish him luck in his future botanical adventures. 2008 DNPS CALENDAR We’ve been working on this for a while, but we finally have a completed draft. Member, and photog- rapher extraordinaire, David G. Smith has been working on this and has gone with an online company to do the printing. The company is www.lulu.com which does “on demand” printing. We have still have some tweaking to do with the format of the calendar, but once it is done, the 12- month calendar will have two forms of availability. The first will be a small number of them on hand at events such as our native plant sale, where you can purchase one in person. The second is through www.lulu.com. Pricing has not been established yet, but the cost will be around $17.00 to $20.00. Once we have all the details worked out, and an availabil- ity date set, we will inform everyone. Meetings in all 3 counties For years now we have been having our bi-monthly meetings at the St. Jones Reserve here in Kent Co., but have had many members say that they would like to come to meetings, but it is too far to drive. We had a discussion about this at our last meeting and we are going to change meeting locations. We have a total of 6 meetings each year, and from now on will have 2 in Sussex, 2 in Kent, and 2 in New Castle counties. The location in Kent will stay the same at the St. Jones Reserve. The location in New Castle will be at Page the office of the New Castle County Conservation District at 2430 Old County Rd., Newark, DE, 19702. We are currently looking for a location in Sussex, and if anyone has any ideas, please contact Bill at william.mcavoy@state.de. us. Details of each meeting will be sent out at later dates. Nursery update The nursery is in full swing right now. The heat and drought of May hit hard and we lost some plants. June was good with the temperature and rainfall and we caught back up, but so far July has been rough. Overall, the plants are doing fine, but they all need to be watered every other day. The automated sprinkler system in the greenhouse works perfectly and has drastically reduced mortality, so we are very happy with that. We haven’t scheduled any volunteer work- days yet because the nursery managers schedule changes on a daily basis and it is difficult to schedule or coordinate things in advance. Looking for an events coordinator Quentin Schlieder, who has been our Events/Program Coordinator for many years now is taking a sabbati- cal and we are looking for a replacement. The person in this position would have the job of scheduling speakers for our bi-monthly meetings, scheduling field trips and field trip leaders, scheduling work- shops and workshop leaders, planning the annual meeting (with the help of all of the Officers) and writing up announcements for all these events. If you are interested, please write to ezuelke@juno.com. Annual meeting President, Bill McAvoy is still working on this, but we are making progress. We have yet to set a date, Continued on page 5 Resources & Reviews More Wildlife On Your Land: A Guide for Private Landowners Authored by Neil F. Payne, a how-to book written in everyday language for the layperson — mainly the land- owner who owns a few or many acres in the United States and Canada. This book describes how you can change your habitat to attract more wildlife, from songbirds to deer, to your property. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 2 Page Resources & Reviews Wildlife Habitat Management of Forestlands, Rangelands , and Farmlands Authored by Neil F. Payne & Fred C. Bryant. This book brings together an extensive compilation of tried-and- proven manipulation techniques for enhancing the biodiversity of upland habitat for edge and interior game and non-game wildlife. Feature Article Landscape design basics So, you’ve just moved into an old house that you built an addition on to and renovated with recycled building materi- als and solar power equipment. The yard is chewed up from the bulldozer and trucks, a tree had to be felled, and you took the opportunity to cut down and rip out all the previous Japanese honeysuckle, autumn olive, and juniper plantings. What’s left is a muddy, grassless barren landscape: a perfect canvas to let your artistic imagination flourish and do a little landscape de- sign. Landscape design has numerous facets to it and can, if you let it, be an overwhelming task. However, creativity and organization are the keys. Of critical importance in the land- scaping process is harnessing your ideas and creating a plan in advance. You don’t want to have to do this physically demand- ing work more than once. Understand each phase of the job well and how it relates to the project as a whole. Create a step- by-step guide for yourself, as this will organize all your thoughts on paper. One initial purpose of landscape design is to meld human technology (e.g., a house, deck or barn) into the natural surroundings. This is achieved by exploring all your landscaping options: from plant selection to ponds and water- falls to hardscapes (e.g., retaining walls, walkways, trellises, arbors, gazebos) to lighting. It’s also important to remember that location is a major factor in the design. Plants and construc- tion principles will vary geographically. Local nurseries, books with hardiness planting zones, local county extension offices, and botanical guides will all have good tips. In the end, com- mon sense is the key as you answer some basic questions: are the lighting conditions full sun, partial sun, or shade? Is the elevation high and dry or low and moist? Is the soil acidic or alkaline, rich organic or sandy? Is the climate hot, cold, rainy, desert, windy, salty? You may have a combination of these con- ditions (microclimates) on your property. With the analysis discussed above, you can pick the appropriate vegetation and design for your particular situation. For example, if you have a very moist, low-lying area on your property, you would select plants that naturally grow in that habitat, such as sweet pepperbush ( Clethra alnifolia ), fetterbush (. Leucothoe racemosa ), and pin oak ( Quercus palustris ). I strongly encourage you to incorporate native plants into your landscape, including native vegetation already on your proper- ty. Additionally, be sure to account for possible damage to the existing site; check utility and water line placement, and safe equipment access. Now you can let some creativity come into the mix by combining elements of art and science to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing living space. When planning bed locations, hardscapes and appropriate plants, you may want to consider the following: line, texture, scale, linear perspective and focal points, unity through consistent style, balance, transi- tion, proportion, repetition, rhythm, plant shapes, and the many different types of color schemes. The best way to visualize all of these elements is to take a picture of your house, various views of the yard and from inside the house looking out win- dows. If you own a digital camera, you have the opportunity to utilize one of the many landscape design computer programs on the market. You simply open the digital pictures you took and add graphics and symbols to the picture to make your visions come to life. You can also take basic measurements of your property and sketch things out on graph paper to make a blue- print. It’s especially important to keep in mind what your land- scape design may look like 20 years from now, as it will be drastically different from when you first plant it. This future- oriented vision will keep you from placing the wrong plant in the wrong spot. With plan in hand, you can now finally go outside. One of the first steps is to outline, with twine and dowel rods, the position of the elements you’ve chosen such as beds, retain- ing walls, patios, walkways, driveways, fountains, rock piles, trellises, arbors, pergolas, gazebos and lighting fixtures. Next, you could cut out circular pieces of cardboard or construction paper in the approximate ground-level diameter that your plants will reach at maturity and place them in the beds to get a feel for how things will be years from now to avoid any major blun- ders in placement. Now on to surface preparation and ripping up any remaining grass and unwanted vegetation that’s in the way, and leveling the soil out. The next step is to build or install bed borders, retaining walls, walkways and wooden structures. And last but not least, installing lighting fixtures, watering systems, and planting all the plants. Another way to go about landscaping your yard is creating native plant plantings and arrangements. If you decide to go this route there is less of need for establishing formal planting beds and hand surfaced structures, such as retaining walls, or brick or log borders. There are many different ways to go about the process of landscape design, and the final design can be as simple or complex as you want it. No matter what you end up with, a little advanced planning, and some common sense will result in a beautiful yard that you and your family will enjoy for many years. The following is a list of a few websites to visit for more information, and lists of books: http://www.taunton.com/store/ index.asp; http://www.41 lhomerepair.com/garden/ landscapebooks.shtml; http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/ resources/design.htm; http://www.buildfind.com/bookstore; http://www.homestore.com/LawnGarden/ yT* landscaping. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 2 Page Gardening With Native Plants High bush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) NATURAL HISTORY It’s about 5:00 PM on an early July day and I’ve just returned from the woods with about a cup full of mixed wild berries for tomorrow’s cereal. Yesterday, my wife Nan picked a heaping quart of high bush blueberries - the first of the season, for a blueberry pie. Its now mid-summer and Delaware is blessed with a multitude of wild berries. From open fields to woodlands this is the time of year to grab a bucket and perhaps some insect repellant and head out in search of the numerous varieties of blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, raspberries and others that call Delaware home. Of all the wild berries native to Dela- ware, perhaps the most favored is the high bush blueberry and for good reason! Not only are the berries relished for use in pies, jams and jellies, cobblers, ice cream desserts, cereal top- pings, muffins, pancakes and toppings for any variety of des- serts and they are extremely high on the list of the most healthy foods available. Top that off with then beautiful cascading lan- tern shaped flowers, large clusters of easily picked fruits and spectacular bright red fall colors it’s hard to imagine a more perfect shrub for the landscape. Of course the high bush blue- berry is not only a treat for us human types, they are most cer- tainly a valuable resource for all variety of wildlife. In early spring, their flowers are visited by untold numbers of bees, moths, butterflies and other insects that in return for the rich nectar are essential pollinators. Then of course throughout mid summer, the berries are relished by countless numbers of birds (no less than 35 species of birds feed on their nutritious fruits) and mammals that compete for then nutrient rich bounty. It’s no wonder that people who cultivate the large variety of com- mercial blueberries often find it necessary to place a fine mesh screen over their treasured plants to protect their berries from being pilfered by any variety of wildlife seeking an easy meal. Yes, the large numbers of commercially available blueberries are all derived from our wild high bush blueberry. Countless years of hybridizing have produced vigorous plants that are well behave and consistently yield large quantities of large fruits, but don’t be fooled, there is no substitute for the rich flavor and healthy attributes of our own native un-altered high bush blueberry! WHERE TO GROW High bush blueberries are typically found growing in abun- dance in moist woodlands, roadsides and thickets throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. Growing from 5 to 15 feet in height, they are ideally suited to be grown in a thicket, along woodland edges, as the high point in a garden with other native berries or for the more harvest minded gardener in open rows or singular plantings. Blueberries require a relatively acid soil for good growth, so the soil should be within the range of 4.5 to 5.2 pH. Soils with a higher pH may require the addition of finely ground sulphur or aluminum sulfate to lower the pH. Though, high bush blueberries are typically found in forested areas, for maximum flowering and fruit production they should be grown where they receive a fair amount of sunlight for at least portions of the day. High bush blueberries are a hearty plant, capable of withstanding the harshest of Delaware’s win- ters and are seldom affected by bacteria and viruses. Because of their somewhat bitter leaves they are not a favorite of herbi- vores, such as deer, rabbits and groundhogs, making them very suitable for more rural habitats. Regardless of your preference for their spring flowers, summer fruits, wildlife value or spec- tacular fall color, high bush blueberry most certainly deserves a place in your landscape! PROPAGATION AND CARE High bush blueberry will propagate readily from seed or from cuttings. From seed, collect and macerate the fully ripened fruits. Place the resulting mash in water and mix well. Most pulp and unsound seeds will float to the surface and may be skimmed off. After drying the seeds may be stored under refrig- eration until ready for planting, however, the seeds of high bush blueberry do not require pretreatment for germination and may be planted immediately. Seeds will sprout and grow quite readi- ly - when Nan and I used to grow orchids in our woods in the summer, it was not unusual to have numerous high bush blue- berry seedlings sprout in the orchid pots after bringing them in for the winter - they would very quickly reach a height of 6 to 8 inches before we discovered the pesky plants and pull them out! Because wild high bush blueberries exhibit widely varying traits relative to fruit size and productivity, propagation by cut- tings might be desired when a particularly productive specimen is found. Softwood cuttings will root best in May with decreas- ing success in as the summer progresses. Take healed cuttings that have just completed their primary growth and treat with a rooting hormone prior to planting in a peat/perlite mixture and mist regularly. Once rooted, cutting may be over wintered out- side under protective layer of mulch. LORE High bush blueberries were a staple food of Native Americans. The fruits were eaten fresh off the bush, dried for later use or dried and mixed with other berries and strips of dried venison to make pemmican - an important winter staple. Of course, the value of high bush blueberries is unsurpassed for pies, jellies, jams and a multitude of mouthwatering desserts and toppings, and remember nothing beats to flavor of our wild native berries - good picking! C ■i Bob Edelen, DNPS Member Resources & Reviews Wildlife Habitat Management of Wetlands Authored by Neil F. Payne. This guide describes direct habitat management techniques for a wide variety of game and non-game species, and offers tried-and-proven techniques for improving, preserving, and developing wetlands. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 2 Page Resources & Reviews Conservation Management of Freshwater Habitats - Lakes , Rivers , and Wetlands Authored by Neville C. Morgan & Peter S. Maitland. In this book the authors have applied research knowledge to the solution of practical problems facing wildlife conservation in freshwater habitats. Subjects covered include: evaluation of the conservation interest of sites; practical protection and management of fresh- water habitats; species conservation. Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden Continued from page 2 but we should have it sometime in the early fall and are looking at the end of Sept, or early Oct., but not on a Sunday because of football season! Abbotts Mill has offered facilities for a meeting. Bill also discovered a wonderful place that could be a poten- tial site; the Doe Branch Nature Preserve in Sussex County. It has old growth forest, cedar swamps, a great diversity of plants, and would be a fantastic place for a field trip. Problems with brown-eyed susans DNPS members, Quentin Schlieder and Flavia Rutkosky, passed this information along to share. Leaf Spots on Rudbeckia pycnidia and the presence of bacterial streaming under microscopic examination can be used to differentiate angular leaf spot from septoria leaf spot. Life Cycle Both organisms overwinter in infected debris in the garden. Initial infection occurs in late spring or early summer on the lower leaves and then spread up the plant. Plants are rarely killed, but plants can look unsightly by early fall. Integrated Pest Management Strategies 1 . Clean up old foliage each fall and then live with the disease. Sanitation can go a long way to helping control both diseases. Collect and dispose of old foli- age in the fall or by late winter to help prevent early infection. Two common leaf spots affect rudbeckia in the St. Louis area. Both rarely endanger the survival of the plant but both can cause depreciation of the foliage. One is caused by a fungus and the other by a bacte- rium. Symptoms and Diagnosis Septoria leaf spot is caused by the fungus Septoria rudbeckiae and causes small 1/8 - 1/4 inch spots on the leaves. Small, black, pinpoint size fruiting bodies (pycnidia) form in the center of the spots. Lower leaves are affected first. The disease then moves up the plant by splashing water. Angular leaf spot of rudbeckia is most common on the cultivar 'Goldsturm'. It begins as small, brown, angular spots on lower leaves, which may appear water-soaked but can quickly expand to affect the whole leaf. It begins at the base of the plant and moves up. Angular leaf spot is caused by a bacterium. The absence of fungal 2. Provide good air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Keeping the leaves dry and help prevent movement of the fungi or bacteria by not watering overhead. If irrigation is necessary, use soaker hoses or at least water early in the day so the foliage can dry before nightfall. 3. Apply chemical protectants. Septoria leaf spot can be controlled with fungicides containing chlo- rophalonil or copper. Angular leaf spot can be con- trolled by applying a copper-based fungicide such as Bordeaux mixture as needed started in early spring. Kocide is also effective. Apply at the first signs of disease to protect healthy yet unaffected foliage.