Fall Feast

           When I moved to 10 acres in country six years ago, the first thing I did was plant two small trees,  despite the fact that  8 of those acres were completely covered in trees.  It seemed important to have a hawthorn and a black gum among my trees, since both provide food for birds in late fall and winter, so I planted one of each.  Earlier this fall, I notice a good supply of drupes (or small stone fruits) on my black gum.  Today something amazing happened! My black gum was filled with cedar waxwings eagerly harvesting those drupes!

               Black gums, or Nyssa sylvatica, are sometimes called tupelo trees.  Often, but not always, the trees are single sexed so it takes  both  a male and female tree close together to pollinate, and the female to produce fruit, much like hollies.  The drupes ripen in early fall and are an important food source for migrating birds.  The tree begins turning bright red well before other trees take on fall color, likely as a way to “advertise” the ripe fruit.  When the fruits ripen, the trees fill with woodpeckers, mockingbirds, catbirds, thrushes and … cedar waxwings.

               Cedar Waxwings are easily identified by their black eye mask and crest.  Also easy to spot is the bright yellow tip at the end of their tails.  The birds are social and so when you see one, you usually see a flock of them.

               As gardeners, we tend to look ahead.  When I planted my small black gum, I didn’t even  know how long it would take to bare fruit, but I nevertheless envisioned it filled with fruit and hungry birds.   Today I joyfully saw my vision fulfilled. 

Today there is plenty of food but it won't last long.

The yellow-bellied sapsucker on the left wasn't fazed by the incoming waxwings.

 

 

 

 

I wish I had gotten better, sharper photos.  I was afraid if I got close I would scare them away.  It was raining, so for a good vantage point,  I opened a window and stood in the bathtub to get these shots.  

 

The Moss Lady

           When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  And when life gives you moss, make a moss garden. That’s what Norie Burnet did 20 years ago when her heavily shaded property refused to grow grass.  Today her beautiful garden has appeared in numerous books and national publications, and Norie has become known as The Moss Lady. In fact she is extremely knowledgeable about moss and often presents programs.   Garden tours are frequently requested by gardeners, horticulturalists and bryologists (moss experts).

            There are 14 types of moss and many other shade plants that grow in Norie’s garden.  While the space is beautifully serene, the maintenance is not.  Fallen leaves kill the moss and raking is not an option, so Norie uses a blower to keep walkways free of leaves.  It just so happens that blowing leaves also means blowing reproductive spores produced by the moss, so the regularly cleared moss thrives and spreads.  The garden is so enchanting, I wouldn't be at all surprised to look up and spot a hobbit, or sprite or fairy. 

 

 

 

  

 

Visiting A Gillette Garden

          Virginia Landscape Design Consultants recently toured the Gilette gardens at the historic Virginia House in Richmond.  Although the magnificent home was built in 1927, the stone and materials came from a sixteenth century priory in England.  Alexander Weddell and his wife Virginia had the dismantled building materials shipped to Richmond to construct their “new” home.  And, the grand new home required a grand new garden.

            While overseeing the design work at a newly built college in Richmond, now the University of Richmond, renowned Boston landscape architect Charles Gillette met many people in the local area.  So when the Weddells built their home, they hired Gillette to design their gardens.  He also designed gardens for Agecroft Hall, as well as other notable Virginia homes, creating a regional style of gardens that later became known as the “Virginia Garden.”  Gillette created more than 2,500 design projects around the country in his 56-year career.



The Virginia House