Early Spring: Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea

Need a spot of sunshine in your garden? Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea, cheery golden flowers bloom from as early as April continuing through early June.

A native of Maryland, its natural range includes Eastern Canada and the United States from the Atlantic Coast to the eastern Great Plains. They grow in zones 4 to 9.

It attracts butterflies and other insects but it is deer resistant.

This carefree, very low maintenance little plant grows 1 to 2 feet high and wide. In the proper setting, it will quickly colonize and your garden, meadow or meadow/forest border should be filled with them. Within three years, one plant has become over three dozen in my garden. They transplant easily so you can fill in bare spots, give them to friends or pot them for plant sales. This highly underappreciated garden gem would be a great addition to any garden or meadow in Maryland.

Continue reading Natives for Every Season →

Wonder which plants grow best in sunny, moist soil? Looking to attract more butterflies and bumble bees to your garden? Want to create your own personal National Park in your backyard?

Come to “Gardening with Native Plants.” The three-hour class will be held at Carroll Community College Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, April 14.

You will learn techniques that will help you create a beautiful garden that supports wildlife and our region’s ecosystem. Explore which native perennials, shrubs, and trees look best in spring, summer and fall. Learn how to use color to best effect.

Make your garden multi-level with a design that draws the eye. The class will examine how to support birds, butterflies and other wildlife through plants. Various lists of plants will be provided to help participants choose the best plant for their home.

Class participants will design a garden using native plants that are beneficial for pollinators and other wildlife.

The class will be taught by Laura O’Callaghan. A Master Gardener since 2014, she is a Finksburg resident and native plant enthusiast. She started this website, IntheGardenwithLaura.com, in 2016. Laura was a founding member of the Finksburg Library gardens and is vice chair of the Carroll County Forestry Board.

Registration ends April 14 at noon. The non-credit course will be held April 14 from 6:30-9:30 pm at Carroll Community College. The course costs $55 with a $5 supply fee. To register or for more information, click on the link below.

https://carrollcc.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=8170&int_category_id=11&int_sub_category_id=49&int_catalog_id=0

A bill before the Maryland Legislature would classify harmful invasive plants and encourage the use of beneficial native species that support local wildlife and ecosystems.

Invasives plants will be listed according to their level of destructiveness. The plants will be drawn from the National Park Service’s and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. Additional invasive plants may be added by the Secretary of Agriculture if needed.

The proposed legislation also requires the Department of Natural Resources to “create, maintain, and publish” a list of plant species native to Maryland on its website.

The bill further states that organizations receiving state funding and state agencies must prioritize the use of plants native to Maryland for every planting project.

If the bill becomes law, plants native to Maryland will be exempt from sales and use tax.

“Our natural world is composed of countless incredible and interdependent systems that exist in balance. And while it is not always obvious, we influence these systems daily. In the case of the introduction of invasive plant species into an ecosystem, we jeopardize the balance of these systems which has far-reaching consequences,” says Del. Eric G. Luedtke, District 14, Montgomery County.

Continue reading Time to Voice Your Views on Invasives, Natives →