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Healing the earth, one yard at a time
February 2017 Newsletter
In this edition:
UPCOMING WILD ONES PROGRAMS
Pollinator Protection in the Tennessee Valley
- February 13
Designing Plant Communities with Claudia West - March 17
Plant Natives 2017! - Designing for Nature Symposium - March 18
WEED WRANGLE CHATTANOOGA
March 4
CERTIFICATE IN NATIVE PLANTS CLASSES
Rain Gardens & More - April 8
Native Edible & Medicinal Plants - May 13
Native Summer Flora of Forest & Fields - June 17
SPRING EVENTS IN THE REGION
Georgia Botanical Society Wildflower Pilgrimage
Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale
Trails & Trilliums
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wildflower Pilgrimage
Reflection Riding Spring Native Plant Sale
INTERESTING INFORMATION
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
CONNECT WITH US
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UPCOMING WILD ONES PROGRAMS
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Pollinator Protection in the Tennessee Valley
Monday, February 13, 2017
6:00 pm
green|spaces, 63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN
FREE and open to the public
Join us for a screening of the short film titled
A Ghost in the Making: Searching for the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee.
Everyone has heard about bee declines, but with so much attention focused on domesticated honeybees, someone has to speak up for the 4,000 species of native bees in North America. Natural history photographer Clay Bolt embarked on a multi-year quest to tell the stories of our native bees, and one elusive species - the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee - became his white whale. Traveling from state to state in search of the Rusty-patched, he met the scientists and conservationists working tirelessly to preserve it. Clay's journey finally brought him to Wisconsin, where he came face to face with his quarry and discovered an answer to the question that has been nagging him: why save a species?
The screening will be followed by (1) a discussion led by Ann Brown about pollinator protection, and (2) introduction of the Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership (CHAPP), a new initiative to create and restore viable pollinator habitats around Chattanooga for butterflies, bees, moths, bats, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects and animals. With the involvement of partners and Tennessee Valley citizens, we can help to spread the word about pollinators, pollinator conservation, and pollinator gardens in Chattanooga and the region.
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Save the Dates!
Wild Ones, Tennessee Valley Chapter
Upcoming Public Programs
Mark these dates on your calendar!
Details coming soon.
April 10
Speaker: Wilf Nicholls
May 8
Riparian Plants
Speaker: Bill Phillips
June 12
Prairie Restoration
Panel Discussion
July 10
This Plant, Not That
Speaker: Lisa Huff
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Weed Wrangle®, is a one-day, citywide, volunteer effort to help rescue our public parks and green spaces from invasive species through hands-on removal of especially harmful trees, vines and flowering plants. Typical unwelcome plants are honeysuckle (Lonicera japonicaand L. maackii), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata var. parviflora), English ivy (Hedera helix) and kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata).
Supervised by an experts in invasive weed management, Weed Wrangle®-volunteers will learn, practice, and begin a habit of maintaining an area free of invasive plants and encourage replanting with natives in removal areas. By engaging our neighbors and challenging them to take action in their own spaces, we hope to create a movement that will have the greatest impact on the invasive plant population.
The Weed Wrangle® started by The Garden Club of Nashville in 2015, expanded to the Knoxville Garden Club, Garden Club of Lookout Mountain, Memphis Garden Club, The Little Garden Club of Memphis, and The Garden Club of Jackson, MS in 2016. All clubs are members of
The Garden Club of America and participants in the
GCA Partners for Plants program.
Weed Wrangle® 2017 will take place across the state of Tennessee this year. This is your chance to make a public statement about the adverse impact of invasive plants on the environment and the help remove these plants from some of the natural areas in the Chattanooga region.
On March 4th, Weed Wrangles will be held from 9 am-noon at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, Audubon Acres, Renaissance Park and Greenway Farm and from noon to 3 pm at Pot Point Cabin (Tennessee River Gorge Trust).
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2017 SYMPOSIUM & WORKSHOP
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DESIGNING FOR NATURE
Native Plant Symposium
Saturday, March 18, 2017
8:30am - 4:30pm
The 6
th
Annual Native Plant Symposium was created with both casual and experienced gardeners and landscapers in mind. You will leave with practical tips on natural landscaping and plant selection. After this symposium, you will know how to put what you've learned into practice.
The symposium schedule includes FOUR speaker presentations:
Planting in a Post-Wild World
with Claudia West, author of
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Challenges to Using Native Plants in Commercial and Residential Design:
A Landscape Architect's Perspective
with Steve Sanchez, Landscape Architect, HGOR
Practical Considerations in Native Plant Landscapes
with Mike Berkley, owner of GroWild Nursery
Native Plants and Sustainable Landscapes
with Rick Huffman, BLA, EarthDesigns
The Symposium will be held at the UTC University Center, a spacious, uncrowded, accessible venue with free and ample close-by parking. Claudia West's
Planting in a Post-Wild World
will be available for purchase and signing by the author.
Nurseries will have native plants and artists will have artworks for sale. You can also browse the various Symposium topics-related exhibits by local organizations. Ample time is provided at midday and at the end of the day to visit exhibits and vendors. We hope that you will be inspired to create your own natural landscape and get to take home a door prize.
Register by March 15 and save $$$$!
Members save $20 on every ticket in advance
Non-Members save $10 on every ticket in advance
Lunch is INCLUDED in all tickets!
Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
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ADDED Program This Year!
Friday Workshop
DESIGNING PLANT COMMUNITIES
with Claudia West,
author of "Planting in a Post-Wild World"
Friday, March 17, 2017
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Join us as we dig deeper into the art and science of successful planting design. This interactive all-day workshop with Claudia West will offer a paradigm shift in design, towards biologically functional planting design and low impact maintenance. You will learn how to create beautiful and lasting plant communities for modern landscape needs.
Hands-on design exercises will give you the opportunity to refine newly acquired planting design & management skills so you can successfully apply them to upcoming projects.
Audience: Landscape designers & installers, government and corporate landscape planners, experienced native plant gardeners.
Enrollment for the Friday Workshop is limited to 25 individuals.
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| Certificate in Native Plants Classes |
New Programs Open for Registration
The Certificate in Native Plants program is designed to expand students' knowledge of botany, ecology, conservation, and uses of native flora in the southeastern United States. Students will get both classroom education and hands-on application to increase knowledge and skills that can be applied at home, in the community, and at work. The course setting will provide a common ground for native plant enthusiasts to meet and connect with others who share their interests.
The CNP is designed to benefit both home gardeners and landscaping professionals alike. You do NOT need to be working toward the Certificate in order to register for classes.
CNP classes are limited to 25 participants. They fill up quickly, so register now to ensure your place.
Rain Gardens and More
Instructor: Wyn Miller
Saturday, April 8, 2017
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
ELECTIVE Class (4 credits)
A rain garden is a shallow depression in the ground that allows stormwater to slowly infiltrate the soil. Native plants, mulch and soil in the rain garden naturally remove pollutants contained in the stormwater. Class will focus on methods of design and construction of a rain garden, as well as some great native plants to consider. By the end of the class, students should be well-equipped to build a rain garden of their own. We will also explore bog gardens and water gardens, for those with poorly-drained sites. Resources on planting design, materials, and cost-share opportunities will be provided.
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Native Edible & Medicinal Plants
Instructor: Holli Richey
Saturday, May 13, 2017
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
ELECTIVE Class (4 credits)
The program will introduce edible and medicinal botany in the botanically rich southeastern U.S. emphasizing traditional as well as current uses of medicinal plants. The program will also explore cultivation of drought resistant native medicinal plants in the Tennessee Valley and herbal medicine making.
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Native Summer Flora of Forest and Fields
Instructor: John Manion
Saturday, June 17, 2017
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
ELECTIVE Class (4 credits)
Summer, as with other seasons, brings its own distinctive display of plants. After a brief "shoulder period" following the abundance of spring wildflowers, we begin to see more reds, yellows and other colors. This class will first cover information about summer flora and the many mechanisms by which these plants are pollinated and then disperse their seeds. The field portion of the class will give us the opportunity to corroborate much of what we have learned, as well as the chance to identify, view, touch and smell several species. Information on cultivation and design will be shared.
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| Spring Events in the Region |
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April is always a busy time in our area, with plant sales, hikes and other activities for native plant gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts.
Here's a sampling of some of the events planned for 2017.
Be sure to check the "Community and Regional Events" page of our website (drop down menu under "Programs") for updates on these and other activities. Start planning NOW for some of these terrific opportunities.
Wildflower Pilgrimage
in Chattanooga Area
April 7-9, 2017
The Georgia Botanical Society's 2017 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held in the East Tennessee and North Georgia area on April 7-9, 2017. This event consists of an multiple field trips, speakers and a banquet. The field trips offer participants the opportunity to explore the unique terrain and ecosystems of the Tennessee River Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and surrounding areas.
Start of wildflower season in the Chattanooga area can vary from late February to late March. The dates selected for the 2017 Pilgrimage should ensure that some natural sites are reaching their peak displays. Field trip sites include varied terrain such as mountain top trails, lush cove forests, deep canyons and flowing creeks with waterfalls and cascades. It is possible that participants will see 20 to 30 native species at some of the sites.
A total of 28 field trips have been defined for the 2017 event. You are encouraged to review all of the material in the brochure, to choose those field trips of interest, and then submit your registration form. Be sure to include field trip numbers for 1st and 2nd choices for the field trips, as some trips may fill up prior to receiving your registration form.
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Mark Your Calendar for These Events!
EarthCare Spring Workshop
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Beautiful and Functional Native Plants
to Replace Invasive Exotics
Pollinator Palooza:
How to Create Pollinator Habitat in the Garden
Crabtree Farms
April 1
Spring Ephemerals Tram Tour
with Dr. Richard Clements
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
April 1
Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale
April 6-9
Trails & Trilliums
April 7-9
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
April 11-15
Reflection Riding Spring Native Plant Sale
April 20 - Members Only
April 21-22 - Open to the Public
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"
Most plants were brown, either dead above ground (herbaceous perennials) or dormant for the season (shrubs and trees). Even in these still-life poses, many offer up a promise of things to come: their seeds."
Read more.
Sometimes we look at our yard from a neighbor's perspective - is it neat and attractive? When you're a nature lover, you might consider a different view point. How about from an insect's perspective or a bird's? Read more.
Your Plant Hardiness Zone May Have Changed
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area. Read more.
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Cloud bank on a clear January day
(Photo by Mike O'Brien) |
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| "Turkey tail" fungus, a polypore fungus. The species is Trametes versicolor. The stump of the tree upon which it is growing is visible in the center of the lower edge of the photo.(Photo by Mike O'Brien) |
Five anoles in January.
(Photo by Mike O'Brien)
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Chipmunk on hat of Labrador Retriever ceramic figure
(Photo by Mike O'Brien) |
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Become a Wild Ones Member!
Join the Tennessee Valley Chapter
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See what's happening on our social media sites:
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Wild Ones: Native Plants. Natural Landscapes is a national non-profit organization with over 50 chapters in 13 states that promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Please read more information about Wild Ones at www.wildones.org.
The Tennessee Valley Chapter presents guest speakers, field trips and other special events throughout the year, as well as an annual native plant and natural landscaping symposium in early spring.
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