Blog

For Jack

I often begin my day by hand watering the garden. I’ve never had a sprinkler system. I know it would be less work but I sort of like staying in touch with my plants and giving extra water to those who need it most.

As I stood watering, Jack walks up with the ever faithful Sadie. “I bet the trees are clapping,” he said. “What a lovely thought,” I responded and then he said, “It’s from the Bible.”

I looked at him skeptically. but he looked so smug I decided he was probably right. And right he is. The passage is from Isiah 55 and reads:

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

What an absolutely beautiful verse and one which describes exactly how I feel these days as I walk through my garden, or on a trail or a path or a park. I don’t know that we’ve ever had a more beautiful spring.

The weather has been warm enough to bring all our spring glories into bloom but cool enough to keep things from fizzling out too quickly. My back yard is a carpet of blues – violets, phlox, Scilla, grape hyacinth, Virginia bluebells, forget me nots, pansies and thrift. With yellow accents of English primrose and green and gold, it is a wonder to behold.

Behind all that, the azaleas are in full bloom in every imaginable shade of pink. It is as if my garden is truly bursting into song before me – and all the trees are clapping.

I spend a lot of my days working on conservation issues. It can be discouraging and depressing. So, it is a balm to go out in joy and to trust that I will be led forth in peace. It is a reminder that nature heals – itself and us. While I will continue to fight for both social and environmental justice, I am so grateful to Jack for reminding me to stop and listen for the all the trees of the field to clap their hands. If I don’t listen, I won’t hear them. It was a joyful morning.

Last week I took some time off from gardening to compare notes with one of my gardening friends. Though we both basically do the same thing (grow plants), our methods are drastically different. She has 18 acres of hills and forests and open spaces in a rural area – all fenced to protect it from the deer. What a treasure! In comparison, I have about 1/3 acre, within the Atlanta city limits.

She exclaimed over and over how happy she was that after years of gardening in this space, plants had naturalized and spread so she now has great swaths of color and beauty. I suddenly realized that what was a gardening accomplishment for her (on 18 acres) was a gardening headache for me (1/3 acre). Size matters.

Plants, like people, like to live close to family. Whether plant populations increase by spreading from underground runners, such as the variegated Solomon’s seal or my beloved creeping blue phlox, or by setting and dropping seeds, such as the lenten rose, if given a good growing environment, they will spread. This means that in a small space, maintaining diversity is a constant battle. And diversity, as we all know, is critical to a healthy ecosystem.

If I didn’t keep a check on it, my entire backyard would be a mass of lenten rose fighting with snowdrops and Scilla. These are not technically invasive plants, but in a small space, they take up more than their share of room.

It’s not just the aesthetics of gardening that are at risk with overly aggressive plants, but the necessity of providing for wildlife and pollinators. My garden is an oasis for pollinators in the city. I know that many, many different kinds of pollinators visit throughout the year. Without the diversity to which they are accustomed, someone is going to go away hungry.

Of course the garden is just a small echo of what is happening throughout the wild and green spaces in our world. Size matters. We need big gardens and big parks and huge natural spaces so that our native plants can grow and spread as nature intended them to. We need corridors not just for our bears and wolves but for the native bees and insects. We need to protect every wild and wonderful place.

Even if you don’t have a BIG space, plant something! A plant in a pot is much better than no plant. And two plants in a pot are twice as good. As always, plant something useful to our native insects. If caterpillars eat the leaves of your parsley, say hallelujah! Gardening is no longer just for us. Gardening today is critical for helping to save the environment.

A call to Action

In 1973 my parents and I took a canoe / camping trip through the Okefenokee Swamp. It was a memorable trip, not the least of which was that I had my parents all to myself for two days! With four siblings, that rarely happened and I cherished this time with my energetic, smart and curious parents.

But of course it was the swamp itself that created the most long lasting memories. I can remember paddling for hours through the dark, still waters. The only sound was the calling of the birds and the soft plunk of the canoe paddles. My father and I fell into an easy rhythm, stroking the water together to propel us forward.

There were times that I was absolutely convinced that we were lost and would spend the rest of our lives gliding past cypress trees, dripping with Spanish moss, looking for water open enough to paddle through and out. We were never really lost but the swamp is such a mystical, magical place that everything feels different and nothing really looked familiar.

And, it’s big. Really, really big, covering over 700 square miles in the southeast corner of Georgia. It is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. And, it is teeming with life. There were alligators, of course, sunning themselves on muddy banks. And all kinds of birds, calling from the treetops, wading through the shallow waters.

What I didn’t realize then, was what a rich, unique and important ecosystem we were traveling through. There are over 200 kinds of birds that live in this swamp, 400 species of vertebrates, and 60 different kinds of reptiles, including the rare and endangered eastern indigo snake.

The Okefenokee Swamp is truly a treasure. What a travesty, then, that this part of our environmental heritage, is under attack for nothing more than money. A mining company from Alabama has requested – and permission is pending – for the right to create a mine within 3 miles of our swamp, a death warrant for this beautiful and vulnerable place.

Georgia Public Broadcasting reported this: Federal scientists have warned that mining near the Okefenokee’s bowl-like rim could damage the swamp’s ability to hold water. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in 2022 declared the proposed mine poses an “unacceptable risk” to the fragile ecosystem at the Georgia-Florida line

The Environmental Protection Division states that once a wetland area is altered or destroyed it is impossible to restore.

We advocate for the swamp in the only way we know how – by writing letters to the state officials who have the power to save or destroy this incredible part of our state. Please join in the effort to save the Okefenokee Swamp. The quickest and easiest way is to go to the Okefenokee Protection Alliance website where they make it easy to make your voice heard. We have until April 9 to help save our Swamp. Let’s act today.

https://protectokefenokee.org

Looking out across the back yard, all I see is green and white. The early spring snowdrops are in their glory, blooming next to tall white narcissus. The white lenten rose, against a grey winter sky, has been blooming for several weeks.

It all made me wonder why so many of our winter and early spring flowers are white – and why there is a progression of color in nature from white in winter to pastels in spring, bright reds and yellows in summer and purples in fall. Is there a reason?

Of course and the reason for flowers, is (as always) the pollinators. Scientists say that some of the earliest pollinators are flies and that flies lack color vision. Instead, they are attracted to bright petals that are highly reflective and to flower forms that are easy to pollinate.

Blooming early in the season provides these flowers with some great benefits. First, there is little competition – the bulk of the natural world will wait for warmer weather to bloom. And secondly, these plants bloom under deciduous trees before the leaves come out, providing necessary light for their peak bloom time.

It’s interesting to think about the progression of color throughout the growing season for both our cultivated flowers and our natives. It won’t be long before pale pink appears in the natural palette with trilliums and lady’s slippers. These, too, are woodland plants taking advantage of available sunlight before the trees leaf out.

During summer, colors become more intense as temperatures rise and a whole new set of pollinators appear. Brilliant yellow, pinks, oranges, and reds dominate the landscape as sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, butterfly weed, bee balm, summer phlox and Indian blanket grow tall and robust in the landscape.

And of course, the giant roadside flowers of fall, such as asters, Joe-pye weed and ironweed show every shade of purple, beautifully complemented by the yellow goldenrod.

There are exceptions, of course, but it’s fun to look at this natural progression and appreciate the simple beauty of the winter whites while anticipating the riot of color to come.

A few weeks ago, I had the great privilege of presenting at the Chattahoochee Nature Center at a day long conference celebrating the joys and challenges of gardening both with and for nature.

I contributed as an artist / writer / storyteller to raise awareness of the most imperiled and threatened plants that grow in Georgia. There are nineteen Georgia native plants that are threatened with extinction and I cited the reasons why, offered some suggestions for what we can do to help and encouraged the audience to maintain hope for the future of conservation. We must keep hope! There is no alternative.

My talk was followed by that of Douglas Tallamy who said (not necessarily in reference to my plea of hope, I think, but in general) that hope is great and yes, essential, but it must be followed by action.

Douglas Tallamy has authored several books about taking action for the environment and his message is always the same. By changing the way we garden and planting native plants useful to the ecosystem, we can greatly alter the dire predictions for the loss of biodiversity in our future.

Though I’ve known his work and read his books, I was struck by the simplicity and power of his message about the absolute necessity of growing native plants, not just for pollinators but for the caterpillars which feed the birds and which can greatly increase biodiversity in even a small yard.

Dr. Tallamy stresses the fact that many of the caterpillar and insect species are host specific and that is why we need to grow such a diversity of native plants. A hillside of purple coneflower is native and great but how much better it is to have a hillside where a dozen different kinds of natives grow.

E.O. Wilson, the great writer and ecologist, says that “loss of biodiversity is a greater threat to conservation than climate change.” What is so important about diversity?

Think of it like going to Baskin Robbins. If, suddenly, there were only a half dozen ice cream flavors rather than 31, it doesn’t just mean that our choices would be limited, it means that some ice-cream specific people who survived by eating a single kind (say strawberry) would starve to death if strawberry ice cream was no longer available. Then we would lose not only strawberry ice cream but all the people who were completely dependent on it. For those people, a lack of diversity is not just disappointing, it’s life threatening. In nature, for a host specific insect to lose its host plant means certain death.

So how do we help? By making our yards or flower pots or window boxes a virtual Baskin Robbins of yummy plant materials for the birds, caterpillars, insects, pollinators. (It’s not necessary to know which plants serve what species, just plant a variety and they will come.) By planting oak trees and shrubs and flowering plants that are useful to the environment rather than the ones that just look pretty. By taking action. By maintaining hope. While we may feel limited in our ability to alter climate change, we can all do something to increase biological diversity. Pledge to plant a native this spring, even if it’s in a pot.

I will continue to plant my beloved zinnias and dahlias but I hope to stuff, in every available nook and cranny a whole ice cream store full of native plants and pray the the caterpillars come and eat every single leaf. And that the birds will come and eat the caterpillars and that my yard can serve to help increase diversity at a time when it is so desperately needed.

The bird feeder in the backyard is just outside the window for easy viewing. I find it the best entertainment around, for the ready stream of winged creatures who come to visit and nibble is endlessly fascinating.

Last week, the feeder nearly toppled over when a flock of redwinged blackbirds descended. Starting in early December, these birds travel and go wherever they can to find food. In this case, my back yard.

It was pretty impressive. They emptied a large bird feeder in a single afternoon. For a short while, Jack and I kept track of an individual bird who somehow managed to fend off all the others. But then of course, he left too as more and more birds came to feed. All the other bird species just gave up and watched from nearby branches.

During winter, redwinged blackbirds fly in huge flock, often with other birds such as common blackbirds, grackles, and cowbirds. Numbering in the hundreds, these flocks fill the skies, turning and swooping together like a giant ballet. Apparently, there is no one individual bird that takes the lead, but any single bird from the flock can initiate a turn or dive, probably in response to either sighting food or a predator.

These large flocks are called murmurations. This term was originally used for the flocks of starlings in Europe which would make soft murmuring sounds as they flew. For OUR black birds, perhaps the flocks should be called “squawk” -ations because they are sooo loud.

The males are the only ones sporting the beautiful yellow and red patches on the shoulder. Females of the species are dark brown above, brown and buff striped below and not nearly as beautiful as the males. The males are polygynous and can have up to 15 female mates at one time.

This abundant and common bird is found year in Georgia, though they usually spend the summers not in urban backyards but in swamps and marshes – yet another excellent reason to protect our wetlands!

I love watching the birds, especially in winter for it is a warm reminder of how alive and vibrant the earth is, even when it’s cold and grey.

Laura

Believe it or not, the Canada goose almost became extinct in the early 20th century. There were so few mating pairs left that a concerted effort was launched to save this majestic bird. Needless to say, the efforts were hugely successful.

Today, Canada geese have proliferated to such an extent that they are considered pests in many areas – including my neighborhood. We are fortunate to live near a small pond and a series of parks – a neighborhood enticing to both people and the Canada goose.

There are several problems with the geese; they leave droppings everywhere and the droppings often contain harmful bacteria, they crowd out other more desirable water birds, and they can be very aggressive, especially during mating season. And there are just too many of them.

Even so, the Canada goose, which is native to North America, is protected by our migratory bird act. Someone just forgot to tell the geese that they need to migrate. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says that complaints about geese top the list of calls they receive. Even though you cannot harm, kill or move the geese, DNR encourages you to hassle and haze. But really, who wants to put up strips of shiny molar or balloons or barking dogs or sound making machines or shiny fences in an area that is supposed to be natural, serene and beautiful. It’s a quandary.

It’s also a really good example of best intentions going haywire. With the increase of man-made ponds and lakes in urban areas, the highly adaptable Canada goose population has exploded and in many areas, is permanent. In our neighborhood, as in others, the problem is exacerbated by people who want to feed the geese, which not only encourages them to stay and makes them poop more, but geese that eat processed food such as bread, also contributes to potentially lethal water fowl diseases.

I am a true believer in the critical need for biodiversity and in protecting every native species. But our continued interference with nature has proven time and again to have unforeseen consequences. But, since both coyotes and geese have adapted so well to our urban neighborhood, I’m hoping that nature will take take care of the goose problem!

Several years ago, Jack and I had to have an old and diseased oak tree taken down. It was growing about a foot away from the back of the house and had it fallen in any direction it would have done serious damage to the house. Heartbroken at destroying this beautiful tree and depriving dozens of organisms their home, we opted to leave a 5 foot tall stump and have it carved into a chair.

The tree chair has been the source of a lot of joy and laughter and has provided a photo op for countless kids. But, like the tree in Shel Silverstein’s classic, The Giving Tree, this tree keeps on giving.

Some of the carvings are still intact but for the most part, the tree is in a state of fabulous, life giving decay. Covered with lichens and moss, there are wide cracks and soft holes in the back and sides. The base is definitely deteriorating and during the warmer months, I was delighted to see an endless stream of insects burrowing into the rich rotted wood. Small, perfectly round holes are proof that something – be it bird or insect – is making a home here.

I can only hope and assume that the tree is full of life, harboring hundreds of insects and microorganisms. The Xerces Society says that long horned beetles, jewel beetles and bark beetles all burrow into dead and decaying wood, creating spaces for cavity nesting insects such as mason bees and leaf cutter bees to lay their eggs. Spiders and other beetles are also attracted to the moisture of decaying wood.

Though our tree stump is both too close to the house and too short to be used by woodpeckers and owls, dead limbs of other trees, farther back into the yard must provide magnificent habitats as both the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpeckers and the frequent hooting of the barred owl are part of the back yard music.

Two huge oak trees, probably close to 200 year old, are looking a little old and damaged but they are far from any structure and we’re just letting nature take her course. I’m sure, at some point, they will fall but will continue to serve their purpose in the ecosystem.

Nature, on her own, is not neat. Brush piles, dead flower stems, rotted tree stumps are not necessarily “beautiful” but they serve an essential role in the environment, providing food, shelter and nesting sites for countless organisms. Perhaps it’s time that we redefined “beauty” in the landscape.

I cherish the tree stump at my back door and am grateful to this tree for the many, many treasures it has offered during the years. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

For more information about creating and maintaining a pollinator friendly landscape, check out the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation at

https://www.xerces.org

I hope that you and yours have a happy, happy holiday.

Laura

Sadie, my faithful sidekick, and I were walking from the house to my art studio one morning (a distance of about 120 steps). A sudden movement caught my eye and I looked up in time to stare straight into the eyes of a coyote. My backyard is fairly big (especially when I’m using a push mower to cut the “grass’) but our entire city lot is less than 1/3 acre so it’s not THAT big. Coming face to face with a coyote was startling, to say the least.

I grabbed Sadie’s leash so she wouldn’t give chase but I needn’t have bothered, I don’t even think she noticed. For the next two weeks, we saw the coyote – and (presumably) his mate several times. They came as close as the steps to the patio a couple of times but ran off when we turned on the lights and made some noise – or when Sadie finally realized there were coyotes in her yard and barked.

Coyotes are not uncommon in urban areas and many cities report having hundreds of these wild canines living close by. Coyotes will get into garbage and any food left outside and will occasionally attack and kill small pets that are left outdoors, which is tragic. But coyotes rarely attack humans and pose no real threat.

They are very clever and adaptable animals and have adjusted to city living with uncommon ease. They eat insects and fruit and rodents such as rats, mice and squirrels. Apparently they have a special love for wild persimmons and will eat the astringent fruit even before it fully ripens.

Two biologists from Georgia, Dr. Chris Mowry from Barry College and Dr. Larry Wilson from Emory University have formed the Atlanta Coyote Project with the goal of dispersing information and of keeping track of coyote sightings in our city. They have an excellent website which you should check out if you would like to know more about urban coyotes. https://www.atlantacoyoteproject.org If you live in the Atlanta area, you also might want to attend a talk to be given by Dr. Mowry, at Trees Atlanta on Jan 18th.

I suspect my coyotes are transient and will move on and I honestly don’t know if I’ll be sad or happy when they do. I’m just not sure how I feel about having coyotes so close by. They pose no real threat to me or to Sadie, who is a medium sized dog and able to take care of herself and I love the thought that they would keep the squirrel population in check, but it seems that the wild things should be found in the wild and not roaming city streets.

I didn’t invite them here and will have no part in trying to get them to leave. Their presence in my yard is a reminder that I am just a tiny part of nature and that once again, my role is to observe and do no harm.

In the Conservation Greenhouse at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, where I am lucky enough to volunteer every week, the conversation is almost always about plants. No surprise there! It is such a delight to be able to ask all my plant-nerdy questions and to listen to people who respond both enthusiastically and authoritatively.

The conversation this past week was all about the importance for plants to be able to adapt quickly and smoothly to harsh conditions caused by climate change. The consensus was that the best way for plants to adapt is to have a strong and diverse gene pool. Of course, this means trying to prevent or reduce inbreeding, a concept more easily understood with monkeys and lions (and kings and queens!) than with plants.

Everyone knows that if you’re breeding dogs or horses or cows that you don’t breed siblings. The farther from the family tree you can get, the better for creating a genetic mix that is strong and stable and produces individuals who don’t play banjoes (ha! a quick reference to the movie Deliverance.)

What’s a little more difficult to get your head around is that these same principles apply to plants as well. You can have a hundred endangered plants growing happily in a field but if they are all genetically identical, there will be no depth to the population, no hardy individuals who have just the right gene combination to withstand what may come.

And this is why scientists at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and the State Botanical Gardens in Athens and a hundred other organizations are relentless in tracking the genetic flow of these endangered plants. When placed back into the wild, they need to be put into places where they will increase the genetic diversity to produce offspring that are hardy and adaptable.

In thinking about all this, it occurred to me that even though our own individual gene pool was set at conception, the idea of staying flexible and adapting to varying conditions is as important for us as it is for the plants. With a future that often looks bleak, I think that our best bet to stay off the endangered species list is to find the adaptability to keep our sense of humor and our optimism no matter what happens. These are skills and attributes that will allow us to thrive in a changing world.