Native Gardening

[KC Crook]

I've recently discovered The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, has a wealth of information about plants from our area. We have an area of deep shade , so purchased some Christmas Ferns, hoping they take off

Our area has been devastated by the emerald ash borer, very sad. On Mother's Day, we planted a North Red Oak tree, that does well in our area

I love deep shade plants. For close to 25 years, those have been my only options on most properties Ive lived on. Most do require moisture tho. The dry ones are more difficult to pin down. If you need any help with deepshade plants, let me know.

 

[KC Crook]

KC,

Pitcher plants are a good possibility in your area. They grow native out on the west side of the coast range about 15 miles inland from Port Orford, Oregon. There are lots of them up near the headwaters of the Elk River around 1000 foot elevation. The photo is a rather spectacular spot we discovered. Eve actually spotted it back from the road about 300 feet, just out of the Copper Salmon Wilderness area. It is a mineral spring that forms flowstone, then flows into the Elk River up where it's tiny. Note the pitcher plants growing next to it!

This area has nitrogen poor soils (ultramafic), so carnivorous plants do well here. The pitcher plant, Darlingtonia Californica captures insects in the tall hooded tube which has downward pointing hairs. At the base are digestive liquids that allow the Pitcher plant to absorb the nitrogen for insects.

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They impress me as tropical, wet, and somewhat shady. I confess I havent looked much into them.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I have butterfly bushes that get just stripped.

That's good, because they're invasive here in the US.

Milkweeds are typically resistant to mammals due to the poison. As for the rest, I wouldn't know. The plants native to California are unfamiliar to me. We have deer here, too. I live next to a wooded park. They rarely wander into the yard but have never caused an issue. Rabbits are the big pest here.

 

[KC Crook]

That's good, because they're invasive here in the US.

Milkweeds are typically resistant to mammals due to the poison. As for the rest, I wouldn't know. The plants native to California are unfamiliar to me. We have deer here, too. I live next to a wooded park. They rarely wander into the yard but have never caused an issue. Rabbits are the big pest here.

We have rabbits, but they are shy. As for butterfly bushes, they are not an issue here. Some here hate Quaking Aspen, they are invasive...or my personal hatred, Siberian Elm. I suppose its about where you are.

 

[KC Crook]

Milkweed? Isnt that a monarch butterfly favorite? I just assumed because its not prolific here, the deer eat it...but if it can be grown, Im more then happy to try.

 

[addy1]

Back in the day... We used to hang little satchels of blood meal on our plants to keep the deer from becoming drug addicts. It usually worked, but bears sometimes caused problems with that!

hang Irish spring, the soap bar, they don't like it.

 

[Stephen T.]

Narrow Leaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, is native to our area, north of Klamath Falls and less than 100 miles from Weed. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is giving out packets of seeds that are donated by the Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates. We just started some of them.

 

[KC Crook]

hang Irish spring, the soap bar, they don't like it.

Tried it, the deer dont care here, lol. Over the 30 or so years our neighborhood has been in existance, the deer have learned all the tricks and pass it on to their young. I have tried human hair, dog hair, sprays, fishing line, dog urine, just about anything short of electric fence and it doesnt matter. Now its just a pure ugly deer fence. Oh well, the price we pay for living in our paradise. The biggest deterrent for not having deer is not feeding them.

 

[addy1]

i ended up putting that black deer fencing up. Not real tall, but our deer are usually lazy, 5 feet tall stops them. They walk down the fence line until they can walk through the gate. I had electric fence, but that was a pita, snow tall grass wires breaking, so gave up on it. This is just for my bee yards. The deer love the flowers the bees love. I try to save a few for the bees, lol

 

[KC Crook]

i ended up putting that black deer fencing up. Not real tall, but our deer are usually lazy, 5 feet tall stops them. They walk down the fence line until they can walk through the gate. I had electric fence, but that was a pita, snow tall grass wires breaking, so gave up on it. This is just for my bee yards. The deer love the flowers the bees love. I try to save a few for the bees, lol

I m considering spray painting my ugly deer fence to blend it into the yard. Same here for the deer, 5 ft works...IF they have no safe landing. In a large yard with a clear landing on the other side, they would jump it for morsels. I have filled my yard with rocks, logs, and paths that confuse and scare them. Alot of people do that here since there is an HOA limit on fencing, but none on width, so breaking up their landing with rocks, logs, ect..seems to work fairly well.

 

[addy1]

I have a 80 dia circle, maybe more, it took 200 feet of fencing to fence it. They have good landing room in the circle but don't bother it. That circle is on the slope, maybe they don't like to jump fences on slopes. My other bee areas are along the back fence line around 20 feet wide, that seems to stop them, from what I read they don't really see the deer fencing so they can't figure out how to go over it.
The other areas are not fenced, that is mainly golden rod for fall nectar.

 

[KC Crook]

I have a 80 dia circle, maybe more, it took 200 feet of fencing to fence it. They have good landing room in the circle but don't bother it. That circle is on the slope, maybe they don't like to jump fences on slopes. My other bee areas are along the back fence line around 20 feet wide, that seems to stop them, from what I read they don't really see the deer fencing so they can't figure out how to go over it.
The other areas are not fenced, that is mainly golden rod for fall nectar.

Nice! I feel our natural state has been unbalanced. Originally, our neighborhood was built as "deer friendly". Which meant it was built to allow natural migration paths through the area. Over 30 or so years, thats been interrupted. We have a golf course, and many lawns. So, why should deer move through when green grass is available all year? Not to mention, people thought "deer friendly" also meant deer loving, and started feeding then, which made things a million times worse. Now, I can have a herd of 10 to 12 does roaming my area at any given time.

 

[addy1]

We have a bunch of hunters, no clue if they get a lot or not. The bucks are what hurt my trees. They use all the small saplings to rub their velvet off. I now have to wire net the trunks to save them.
I don't think anyone feeds them here.

 

[KC Crook]

We have a bunch of hunters, no clue if they get a lot or not. The bucks are what hurt my trees. They use all the small saplings to rub their velvet off. I now have to wire net the trunks to save them.
I don't think anyone feeds them here.

Yep, I have scars on my trees from bucks too, but mostly the young ones come down off the hills in fall, no chance of breeding. It all just seems so topsy turvey. We are cautious of the bucks...we give them their space. They arent the feeders the does are. They are looking for an easy lay, lol. The does know better.

 

[KC Crook]

I tried to look up if CA here has a doe season, since we are not hunters, and it was so confused about sections and areas and everything so unclear, I suppose I will have to ask my hubby to ask a deer hunter directly about it, cuz Im trully not sure.

 

[addy1]

We hear the hunters shooting, mainly the shotguns, no zones here just need a tag.

 

[peter hillman]

Funny, I feel the same about non-native plants.
Not all native plants are drought tolerant. Native doesn't mean drought tolerant. There are many native wetland plants, many native plants that will die quickly in dry soil.

I'd personally take my highly interesting Wild Columbine over non-native plants like Hostas or Coral Bells any day.
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Columbine, my favorite flower, the wild red one I sourced from the mountains was by far my favorite. Had two good years then didn't return for a third. Now I just have this domestic patch, mixed with coral bells.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I made a good purchase yesterday. I was surprised to see Meadow Blazing Star at a local garden center. You may or may not know, this is the ultimate Monarch Butterfly magnet!

Also, Monarch Butterflies are back in Wisconsin! I saw one yesterday and another today.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Finished my newest section of native garden today. Also planted 100 or more seedlings in it, though it'll need a lot more.

Also saw two blooms in my already-established section.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

My first Lanceleaf Tickseed bloomed today. Bought it last year and have been patiently waiting.