Draw in Birdies..

Draw in the birdies to your property. Bird will not only bring in beauty and life to your gardens, but they will also eat a LOT of pests. The above plant is called Crocosmia, Lucifer. It is a magnet for hummingbirds. Once you have one, just dig around it in the spring and move out some of the baby bulbs and you'll have lots. I have these all over the property now. They also come in yellow, orange and mixed colors, but the red ones are the hummingbird favorites.

We lost a lot of trees several years ago to the Emerald Ash Borers, so one of the bird species that I have been drawing in since then is the woodpecker family. They eat tree borers. I put out food in the winter for the birds and make sure I supply lots of food for the woodpecker family, like suet cakes. Here are a few photos of my friendly neighborhood woodpeckers.
 This one is a pileated woodpecker, and yes she is huge. We have had these around here for years, but I am beginning to see them every day this winter. I do leave a lot of standing dead wood for them in the woods for habitat, and I put out suet cakes and nuts and seeds and dried fruit for the bird all year around. Woodpeckers are likely to do damage to trees only if there aren't a lot of deadwood trees around for them to find food in and make their nests in. The picture below is the same woodpecker later on a suet cake.

 

The photos above also show a red belly woodpecker, funny name for a bird with a red head, but that is what he is called. They are absolutely beautiful birds and we have them here all winter long, probably in the summer also but they have lots of natural food in the summer so they aren't as likely to be seen at the feeders. We also have other kinds of woodpeckers here like Downeys and Hairies..We have yellow belly sapsuckers here too, and they are more likely the ones that are going to damage buildings and trees. 

We have hundred of other birds that come here year around as well. We provide shrubs and vines that bear berries for just the birds in the summer, and some keep their berries on the branches well into the winter. I also put out bird houses for shelter for the birds and perches. If you place perches in areas where you have insect problems, they are likely to eat the insects, also you can draw birds into an insect infestation area by adding a bird feeder right over that area in your garden, to get the birds to drop down onto the ground below the feeder and find the buggies that are bugging you.

If you do bring birds into your garden, give them a chance. Please do not spray insect killers on the plants, give the birds a chance to kill and eat the insects, or the beneficial insects (but that is another post).

Always make sure that you have some wilder areas and lots of cover for the birds, remember also that they love vines and evergreens when it comes to cover. Also ground cover plants are really loved not only by birds but by other beneficials like newts, spiders, frogs, etc.

Why a food forest garden rather than a regular garden?

Why would you want a food forest garden?

Because of the trees ! A forest garden has a different feel fro other garden styles, in a large part because of the trees. They are the major element integrated into defining the other layers of the forest garden. Regular gardens do not contain trees, most do not contain shrubs.

Trees control the landscapes character and we are nestled within a sheltered, yet open canopy of trees of all heights and they will dominate but not smother the other plants.
With a tree filled forest garden, we have enlisted as our allies the most powerful  and productive vegetation on the planet, a prerequisite for healthy sustainable landscapes.

Trees have the ability to produce soil, enrich litter, fill the earth with humusy roots, quell temperature swings, hold moisture, arrest erosion and offer tiers of habitat for animals that is unparalled  and they are on our side.

You  can't beat trees, life's largest collectors of natural energy and matter.  As varied as the forest itself and as individual as its owner, a food forest is a constant rain of ripe fruits and lucious berries.

Mixing and matching styles to tailor a garden that combines food, beauty, habitat and the largest possible crop yields for the space and the greatest diversity and edges

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Open spacing of trees allows the Northern gardener to get sunlight in to reach the lower layers. Although yields of the ground level plants may be slightly less under shade, plants will be stronger,
healthier, and require less water and fertilizer, be lusher and greener.

Shrub filled margins under fruit and nut trees offer more diversity and value, ecologically, asthetically, and for my palette, than if I was just growing grass. Forest gardens offer so much more,
as nearly every cubic inch is filled and furnishes vast amounts of habitat for birds, animals and beneficial insects. Pest problems dwindle and maintenance is lower, water needs are lower and you no longer have to provide purchased fertilizers.  You don't have to till the soil. Biodiversity of birds and animals that people may have not seen for  years will be evident and the amount of food per space is unreal.

Temperate climate food forest gardens is fairly new, although food forest gardens themselves are ancient, they were more commonly found in other types of climates.

More are being currently planted and people are shifting to food forestry in the early 2000's. Food forest from old gardens is a natural evolution of a place. The fruit trees have deeper roots  and can reach nutrients that annual vegetables can't reach. Rocks and logs will mitigate the harsh climate by absorbing heat and condensing moisture and they'll protect beneficial animals like snakes and lizards.

In food forests every area offers new opportunities for designs and creativity.

I began designing the forests on this property in 1971, I have attempted to plant new trees and shrubs and perennial plants every year since. I have had many failures, but now at this time I have been able to see many successes, and in the last few years have had an abundance of food to the extent that I've had trouble finding enough people to give my extra produce to.

As I age, it is wonderful to know that when it comes to fruit and nuts and berries, I don't need to replant these on a regular basis. Only the few annual vegetables that won't come back from seed or roots need to be planted regularly. I have been building diverse raised beds to plant annual vegetation in so that it is easier to reach and maintain, but that is another post.

February 14, 2019

Happy Valentines Day.

This is where we are snow wise on Valentines Day, but it just began to rain. The forecast is for rain and then snow, and more snow ....

At least it has gone down about a foot or so from where it was last week !!

Joel plowed a little walkway last night, there was about 10 inches of fresh snow from last time he plowed. So glad for the tractor and for Joel.

This is our antique grapes arbor with some outdoor furniture inside. That metal arbor should come down this spring and get replaced. We put it up after our wooden arbor was damaged by a contractor that was working here when we had our housefire. I really need to put up a new one.

Looking forward to spring in 34 days, or so, but in the meantime there are a lot of snowstorms in the forecast ahead..

North American wildlife communities

What kind of plant and wildlife community do you live in? The communities in North America are:

Pacific coast forest, Sierra-Cascade forest, Rocky Mountain forest, Pinyon-Juniper woodland, Northern Coniferous forest, Sphagnum Bog, Eastern Mixed forest, Oak-Hickory forest, Southern Appalachian forest, Abandoned field, Southern Pine Forest, Cypress Swamp, California Oak Woodland, Chaparral Country,Sagebrush desert, cactus desert, Great Plains grassland, Tallgrass prairie, Alpine Meadow and Tundra, Arctic Tundra, Lake and Pond, Freshwater Marsh, Swift stream, Slow Moving water, Tidal Marsh, Mangrove Swamp, Pacific sandy shore, Eastern sandy shore, Rocky Pacific Coast and Northeastern coast.

In the area that we live in there are several types of plant and wildlife communities. 

The first would be the Northern Coniferous Forest. We would be on the south edge of this type of community as the glaciers formed the great lakes and Michigan and this community is known by its expanses of evergreen trees.

The wildlife that is found in this type of community is: Beaver, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, mink, grey wolf, lynx, grouse, woodpecker, Jay, chickadee, nuthatch, warblers, crossbill, grosbeaks, junco and sparrows. Plant life would include Tamarack, spruce, fir, etc.

Another area that we are on the edge of would be the Sphagnum Bog. There are several around us.

They occupy glacial depressions. Some animal life in the bogs near here may be flycatchers, jays, wrens, thrush, waxwing, etc. And some plant life would include: spruce, tamarack, cedar, cranberry,

etc.

We are on the western edge of the Eastern Mixed forest region. 

Spruces and conifers begin to mix with broadleaf maples and beeches. 

Wildlife found in these areas would include: squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, foxes, bobcat, hawk, grouse, woodpecker, flycatcher, jay, chickadee, titmouse, thrush, and warblers. Plant life may include:

pines, hemlocks, beech, basswood, maple, witch hazel, mayapple, bloodroot, dutchmans breeches, jack in the pulpit and trillium.

One of the most common communities in our area is the abandoned field. This is an area that had previously been disturbed by logging or farming or some other type of disturbance, and is now beginning to revert back to wild.

The first plants to show up are plants like lambs quarters milkweed, thistles, and nitrogen fixing plants. The soil is damaged and needs to be fed by these opportunistic plants. This is called the old field stage.

Soon shrubs and vines and small trees begin to sprout in the protected areas, being brought in by wind, animals and birds. Generally this land will attempt to go back to the type of community it was before it was damaged. 

Animals that enjoy this type of community are: woodchuck, cottontail, deer, killdeer, bobwhite, dove,lark, mockingbird, bluebird, bobolink, goldfinch, towhee, and sparrows. 

Plants that show up in these areas are: pines, cedar, juniper, birch, aspen, cherry, sumac, brambles, 

queen annes lace, milkweed, mullien, aster, ragweed, black eyed susan, yarrow, and thistles.

We have a large old field to our east on Joel's corner that is part marsh and part old field. It is now being colonized by a group of pine trees and some small shrubs.

Another common Michigan area is the Lake and Pond area. We have put a small pond on our property so we have included some of this community in our grouping.

We occasionally have geese and ducks, we have herons and of course frogs and turtles in the pond, but it also draws the other wildlife to itself for drinking the water.

We have water lilies, pondlilies, willow, pondweeds, and cattails as well as many other pond plants since we have grown this habitat.

We also have some freshwater marsh on the property. We don't access it as much as the more open areas as it is difficult to go into without causing damage.

This area  has animals such as muskrat, raccoon, cranes, snipesm hawks, blackbirds, (as does our pond).

The plants that are often found in these areas are: pondlily, water marigold, mallow, pennywort, speedwell, arrowhead, rushes, bulrushes, reedgrass, sedge, cattails, etc.

It is really quite an interesting study in recognizing what would be growing naturally in your area if it had not been disturbed. Oftentimes the seeds are still in the ground laying dormant trying to grow back if you just allow them to. The top photo shows at a distance the oldfield area where we have pines growing back on their own. They are seeding themselves. The center photo is of the pond we built after our housefire, which we have allowed nature to plant in the most part, however I have also planted some water lilies and some perennials like siberian iris. The woodsy photograph above used to be a horse pasture and grew back into a woods on its own. There is one very ancient aspen tree in the center of our rear woods, you can't get your arms around it if you have two people holding hands, it is huge. Some day I'll post a photo of it on here. It would likely be the mother tree of all of the aspens on this property. If you read about aspens, they grow from underground runners, and generally begin from a mother tree. The one root system can cover many acres. 

We also have alder, wild cherry, ash, maples and oaks growing naturally in this area, and shrubs such as dogwood and brambles. 

Look around you and find out what communities are in your neighborhood.

other trails around the area of pond and gardens

A small trail area between the toolshed and grape arbor. These Helianthus are growing under the west side of a large self seeded apple tree. We have 3 of these on the property. The first one I showed you was in the woods by the old horse barn in the last post. This one by the toolshed is always loaded with very sweet apple. The other is at the North east end of our pond. They grew up on their own and supply us with lots of apples.

These trails are on and around the area behind our house, there is a circular lawn with 3 trails going off of it, two at the south one east and one west, and one at the north to the east, as well as steps going down a hill to the north by the toolshed.

Also there are some trails around an enclosure where we planted baby nut and fruit trees several years ago. We built the enclosure of lattice to protect the trees from browsing deer and rabbits.

We have begun to remove the lattice fence from this area now, but this was taken when the trees were still really small babies. On the far right end of the enclosure we planted 6 hazelnuts, a mulberry and 3 plum trees. Since then they have multiplied and grown really well. The arbors (2) have grapevines growing on them and they are now bearing grapes yearly. The red leaf tree is a canadian cherry tree, and there are 2 sour cherries, 2 hansen sand cherries, asparagus, rhubarb, 3 dwarf apple trees, 2 super dwarf apple trees and babies of  2 standard apple trees. There are 3 baby sweet chestnut trees and raspberries, gooseberries, and lots of perennials also planted in this area. This is south of the walnut trees and the woods.

This is the north (left hand side of photo above) end of the enclosed garden on your right here, and to the left is the woods and the walnut trees. This trail goes all the way around the enclosed garden.

The above photo by the walnuts goes west, this is the same trail going east, on the north side of the pond and south of the telephone pole bench in the previous post.

This is where the above trail turns around the east end of the north part of pond and heads south. The curve of the trail goes under this self seeded apple tree. This is an unusual apple, the fruit turns a rusty golden and is quite soft and very appley. This is on the bank of the pond. The east side of this trail is near a drainage ditch and is planted with jerusalem artichokes as a hedge.
If you follow this trail you come to the island area of the pond and then also to the little japaneses style garden where the swing is on the south east end of the lower pond.

Why do you call it restful trails?

Restful trails in the woods..

Hard to see, but there is a small tree about 2 feet to the right of the "log" in the photograph. That is a Carpathian walnut tree. It is under planted with roses, coreopsis, ornamental grasses, comfrey and sweet william as well as many other perennial plants, mostly to create mulch, habitat and draw in insects. This tree is still a baby and hasn't had any walnuts on it yet, hoping soon. To the left of it are 2 black walnut trees which are also small babies (not in photograph). This is the beginning of our trails north into the woods. 

This is the other side, right, of the same area where the trail begins to go off North into the woods. Where the coreopsis are growing here is another walnut tree, this one is a Butternut, also a baby and really hard to see. You can also see a small woodpile on the left against a tree. There are two trails going to the east from either side of that woodpile, through the woods. One comes back around to a telephone pole bench North of our pond and the other comes out by the east end of the pond where the two Heartnut trees are planted. I also put a few baby black walnuts in the woods but not sure if they grew or not, they were tiny seedlings and I've lost them since I put them in.

This is the same are but from the other direction.

This is where the south trail comes out of the woods by the telephone pole bench (made from two chimney blocks and a piece of old telephone pole). The woodpile is left there for critters to next in. This is one of my morel mushroom areas in the spring.

This is where the North trail that went off by the woodpile comes out of the woods near the East end of the pond, you are looking toward the trail from the pond here. On either side of this trail are 2 heartnut trees (a form of walnuts). Also to the right are jerusalem artichokes and comfrey plants at the edge of the trail. 

This is the North trail from beside the brushpile in photo # 2. Just before you get to the brushpile in the center of the photograph, there is a trail that goes off to the north and one that goes off to the south and meets up with the southern trail. Then this trail also continues on farther through the woods and eventually comes out at the photo just before this one. I also at one time had another two trails that came off of this one farther east, but they were overgrown when I was recovering from surgery. Some day I will re make those trails.

This is farther down the trail north of the carpathian walnut and butternut trees, after the other two trails separated off to the east. This trail goes northwest.

another small trail going east off of the northbound trail, this one comes back around to the brushpile in the picture of the north eastbound trail. Here are more photos of this trail.

I leave standing dead trees for the many varieties of woodpecker and tree dwelling birds and animals that we have on the property. Just like the wood piles and brushpiles, they form habitats.

Here is some wooodpecker work.

This is the corner of an old delapatated horse barn that is in an area that used to be pasture, but is now woods. There is a tiny little clearing in the area east of the old barn shown, and there are some lovely baby maple trees in this area and some dogwoods. North of the old barn is an old apple tree that grew from people throwing apples out to attract deer using the old barn as a deer blind. The old apple needs to be limbed up and have the trees thinned out from around it. We leave the fruit for the wildlife.

This is the old craggy apple tree in the woods. The trail turns off to the east and to the west here, to the west it joins our neighbors trails through their woods and to the right it leads to an ancient aspen tree that is huge, no photos right now.

This is where the trails go east and west from the old barn.

Another view of the old horsebarn in what is now the woods. There is a clearing to the left of this area as well where our neighbors are growing grapevines. I have been plating baby trees and shrubs and perennials along the left side of this area to take advantage of the evening sun. 

All of these trails are wide enough to support a tractor and a riding lawnmower. I try to keep them flat enough to handle handicapped visitors, however some are a bit rough, and probably wouldn't handle a wheelchair. I'm not getting any younger so the maintenance of them flat and even is also for my own safety. 

The bear and deer and other critters use the trails, I'm not sure if any animals are using the brushpiles or old barn as dens or not. Here is a photo of some bear tracks from 2 years ago. We have a lot of bear visitors.

a few more photos from the pond side garden area..

 Here is a closer look at the screen that I was building by the pond side garden, from the inside, before I added the planter and the vines. The center was the salvaged hexagon piece that I picked up somewhere?? And the rest was salvaged posts, 2x4's and salvaged lattice from an old garden enclosure. Below is a view from across the pond while I was working on the pondside garden. The pond is done in two parts a north part and a south part with an island and a bridge in between. The telephone pole bench that you see on the right is on the little island. There is a small footbridge on the other side of the island.

 This shot shows before we added the lattice fencing on the east, the shrub there on the left is some sort of willow shrub I think, not sure it is wild and grew on it's own. I've put mulch around it as it's fairly weedy. But it is kinda pretty so I allowed it to stay, and the birds really love it. It was a fun project. I wasn't able to finish it up as I had injured my right shoulder in the summer of 2017 and then hurt it worse just before Christmas  2017, and I had to have surgery on it in March of 2018. The recovery of the shoulder surgery made it nearly impossible for me to do anything but keep the lawn maintained for the entire following summer (2018).

This photograph is when I was first installing the pavers and setting up the garden beds in the baby garden also. This was before I moved in the swing and the decking and installed the lattice on the east side. The below photograph is a picture of the waterfall without any water in it. We had some pretty severe droughts in the summer of 2017 and 2018 so we unplugged the pump for the waterfall so we didn't waste pond water to evaporation. The plants didn't seem to mind much.