What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 61: blue vervain

 

This little plant seems small and ground-hovering, but will grow tall and spiky next spring/summer. It will be lovely wafting next to the fuchsia bluebird box, I think! Imagine the color combination of purple + fuchsia + the blue and cinnamon of bluebirds! 

More info:

Blue Vervain can offer a strong upright accent to any perennial garden or prairie/savanna.  The small, tubular, blue-violet flowers bloom from the bottom up in July's heat.  The numerous crowning spikes of blossoms give a candelabra-like appearance to this graceful plant.

Livestock will not eat Verbena so it may be thought of as "weedy" by some who observe it in a pasture setting. In a natural prairie it is not aggressive.  In fact, it is a rather short-lived perennial that will not compete well with more aggressive vegetation.  It self-seeds readily and is very easy to germinate, so it is a common component of many drier prairie seed mixes.  The seeds are a staple for many small mammals and birds that depend on this widely-distributed plant.

As the alternative name Swamp Verbena suggests, this Vervain likes wet, even soggy, conditions but also will grow in medium soils.  Full sun to partial sun are its preferred sun conditions. 

Second update on the Big Bay

 The Marquis prescribed for his EPM is on allocation and shipping was delayed, so we started him on a different EPM med called Re-Balance last week. On day three of that, symptoms worsened slightly, but by day four he was back to his improved self. The Marquis arrived yesterday just in time to give his daily dose, so we’ve switched him to the Marquis for 28 days and will finish off the Re-Balance at the end of that, assuming things look good.

Being the generally cooperative guy he is, I usually don’t have to halter Keil to give meds, so he took the Marquis easily, but then didn’t want to stand still for some needed fly spray (we got close to 80 yesterday and the gnats were back in full force!). My husband got his halter and Keil Bay cantered from a standstill around the entire barn and into the other end of the barn aisle, looking quite stable and fit. So I’m feeling relieved about how this is going so far.

I’m tapering him off the Bute now and he’ll go on Duralactin to keep a non-prescription, milder anti-inflammatory on board through the EPM treatment. 

Today he’s starting APF (an adaptogen) in advance of tapering slowly onto Prascend to treat the PPID/Cushings. After consulting with my homeopathic vet, he’ll stay on his two remedies and I’m going to use the Prascend to see if there is improvement overall while also pulling bloodwork each 4-6 weeks to track his ACTH level. We’re in the seasonal rise still so I want to have a snapshot of how his ACTH tracks coming out of it. We should have one more look at it before the Prascend kicks in, and then see where it goes from there. 

ECIRhorse.org has a database of great information about managing horses dealing with this disease, which is quite common in older horses and if left untreated can cause severe symptoms in some. 

Overall, Keil Bay is looking good and while I’m keeping a close eye on him, he seems to be his usual self right now. He has hoof trim tomorrow and chiro on Saturday so those two things will offer some more clues to how he’s doing, and he’ll get another acupuncture treatment next week. 

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 60: Culver’s root

 The wonderful extension agent Debbie Roos taught me that using something tall like Culver’s root is a good accent mixed into a native plant design, so I’ve incorporated this idea into the new pollinator bed. I’m so excited to see how it looks next spring and summer!

More info:

Bruso, George H. 

Veronicastrum virginicum

Veronicastrum virginicum (L.) Farw.

Culver's Root

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family)

Synonym(s): Leptandra virginica, Veronica virginica

USDA Symbol: vevi4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

The unbranched stems of Culver’s-root grow 2-6 ft. tall and are topped by several spikes of densely-clustered, tiny, white flowers. The total effect is candelabra-like. Narrowly oval, dark-green leaves are arranged in whorls around the stem. The common name was to honour Dr. Culver who prescribed the plant as an effective laxative. (Lamb/Rhynard) Dense, narrow, cylindrical, spike-like clusters of small, white, tubular flowers are at the top of an erect stem over whorled leaves. 

The genus name, a combination of Veronica and the suffix astrum (false), describes this plants resemblance to the Veronicas. It is the only species in the genus. It can be grown easily in wildflower gardens. The root contains a powerful emetic and cathartic.

Spotlight on Baloo

 I haven’t spotlighted the farm family lately, so thought I’d weave in a series doing this. Here’s Baloo, our Cardigan Welsh Corgi. He’s a security officer extraordinaire and has gradually become a solid citizen around the equines. Hello, Cody!

He’s a good pal to Clem and Bear, a very loving dog, and a fierce announcer of anything and everything happening around the farm. 

Thanks to my daughter for the photos. She’s now doing pet portraits! Feel free to contact me if you’d like to hire her. :)

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 59: basil bee balm

 This really lovely bee balm is one of the new native species I’ve planted in the new pollinator bed. One of the plants had a few spent blooms left over from earlier in the summer and bees have already found it and foraged it, which means it should be a big hit next year.

More info:

Scientific Name:	Monarda clinopodia
Genus:	Monarda
Species Epithet:	clinopodia
Common Name:	Basil Bergamot, White Bergamot, Basil Beebalm
Plant Type	Herb/Wildflower
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	3-6 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White, Pink
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Dry
Bloom Time:	May, June, July, August, September
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont
Habitat Description:	Mesic, forested slopes (Weakley 2015). Common in NC Mountains, rare in Piedmont.
Leaf Arrangement:	Opposite
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Important for Wildlife
Landscape Value:	Recommended and Available
Plant