What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 91: blackhaw

 Viburnum prunifolium is a wonderful native shrub that offers many wildlife and pollinator benefits as well as erosion control and fall color. 

I’m in the process of adding three species of viburnum staggered along our front fencing, between the southern bayberries already thriving there. My goal is to created a mixed native hedge that supports wildlife, offers screening, and enhances the beautiful view from our front porch. 

By staggering three species I’ll broaden the wildlife and insect support while getting a consistent visual look across the length of the hedge, especially during bloom times. 

For the horses, it offers a layer of privacy and some sound protection from passing cars and people. 

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 90: marsh rattlesnake master

 I’ve loved another native species of rattlesnake master since the year I added it to my very first native pollinator bed. It has done beautifully there and is one of my favorite plants. 

This marsh species is beautiful to me because I love the lavender color of the flowers and I’ve added it to a new bed in the barnyard. It’s not the ideal marshy setting this plant loves, but often enough, natives can do well in less than ideal conditions. I’ve planted five and will keep them well watered to see if they can take off where I’ve put them. 

I’m going to have some new plants to track this spring - stay tuned for updates. 

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 89: poke milkweed

 Asclepias exaltata is a beautiful and not easy to find species of milkweed that does well in part shade and has a wonderful nodding quality to it thanks to the flowers dangling on stems. When I looked for rarer natives to honor Keil Bay and Salina in their partly shady resting place I discovered this and actually found it in a nursery about an hour away. 

I’ve planted these and am so eager to see them come up this spring. 

What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 88: Sweetleaf, aka Horse Sugar

 Symplocos tinctoria is a native to NC (and other states, check yours to be sure) semi-evergreen shrub that does well in part shade, has leaves that taste sweet, hence the common names, and has lovely flowers that offer forage for pollinators. It’s also the host plant for King’s hairstreak butterflies. 

This is one of the plants I chose and have planted on Keil Bay’s and Salina’s gravesites. I’m excited to see it grow and to know that both my dear equine friends will appreciate the sweet leaves of this lovely plant. 

Salina famously stole sunflowers from my garden and ran with them, and Keil was also famously known for his love of honeysuckle. It makes me happy to see this growing in the place both have been laid to rest here on the farm. 

My Substack is live: please join me there!

 https://open.substack.com/pub/billiehinton/p/remedy-for-an-excited-amygdala?r=8c9fy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true