Winter's Ebb
Welcome to winter’s ebb. Venus glows as the evening star, Orion rules the night sky, and the Big Dipper balances on end. Squirrels have mated. Deer are shedding their antlers. Road trips have been conspicuous with bright red possumhaws, queues of powerline hawks, and plumes of blackbirds erupting then settling across vacant fields. Can daffodils be far?
Where were you going, lonely dove, whistling and sighing; on that gray foggy morn, when once I saw you flying? “The world grows more wondrous when you pay attention, when you keep track of things and think about what’s happening,” naturalist Jim Conrad wrote in his online newsletter. Look and listen, ask and learn. So I inquired, “Do deer eat persimmons?” My friend replied, “Many a deer fell dead under a persimmon tree.” Gosh, I wondered, is the fruit toxic? Then he grinned. Duh, he’s a hunter!
After the December freeze, a flock of house finches combed dead salvia stalks around my patio, gleaning the abundant seed crop. White-throated sparrows scratched in the leaf litter below. Cardinals, wrens and house sparrows were also persistent patio visitors. Moseying through the yard, I heard a woodpecker hammering on a dead snag while jays fussed in the woodlot. Later I came upon a mockingbird quietly foraging in a yaupon holly, one berry at a time. Other winter residents have included doves, robins, chickadees, bluebirds, thrashers, titmice and wrens. Migrant visitors were juncos, warblers and kinglets. And on New Year’s Day, over a hundred sandhill cranes were observed feeding in a harvested corn field near Transylvania. Neat!
Take time to join in the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 17th – 20th. The annual 4-day event creates a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. It’s free, fun, easy and anyone can participate. Check it out at www.birdsource.org/gbbc.
Landscapes are often overlooked in winter. But as John Beverly Nichols observed, even in the frozen heart of winter a garden can be delightful if you give it half a chance. On January 1st, I surveyed the neighborhood for native and exotic plants providing winter food for wildlife – drupes from dogwood, cherry laurel, holly, coralberry, lantana and chinaberry – waxy fruits from bayberry and tallow – pomesfrom pyracantha, crabapple and pear – airborne seed from asters, dandelion, euonymus, and goldenrod that’ve been allowed to mature – berries from nandina, persimmon and vitex – samaras from tulip-poplar –seed from coneflowers, evening primrose, salvia and native grasses still standing – cones from red cedar and cypress – acorns and pecans. What a banquet! A diversified landscape of trees, hedges, vines, forbs and grasses is habitat to many, an eyesore to those who prefer manicured scenery.
Nature in the South is not bound by winter. January sparkled with sasanquas, coral honeysuckle, pansy and violet blooms. Sweet olive, bush honeysuckle, paper-whites and a buckeye or two were also in leaf and flower. Jessamine, flowering quince, and forsythias sported a few blossoms. Even roses were still blooming! A bit of fall foliage remained on oak and sweet gum trees. Mushrooms and toadstools pushed up through turf and leaf litter. Henbit, shepherd’s purse, sow thistle and dandelion flowers added a touch more color. Then sprouting winter greens, grasses, fleabane, yellowtops and larkspur carpeted the ground underfoot.
Though Christmas was wet, meteorologists continue to forecast a mild and dry winter. With our recent history of summer droughts, we should look for ways to capture and conserve winter rainfall. Increase water-holding capacity of the soil by adding organic matter. Consider applying soil conditioners that fight compaction and increase water infiltration. Slow runoff to allow permeation. Apply mulch to preserve moisture. Install catchments if feasible. Add hardy native plants, and summer irrigation can be reduced.
February is a transitional month. From ice storms to spring blooms. Prune trees and shrubs before sap rises. After soil dries, prepare beds for planting. Lift and divide sleeping perennials. Share surpluses with friends. Remember to maintain your 2012 garden journal. Plan now for a sustainable landscape by Going Native.
A life-long resident of Lake Providence, Larry Brock was inspired by his grandfather’s passion for gardening and his own desire to recover the horticultural uniqueness of this region. Larry is drawn to the relationships between plants, birds, insects and soil and can be found puttering outdoors in his yard most any time, weather permitting.
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