Spring, 2010 Update

Among the many spring festivals in the city, the Garden itself, as it matures, has become a mini-festival of spring blooms. The participants, in order of appearance, have been Celandine Poppy (April 3), Piedmont Azalea, Virginia Bluebell, Mohawk Viburnum, and Fringed Bleeding Heart (April 6), Thrift and Cross vine (April 16) Amsonia, Cumberland Rosemary and Hawkweed (April 23) and Larkspur and Virginia Sweetspire (May 8).

Highlighted plant for this update is the Celandine Poppy, that small golden miracle for shady garden spots(see photo above left). Its bright yellow flowers appear in early spring and continue intermittently through fall. It grows up to 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide and does best in partial to full shade, where it will tend to naturalize. It is propagated by root ball division and seed. It is attractive to bees and can serve as cover to ground foraging birds. Chipmunks enjoy the seed pods. Its seeds are distributed by ants. It is deer and rabbit resistant. The stems have yellow sap that was commonly used as a dye by Native Americans. Europeans used the plant as a laxative and to remove warts. It native habitat is moist woodlands and along stream banks.

Our featured butterfly is the Spring Azure, an early season species and Georgia resident. Its larval host plants include blueberry and viburnum, as well as clover and vetch.. Larvae secret a liquid “honeydew” which ants savor. Ants protect the larvae so they can continue to feed on the liquid. New Jersey Tea (we have two) serves as a caterpillar host and provides nectar for adult butterflies. Nectar is also obtained from dogwood and milkweed (both in the garden). The earlier an Azure emerges, the darker its colors, The Spring Azure’s natural habitat is open woods and woodland edges. Its also found in swampy areas. For a picture of the Spring Azure see http://rlephoto.com/blue/azure_spring01

The Spring Azure belongs to the family of Gossamer-wing Butterflies. The word Gossamer, by the way, is included in the book The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English, according to the website http://www.alphaDictionary. The word “refers to lightness and sheerness at the very edge of visibility…. as Cole Porter put it in his 1935 song, Just One of those Things: "[It was] Just one of those fabulous flights; A trip to the moon on gossamer wings; Just one of those things." We can assume that sprites and fairies, [as well as the Spring Azure], are equipped with gossamer wings” too.


Two birds become FATG (first at the garden) this spring: a Palm Warbler, seen foraging, and a Pine Warbler, heard by Diane Shellack. The Palm Warbler is a migratory species here. Some winter in GA. It is one of few warbler species to forage on ground. It can be recognized by its rusty crown, yellow throat, and belly with some striping as well as the fact that it bobs its tail while foraging. According to Birds of Georgia by Stan Keliela, this little bird recognizes and destroys cowbird eggs by burying them in bottom of its nest. (Cowbirds are those deadbeat parents who lay their eggs in other birds nests, often leading the other bird to neglect their own children to feed the large and demanding cowbird chick) The Palm Warbler apparently got its name because wintering birds in Florida and the Caribbean spent a lot of time in Palm trees.

Pine Warblers are year round residents in Georgia Their population swells when northern birds come south in winter. The Pine looks a lot like the Palm Warbler but without the rusty crown and with more visible white wingbars. Birds of Georgia notes that it builds nest only in pine forests. It often builds the nest far out on a limb concealed from below by leaves and lined with feathers according to The Birders Handbook.

To view these two birds and hear their calls go to http://allaboutbirds.org

Another first near the garden was reported by Meta Larson who sent us news about two Barred Owl chicks. They were near her home which is off Freedom park about ½ mile from the garden-she also sent her photo of them(see photo above right). Beautiful, huh?

Final birds news: the Eastern Bluebirds have claimed the garden box again. They don’t give up easily. The box had fallen to the ground one day. Phil Edwards was in the process of putting it back up when he found he needed one more screw. He left the bird box hanging upside down while he rushed home to get what he needed. While he was gone one of the bluebirds came and sat on the upside down box, peering into the hole. Phil came back in a short time and finished the job-the next day the birds were bringing nesting material in.

And finally thanks to all our volunteers who helped with weeding the garden recently, Donna Latham, Lauren Sandoval, Diane Shellack and Dorothy Dabbs. Also to Tom Painter for keeping the bird bath full in February and for Robert McLeod for keeping an eye on things. And to the City of Atlanta for carrying away our many yard waste bags!

If you want to volunteer please email cvanderschaaf@bellsouth.net

Vines and Trees and Birds and Butterflies and Bees

Vines and Trees and Butterflies and Birds and Bees

The right combination of trees and vines can lead to lots of birds, butterflies and bees-beelieve or not. We’re developing such a combination over at the Freedom Park Bird and Butterfly Garden, corner of North Ave. and Candler Park Drive. When we decided on the site for the garden it happened to include four large White Oak trees (Quercus alba). Little did we realize how fortuitous this was, not being up to speed on the secret life of trees at the time. Since we’ve learned that the White Oak is a valuable food source for over 28 species of birds, including Blue Jays, American Crows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice and White -breasted Nuthatches, all of which have been seen or heard at the garden. The trees provide a huge benefit to wildlife populations because of their acorns, which are larger and sweeter than other oaks such as the red oak. In fact, including birds, 180 wildlife species prefer these acorns (www.Copeland.udel.edu). The White Oak can live for over 500 years and grows to 100 feet tall and is native to America.

Now, the White Oaks obviously don’t need any help to attract wildlife, but overachievers that we are, we decided to give them some help anyway-and that’s where the vines come in. We’ve gone ahead and planted a native vine by each of three of the trees, and each of these vines attracts birds and butterflies and bees! And here they are:

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) is a host plant for the bright orange Gulf Fritillary, the Variegated Fritillary, and Zebra Butterflies. The size and structure of flowers of this plant is optimized for pollination by hummingbirds, bumble bees and wasps. The vine, with its exotic white and purple flowers can grow to 20 feet.

Climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara ) is an attractive deciduous vine with lace-cap like clusters of large white flowers in midsummer. This plant, too, is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Its also a favorite of deer though we’re not really expecting any. The vine can grow up to 40 feet high.

Crossvine on White Oak
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is native to southeastern North America where it occurs widely in uplands, lowlands, forests, and clearings. The outside of the typical crossvine flower is red to brownish-orange, the inside yellow. It’s a hummingbird favorite, is drought tolerant and will grow to 40 feet.

So take a peek over at the garden, which, by the way, is a joint project of
Atlanta Audubon and the DeKalb Master Gardener Association.

Carol Vanderschaaf
Co-coordinator

Freedom Park Garden Update Spring 2008

June 17, 2008

Mockingbirds overthrown-bluebirds rule! Yes, the mockingbirds have been pushed off of their perch on the bluebird box and the bluebirds have established a nest! And the bluebirds were feeding young this week. The robins also have crowded the mockers off the birdbath. The garden is no longer mockingbird hill-tra la. (Don't mean to insult the mockers-was just afraid that they'd keep all the other birds away from "their" territory).

Now in bloom: Wine cups, Purple Coneflowers, St. John's Wort, Rising Sun Tickweed, Butterfly Weed and Larkspur.

Butterfly garden planting: We planted a special butterfly garden in the third driveway of the garden area on May 10. After we prepared the soil we sowed seeds of butterfly attracting flowers (many of which have since sprouted). Later Phil Edwards, Master Gardener, planted many native butterfly attracting plants: fennel, butterfly weed, bee balm and parsley, among them. Thanks to volunteers Gail Todd, Pandra Williams and Stella Chamberlain for their help.

Bird News: A Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) visited the garden earlier this month. This little bird is a full time resident in this area and is often seen eating seeds under feeders. Its easily identified by its rusty cap and ground foraging habit. Its "chip", from which it gets its name, can also help with identification. Chipping sparrows build their cup shaped nests in trees or vines up to 11 feet off the ground. They can have two broods a year averaging 4 eggs per brood. This bird might be nicknamed the camel bird as it can live on dry seeds without drinking water for up to three weeks. (The Birder's Handbook, Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Simon and Schuster, 1988). Also seen near the garden recently: Red-headed Woodpecker, American Robin, Chimney Swift, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling and that ole Northern Mockingbird. Also the pool is open! The bird bath had some visitors shortly after I put fresh water in the other day-a Tufted Titmouse and two Mourning Doves.

Butterfly news: Butterflies are around in force this month. The Cabbage White (Artogeia rapae) and Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) are frequenting garden areas even as I write. Cabbage Whites are hereby outed as being non-native, having been introduced in Canada in 1860. They've since spread out all over North America. They're those white butterflies (about 1 1/2 inches in size) with one or two white spots on their wings and slightly charcoal wing tips. The Gulf Fritillary, about 2 1/2 inches in size, is a bright orange butterfly with black spots (see picture above) ranging throughout the southern United States. Its favorite nectar plants are phlox and lantana. (National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies, Alfred A. Knopf, 1998) Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) vines are one of as its larval host plants. We've just planted this vine in the garden.

Highlighted Plant: St. John’s Wort (Hypericum frondosum). St. John's wort, a deciduous shrub, is native to the southeastern United States, usually occurring on rocky hills, in limestone glades and barrens. It is drought tolerant. The gray hairstreak butterfly lays its eggs on St. John's wort. Caterpillars eat the foliage. Adult butterflies sip flower nectar. The plant was named for St. John the Baptist because it blooms around the day of his feast. It does best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade and prefers some shade in the hottest climates. It grows to 2-4 ft tall with about the same width. It likes well drained soil. It sports bright yellow flowers late spring to early fall. It can be propagated by cuttings or sowing seeds outside in the fall. We have two St. John's Worts in the garden (but no good pictures of them-sorry). St. John's Wort has been used as a treatment for depression and is also said to help in decreasing alcohol intake.

Workday 6-6-08: Volunteers Bob Sattelmeyer, Cecilia Marrero, Pandra Williams, Dorothy Dabbs and Phil Edwards and I watered and weeded the garden and cleaned the adjoining sidewalk. Also twenty new plant markers were added. Pandra had invited Connie Gray, Ecological Resource Specialist with DeKalb County, to see the garden. Connie gave us some great input.

Thanks, too, to: Janea Boyles for again helping with gray water (Janea, by the way, runs The Mercantile in Candler Park, which uses "sustainable local ingredients" prepared in an "environmentally conscious" way. (See http://www.themercantileatl.com/ for complete information). Also thanks to: Jennifer West who donated some bricks which we used to heighten the wall of the butterfly area and to Robert McLeod who's been watering the garden when he can with his own gray water.

Help, help! We can always use some help with watering and weeding. If you'd like to be signed up for a workday or would be willing to water occasionally, please email me. If you happen to be passing the garden feel free to deadhead the flowers or pull up some crab grass or other weeds. Or if you have an extra gallon of gray water our plants can always use a cool drink (couldn't we all?).

Good links: http://www.ecoaddendum.org/ This is a link to Ecoaddendum, a project to bring native plants back to the Metro Atlanta area, spearheaded by Pandra Williams.

http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/ Thanks to Tom Painter for info about this link-to a guide to native plants of Georgia-most useful. Once you get to the site, type in "B987" ( the publication number) in the appropriate area.

Thanks for your time and good gardening, good birding and good butterflying to all.......Carol