Allegheny Brambles:
Backyard Habitats & Seed Catalogs
Mary Hosmer
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
The seed and plant catalog came yesterday. I opened it up to thumb through the offerings, debating in my mind which plants I needed and how much I could afford to spend. Oh, to be rich. Seed and plant catalogs are better than Christmas catalogs for me.
This year I am doing something quite different than previous years. I’ve been learning about backyard habitats and planting native plants. I am determined to make a difference on my piece of God’s Little Acre. Visit the website http://www.nwf.org/backyard. Visit http://paforeststewards.cas.psu.edu, for even more detail about wildlife and good solid forestry practices for your woodlands.
My eyes view the colors red, purple, and pink as pleasing. But, this year, I quickly pass by the pages of burning bush [Euonymus alatus] (red leaves in the fall), butterfly bush [Buddleja sp.] (purple flowers), and Dame’s rocket [Hesperis matronalis](pink flowers). I’ve learned these bushes spread rapidly and outcompete native plants. Backyard habitats are just as important as forests in the large scheme of things. Our native animals need native plants to survive.
I’m going to order some silky dogwood, highbush blueberries (oh, those blueberry pancakes and marmalade), and sweetspire. Silky dogwood gives variety to the landscape because the twigs stay red from fall through the winter into spring. The leaves turn red in the fall and the berries ripen to a deep blue and provide excellent food for migrating birds. Silky dogwood bushes can be planted to create a windbreak or a wildlife border, and to protect streambanks. The native American Menominee tribes smoked the bark of silky dogwoods and called the plants ‘kinnikinnick’.
The leaves of highbush blueberries turn brilliant red in the fall and the blueberries ripen anywhere from late July to early September. Not only are the fruits prized by people, but are also highly sought after by birds such as bluebirds, cardinals, robins, and doves. Small mammals such as mice, chipmunks, rabbits, and fox eat the fruit once the fruit falls from the bush. Legend has it that the native Americans provided blueberries to the first settlers. The blueberries helped the settlers survive the first winter.
Sweetspire is the most brilliant of all shrubs in a fall garden. The reddish-maroon leaves enhance any backyard habitat. The showy white, fragrant flowers bloom in late April to May. A long held assumption in the horticultural world is that settlers favored sweetspire solely because of its beauty.
Here’s a recipe to try when your first highbush blueberries start to bear fruit. Blueberry marmalade is wonderful over toast, pancakes, muffins, and ice cream.
Blueberry Marmalade
1. Peel two (2) limes and one (1) lemon, being careful to take only the colored part of the peel, not the white. Save the juice of the two limes and one lemon.
2. Slice the peel into strips.
3. Boil the peel in water in a small saucepan for 15 minutes and then drain, saving the peel only.
4. Place three (3) cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, three (3) cups of sugar, the juice of the two limes and one lemon, the boiled peel, and ¼ teaspoon of ginger into a large, non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan.
5. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches the jelling stage of 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Ladle into clean sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer’s directions.
Public Affairs
Allegheny National Forest
The seed and plant catalog came yesterday. I opened it up to thumb through the offerings, debating in my mind which plants I needed and how much I could afford to spend. Oh, to be rich. Seed and plant catalogs are better than Christmas catalogs for me.
This year I am doing something quite different than previous years. I’ve been learning about backyard habitats and planting native plants. I am determined to make a difference on my piece of God’s Little Acre. Visit the website http://www.nwf.org/backyard. Visit http://paforeststewards.cas.psu.edu, for even more detail about wildlife and good solid forestry practices for your woodlands.
My eyes view the colors red, purple, and pink as pleasing. But, this year, I quickly pass by the pages of burning bush [Euonymus alatus] (red leaves in the fall), butterfly bush [Buddleja sp.] (purple flowers), and Dame’s rocket [Hesperis matronalis](pink flowers). I’ve learned these bushes spread rapidly and outcompete native plants. Backyard habitats are just as important as forests in the large scheme of things. Our native animals need native plants to survive.
I’m going to order some silky dogwood, highbush blueberries (oh, those blueberry pancakes and marmalade), and sweetspire. Silky dogwood gives variety to the landscape because the twigs stay red from fall through the winter into spring. The leaves turn red in the fall and the berries ripen to a deep blue and provide excellent food for migrating birds. Silky dogwood bushes can be planted to create a windbreak or a wildlife border, and to protect streambanks. The native American Menominee tribes smoked the bark of silky dogwoods and called the plants ‘kinnikinnick’.
The leaves of highbush blueberries turn brilliant red in the fall and the blueberries ripen anywhere from late July to early September. Not only are the fruits prized by people, but are also highly sought after by birds such as bluebirds, cardinals, robins, and doves. Small mammals such as mice, chipmunks, rabbits, and fox eat the fruit once the fruit falls from the bush. Legend has it that the native Americans provided blueberries to the first settlers. The blueberries helped the settlers survive the first winter. Sweetspire is the most brilliant of all shrubs in a fall garden. The reddish-maroon leaves enhance any backyard habitat. The showy white, fragrant flowers bloom in late April to May. A long held assumption in the horticultural world is that settlers favored sweetspire solely because of its beauty.
Here’s a recipe to try when your first highbush blueberries start to bear fruit. Blueberry marmalade is wonderful over toast, pancakes, muffins, and ice cream.
Blueberry Marmalade
1. Peel two (2) limes and one (1) lemon, being careful to take only the colored part of the peel, not the white. Save the juice of the two limes and one lemon.
2. Slice the peel into strips.
3. Boil the peel in water in a small saucepan for 15 minutes and then drain, saving the peel only.
4. Place three (3) cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, three (3) cups of sugar, the juice of the two limes and one lemon, the boiled peel, and ¼ teaspoon of ginger into a large, non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan.
5. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches the jelling stage of 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Ladle into clean sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer’s directions.
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