January 2009
Winter Walk Wonderland
Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, NJ
Once again the holiday season has come to an end. The tins of cookies and cartons of eggnog have all been consumed. It’s time to pull out your gardening catalogues, sharpen tools and get organized for spring 2009.
But what about all those cookies and eggnog? Unfortunately, they are probably still sticking to your waist. It’s the inevitable winter weight gain. So why not make the Leonard J. Buck Garden part of your exercise routine? Combat weight gain as you discover the pleasures of winter by taking walks through the Buck Garden.
The number of colorful and floriferous plants able to withstand harsh winters may be minimal, but the winter garden is very appealing. Stunning evergreens, vibrantly colored berries, bare branches with exceptional bark, and wildlife are just a few things that make the winter garden a place of wonder.
In the winter landscape nothing is more prominent than exfoliating and peeling bark. Walk to the area known as Primrose Swamp and you will notice the very ornamental bark of the river birch, Betula nigra, 'Heritage'. The bark exfoliates to a creamy-white to salmon-white on young stems, which eventually darken to a cinnamon-brown as the tree ages. A fast grower reaching 40-70 feet with a 40-60-foot spread, 'Heritage' is heat tolerant, loves wet sites, and is resistant to leaf spot disease and the bronze birch borer. This tree grows wild along the banks of streams and rivers.
American holly,
Ilex opaca, a pyramidal shaped tree with spiny evergreen leaves, also grows in Primrose Swamp. With red berry-like fruits,
I. opaca is also known as the Christmas holly. Its spectacular fruit display appears in October and persists into winter coinciding with the holiday season. Woodpeckers, catbird, mockingbird, and mourning dove are just some of the wildlife that consume the fruits. American holly can grow 20 to 40 feet, but is usually smaller in landscape conditions. It is cold hardy and tolerant to pollution, drought, and moderately wet sites. A nearby male pollinator is necessary for fruit production.
The most noted of winter-flowering woody plants are the witch-hazels, which bloom in the dead of winter. Many winter–flowering plants have evolved for the pollinators which are present at this time of year to ensure fertilization and seed production and, therefore, survival of the species.
Throughout February Hamamelis mollis ‘Pallida’ is in bloom near our Maintenance Building. This vase shaped, deciduous shrub grows to 12 feet tall and wide with ascending branches and clusters of fragrant, showy, pale-yellow flowers. The intense fragrance of this plant lures its pollinators. H. mollis prefers moist but well-drained, loamy, acidic to neutral soil in full sun to partial shade.
Berry plants are good choices for vibrant winter color. Berry palates range from bright red to yellow to pale blue white.
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, a small, mound-shaped, deciduous shrub with shreddy bark on older wood, grows to 4 feet. Its clusters of coral-pink to purple drupes up to 1/4 inch in diameter remain on the plant through winter. Coral-berry forms extensive colonies. When leggy, cut it back to the ground and it will come back bushier and with more berries the next year. Songbirds, ground birds, small mammals, and browsers use this plant for food, cover, and nesting sites. Plant it in part shade to shade with moist to dry soils.
When walking around the garden don’t forget to look for animal tracks in the snow. Animals can be difficult to detect because of their instinctive behavior to avoid humans but their presence can often be determined by their tracks in snow or soft mud. If you see an animal’s tracks in the garden follow its route; examine its tracks and see if you can identify it.
Walking through the Leonard J. Buck Garden will help counteract holiday weight gain as well as improve your health. Remember to pump your arms to increase calorie burn. We hope our garden will become a part of your New Year’s resolution. Good health to all in 2009.
- Tricia Scibilia, interpretive gardener
**All photos by Tricia Scibilia unless credited otherwise
....................
More blooming news
Print this page:
Printer-friendly page
Click Here for Site Map | Privacy Policy | Web site developed by SHiNYMACHiNE web development