Memorial Garden in October
Sandy, Jane, and Mary put more native plants in the ground. Thank you, Jane, for the donation of fernleaf yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) and wild ginger (Asarum canadense).
Sandy freshened the bird bath for the garden’s feathered visitors.
The flowers of wild ginger lie on the ground and are pollinated by crawling insects. Native Americans used the rhizomes to flavor meat and fish dishes and to make a tea for relieving many ailments, according to Horn and Cathcart.
Two new additions are butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). In addition to providing nectar, butterfly weed contains a cardiac glycoside that passes from the Monarch caterpillar into the butterfly and subsequently to any bird that eats the butterfly. The bird will suffer nausea and vomiting and learn to be cautious about eating another Monarch! In exchange, the butterfly pollinates the plant, ensuring its survival (Horn and Cathcart, Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians).
Look for more interesting facts about yarrow and our birds in future newsletters. In the meantime, visit the garden to see how it is changing as the daylight decreases and the temperatures cool.
Beautiful purples and reds brighten the fall foliage.
Here the light catches the brass plates freshly polished by Sandy.
