Still Spring Garden in mid Autumn
Sandy reports on something special she has been watching:
Yes, we have had a hatching in our garden! Black snakes lay eggs only once every 2-3 years. She deposited her eggs in our mulch pile. Sometimes they also use compost piles or under a log. A female lays 6-24 eggs - our snake laid 8. The eggs take 35-50 days to fully develop and finally hatch. They cut the shell with an egg tooth, a long slice on one side.
These black snakes are passive creatures, shying away from danger and confrontation. If they do feel threatened, they normally freeze to avoid conflict. It is rare to actually see one of these animals; often we see only a shed skin left behind as they grow.
Please don’t be afraid if you should see one of these garden residents when you visit. They are one of our friends.
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), which is interesting year-round, is showing flashy red leaves. Miami mist (Phacelia purshii) has delicate pink flowers. We still have not identified the vine with large purple berries.
Two blackberries should do well in their new location. They were transplanted from the playground. The black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is from Jane's yard and will benefit many pollinators next year. Learn to recognize horsenettle (Solanum carolinense). Although it is closely related to cultivated potato, horsenettle is deadly poisonous if ingested (Horn & Cathcart).
