Heavy Rains

Extreme rainfall events, defined by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as what would normally be a month’s worth of rain for a given location falling in a single day, are definitely increasing in our part of the country. The EPA states that as of 2023, nine of the top ten years for the most extreme rainfall events in the contiguous USA have occurred in the last 30 years.  According to NOAA extreme rainfall events happen because hotter air holds more moisture. According to NASA, the ten most recent years are the warmest on record. The warmer the atmosphere, the more water can stay up in the sky as clouds. When a ridge of cool air hits those extra heavy clouds, torrential rainfall descends. So if you think that it’s been raining harder and flooding more often and more seriously in recent years, you are not imagining things!

As the weather has changed, many of us have already experienced water damage and flooding in our yards and homes. Others have escaped serious damage, but noticed water issues where you had none before. At Birch Meadow, the number of requests for help with water issues has increased dramatically in recent years. Below are some thoughts about water and how to manage it as it passes through your property.  

While traditional drainage methods are meant to capture water as it enters your property and send it away as quickly as possible, we would be better served by a different approach. Sending all of the water away from your property means that at the very least it is contributing to flash flooding. It may also now be doing more damage to your neighbor’s property which means that they are likely to respond with another traditional drainage system that sends even more water on to the next person or into the local stream and river system where it contributes even more to flash flooding. You are also missing out on all of that water that is just falling out of the sky for free by sending it away as quickly as you can!

Another way of dealing with excessive rainfall is to recognize water as a precious resource that we may have in abundance at some times and need desperately at other times. Rather than moving water off of your property as quickly as possible, the goal is to slow, spread and sink your water. When done well, you can safely and effortlessly retain more of the water from every rainfall so that your property remains lush and well hydrated for longer periods when rain is less abundant. Any excess water is still able to efficiently drain away so you need not worry that slow spread and sink methods will contribute to flood damage on your property if they are done properly.  

Describing how to use slow, spread and sink methods would take more space than is reasonable for our newsletter, but the basic premise is learning the contours of your land so that you can reroute the water flowing through your property using swales, water catchments, trench or french drains, well placed plantings, rain gardens and/or berms.  

When you use slow, spread and sink methods, you reduce erosion and flooding, replenish groundwater, filter out pollution, improve soil health, reduce heat island effect, build wildlife habitat (especially if you are growing native plants!), reduce pressure on local infrastructure, increase local water security, and reduce property damage. Strategic rainfall oriented landscaping can keep your yard and gardens lush and healthy during dry stretches without you needing to water.

— Mary Beth

FALL PLANT SALE!

Saturday. October 25

9AM — 5PM

Our overstock plants are looking for
a good home before the cold sets in!

Minimum 50% off our installation prices!

Watch for a separate email with more details.

Congratulations Karla!

At the upcoming 2025 Duke Gardens Volunteer Recognition Celebration, BMGC team member and designer, Karla Boyce Awai, will be receiving an award to honor her for her outstanding service.

The award, created in memory of longtime volunteer Margie Watkins, celebrates those who embody the true spirit of volunteerism—bringing energy, enthusiasm, and passion to their work with Duke Gardens.

We feel so much gratitude for the knowledge and energy that  Karla brings to Birch Meadow every day and we are thrilled to see Duke Gardens recognize her for her vibrant contributions to caring for the plant world as well!

PLANT FOCUS: Goldenrods (Solidago spp) & Asters (Symphyotrichum spp)

Solidago or Goldenrod are the bright yellow fronds that we start to see in August that linger with us through the end of October. Some species like Axillary or Blue Stem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) even hang around into November. There are numerous varieties of Goldenrod each with its own special quality. Anise Goldenrod (Solidago odora) smells like licorice. Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) grows to be 4 feet tall with foot long rods of yellow flowers. Rough Leaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) forms yellow cascades of flowers. Some are tall.  Some are short. Some spread rapidly. Some tend to form small clumps that do not spread quickly at all. Some form clumps. Some do well in partial sun. Others do well with absolutely no shade at all. Many can handle heavy clay soil. Some can handle continuously wet areas when there is a lot of rain. All of them are extremely hardy and drought tolerant. Solidago is also a major keystone species providing food and shelter for 102 known species of butterflies and moths and their caterpillars. Birds also depend on the many caterpillars that live on solidago species to feed their babies. Most baby birds must eat a diet of caterpillars! If you love butterflies, moths and/or birds, one or more species of solidago in your garden is a must! According to The National Wildlife Foundation’s Native Plant Finder, the species listed below are all native to our particular region here in the triangle area:

• anisescented goldenrod (Solidago odora var. odora)

• Atlantic goldenrod (Solidago arguta var. caroliniana)

• downy ragged goldenrod (Solidago petiolaris var. petiolaris)

• giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

• gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis var. nemoralis)

• showy goldenrod (Solidago erecta)

• showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa var. speciosa)

• wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa subsp. aspera)

For a beautiful contrast to Solidago species in your yard, try adding some form of Aster (Symphyotricum spp).  Asters come in a range of whites to purples, bloom at the same time as Goldenrod and provide food and homes to an additional 11 species of caterpillar and moth. Their contrasting color isn’t just pleasing to our human eyes, it’s also highly attractive to migrating and overwintering pollinators like monarchs. Put them together and you have magic! In our area of NC the following Asters are native:

• calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. lateriflorum)

• common blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

• eastern silver aster (Symphyotrichum concolor)

• hairy white oldfield aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pilosum)

• largeflower aster (Symphyotrichum grandiflorum)

• purplestem aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum var. puniceum)

• smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve var. concinnum)

• wavyleaf aster (Symphyotrichum undulatum)

– MaryBeth

Book:
Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard - Douglas Tallamy

Tallamy’s book is a welcome breath of fresh air that gives us hope and a sense of control over the fate of our natural systems. It all starts with your own yard. In this short but effective work, we learn how important it is to have vast connected areas full of native plant species in order for life on our planet to survive and thrive. Tallamy teaches us exactly why that is true and what we can do about it. He describes how to figure out the most effective keystone plant species to turn your yard into an ecological powerhouse and shares satisfying stories of people who have done just that and now have rare butterflies and birds that make their yards a home, even in the most urban and unlikely places. The ecological gardening that he describes is effective, satisfying and relatively easy. In addition to the book, which I highly recommend, Tallamy has also started Homegrown National Park, a website that tracks yard locations for folks who want to join the movement, see the impact they are making and feel connected to something larger than just their own yards. The website is loaded with information and advice. I highly recommend paying it a visit!

October To-Do list

October is a great time to start thinking about where you’re going to keep your storage crops, what your to-do list is before the end of the season, and what you can do to make your life easier come spring! 

• Plant garlic, shallots, walking onions, and potato onions.

• Pumpkins, summer squashes, and gourds for storage should be harvested before the first frost. Pumpkins that have begun showing color will continue to ripen after harvest. Use great care not to nick the rind during harvest since this will lead to more rapid deterioration.

• Allow plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never encourage growth with heavy applications of fertilizer or excessive pruning. Plants will delay their dormancy process that has already begun in anticipation of winter in the months ahead. New growth can be injured by an early freeze.

• Leave your leaves whenever and wherever you can to increase the chances of butterflies and lightning bugs returning in spring. Lightning bugs and many species of butterfly winter over in leaf litter.

• When doing fall cleanup, leave at least one foot of old stems and stalks for native bees to complete their life cycles and return in spring. Even better, leave the entire plant so that birds can feast on seed heads and any remaining insects that are still available. If you are afraid of bees, do not worry. The native bees that winter over in plant stems are solitary creatures who do not sting, but are considerably better at pollination than honeybees.  

• Fall is a good time for improving your garden soil. Add manure, compost, and leaves to increase the organic matter content. Wood ashes contain phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. They can be placed on vegetable gardens and flower beds as a top dressing that will feed into the soil all winter. Test your soil acidity before using wood ashes to make sure that it is not already alkaline. Soil testing is free 4/1-11/31 at your local cooperative extension agency.  Just drop by to pick up boxes and instructions.   

• Some perennial flowers and bulbs will start to go dormant this month. Marking their location with a metal marker or drawing out a map of your bed is helpful come spring so you don’t forget where things are.

• Dig, divide, and move daylilies after they have completed their bloom.

• Dig up sweet potatoes and peanuts while the weather is still warm and cure them before storing.

• Keep an eye on the weather and continuously harvest remaining summer produce like beans, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes.

• Save seeds from favorite self-pollinating, non-hybrid flowers such as marigolds by allowing the flower heads to mature. Lay seeds on newspaper and turn them often to dry. Store the dry seeds in glass jars or envelopes in a cool, dry, dark place.

The Night Garden

Shadows gather where dry stems stand,

the garden folding into quickening quiet.

Overhead, moths meander and drift,

drawn to pinpricks of light on a darkened porch.

Crickets’ chirring chatter lays melody

over their myriad movements.

Beetles creep cautiously along damp earth,

while toads and frogs serenade the trickling stream.

In the stillness, the garden takes a breath,

its secrets held in the weighty wonder of night.

• Shannon

Happy Gardening!