The Garden Menace

Ahh Spring time. The birds are chirping, the weather is warming and plants are blooming - wait why is the forest yellow? My nemesis. That tuber producing, wet soil loving, son of an invasive! The spring ephemeral nobody asked for - Ficaria verna aka lesser celandine. While the little yellow flowers appear charming and innocent, this member of the buttercup family has a real dark side with it's aggressive nature and mat forming tendencies.  

The dense mat of Ficaria verna no longer flowering

Photo from Ohio State Extension. A forest floor of lesser celandine 

Native to Europe and Western Asia, lesser celandine was brought over to the United States in the late 1800's as an ornamental plant. The same old invasive plant origin story - we found a pretty plant abroad that we must have and now we are in trouble. I'm looking at you too Bradford Pear! As with the spring ephemerals we love, lesser celandine will emerge in early spring to take advantage of the sun shining through to the forest floor, then disappear completely by the end of May. Don't be fooled - they are still present underground, getting stronger and plotting for next seasons take over. And oh boy,  do they have various methods for takeover! 

Sweet little buttercup? We wish!

The ephemeral nature for one thing makes this a tricky invasive. I imagine them doing an evil villain laugh as the foliage dies back in May. The disappearance gives us a false sense that order is returning. "I'm not really gone, suckers!" they mock from below. What else does this plant have up it's sleeve? Tubers, bulbils and seed - the reproductive arsenal that lesser celandine utilizes to survive and take over forest floors and gardens. These propagation methods allow lesser celandine to easily spread, survive and form dense mats especially in areas that are wet, disturbed or flooding regularly. Those inconspicuous tubers love a nice flood, easier  for them to spread and create more plants! 

 This poses many problems to our beloved native ephemerals and our own garden beds. Though there are some tough natives peeking through the foliage of the lesser celandine,  you can imagine they could really thrive in abundance if they were not bullied by a domineering weed.

The many tubers one plant produces

Photo by Sue-Ellen de Beer. Jack -in- the- pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) in a sea of lesser celandine 

In your own garden the best way to remove small infestations is to dig it out - every single part of it. My favorite tool is the hori hori garden knife which gets down deep enough and allows me to get the entire plant and all those tubers out, but any sharp shovel will do. Be sure not to shake out the clump as this will loosen the soil and allow those little tubers to fall. Have a bag with you and dispose of the plant into the bag right away. Once you're done removing the lesser celandine, seal your bag and dispose of it in the trash. 

Systemic herbicides like glyphosate are another option if you are okay with the use of chemicals and if digging would be inefficient. If using chemicals in your own garden, be mindful of plants in the vicinity and try to spray early in the season prior to the lesser celandine being in full flower. The process of trying to eradicate this weed can take years and a whole lot of persistence but it is possible to eventually get it under control. 

By now i'm sure many already know of this garden menace but it doesn't hurt to keep spreading the word. This aggressive weed is masquerading as a cute little buttercup but we won't be fooled!  Keep getting the word out there especially to all the non-gardening folks. Happy gardening and digging up those invasives! 

-Julie 

Resources: 

Penn State

Ohio State

Painting Life into the Japanese Garden

    I arrived at Foulkeways in November 2023 to gardens that could use a great deal of tending and an abundance of possibilities.  The Japanese Garden, located along the oak trail by the cherry allée, in particular was an untamed beast that had been neglected. At the request of Fern Denney, I began spending some time in the garden trying to get some sense of order back . While it's still quite a bit of a mess and a continuous work in progress, a fun painting project has brought some beauty back into the garden. 

 The culverts that the garden is built around are very prominent and unsightly. Mike Gornnert, our fearless Grounds leader, came up with the idea of painting them as a way to improve the aesthetics and blend the culverts into the garden better. After reaching out to the Grounds Committee at a meeting, Marie Weaver stepped up and took on the project. 

Before. The culvert on a snowy day 

Before. The culvert on a snowy day 

A Japanese garden is meant to be subtle and tranquil and Marie did an amazing job in respecting that aesthetic. After proposing her ideas and showing us some different renditions, we all agreed the brown background with  two different toned branches looked the best. Alain power washed the culverts to give a clean surface to Marie for painting and on a warm sunny day she painted them, with Debbie Abbott assisting. 

Photo by Mike Gornnert

Marie painting. Photo by Mike Gornnert

The results are beautiful and as plants surrounding the culverts grow in such as the Jasminum nudiflorum (winter jasmine) and various ferns and grasses, the garden will only get better and better. Thank you Marie, Debbie, and Fern and the whole Grounds Committee for showing care for the garden and bringing Mike's creative idea to fruition. 

Photo by Marie Weaver

Photo by Marie Weaver

Work will continue on the Japanese garden but as we've entered Spring, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of plants emerging. The Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) has been blooming for weeks and  Barrenwort's (Epimedium sp.) bright yellow flowers add a lovely pop of color. Solomon's seal (Polygonatum sp.) and Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are awake and filling in all the empty spaces. I was even lucky enough to encounter a little Primula as it briefly bloomed! 

Chaenomeles japonica in full bloom

Primula sp. - possibly Primula veris

Epimedium sp. in bloom next to Hellebores and spring bulbs

This garden has become one of my favorites to work in and on early mornings when the sun just begins to rise, a stop in the garden to admire all the beauty that was hidden is a peaceful way to start the day. It is very evident to me that a lot of thought, love and care went into the garden so I am more than happy to bring that love back to life. 

The Japanese garden early in the morning 

-Julie 

There and Gone Again: An Ephemeral's Tale

  I find myself looking down a lot this time of year. What has popped up, what's blooming? Always something new. Even though I've seen these plants countless times, there are still feelings of anticipation, excitement. Such a brief time they spend blooming and reproducing before disappearing as the trees leaf out. What plants am I talking about?

The emerging foliage of Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Spring ephemerals! 

As I drive along the Oak Trail I move slowly and stop in my tracks. The leaves of Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)! Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) just starting to emerge. Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) coming alive. Suddenly those winter blues are lifting. 

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

It's been just a few weeks and the bluebells are now in full bloom, trilliums finally showing up to the party and the white daisy-like flower of blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis) holds it's head up high,  letting us know it's here.  Around the pet cemetery a sweet patch of spring beauties blooms, a comforting sight. 

Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica)

The ephemerals can teach us a lot about strength and perseverance. They bloom despite the challenges they face- the ivy, vinca, lesser celandine and honeysuckle that threaten to swallow them up. But still, they bloom and offer us peace of mind that Spring is finally here.

A patch of Trillium sp. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

-Julie

Rain, Rain Go Away ?

 

Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells) on the Oak Trail

Welcome to our blog! We are excited to share more about what the Grounds Team is up to around campus.

 It's been a very soggy week and today I'm trying to stay dry by working on updating our planting records and creating this blog! While the rain has put a bit of a damper on some of my projects this week,  I'm sure the trees, emerging plants and seeds are all appreciating a nice big drink as we move into Spring. Soon enough leaves will be unfurling, bees will awaken and all that rain will be worth it! 

These past few days I've been procuring plants for the entrance sign beds and Community Center and as soon as it dries out a bit I'll be planting - look out for updates on that! I'm looking forward to some busier, drier days to get all these plants in the ground but for now I'll appreciate the slowness. 

- Julie