Armstrong Native Plant Restoration Projects

by Krista MungerWith help from PRLC’s Summer 2014

Intern Team

Ryland B. Graduating senior at John Jay High School, Cross River NY

Nick D. Graduating senior at Fox Lane High School, Bedford NY

Shawn D. Sophomore at Stamford High School Agriscience Program

Chris M. Graduating senior at Fox Lane High School, Bedford NY

Olivia P. Junior at Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY

Kadijah S. Junior at Manhattanville College, Purchase NY

PRLC’s Summer 2014 Intern Team

Armstrong’s Hub: the Working Backyarddemonstrates how we can live lighter on the land by using sustainable practices at home, like growing organic food and landscaping with native plants to feed wildlife.

Native plant gardens for sun and shade

Compost area

Is it ok to collect plants from the wild?

Mayapple - Yes Ladyslipper orchid - NO

Some plants will not survive transplanting because they have fragile roots or are specially adapted to their microenvironment. Start from seed.

We attempt to replicate natural conditions for germinating seed, so we sow in

late fall and store the seed trays outdoors for the winter. In spring, we separate the seedlings into individual containers and head-start them in a

simple homemade greenhouse. We plant in June and October.

Native Plant Seedlings

Fencing is required to protect from deer.

Deer, like all wildlife, relish many of our native plants.Even plants that are considered “deer-resistant” are vulnerable to browsing until they are established.

1. Edge garden ~ 1002. Part sun garden ~ 30 3. Shade garden ~ 375 4. Silky dogwoods ~ 12 5. Windbreak ~ 350 6. Hillside house garden ~ 20 7. Winterberry ~ 100 8. Vernal pool ~ 440 9. Meadow Silky dogwood ~ 58 10. Meadow Willows ~ 36 11. Meadow Berm ~ 78 12. Deer Exclosure ~ 11,800

Total area fenced ~ 13,400

Interns fenced and planted twelve native habitats in 2014:

Sunny Garden Site

Plan for Native Plant Gardenin Sunny Sites

Shade Garden Site

Planted in 2014: Christmas fern, Interrupted fern, Marginal wood fern, Pennsylvania sedge, Broadleaf sedge, Solomon’s Seal, Mayapple, Trillium, Wild Ginger, Tall meadow rue, Wood aster, Wild strawberry.

A Native Plant Garden for Shady Sites with Acid Soils

Looking forward to spring ephemerals in

the Shade Garden

Interns installed a deer-proof fence at the vernal pool to protect native Spicebush and new plantings. They also planted young trees in the green tubes pictured here.

Ryland’s rough map showing what focal plants survived our first planting (June 2014) at the vernal pool. Planting resumed in the fall with the addition of Silky dogwood and Figwort.

Willow Plot in a wet section of the meadow:Willow, Red osier dogwood, Swamp milkweed, Monkey flower,

Ironweed, Joe Pye weed, Woodland sunflower, Pokeweed

This photo was taken at planting time. Updates will be posted in 2015.

Dogwood and Bayberry along the Meadow EdgeWe are working to replace non-native Japanese barberry with a mix of native shrubs along the meadow edge. These plots hold Silky dogwood, Northern bayberry, Joe Pye weed, Wood aster, Early goldenrod, and Woodland sunflower.

In the Armstrong meadow, we planted a Sycamore near a dying Ash tree, as a future perch for birds using the nest box.

Volunteers and interns are crucial to the success of our restoration projects in all phases.

Disturbed soil is rapidly colonized by invasive non-native species like those pictured here. All planted zones, and the areas around them, will be have to be monitored and weeded to prevent their establishment.

Additional native species will be added as they become available in our on-site propagation lab and nursery.

Mile a minute

Stilt grass

Our Work Continues…