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NUMBER 5 - WINTER 2009
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In The Issue
American Holly
Planting Christmas Rose
Facts About Soil Erosion
Project Spotlight: Harleysville, PA
Why Leaves Change - The Color of Nature
A Green Gift for the Holidays
American Holly: The History & Habitat Behind this Holiday Favorite
When the Pilgrims landed the week before Christmas in 1620 on the coast of what is now Massachusetts, the evergreen, prickly leaves and red berries of American holly (Ilex opaca) reminded them of the English holly (Ilex aquifolium), a symbol of Christmas for centuries in England and Europe (13,26). Since then American holly, also called white holly or Christmas holly, has been one of the most valuable and popular trees in the Eastern United States for its foliage and berries, used for Christmas decorations, and for ornamental plantings.
Habitat & Native Range
From the maritime forests of Massachusetts, holly is scattered along the coast to Delaware. It grows inland into several Pennsylvania counties and abundantly southward throughout the coastal plain, Piedmont, and Appalachian system. The range extends south to mid-peninsular Florida, west to eastern Texas and southeastern Missouri. It corresponds roughly to the combined ranges for loblolly and shortleaf pines.
The greatest damage to holly trees is indiscriminate harvesting of foliage with berries for Christmas decorating. Before laws were passed in Maryland and Delaware to protect the holly, there was a "roadside" market for holly vandalized from trees that did not belong to harvesters. Trees were left mutilated and many died. Although nearly 30 species of insects are known to attack holly, only a few are serious pests.
Birds are the principal consumers of the fruit, although deer, squirrels, and other small mammals also eat them. Cattle sometimes browse the foliage. At least 18 species of birds including songbirds, mourning doves, wild turkeys, and the bobwhite are known to eat the fruit. Perhaps the most important in seed dispersal, however, are the large winter-migrating flocks of small birds such as the cedar waxwing and American goldfinch. The complete stripping of all berries from a 10.7 meter (35 ft) tall holly in a few seconds by a flock of cedar waxwings has been observed.
Despite the presence of saponins in the leaves and berries, American holly is not considered poisonous to man or animals. Although not as well known as gallberry (Ilex glabra) as a honey plant, its nectar makes excellent honey.
Article Source
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Planting and Caring for Your Christmas Rose
Helleborus niger
The Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) is one of the easier and most rewarding garden plants to grow, Their ability to bloom in the darkest months of the year when everything else is frozen solid make them a valuable asset to any garden. A Christmas Rose will produce flowers from late fall up until early spring.
Planting your Christmas Rose
These evergreen perennials grow 12 to 15 inches tall and have shiny, dark green leathery leaves. Each flower stalk bears a single 2 to 4 inch white bloom (sometimes tinged with pink). Although these plants from southern Europe and Asia are durable and easy to grow, a few steps must be taken to ensure that these plants will flourish. Unfortunately, the roots of the Christmas Rose are poisonous.
Christmas roses are hardy in Zones 4-8. They should be planted in partial shade or preferably under deciduous trees, which allows them to receive sunlight in winter. Be sure to provide some protection from strong winter winds! They require deep, fertile, well draining but moist soil. The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline.
Set the plants about 12-15 inches apart into the garden in early spring. The soil should be generously enriched with peat moss, leaf mold, or compost before planting. Christmas roses have a deep growing root system, so the roots should be planted downward, rather than spread out below the soil surface, and the crown of the plant (the point where the stem and roots intersect) should be an inch below the soil surface. Apply a one inch layer of mulch around the plant. Every spring remove old, tattered foliage and feed the plants with a balanced (10-10-10) water soluble fertilizer.
According to legend, a young shepherdess named Madelon was tending her sheep one cold and wintry night. As she watched over them, a group of wise men and other shepherds passed by, bearing gifts for the newly born Jesus. Madelon wept, because she had no gifts to bring the Newborn King, not even a simple flower ... An angel, upon hearing her weeping, appeared and brushed away the snow to reveal a most beautiful white flower tipped with pink - the Christmas Rose. |
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Did You Know ...
One rainstorm can wash away 1 millimeter of dirt. Sounds small? This is equivalent to 5.2 tons of topsoil on one acre of land.
The EPA estimates that between 20 and 150 tons of soil per acre is lost every year to storm water runoff from construction sites.
If all U.S. home construction sites protected topsoil from erosion, it would keep 80 million tons of topsoil from washing into our waterways.
Within this eroded soil are fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate our streams and lakes.
E.G. Rall Landscape provides storm water management solutions. We install rain gardens and landscapes that reduce erosion. Part of the solution could be sustainable and eco-friendly rain barrels, see below. |
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Why Leaves Change - The Color of Nature
Often nature is regarded as synonymous with green. The green color comes from the molecule called chlorophyll. This molecule is essential for photosynthesis - a process whereby carbon dioxide and water become oxygen and carbohydrates with the help of the sun. Each breath we take is dependent on this oxygen producing process in leaves, needles, herbs and grasses.
Falling temperature and fewer hours of daylight tell the trees that winter is coming. It is time to withdraw the chlorophyll from the leaves and store it for spring's fresh foliage. When the green is gone the yellow background color of the leaves appears. The red color on the other hand is produced by the tree exclusively during the autumn and there is no clear understanding of why. Maybe the purpose is to scare damaging insects away. The brown leaves that fall to the ground seems to be dead but contain necessary nutrients for springtime greenery. |
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A Green Holiday Gift Idea
We have rain barrels in terra cotta (50 gal.) and black (60 gal.)
Delivery and/or installation available.
Plastic Barrel Products
All of our plastic barrels are made from re-cycled food grade barrels. These plastic barrels come into this country from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and India, and have traveled many thousands of miles. Even though we have thoroughly cleaned them inside and out, and applied several coats of a UV polish, they may still have some scratches and scrapes. This should be considered as part of the "character" of the recycled barrels.
Our barrels have a screw on top with one inch holes, screen mesh to keep out debris and mosquitoes, three top overflow male hose connections with caps, a nylon spigot, and a bottom drain plug. The overflow fittings allow excess water to be diverted into a second barrel (or third, or fourth etc.), or by attaching hoses, excess water can be diverted to remote areas such as a garden or flower beds.
The nylon spigot is shipped inside the barrel and will need to be screwed into the pre-installed plastic fitting by the customer. The spigot should only be installed finger tight. The nylon spigot can be interchanged with the bottom drain plug if desired.
Cost $115.00 plus tax.
Installation and or delivery. $40.00/hr.
PVC downspout adapters $10.00 plus tax |
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