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I Knew the Day Was Coming!

7/14/2023

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PictureGrapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth and Dogbane Beetle on Indian hemp (dogbane) plant
Every morning, I peek out the window to check up on all my floral friends before I step out the door. I have to admit the section of road visible from my kitchen isn’t the prettiest sight. It consists primarily of brambles and tall grass covering the bank of a very deep ditch. However, if my small patch is still intact, untouched by machine, the rest of the road will be too, and I can go exploring.

It’s so fascinating to locate ‘new to me’ native plants that sprout along the pathway bordering the road. The roadside is my classroom.

Over the past few months, I’ve discovered plants like Indian hemp, also called Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum). Historically, fibers from the plant’s stem were used by Native Americans to make bow strings, fishing lines, nets, cords, bags, and mats. Environmentally, the plant continues to serve as a primary food source for certain insect species, including two types of hummingbird moths.
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What initially attracted my attention to the ordinary-looking plant were the bright green iridescent Dogbane Beetles (Chrysochus auralus) crawling around the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. As the name implies, these beetles specialize in pollinating plants in the dogbane family.

To think, this beneficial plant with such a rich history grows underneath a speed limit sign, unnoticed by everyone traveling this road, except me.
 
Of course, grass, weeds, and brambles encountered no problems establishing a foothold along the route, yet it took a while for the wildflowers to make their mark on the landscape. But once they became established, the blossoms took off and really brightened up my morning walks.
It surprised me when I realized how several of the volunteers I ‘discovered’ play a key role in supporting native insects. Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (solidago rugosa), and Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) are all on the Xerces Society’s 75 most beneficial pollinator plants in the southeast. How’s that for hidden roadside treasures?!

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Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Sweetpepper Bush, Wrinkleleaf Goldenrood, Ohio Spiderwort
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Well, it finally happened!
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I knew the day was coming - the day the county would mow the shoulders along my road. I just didn’t know when.

A few days ago, the dreaded bush hog made its appearance, and now all my lovely floral friends are gone. A few hours of noisy chopping and mowing transformed my lovely all-natural pollinator paradise into a wasteland of dirt and grass. It broke my heart. The naked bare earth looked so sad and lonely. 


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However, I’m proud of the Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) that stood up to the monster mower. These little flowers were the sole survivors. 

Even though I’m sorry to see these lovely wildflowers disappear, I’m looking forward to seeing the late summer/autumn plants that’ll take their place. Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Bearded Beggarticks (Bidens aristosa), Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius), various species of Goldenrod (Solidago), Bitter sneezeweed (Helenium amarum), and Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum) will take over the task of providing food and shelter for insects, birds, and wildlife.

I already have these late-blooming natives growing in my yard. I gathered seeds last autumn and planted the winter-sown seedlings a few months ago. It’ll be neat to watch my garden transition from summer to autumn wildflowers while their cousins come to life and take over the roadside.
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Nature is amazing. It continues to regenerate regardless of the obstacles put in its way. It astounds me how plants, trees, and shrubs can bounce back after being destroyed. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. There is a limit to the abuse the natural world can withstand before giving up. I’m glad I have the opportunity to witness the magnificent cycle and do what I can to ensure it never ends.
 

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    Greta Burroughs

    Through the Lens of a Nature-Lover

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    No creature, whether it has two, four, six, eight, or no legs, should ever be homeless. Every living being deserves the basics of food, water, and shelter. By planting native plants, trees, and shrubs, I can do something toward providing the food and shelter these creatures need.

    ​It's amazing how plants and insects evolved to interact with each other, and how one could always instinctively rely upon the other for survival.

    That's what Mother Nature intended.

    Unfortunately, humanity's carelessness and greed disrupted her master plan.


    ​I'm on a quest to help restore Nature's balance by collecting seeds from, transplanting, or propagating the indigenous plants I find along the roadsides and fields before they are mown down or poisoned with pesticides.

    Then, if my gardening skills don't fail me, my yard will eventually provide a year-round oasis of native flowers, trees, and shrubs that'll provide the food and shelter insects need to thrive and never be homeless again. 

    Through the Lens of a Nature-Lover will share my journey as I discover, photograph, and rescue the plants and bugs no one else notices.

    Please join me in my quest to end homelessness. Thank you for caring.


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I will read forever because it lets me visit in my mind the worlds that I will never be able to see; it helps me put away the stresses of the day and relax into the rhythm of the story before me; it lets me bring to the surface and experience without regrets those feelings I hide away; it lets me re-experience the thrill of first love through someone else's eyes; it keeps my mind juiced so that it will never desert me; it is always there for me even when there's no one else. I will read forever no matter whether it is print or digital because the words will always call to me. ~ A Sassy Scribbler