Native Gardening from the NYT

The Four Ecologically Crucial Things You Should Do in Your Garden by Elizabeth Roach, April 9, 2025.

I commented on this recent NYT article and received very helpful feedback about how to manage tall meadow plants that grow too tall and then fall over because they have no supporting meadow plants around them.

Elizabeth from NYC responded with this:  "It’s not as nature would do it, but try the “Chelsea Chop.” Basically, cut those perennials back when they reach about 6 inches. They’ll both stay short and thicken up.

You can get fancy and do a graduated circle. Cut lower on the outside of a clump, gradually cutting higher toward the inside. You can leave the original rangy growth in the middle. You’ll get a longer bloom time, and the short stalks will hold up the longer ones on the inside."

I have several plantings that I need to try this with:  Ironweed, false sunflower, blazing star come quickly to mind.

The comments section closed before I could thank her. 

A cure for the doldrums

Originally I wrote winter in front of the word doldrums in my blog title, but I removed winter so doldrums stands on its own.  Any doldrums.  Does not have to be winter doldrums.  I've said it many times, Belle Isle is my favorite place in Michigan.  Can that be true?  Of all the places?  I think it is.  Possibly this is because it's so close to home and is an easy getaway for me.  And there are always surprises.  Honestly, I'm not sure I would have had the incentive to revitalize my stagnant birding  without Belle Isle so nearby.  This, plus the fact that multiple quick two to three hour visits this past cold and, relatively, dreary winter got me out and away from my doldrums.  I don't think of myself as a winter doldrums person, but this winter I became acquainted with this side of myself and had to find an answer for this unpleasant state of being.

     

Common Loon (Gavia immer) and six below.

Last Friday, April 4th was a beautiful day and the birds did not disappoint - even prompted me to make my first Wayne County Discord post.  Turning right from the bridge I glanced over the grass to the river and saw close waterfowl that I could not identify from the car.  I have not seen the three species selected for this post in some significant number of years.  And, as the photos mostly reveal, so close.  

A couple of hours later two Common Loons in different plumage were found quite far out beyond the beach bringing the day's count to four.  

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

Female and male with Horned Grebe in foreground.

 

At least twelve counted.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus).  At least twenty were on the river.

The eBird April challenge is the bird and checklist at least 20 times from the same location.  The better to experience how spring migration evolves over April and May.  I considered trying to do this at Belle Isle but it seems highly unlikely that I'll be able to pull it off.

Friday, April 4, 2025 eBird checklist 

Additional findings on Tuesday, 04/08/2025

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).  There were three.

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors).  There were four.

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser). 

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata).  There were six.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)