Posted: October 26, 2021
Master Gardeners in Clinton County worked with volunteers from the Friends of the Bald Eagle Valley Trail to plant native shrubs and perennials along a section of the hiking and biking trail which runs from Castanea to McElhattan.
Photo credit: Wayne McCollough
BEVT volunteer Wayne McCollough contacted Master Gardener Coordinator Debra Burrows in March and requested assistance with creating beds of native plants around a seating area overlooking Bald Eagle Creek. Plant recommendations, cost estimates, and overall design plans were needed. Burrows assigned the project to a group of apprentice Master Gardeners who had recently completed their basic training and needed to begin gaining experience by applying their knowledge.
Apprentices Amy Strong, Melissa Green, and Jacqueline Miller toured the site and began work on the overall plan in March. They measured the dimensions of the proposed beds, took note of sun exposure and soil conditions, and recommended using sheet composting to clear the beds of existing vegetation. Sheet composting, which does not include the use of herbicides, meant covering the area with cardboard and mulch for a period of approximately six months to smother and compost weeds, which volunteers did.
Over the summer, Master Gardener apprentices undertook the process of choosing suitable native shrubs and perennials. Plants were selected to provide early, mid, and late season sources of food for pollinators while at the same time adding colorful blooms for hikers and bikers to enjoy. The plan featured both natives and native cultivars that would support pollinating insects and included creeping phlox (Phlox subulata 'Emerald Blue') for early season bloom, along with Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Crème Brulee') for mid-season color. Aster oblongifolius 'Raydon's favorite' was selected for its late season show of lavender purple flowers. Shrubs included evergreen Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra 'Strongbox'), which provides nectar for butterflies and bees and Ceanothus americanus, commonly called New Jersey Tea, a Mid-Atlantic native that produces fragrant white flowers in early summer. It is a butterfly favorite, both for its nectar and as a host plant for several species of butterfly larvae.
Amy Strong created a color-coded planting diagram showing where each plant would be located, the distance from other plants, and the number of plants needed. The plan also called for the use of existing rocks and logs to provide structural elements in the planting beds.
Master Gardeners submitted the plan along with a list of recommended shrubs and perennials and a cost estimate to the Friends of the Bald Eagle Valley Trail and upon approval, placed orders with wholesale suppliers in conjunction with their fall plant sale.
Master Gardener Donna Krempasky took charge of caring for the plants and delivered them to the trail on the designated planting day in early October. She and Master Gardeners Kathy Gillen and Lynda Cridge joined BEVT volunteers Dave Yorks, Carol Yorks, Paul Wilson, Wayne McCollough, Dave Calhoun, Matt Croak, and Troy Eagan to plant the beds, which, with plenty of help, took just over two hours. By planting in the fall, volunteers took advantage of cooler temperatures and plentiful rainfall that will help plants develop healthy root systems and become established prior to the spring growing season.
By spring, the new beds, which surround a pair of benches overlooking Bald Eagle Creek, should be ready to grow and flower and be enjoyed by humans and pollinators alike.
