Garden description: In 2019 I decided to replace a boring section of backyard lawn with a hedgerow consisting of mostly native plants that provide resources to support bees, butterflies, and birds throughout the year. The result has been gratifying! Something is blooming in the hedgerow now for the entire season, April through October, attracting multitudes of interesting insects and other creatures. In the fall, lovely berries support migrating birds, while standing perennial stalks help overwintering species. The garden is also designed to be quite symmetric, giving it a certain formality despite profuse growth.
Who are the gardeners: Just me! I am a retired University of Delaware entomology professor, and have always delighted in the natural world.
Why do you garden: My professional interest was insect-plant interactions, and I continue to be fascinated by the huge variety of plants and animals, large and small, that occur even in a relatively developed suburban area. I try to foster their populations by maintaining as much diversity of native plantings as possible in our yard.
How has gardening impacted you during this time: Even though we can’t travel, each day there is something new to see in the garden. I am more appreciative than ever of the wonders of the natural world.
What do you have in your garden? Native shrubs in back are viburnums, winterberry, red-twig dogwood, summersweet clethra, buttonbush, and fothergilla. Tall perennials in the center include purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, Joe Pye weed, agastache, blazing star, and feather reed grass. Shorter perennials in front are moss phlox, blue star amsonia, and aromatic aster.
Do you have any problems with disease or pests? If so, how are you dealing with this problem? No insect or disease problems so far. The first year I had to pull out thousands of maple seedlings. This year only hundreds, so as the hedgerow fills in the danger of it becoming a maple grove continues to decline!
