The resiliency of the prairie plant community never ceases to impress me. Take the right of way nearby that was re-engineered last March by way of a giant track-hoe machine, leaving a deep layer of recycled asphalt in which to establish a guerilla garden. In the dark of night I snuck in a inoculated the one acre site with a seed mix of local prairie germplasm, sprinkling liberally from one end to the other. This approach based on James Hitchmough’s work (not the guerilla part) and the fact that prairie grows stupendously in Tennessee glades where gravel, rock and boulders provide a basis for rough-neck red-neck flora.

Rudbeckia grandiflora, a premiere Coastal Prairie and Pineland species established by the hundreds across the gravel surface. I tried with a pocket knife, then a shovel and then a six foot steel pry bar to penetrate the gravel to see just how deep it was but to no avail. Supertough plants, for sure.

Lots of Indian grass, Little Bluestem, Elliot’s Bluestem and Split Beard Blue has colonized and dominated much of the seeded site. I couldn’t have asked for more.

enough said…..

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initiating nurturing prairie fires

the Green Garden, Folsom, La, February 3, 2019

Allen Acres, Vernon Parish, February 10, 2019

Burn at Almost Eden Nursery, Feb 10, 2019 Vernon Parish, La

Deana Launey was there at Dr. Vidrine’s prairie burn to capture the St. Landry Parish firemen putting out the fire – and the fun, in a selfie. It just aint right, ya’ll.  What were they thinking?    :))))

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at the seed farm in Mississippi where prairie reigns. Shared the gardens for the first time with Steve and Jake, the Cajun prairie dogs. New Machine of Kotteman Forestry broken in on one of the woody encroached areas – worked out beautifully.

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Tres amigos! My brother Paul Pastorek spoke on Iris nelsonii conservation and Dr. Allen spoke on “a few my favorite plants” at the Louisiana Native Plant Society meeting in February. Stirring it up…

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Iris virginica, a plant I gave Dr. Vidrine a piece of many years ago. Its a pink form that comes true to pink from seed, originally given to me via Lynn Libous-Bailey of Leyland, Mississippi a hundred years ago….

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new book thanks to Dr. Vidrine and the other heavy-weight lifters.

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photos for program “converting a Bahia grass pasture to native prairie” at the Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Louisiana Tech, Ruston, La March 8 and 9, 2019 – go microprairies!!!!

sustainable landscape design pptfinal

Dr. Malcolm Vidrine has been busy writing books, ones to add to your reading wish list. The first one I will mention is titled The Cajun Prairie Restoration Project in Eunice, Louisiana: 30 Years of Volunteerism, which of course focuses on the story of the Cajun Prairie Society’s establishment of the Eunice prairie.  The latest book, completed and printed just before Christmas is a wonderful story of his family’s prairie gardens located just outside of Eunice. It was written by both Dr. Vidrine and his wife Gail, and is called The Cajun Prairie Gardens.

Dr. Vidrine is a trailblazing biologist who worked in partnership with Dr. Charles Allen to develop the ideas of researching and experimenting with restoring the Louisiana coastal prairie ecosystem. Get the books but more importantly, go see the Garden if you haven’t lately. It is worth seeing anytime of the year and is without a doubt one of the most interesting and beautiful gardens in Louisiana. If you see it first-hand, you’ll understand how I can make this bold claim!

I hope you enjoy reading these, as I did – and sharing the news with those who might be interested.

Have a great day!

Marc

In the early to mid 1990’s I came across a garden bulb that I introduced to my home garden in Pearl River County, Mississippi. Not long after, Scott Ogden, author of Bulbs of the South identified it as “possibly a hybrid of either or Crinum powelli or C. moorei”.

The genus Crinum provides us with many species, some are really classy plants some not as much, but all are generally great garden plants taking little or no care.

Crinum powelli/ moorei is one that is hard to beat. It is by far one of my favorite Crinums, having characteristics unlike any other that I have grown or seen. It takes dry or wet, shade or sun, even takes standing water, so marginally aquatic – similar in adaptability to our native species Crinum americanum. Basically this is a bulletproof plant.

I have seen variations of this plant but always it has a bit of pink in the flower. Powelli is clear milk white. Also, I know of no Crinum that has such perfect leaf character – dark green three to four foot strappy leaves absent of crimps, always pretty.

I have shared the plant and planted it in gardens over the years. I took a few bulbs of it with me when I moved to Covington ten years ago and have been actively propagating it since. I have a produced a limited number of bulbs, enough to share via mail order sales this year.

Crinum powelli/ moorei hybrid does not produce seed here in south Louisiana/ Mississippi.

Bulbs are very healthy and large. They sell for $32.00 per bulb or 3 for $75.00. add $10.00 for shipping and handling. All proceeds go to the 501c3 non profit Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society for their prairie management and maintenance fund. Send check to CPHPS c/o Marc Pastorek 72322 Ingram St., Covington, La 70435

————Crinum powelli in a marsh garden habitat in August, in full shade————–

————————-the flower bud of Crinum x powelli in June—————————

————————goblet shaped flowers of Powell’s hybrid Crinum————————

Powell’s Crinum in full sun in marginal aquatic condition with native Cow Water Lily and Iris

a close-up of the leaves of powelli, with a Spanish moth caterpillar, commonly called the Convict caterpillar (identified by Linda Auld), a lily family species, a host for the moth. In 25 years I’ve not seen damage to speak of from this caterpillar – or any other insect.

—————————–a two year old bulb, in full shade, above—————————

Marc’s presentations on gardening with wild things, for 2019

March 9, 2019 – Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana – Sustainable Ag Conference – Grassland Gardens, Healing the Earth

May 9, 2019 – Steven F. Austin University, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Les Reeves Lecture Series – Entertainment via Seed

June 1, 2019 – New Orleans Botanical Garden, New Orleans, Louisiana – The Best Natives for New Orleans Gardens

September 21, 2019 – New Orleans Botanical Garden, New Orleans, Louisiana – Collecting Seed from Louisiana Native Plants

October 14, 2019 – International Plant Propagators Society Southern Region Conference – Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Botanical Landscapes by way of Seed

When your poor dismal garden in October is as it was in July – and is as it was in April and in January – it hasn’t changed much through the year and you’ve worked hard to keep it that way – you probably need to brighten up your life with some asters and grasses.

When the first October breezy cool-snap cool front interrupts our absurdly long southern summer, it happens to coincide with the most magical time in the grassland landscape, the climactic crescendo of fall. The idea of establishing native grass gardens that have lots of wildflower species can be highly entertaining and enlightening. If you’re designing a garden for year round enjoyment you use multiple species and lots of seed grown native grasses and grass-like plants.

Grow wetland meadows and upland meadows and surround them and bisect them with fine textured lawn paths and open spaces of lawn and other for human circulation and enlightening enjoyment, outdoor entertainment. Composites flowers attract uncommon insects – and humans.

Asters make it fun! Roughleaf Goldenrod and Bluestem grass, Swamp Sunflower and Guara, all from seed, on exhibit at the Oswalt Nature Trail in Wesson, Mississippi, October 10, 2018.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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Cajun prairie Restoration site focus

“The goals of this garden include not only representing a historical view of the prairie but also creating habitat for birds, butterflies and bees. I would like it to be a grassland in which you can view it across the site from one corner to another no matter what direction–a sea of grass intermixed with a variety…of wildflowers.”

Malcolm F Vidrine, 2018

flight over Cajun Prairie Restoration Project site on an early August morning, flying over compass plants, giants stands of Cacalia, and sugarcane plumegrass, Brown seed Paspalum patch, etc, via youtube below. nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw73CJfw9Lw

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floriferous Covington interpretive Park is open to all to enjoy and study

Swamp Sunflower at the Blue Swamp Creek Nature Trail bioretention basin, Covington, L

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common composite Aster praealtus dresses as mild mannered aster but does really wonderful things!!!!

the spectacularly prolific Aster praealtus, Willow Leaf Aster, a cut above the rest

Aster praealtus, Bushy Bluestem grass, Canada Goldenrod, Evergreen Goldenrod, Little Bluestem grass, Broomsedge Bluestem grass in John and Evette Rosen’s hay field, Carriere, Mississippi

From 400 feet up over the hay field, common purpley pleasant Aster praealtus is really a striking visual to behold.                  photos by Marc Pastorek

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  photos of Asters at the Covington NatureTrail, Covington, La October 20, 2018

visit often, a flowery event every day at the Park!

above, Eupatorium hyssopifolium, left, and golden yellow Euthamia, right

aster Bigelowia nuttallii, Nuttall’s Rayless Goldenrod and white Aster dumosa/laterifolia (Covington Nature Trail) – and

one of a fading few new first-year-flowering aster Liatris squarrulosas I found at the Park in the breezy cool fall weather.

on the left, above, in the bio-basin is a large colony of Horned Beaksedge, Rhynchospora corniculata. A midslope area of Bog species and a dry slope to the right (west) side of the bio-basin that has been planted with seed  that my partner Jim McGee and I harvested from rolling hills of the botanically rich areas  at The Sandy Hollow Wildlife Management Area State Park in November of 2016. http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma/2764

the whiteness of Aster divaricum or pilosum (above, and below) millions of Aster flowers.

Coreopsis linifolia, with grassyness below

silverfoliaged Golden Aster, Chrysopsis

There are many yearling non-aster Lobelia puberula in the biobasin and possibly brevifolia and, above, the blue corolla Lobelia floridanum.

                                         Quite a show at the BioBasin!

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at the western edge of the distribution of Gaillardia aestivalis is…

….the highly variable, in color and form, aster Winkler’s Gaillardia, 20 year old plants in my Farm field in Mississippi.

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                           Covington garden asters Blue Mist, Eup Coel

              Mikania Climbing Hempvine is fragrant, atttractive and a host plant to pollinators

                                                   Hempvine honeybee

enjoying the flowers, the flowering parts of an inflorescence of Yellow Indian grass this week

Aster corolina, climbing Aster, blooms with the arrival of Monarch migration, along with Aster Praealtus

Dragon flies eats pollinator, uses Monflower as dining table! Ipomoea pandurata, Wild Sweet Potatoe Vine adds beauty to the garden in day, and light to the garden at night.

http://blog.emergencyoutdoors.com/edible-wild-plants-wild-potato-vine-ipomoea-pandurata/

had fun with growing seed Dr Allen gave me of Gomphrena this summer, I grew it with Cramer’s Amazon Celosia puncuated with Purple Majesty Salvia

what a blast to see so many Long tail Skippers using so many plants Gomphrena left and Celosia right. So many plantsand so many butterflies with so little work.

Monarch butterflies in my Cramers Celosia after the rain, just went outside and counted five, today is October 25, the best week of the year for Monarchs. Get outside.

a species of Spiral Ochid in my backyard from a trip to the Black Belt prairie region some years ago. Growing like a champ in my back yard gardens.

The long awned seed of Elliot’s Indian grass harvested from the garden today, seed originally collected from Washington Parish, Louisiana, from the Pine herbaceous understory vegetation there at LSU’s Lee Memorial Forest in Midway, Louisiana

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Made the cut into the new Grasslands of the Southeast Biodiversity, Ecology, and Management book

A big thank you to Malcolm Vidrine, Charles Allen, Bruno Borsari, and Gail Barton for the pleasure of doing this written project with you. I couldn’t have done this without their assistance and persistence.

Here is Dr. Charles Allen and Stacey Huskins’ general map of the prairies of Louisiana which did not make it into the Chapter Dr. Allen wrote. I’ve been waiting for this book and especially this map for the six long years it took to finally see the book in print.

Prairies of Louisiana, Charles Allen and Stacy Huskins, 2012

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Bushy Bluestem Tomb Prairie in New Orleans, Lafayette Cemetary 1, Oct 2018, Bushy Bluestem grass and associates find cracks in which to reside. A grave garden, right next my family tomb, the Schlogel Tomb. Stranger things have happened….

I hope you have a fantastic fall. Its always prettier outside…..

Sunflowers are funflowers!

Cajun Prairie Restoration Field day to be held, September 8, 2018

Butterfly candy, Liatris pycnostachya, Kansas Blazingstar, in flower, at Duralde, August 29, 2018.

wirey foliage and inflorescence of Slender Bluestem carpets the ground at the Lacasinne National Wildlife Refuge’s Duralde, Louisiana prairie Restoration. est. 1996

unique foliage of Compass Plant, a rare Louisiana composite species

Compass Plant with its staggered flowering expression

Bumble Bees, excited to be alive and on Compass Plant flowers

a blue foliaged, robust clump of Indian Grass stands out amongst the green tapestry in the Duralde Restoration Project site (center, above)

September 8, 2018 is the date set for the annual summer prairie extravaganza, in Eunice Louisiana, the home site for the Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society. Prairie enthusiasts and activists, along with anyone interested in knowing more about native wildflowers and their important associates, grasses, can and should come to Eunice that day to learn about the wonder of grassland dynamics and the inherent beauty of the plants associated with this biome. The field event occurs in the morning, followed by a lunch and lecture, at Rocky’s Cajun Restaurant in Eunice.

Be there, or be square!

For more information go to http://www.cajunprairie.org

new book, just available, on volunteerism in the Cajun Prairie Society by Society Co-founder, Malcolm F. Vidrine. You can preview the entire book at this site link, below.

http://www.blurb.com/b/8916677-the-cajun-prairie-restoration-project-in-eunice-lo

have a great day, and hope to see you all next Saturday!

Marc G. Pastorek

Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses have joints when the cops aren’t around!

Charles M. Allen   –   Botanist, author of Grasses of Louisiana

Hot Plants

One of the distinguishing elements of southern Tallgrass prairies, and especially Gulf coastal prairies and Gulf coastal Pine forests is the number of non-forb, non-grass species. The closer you get to the coast, coming from the north, the more species you encounter. The list of the different genus and species is long and varied. Some are good for horticultural use, some are not. Some are super-fantastic plants.

Sedges are grass-like plants that have opposite dormancy expression in the landscape, compared to native grasses. Grasses are green and actively grow in summer with a dormant season in winter while Sedges and their closely related genus Cyperus have a growing season (generally) in the winter and go dormant in the heat of summer (much like a Louisiana Iris does).

A few Sedges have a particularly brief dormancy period  – or non at all – and so are evergreen.

In many parts of the country, Sedges have become mainstream garden components. Carex pennsyvanica is extremely popular in its distribution range. It grows only a few inches tall and is a colonizer – a good evergreen ground cover –  a lawn substitute capable of withstanding a shady condition. Many of our coastal species are northern distribution as well.

One of the first public gardens to focus on the use of this idea regionally in a large public garden is Reed-Hilderbrand, a landscape architectural firm based in Cambridge, Mass. and New Haven Conn., chosen to design the addition to the new addition to the Sculpture Gardens at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

http://www.reedhilderbrand.com/

Reed-Hilderbrand reached out to Pastorek Habitats to assist with the design development stage of the process. We’ve worked with them in the past developing planting plans for Repentance Park in Baton Rouge and the LSU College of Art and Design’s Hilltop Arboretum prairie exhibits.

Our latest collaboration began in February of 2017, the New Orleans Museum of Art  Sculpture Garden.

Situated around a man made lake, the gardens will blanket the ground with drifts of contrasting foliage and textures so the focus of the eye is on the sculptures.

The New Orleans Sculpture Gardens construction project fully underway – due for completion in April of 2019.

Sedges have crimped leaves, which makes up the “edge”.

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Marc Pastorek, a contributor to University of Alabama Press,  Southeastern Grasslands book!

Southeastern Grasslands: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Management: JoVonn G. Hill Ph.D., John A. Barone Ph.D., Charles Allen, Brent T. Baker, Gail Barton, Patrick J. Bohlen, Elizabeth H. Boughton, Bruno Borsari, Edwin L. Bridges, Nicholas Brown, L. Wes Burger Jr., J. J. N. Campbell, Jolie Goldenetz Dollar, S. Lee Echols, Edward David Entsminger, Thomas L. Foti, Toby Gray, John W. Guyton III, Raymond B. Iglay, Jeanne C. Jones, Lisa McInnis Ph.D., Reed F. Noss Ph.D., Steve L. Orzell, Marc G. Pastorek, Evan Peacock, Samuel K. Riffell, Jennifer L. Seltzer, W.R. Seymour Jr., Timothy J. Schauwecker, Jason R. Singhurst, Reggie E. Thackston, James W. Tomberlin, J. Morgan Varner, Malcolm F. Vidrine, Matt White, C. Theo Witsell, Wendy B. Zomlefer

the garden out front, Covington, August 11,2018

M.Pastorek, August 2018

in foreground, two of my favorite sedge species, just cut back, and cucumber tripods and gomphrena from seed. Sedges have edges  :))

I may be the biggest fan of tropical Salvias, this one is one of my all-time faves, Salvia Purple Magesty. Blooms is ever-loving heart out every year without fail, and hardy north of Lake Ponchartrain which is saying a lot!

grow cucmbers from April to first frost here with about five crops each year using three pieces of cut bamboo canes tied together. delish!

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don’t forget the natives! Plant-driven gardens!

two species of trees that attract and are host plants for Swallowtail Butterflies…

the coarsely-armored trunk of Toothache tree, Zanthoxylum (left) and Wafer Ashtree, Ptelia trifoliata both native Citrus (Kerry Stewart Garden)

Pam Puyear’s Pink Turks Cap (Almost Eden Gardens Nursery in Louisiana) a Hummingbird plant that delights humans, too

The fruit of Paw Paw tree – not only a good plant, but tasty, too! I planted this tree over fifteen years ago at Kerry’s garden in Hattiesburg, Ms and loaded up on fruit when I visited. A host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Nummy!! tastes and has the consistency of Papaya  :)))

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fun with seeds!

Lepidium virginica, pepper grass seed, tasty…

a load of Eryngium seed harvested this week. A carrot family member with great pollinator attraction and has silvery leaves, was used by native americans to make footwear – Go prairie!!

and the piece de resistance! Little Bluestem grass plants in my nursery….

and speaking of tough plants, how many plants do you know of that are rated in the top ten tier for flowering garden plants and can take growing in crushed asphalt? how about this bad boy, Rudbeckia grandiflora, a prairie plant extraordinaire that I seeded in a power line right of way last year in a prairie planting. not too shabby…

happy as a clam they are…

have a good day…..

From a horticultural standpoint, Dr. Charles Allen’s gardens are whimsical and colorful and full of good and useful plants. He tends every piece of ground he works with care and it shows. You’ll not go to many places with as many different types of plants, and gardens as well maintained as his are.

Scientifically, the gardens are incredibly rich in flora and fauna.

Dr Allen has been gardening with butterfly attracting plants for 30 years and curates a  collection of plants that have been chosen for their attractiveness to Butterflies.

Step away from the computer now. Make plans to visit soon. You’ll not be disappointed. That is certain.

see his flyer for this week’s events, below

below is a note from Butterfly guy Craig Marks to the Louisiana Native Plant Society

Good morning.

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See Susan Edmonds’ video on warblers and environmental education

With plants you can do amazing things.

Marc’s home garden, established 2007

good plants and garden paths wind through the mind

Baton Rouge, La  est. 2012

Covington, La   est 2007

Hammond, La  est 2013

Pineville, La  est 2014

Carriere, Mississippi  est 1997

Folsom, La  est 2013

Wesson, Mississippi 2015

Poplarville, Mississippi  est 2000

Spearsville, La   est 2013

Livingston, Alabama  est 2012

“The native garden allows you to reconnect with the nature and participate in the world.” –  Neil Diboll, Ecologist

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” E.O. Wilson, Ecologist

Native gardens are teaming with living things!

all of the gardens in this article, created and photographed by Pastorek Habitats, llc/ Marc G. Pastorek

Marc in Sumter County Alabama, September 2015

a four year old prairie garden in Folsom, via Pastorek Habitats’ seed on youtube – enjoy!

a mowed walking path cuts through grassy wildflower gardens

June brings magical color to this ten acre garden in Pearl River County, Mississippi’s Henleyfield Community. The garden was established beginning in 1997 with the intention of preserving and propagating rare wildflower species.

Winkler’s Firewheel at Meadowmakers Farm, above. Notice the tiny orange native bee on the disc of the flower – and also, the black speck on the left ray petal is an unidentified flying insect. Gaillardia aestivalis var winkleri is a subspecies of our woodland Indian Blanket that is only found in a few locations in small populations in the Piney woods of east Texas. Gaillardia aestivalis is a highly desirable garden species.

Winkler’s Firewheel

Winkler’s Firewheel after petal fall

good grasses, Indian grass, above

Muhlenbergia expansa

Love grass

Slender Bluestem

Little Bluestem

Long Leaf Pine in grass stage

lace leaf Ragweed

Solidago odora

Manfreda virginica

Coral Bean, Mamou

Eryngium yuccafolia with Narrow Leaf Mountain Mint

Eryngium yuccafolia

Kansas (Louisiana) Blazing Star

Helianthus mollis

Blazingstar

Monarda lindhiemeri

Narrow Leaf Mountain MInt above, below

Rudbeckia hirta

H. mollis

Blazing Star

bumble bee on Bee Balm

a heaven-scented culinary herb, Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora

a rare pollinator species, sweet spearmint scented herb, White Leafed Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum albescens var Malcolm’s Mint

Hibiscus aculeatus, Pine Land Hibiscus

a link to a recently written article on growing Mountain Mints in the Louisiana Native Plant Society summer newsletter by MarcPastorek

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/38d545_8bd6ad3800674b4cb5ce61ef19ddc4f3.pdf

I hope you’ve enjoyed me sharing these images of my seed farm with you.

good gardening!