With a Side of Volunteering
My Blue Mistflower, or Ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) is just beginning to bloom,. That’s not the best time for a transplant, but this is pretty tuff stuff and I have plenty, so I’m spreading the joy and planting it on a scraped bit of land where I hope the seeds will scatter and thrive in at least a few of the places where invasives would otherwise take root. This was not guerilla gardening, the business owner gave his blessings for me to put out some natives on the newly disturbed hillsides surrounding this active worksite.
I had this planting in mind since I saw the opportunity, but I didn’t know when. Then Russ got a call this weekend and was heading over to the site. I said “You want me to dig some Ageratum real quick and go with you?” I didn’t expect him to want to wait, but he said “sure.” I collected some jugs for water. He filled them. There’s been plenty of rain lately and the soil was easy to dig.
I was ready to go almost as soon as he was. As we drove off together I said “I know I have so much that needs doing at home instead,” but the Ageratum did need thinning, so there was a personal benefit and I wasn’t, at that moment, doing any of that other stuff that needed doing.
The soft moist ground made planting easy and almost as fast as digging them up. I cut back new growth that was already limp to take some of the stress off the disturbed root systems.When Russ was finished with his work, he went around behind me and poured just enough water on the plants to help the dirt settle better around the roots.
I hope that most will survive, but I didn’t fuss with it much. Even if not much does, some will, and it’s an aggressive native. By fall whatever does survive will put native seeds in a disturbed space, and the seeds that land in spots with desirable conditions will grow, creating beauty, providing ecosystem services and competing with invasive species, for little effort. I’m all in for that. When my milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) makes seeds, I’ll go back and toss some out for the Monarchs. This fall there will be a tiny bit of land with a little late season nectar for butterflies, bees and moths. Next fall there will be two highly beneficial species
As I was setting my last few plants, I asked. “Is me doing this in the ‘this is why I love her category’ or the ‘I’m just tolerating her” category?” It’s always good to check on those things :).
He said in an Inigo Montoya voice “It is a false dichotomy that you make there.” He can always make me laugh.
Planting natives is for others, both human and non-human, especially in places that are not your own. It is the simplest way to be universally beneficial, and sometimes doing for others gives you the energy to do things for yourself. So, I definitely recommend going out, or staying in, and making whatever difference that you can. I hope we both get to see the benefits, no matter how small, and if you can, I hope you get to do it with someone who makes you laugh.
Take care, have a glorious day, and we’ll see you on the trail.
The book this week is We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nanquino
