wildflowers, native plants, birds, ecology, gardening with nature, landscaping, Doug Tallamy, Southern lands, Armadillo star fort, fall colors, seeds, plant nurseries

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An occasional report of what’s growing at Maypop Hill Nursery and the Miley homestead in
An occasional report of what’s growing at Maypop Hill Nursery and the Miley homestead in
Norwood, LA; to subscribe to the free newsletter, contact us by email:
Norwood, LA; to subscribe to the free newsletter, contact us by email: maypophill@gmail.com
maypophill@gmail.com.
.
Website:
Website: maypophill.com
maypophill.com
The Maypop Hill
The Maypop Hill
Newsletter
Newsletter
October 2022
October 2022
What
draws
the eye?
a manicured lawn?
colorful
flowers
and
wildlife?
Thanks fo Michael
Glaspell for sharing his
beautiful photos. The
fuzzy out of focus pics
are the ones Betty took.
What
draws
the eye
of birds?
Doug Tallamy, whose books and research detail
the loss of native plants in the last few decades,
connects the dots to show why numbers of
butterflies, bees, and birds have also declined
tremendously. Habitat loss and pesticides are
destroying what Tallamy calls “bird food” – since
almost all birds feed their nestlings nothing but
caterpillars and other bugs.

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Hummingbirds favor Maypop
Hill's favorite color - red and its
relatives. Instead of offering them
sugary liquids in feeders, some
gardeners grow plants that
accommodate their natural
patterns of migration.
Cardinal Flower
(Lobelia cardinalis)
Coral Honeysuckle
(Lonicera
sempervirens)
Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus
arboreus var. drummondii)
Scarlet Sage
(Salvia coccinea)
Trumpet Creeper 
(Campsis radicans)
is a fine vine
if kept in check

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free plants!
Now is the time to admire fall wildflowers.
Soon it will be time to pick dried seeds
and plant them in new ground or save to
plant next year.
Four plants (actually a lot more) are
allowed to grow pretty much anywhere
they pop up on Maypop Hill. We paid $0
for them years ago, and the investment
has really paid off! These are tough
perennials that defy droughts and floods.
Now and then, we even see them on
roadsides where the mowing crews have
not cut them down.
If only they would leave strips and
pockets of native wildflowers, we would
see a resurgence of
. butterflies and bees that need nectar
. butterfly caterpillars that feast on foliage
. birds that feed on seeds.
Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) can
get 5 to 8 feet tall and is the hands-
down no-contest champion of
butterfly attention-getters. We have
seen 3 different butterfly species
on one plant, as well as numerous
bees and other pollinators. A must-
have for all gardeners and nature
photographers.
Two
gorgeous tall wildflowers
Goldenrod (left, Solidago species)
and Swamp Sunflower
(right, Helianthis angustifolius)
spread and spread all over the
driest parts of Maypop Hill, which
really is a hill, and a dry one to
boot. Invasive? NOT!
Blue Mistflower
(Conoclinium coelestinum) 1-3 ft.
is another happy volunteer that
needs no attention,
other than being left to grow where
it shows up.

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Maypop Hill Nursery & Publications
4979 Spec Garig Rd., Norwood, LA
Betty & LJ Miley, specializing in native plants of the South
email: maypophill@gmail.com web: maypophill.com
Geaux native!
not free plants? When we want a plant but can't find it locally, we buy from online
nurseries. Recently we ordered seeds and a few potted plants from these:
* Baker Heirloom veggie seeds in Missouri * milkweed from Joyful Butterfly in
S. Carolina * thornless honey locust from FloridaSeeds * prairie phlox from
Almost Eden in Louisiana * wildflower seeds from Prairie Nursery in Wisconsin
The Armadillo Star Fort is a sunny bed by the
zig-zag fence where we're growing plants and
seeds of rare-ish wildflowers. It's far from the
nearest faucet, requiring irrigation with the
water wagon.
gallon jugs of H20
Squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and
mice have found easy pickins' on
the back porch and hugulkulture
pots. We're in the process of
making wire cages and
spreading fine netting fabric to
discourage the hungry critters.
 Maypop Hill Merch – This month's special offer
Only 30 bitcoins! plus S/H. Slide heavy bags
and pots onto the lift thingie. Then pull the
whole shebang to where you want it! boom

thanks
for the free
grub
flat rocks
protect plant
labels and show
where to
pour water