You fix one problem. . . .

     As any gardener knows, any new (and maybe just any) garden is likely to be plagued with weeds, and when that garden is in a public place and maintained by volunteers, this could be a problem. When the butterfly garden in front of Harmar Village's historic railroad cars was being created, a generous donor supplied heavy landscape fabric for the entire site, and a volunteer team installed it. When the site was planted, other volunteers cut holes in the fabric and tucked in our baby landscape plugs. It was a good day.

     For the most part, the fabric did its job. This spring's weeding team found no dandelions or bermuda grass, and with regular rains most of the plants thrived, with the exception of a few too close to a thirsty-rooted tree. But--we did discover a problem.

    The lovely dark organic mulch used to cover the landscape fabric created a perfect home for Glecoma hederacea, AKA ground ivy or creeping Charlie. We removed at least one wheelbarrow load of that particular unwanted vine and made the decision to remove the landscape fabric as well.

     Rather distressing was the discovery that the several dozen monardas on the site had completely failed to root into the soil. As we slashed and lifted the fabric from the site, entire monarda plants came with it, their root systems spreading through the mulch above the fabric but no feeder roots developing in the native soil.

     This could have developed into a serious problem, but with all plants now rooted in actual dirt, the site's bee balm patch seems to be doing fine.

We have since learned that landscape fabric does best with inorganic mulches like stone, so it has been banished from our pollinator-friendly space. 

     Our team was happy that most of our site's weeds were killed off, but our adventure with this particular garden product reminded us that solving one problem sometimes creates another (and that the right plant in the right place wants to live, and can survive a gardening mistake).

A long time between posts

     Back in Ohio since April 1, and much to report. 

    An event that set me back more than it should have was the much-needed replacing of our street's 100+-year-old gas lines. 

Obviously in need of replacing--but nearly fourteen weeks after the first heavy equipment was parked in front of the house, the very heavy piece of ancient (well, in technological terms) pipe is still lying next to what remains of our front-yard sidewalk. The gas company has not hauled it away, the sidewalk repair crew has not hauled it away, and my suspicion is that the trash removal company doesn't want it, either (and it weighs more than I am allowed to lift or even drag these days).  At least the removed sections of sidewalk are finally being replaced. The frames went in today, which I hope means the concrete will be poured on Monday.

    Unfortunately, digging up the old line and running the new one required very large holes. A distressingly large amount of what had been gorgeous dark topsoil is now several feet underground, replaced by the nearly hardpan--and probably nearly sterile--clay subsoil that had been in that subterranean zone. I have to confess that I grieved as if for a death and found myself not able to do much outside work for a ridiculously long while.

The restoration company has promised topsoil, but amazingly, some plants have started to grow even through that unfortunate clay. Hardy geranium "Rozanne" is thriving in the rock-and-clay zone,

some plants--like gladioli!--are showing up in new places, and most of the plants beyond the most heavily damaged areas are seeming relatively unscathed.

And while spring was late this year and summer heat early, the pollinators are back.

    Sighs of intense relief. 

    On the non-personal gardening front, teams of volunteers have added to the butterfly garden near an historic railroad bridge

though we are seeing more bees than butterflies thus far.

Around the corner from the railroad bridge butterfly garden, the riverbank pollinator habitat is doing just fine. 

Photo courtesy of Cody Henderhan

The rest of the summer should see lots of positive things happening. Stay tuned. (I will try not to stay away so long.)