Leah Kinthaert
Although turned off to math and science at a young age, recent interest sparked by both travel and books by Mark Kurlansky, Trevor Corson, Philip Hoare, Alice Outwater, Carl Safina and others have given me a great love for nature and desire to learn more. These blog articles are my amateur attempts to better understand the birds, animals and fish of Cape Cod. I welcome comments, photos, fact-checking and any advice as these blog posts, like my education on these topics, are a work-in-progress.
G. Kinthaert
Being outside in the forest or near the sea is my favorite passtime. I grew up in a smallish town in Europe in close proximity to trees, farmland and the North Sea. I have a professional life that can only exist in the city, but any spare moment is spent far away from that, in the yard, among the trees, or in, on, and near the water. I have a scientific interest in nature, and although lacking formal education in the field I try to make my observations count. This blog started off as more of a personal journal to help me track and compile data on the many native plant species in my yard. Obviously there has been some scope creep, but while the blog has gone beyond its original intent, I’ve discovered that it can be fun just to write for the heck of it.
Nice job! I’m looking foward to seeing your plant list expand over time.
I am in the process of reclaiming a Cape Cod pond bank with native plants. Your plant list is an inspiration!
I need help in identifying a plant. I’m pretty sure it is a native. It seems to grow in the woods around here (I’m in Marstons Mills). It actually looks like a dwarf lily of the valley.
It seems to grow in the shade and does best around pine needles… it is about 2 inches tall, has one green leaf that looks like a tiny lily of the valley and in the spring, just about the same time my lily of the valley are blooming, it gets a tiny flower stalk and it too looks like a mini lily of the valley flower.
Do you know what this is?
Thanks, Susan!
Hi Susan
Do you happen to have a picture? It could be false lily of the valley, starflower, canada mayflower or some members of the solomon seal family. Without a visual it can be tough to properly identify – I am leaning canada mayflower if it grows in dense “mats” all over Cape Cod, but they don’t necessarily just have one leaf. Starflower just finished blooming a week or two ago on Cape Cod…
Thanks for checking out the blog, btw!
The more I garden, especially with a woodland garden, the more I apprecaite native plants. I can’t commit to only using native species – yet, but I’m slowly headed in that direction. After all there is so much to do in the garden already, I’d rather not have to ‘baby’ the things I’ve already planted!
Hi- I run channel 99, public access for five towns, brewster to Truro. WOuld you be interested in doing a TV program on Cape Cod plants?
Garrett
I just read your post – this sounds interesting. What do you have in mind for format etc.?
Hello,
My wife and I visited Cape Code a few summers ago and she fell in love with a tall rose type bush…she is thinking it is old moss rose, but not sure. Its aroma is wonderful. I remember seeing them in huge quantities outside Spankie’s Clam Shack. Are they native to the area? Would you happen to know the correct name?
Hi Marco – I am happy you enjoyed your stay on the cape. There are only a few native roses on the cape – Rosa virginiana and Rosa carolina. The beach rose that is found in many later plantings is actually Rosa rugosa (which I believe orginates from Asia). There are other non-native roses, cultivars as well. The first 3 I mentioned have pink petals and yellow centers, and the flowers can be quite abundant. I’ll take a drive by Spankie’s later this summer to see what is growing there, but I suspect they may not be native plants
Oh and they have magenta flowers and yellow center? Thank you!!
My lawn , especially the slopes where grass had not taken, are turning into moss. It seems the landscapers consider them to be weeds. Why not promote the growth of mosses in association with planting native perennials? I already have a nice collection of native trees planted by the original homeowner. My lot is on the terminal moraine, one-third forested, with semi-shaded areas.
Can anyone help me with how to encourage, diversify, and maintain mosses in my yard? I’m reading the Schenk books that cover the topic well, but could use some regional support and advice.
Thanks,
Peggy
Hi Peggy
You can definitely encourage moss in your shade garden, although it will require a bit of planning. Sloped areas that are north and east facing would be best. If you have trees shading an area through most of the day then the compass reading does not matter. Mosses like some stability so a hard and compacted surface would be ideal. If the slope of the hill is too steep it can be hard for moss to establish itself, so you may have to smooth out the hill to a more gentle descent. Alternatively you can place rocks to slow down or divert the flow of water when it rains. You can transplant existing mosses to a desired area, but make sure to move the moss with an inch or so of soil attached. Mosses like it moist but don’t overdo it either – you may want to water for a few weeks but then back off and let the moss deal with the natural weather patterns. You can double the size of your moss garden in a year or so by dividing a piece of moss into smaller pieces. The gaps between will fill in with moss growth… An important aspect is to make sure weeds and grass are removed before you put the moss down. and there is some maintenance involved until the moss had filled in all the spots. Weeds, like dandelions need to be removed root and all, and the best way to do this is manual. Chemicals and weed killers will do a job on the moss as well…
Very excited to have found this blog. I am a Naturalist – I think that’s what I’d be called…always on the lookout for plants or flowers I don’t know – which are very few and far in between 😉
I love hiking the Outer cape Cod wilds, and just recently, after living her for over 10 years…discovered the hike from the road between Herring Cove and Race Point Beach that goes out through Hatches Harbor! 6.5 + miles round trip and so worth it. Every step! Found so many plants and flowers that are wonderful to see during this pre-Fall time.
One in particular led me to your site, a light purple aster-looking flower i see on roadsides in sand all over the Outer Cape. I want to say Ragged Robin, but totally different color…seed pod looks like a thistle. Onward with the search!
Keep up the good work, and I will totally subscribe to your blog.
Thanks,
William Keyworth – Outer Cape Gardens
Hi
I have a house in Chatham and want to plant a native wildflower meadow.
Do you know where I can find seeds?
Do you think it’s important to only plant native wildflowers?
Hi Jonathan – sorry for the late reply. I am more active in the garden than I am on my blog lately. Blame it on the day job. There are several sources of native flower seeds. Keep in mind that you are likely going to have to overseed (lay down huge numbers). Native seeds sometimes remain dormant much longer than cultivars (it’s a built in defense system to provide progeny when times are bad (weather/fire/consumption/etc.). And then you will still have to contend with foraging and wash outs. But your meadow will grow! I just want you to be aware that it may not be all at once. It is important to plant as many native plants as you can because relationships and dependencies have been established over a long period of time, in our neck of the woods likely thousands of years ever since the last ice age. However, I fully realize that this is an ideal we will never attain. Most if not all current landscapes will have invasives, non-natives and escaped cultivars in them. But that is ok, a ‘wild’ garden even if it has non-natives is still a million times better for supporting bees, butterflies, other insects and birds than the lawn alternative! Try to get your seeds from a regional native grower (vermont wildflower farm – just an example there are many others) rather than from say, Agway – a lot of so called native seed packages actually have Eurasian species mixed in. Personally I have had better luck with putting in plugs or slightly older established plants, because of the predation and wash out issues described earlier. If you are ever in the Dennis area, there is a yard that exemplifies what a meadow could look like (the parcel is across from 52 Highbank Road)