OK, am i crazy or did the forum just change from "indigenous

Oh, thank heavens!

The local plant exchange asked me to come and check on donated plants last year, and guess what I found in huge clumps, waiting to go off to unsuspecting homes? Japanese knotweed! It was described as "maintenacne free" and "very tough, drought resistant, good for filling in those hard to fill areas". Well, all true, but goldenrod and coneflowers will grow in tough spots,as well. Nobody had a clue about what it was, though you can find it growing in "naturalized" areas in parts of downtown Bloomington, IN. I don't know how many years they had been swapping around this knotweed, but I put an end to it, and helped the homeowner "replace" it with an indigenous species.
brambledad

Perhaps the name of the forum could be 'Indignant Planters'.

Thanks, frostweed, you are a kind soul. I love your definition of wildflowers as flowers that can take care of themselves!

paalexan - that is a good point about "poor soil" communities. I have learned that a lot of natives do not grow well on enriched soil.

kathleen - We are losing farms like crazy here - mostly to delvelopment. It is heartbreaking. Try as I might, I can't see the virtue of (another) super Wal-mart over a weedy field as many do (much to my amazement). We have clay too, but here there is a big difference in the relatively undisturbed soil around the house (rich, dark and humusy) and the farmed land (lighter, clay-y). Another sad thing is when it rains there are literally rivers of soil being washed down the street from the farm above us. One thing that would be great would be a return to hedgerows (iconic in the UK).

If anyone's interested, I found an EPA site which shows, in some detail, US ecoregions - just helps to hone in on what the natural landscape might have been. For instance, we're in the "Piedmont Uplands." Click on your state to get a detailed map. You'll have to pick the map that is best for printing. Not every state is available. They don't have NY yet, nor a few southwest and northwest states.

For some reason the page is called "Western Ecology Division"
http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iv.htm

way to go, brambledad!


UU - how about "Planters Nuts" (as in the brothers Grimm) - that doesn't even make sense, but it made me laugh anyway.


This message was edited Mar 6, 2008 9:18 AM

Thank you for the link CompostR, that is a good one. I will put it on the sticky.

Wow...you all are very passionate about this subject...no matter what the title is. New Jersey hasn't finished their ecoregion either nor have they posted to the prohibited plants. I also love frostweed's definition of wildflowers. Ever since NJ declared the Pine Barrens "unbuildable"...they are building on every piece of ground imaginable. I can go 10-12 minutes either north or south to get to a Walmart, Home Depot, etc but what did they do...built another few in our town. It's crazy. Over the years, I have planted many "native" shrubs and flowers. Other flowers have just popped up (guess from the wind & birds) and as long as they don't "take over"...I let them grow & bloom. I have a local nursery that sells "bishop's Weed" as a no maintenance groundcover...told my neighbor when she asked why it was spreading...needless to say, it is now gone.
I have a question...what is a "sticky?"
And no matter what the title is...this conversation is very interesting to me. Any good information that can be used to educate people is great.

A sticky is a thread that remains the top one on the forum list.

Welcome to the fray, ErikRyan. I agree with your last sentence's sentiments.

A "sticky" is a post that contains general jargon germane to the whole forum that "sticks" up at the top, instead of moving off into oblivion downstream where it might not be seen. You have to apply to an admin to gain sticky status for a post.

OK, victor typed over me.

I think we might be ready to ask Terry again, there are quite a few of us now posting, and i think we qualify.
If all of you would go to this thread and request it, I think she will do it.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/819594/
Thank you Everyone.
Josephine.