Wild One Events – Chapter and National

General meeting (guests welcome); talk by Luke Chesek, Natural Places Committee, Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club on efforts to create a natural plant and wildlife corridor between the Chesapeake Bay and the Appalachian Trail; update on pending legislation before the Maryland General Assembly by Lily Fountain, Sierra Club Chair of the Natural Places Committee and Wild Ones member.  

Our panel will consist of:

Ann English -  Rainscapes Program Manager and a keen native gardener with a masters in regional planning and one in landscape architecture

Mariana Borelli - Owner of Wildflower Native Plant Nursery https://www.wildflowernativeplants.com/plants and another keen native plant gardener

Lauren Hubbard - President of the Maryland Native Plant Society, PhD in Plant Biology, Master Gardener, Weed Warrior 

Presenter Michael Wilpers will speak on "Transformation of 14 acres under a power line into a wildlife haven"

Our April meeting will be a tour of member Linda Rieger's garden in Potomac.  Linda and her husband Chuck have created a lovely shady retreat with tall trees and shade loving native perennials, ferns, grasses and sedges. Several ponds attract amphibians and birds.  Please email Linda at [email protected] if you wish to attend.  Limit of 25.  

Members bring native plants and seeds to share.  This is a great way to establish or add to your pollinator garden! Or if you have plants to share, to find a good home for them.

On May 27th Mariana Borelli invited us to visit her native plant nursery in the heart of Bethesda, (https://www.wildflowernativeplants.com/). When Mariana realized a few years ago that people were driving long distances to buy their native plants, she hatched the idea to start a nursery in her back yard. Her plants are local ecotypes and her lovely yard is filled with natives so her customers can see the plants in a natural setting.

On May 30, Wild Ones volunteers, speakers and members enjoyed a fascinating tour of Pope Farm Nursery in Gaithersburg.  Rochelle Bartolomei, manager of the native plant program, provided a tour of her operation where they raise native plants for Montgomery County parks, restoration and storm water projects, and nature center native plant sales. The facility features propagation from seed, greenhouses and open-air beds, many of which are demonstration gardens for various conditions.  The group also enjoyed a hayride tour of the whole farm which includes raising trees and shrub, a community garden, and a composting facility and sawmill where they collect and manage green waste from the Parks and turn it into compost, fill, wood chips, mulch, and lumber for parks projects.

Nation’s Capital Region Wild Ones’ Chapter met on Saturday, June 10 at Kensington Park Library Literary Garden which is covered with mainly native plants. It was designed by member Karin Reber in 2019 based on the theme: “There’s No Place Like Home” from the Wizard of Oz. Marney Bruce spoke to the group and introduced the area before we walked around to see growth progress of last five years to welcome wildlife big and small to happy homes. We found Ruby Slippers by Sculptor Jason Swain among plants. Dan Chew took photos as he has with our past Wild Ones meetings. See this garden on You Tube.

Join us for a tour of a wonderful native plant garden in Silver Spring.  See our member listserve for details.

Join us for a tour of this wonderful garden.  Native plants have replaced lawn in the front yard and raised-bed vegetables are cultivated in the back.  

About my garden: We moved into our house about 6 years ago, but I didn’t start gardening in earnest until about 4 years ago. Since then, I have removed a lot of undesirable ornamentals such as nandina and liriope and replaced them with native perennials, shrubs, and grasses. I am also in the process of gradually removing most of the lawn. My garden is relatively small, the front yard mostly gets full sun and the back yard is mostly shady. The property also came with some beautiful established trees and shrubs which provide the framework for the garden. It is very much still a work in progress as I continue to move things around, edit and learn from my mistakes. Since I cannot resist a good plant sale, I probably have too many plants already. This spring I purchased a native plant kit made available by Friends of Sligo Creek in cooperation with Nature Forward to help with my lawn-reducing project, so you’ll be able to see the progress the plants have made since May.

I do grow some native cultivars as well as some non-native plants (mostly for cut flowers), but only those which are well behaved and won’t become invasive.

Blooms you’ll see include various asters, goldenrods, ironweed, sunflowers, rudbeckia, blue mistflower, joe pye weed and rattlesnake master.

Get a head start on your garden plans for next year!  Add new species to your garden, increase species that you already have, and share the plants you have in abundance!

Don’t have any plants to share?  No problem, come and enjoy the camaraderie; there are always enough plants for all to go round.  If it would make you feel better, you’re welcome to make a donation, bring a book or something related to gardening.  

And then join us for a Potluck lunch right after the swap.  We reserved the pavilion (and  picnic tables) for the day - might as well use them.  It’ll be great getting to know each other!  See the member listserve for details.  

Plant Swap Guidelines:

- Bring native plant and seeds only—no exotics.

- Pot up your plants in plenty of time for them to recover from the shock of digging and transplanting into pots.  Two weeks in advance is best. Keep them watered and out of direct sunlight. 

- Please label each plant.  Common names are fine; including botanical names is better.  Include basic growing condition, light requirements, water needs, etc.  Also indicate if plant is local ecotype.

- If you have jumping worms, please bring bare root plants. Dig up bare-root plants as close to the swap day as possible, wash off the soil and wrap in wet paper towels to prevent bare roots from drying out.

Join Wild Ones Honorary Director Heather Holm as she explores the nesting habitats, life cycles, pollen collection, brood rearing, and general characteristics of some of the most common native bees in eastern North America, while highlighting the pollination of native plants and the mutualism between native plants and native bees.

When creating and managing thriving habitats for native bees, many factors such as seasonal phenology, nesting strategies, and flower preferences must be considered—and with approximately 3,600 species in North America (north of Mexico), there are many unique aspects to keep in mind when managing successful landscapes for bees. 

Spend an idyllic morning in the 3/4 acre wooded conservation garden lovingly created over the past 23 years by Barbara Schubert.  

See the listserve for Barbara's detailed description of her property and to find her contact information to email your attendance plans.  

ReWild DELMARVA founder, Holly Fluty Dempsey, will lead an interactive session on being in relationship with nature and being in relationship with each other.  We will explore the history and status of ecological systems that call for the use of native plants and contemporary landscaping practices.

Holly is a Delaware Master Naturalist, a Pollinator Steward with the Pollinator Partnership and a Delaware Tree Steward.  Service in the Peace Corps launched her career with the US Agency for International Development.  Following her retirement, Holly attended divinity school and is a Unitarian Universalist Lay Minister for Pastoral Care in Bethesda.

Wild Ones members are welcome to bring guests to this presentation

(The location address will be posted to the listserve and the Member's Only section of this website)

Join us for an enlightening webinar featuring authors, Neil Diboll and Hilary Cox, as they present their latest book, "The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants." This comprehensive compendium is a treasure trove of knowledge for gardeners looking to incorporate native prairie plants into their landscapes. Neil and Hilary will delve into the making and application of this essential guide, sharing rich historical and ecological insights about prairie ecosystems, all while showcasing stunning images of prairie flora. 

Our December gathering will include a meet and greet and a short Annual Meeting where we will elect a Board of Directors. We will also review our activities of 2023 and discuss plans for the coming year.

Feel free to bring finger food to make it a more festive affair. We have many new members to meet! 

As usual during the winter months, we will meet at the Sandy Branch House in Potomac.  For address and details of a special offer from Glenstone Museum, please read the message on the list serve.