Up top along the driveway where pines, ash and persimmon trees are growing.
As we pulled into the driveway at SAFF, we smelled the hot dry pine needles through our open car windows. The ground was dry and crunchy and despite the recent rain, most of Virginia is in a severe drought with portions of Buckingham County in an extreme drought. Central Virginia needs about 11 inches of rainfall over the next month to bust the current drought. With this drought as well as the multi year rainfall deficit, Buckingham County needs prolonged, soaking rains to restore moisture and groundwater levels. We have record heat this week with temperatures soaring into the high 90s during the day through Wednesday. Then it looks like we could get some rain and cooler temperatures. Normal temperatures for May.
We are hoping for a prolonged slow and steady rain, that’s for sure.
Genus Desmodium, ticktrefoil, growing at SAFF. We will catch this with flowers and then we can narrow it down further. Packera anonyma, Small’s ragwort, in the Aster family. We saw it in sunny spots at SAFF a few weeks ago and now we see it in the forest. The top of Mary Banning Way looking down to Three Pine Gulch. The old farm road at SAFF that we are so excited to be able to mow! ☺️ We walked it the whole way yesterday and found some more stumps to cut back before we take the tractor all the way up the furthest side old farm road.Apis mellifera, Western honey bee, on the holly tree (Ilex) at the house. The whole tree has been covered in them for days. You can hear the buzzing and feel their wings vibrating standing under the tree. Video below.
The honeybees swarming the flowers from the female holly tree.
Broody Thursday skies in Buckingham, Virginia as we drove to the county offices.
We drove over to meet the delivery driver for our roof insulation yesterday. After we got that stored, we ran to the county offices to drop off paperwork for permits. We came back and decided to go for a walk. We were glad to see all of the Asimina triloba that had been damaged in the freeze have begun to leaf back out, even the Tallahatchie. Although it had sprouted some below the graft leaf shoots that we plucked off. The late cold really stressed it. We were glad to see it made it. We are still waiting to begin grafting the pawpaws and persimmon trees when it’s up into to the 50s at night and there’s no rain for 3 days before or after. It’s been chilly here in Virginia this week overnight into the low 40s still. It’s been lovely.
We are seeing a lot of Amphicarpaea bracteata, American hog peanut, all over SAFF. It feeds many creatures, including people, as well as fixes nitrogen in the soil. We feel lucky to have it growing to feed our plants and trees. The leaf with the purple center and green edges is Salvia lyrata, lyreleaf sage. It is edible and in the mint family. Native Americans made tea with the leaves. It is an adaptable native herbaceous perennial. It withstands foot traffic well. The flowers support multiple bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. We will try to get a photo of it flowering. Nigronia fasciata, Banded dark fish fly, found along the main waterway at the bottom. This is an interesting find as an adult since it has a brief lifespan of only one or two weeks. They mate and lay eggs at the edge of the water right where we found it. They don’t even have a mouth in this part of their lifecycle since they don’t live long enough to eat. The larval stage can last three years. Their presence at the waterway is a sign of very clean water and a balanced, healthy aquatic ecosystem. They are predators in the larval stage and more intimidating. The best of five blurry pics of this lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, on Fern Trail hanging off the edge of the plant on the trail waiting to grab on to the next creature that comes along. These ticks are aggressive and out looking for food when other types of ticks are hiding under leaf litter. We recently realized they can cause Alpha gal syndrome from a brief exposure whereas most ticks need hours attached to their hosts to transmit diseases. Be careful out there! Yuck! The three sisters on Ridge Trail overlooking the old colony Pawpaw Patch.Across the main waterway to the old colony pawpaw patch. All of the understory trees are Asimina triloba.Asimina triloba sprouting from the roots of elder trees even. Crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum, a cool season fast growing annual legume we planted as a cover crop in the clearing to suppress weeds and fix nitrogen in the soil.The new access road connecting our driveway to the Old Farm Road.
Rocky clearing up top near the shed. Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky yellow wood, growing near the access road to the old farm road which as of yesterday is now open for use.
Yesterday was 74 degrees and sunny out at SAFF. We finally finished our road connecting the driveway to the old farm road. This gives us tractor and trailer access to the new pawpaw seedling orchard and the cultivars. We are very relieved. The trees we planted are all looking great—except our Tallahatchie Asimina triloba Peterson cultivar that got zapped by the cold. It hasn’t leafed back out but it still has time to recover. More water will be the best way for it to heal and leaf back out. Now we can get water, compost and mulch down the hill with ease. This will be beyond great to have when we begin planting this year.
North of the driveway. Trees are too close together. We work on thinning them out by choosing the healthiest and rarest trees. We’re taking down dead and diseased trees and laying them down across the sides of the roadway. Cornus florida, flowering dogwood, grows in the understory all over SAFF. The flowers provide nectar for pollinators and the leaves and wood support biodiversity by hosting moth and butterfly larvae. The fruit (drupes) are eaten by 93 species of birds (such as robins, cardinals and cedar waxwings) and more than 16 species of mammals (including black bears, squirrels and foxes). Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, a fast growing, tall tree that can live between 200-400 years. It attracts bees and hummingbirds and seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. It is the primary host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio glaucus) and the Tulip tree silk moth (Callosamia anguilifera). Squirrels, cardinals and finches eat the samaras seeds during fall and winter.
We just missed the flower by the look of it. We hope to catch it next year.
Yesterday we had a walk in the drizzly rain at Saint Andrews Forest Farm. We got to the north side and found our fourth native wild orchid. Cypripedium acaule, pink lady’s slipper or moccasin flower. It’s sparse in our area and considered a special find since it relies on symbiotic soil fungi to survive. Each plant can live 20 years or more. It is pollinated by bees who are tricked into entering the pink sweet smelling flower yet there’s no nectar so no reward. The bees then ignore it.
Pink lady’s slipper Picture by Will Parson from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. American persimmon
We had .125 inches of rainfall when we checked the rain gauge. Anything at all is appreciated. We looked for mushrooms but none were found yet.
American persimmon, Diospyros virginiana, up top along the driveway we counted 35 altogether just near the road. Viburnum prunifolium, Blackhaw, a hardy native deciduous small tree producing edible fruit found along SAFF’s northmost trail. Vaccinium stamineum, Deerberry or Highbush huckleberry, found on the North side just off the old farm road. These are attractive to songbirds, deer and pollinators and it forms colonies making it useful for stabilizing banks and creating thickets. Sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis, found on the old farm road in a particularly boggy, wet spot. It provides cover for frogs and lizards and is the host plant for the sensitive fern borer moth. Polystichum acrostichoides, Christmas fern, looking especially beautiful in the rain. Nabalus serpentaria, lion’s foot rattlesnake root, a perennial wildflower native to Eastern North America. It grows to 20-79 inches with stems that vary from green, red and purple. Blooms are white to yellow. We will keep an eye on it and try to capture it in a photo. Chalybion californicum, Common blue mud dauber wasp, found in the tiny house. It was very docile as we helped it find its way back outside. It is a primary predator of the black widow spider. Allegheny cultivar Asimina triloba looking vibrant on the Pawpaw Peninsula. We counted 34 other pawpaws right there next to it. They are directly across the waterway from the largest colony of hundreds of pawpaws. Interesting something digging into tree trunk down low. Chris thinks it’s a woodpecker. It does look like the holes they usually make higher up. Google says there are beavers in Central Virginia. They are common throughout the area it says. A beaver would be wonderful to help build check dams and raise the water table.
Asimina triloba still flowering at Edible Landscaping. Allegheny cultivar Asimina triloba at Edible Landscaping.
The Edible Landscaping Sunflower and Shenandoah cultivars and their unnamed select companion suffered from some frost damage not shared by their uphill friends, so probably a frost well/pocket in that middle spot of the orchard. Nevertheless they all showed some fruit. A lot of it larger than we expected. The larger fruit likely was pollinated very early in the season. There were still male and female flowers on many of the trees, along with large shiny spring green leaves. We observed what seem to be pre-blossom buds on some of the frost damaged trees. As always, it was an interesting and informative visit to Edible Landscaping to understand what producing Asimina triloba are up to out there!
Pawpaw fruit in abundance despite the high 90s temperatures and low 20s dips. Frost damage with fruit development. Select cultivar Asimina triloba at Edible Landscaping in Afton.For anyone in Maryland, this is sure to be an awesome experience.
The new view down SAFF’s lower south set back line without the bridge. This is most pleasing.Yesterday during our work at SAFF we began building a new Hugelkultur terrace along the southern slope. We took down 3 tulip poplars which were overcrowded, unhealthy and lanky scrunched in between the pines and oaks. The tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera is a fast growing tall hardwood tree native to eastern North America. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies while the seeds feed birds and squirrels. It is likely our most common tree in the disturbed areas of SAFF. When a forest is clear cut, these trees move in fast and establish their canopy. They are valuable to our forest ecosystem but not as tightly populated as they are currently. They are great for establishing the Hugelkultur terrace here along the southern slope. All of them will be useful for the development of terracing and the base structures at SAFF.
When building Hugelkultur terraces, tulip poplar is considered one of the best woods for the structural base for the terrace because it is soft and decomposes quickly which creates the nutrient rich water retaining base. We built the terraces we planted the Asimina triloba into out of tulip trees in the new seedling orchard at the bottom of North Trail for the past few years.
We will cover these branches and logs pictured above with soil, our homemade compost and other organic material such as mulch, pine needles and forest floor leaves. We will plant into these beds. The plants and trees in this bed will benefit from the gradual nutrient release of decaying material and increase in water retention. SAFF will benefit from reduced soil erosion.
Image depiction Hugelkultur principles in design by Rose Shelton.
We’re excited to begin planting on SAFF’s south slope as soon as we finish the terrace project and create a fence to protect our plants from becoming wildlife buffets.
Also to share with you our joyful news. We got engaged and have been making exciting plans for our future and celebrations with friends and family.
The stalk arising from the dead striped leaf continues to open up the flower buds. We are surprised by how yellow the flower is after looking deep purple for some time. This is it! The flower unfurled finally. The final flowering stage of Antennaria plantaginifolia, plantain leaved pussytoes. The flower heads have transformed into fluffy seed heads that can take flight in the wind. Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon, up top near the road. We found another group of 10 or more trees. These are young and healthy. They are a major source of food for birds, raccoons and the possum. The American persimmon also serves as host for multiple moth larvae and pollinators. They are low maintenance, drought tolerant and pest resistant. We are delighted to find them. Diospyros virginiana sprout coming up near the other cluster. Another American persimmon seedling coming up in the front. Achillea millefolium, common yarrow, is highly regarded in wound healing as a styptic with antiseptic properties. Teas from yarrow are made to induce sweating, reduce bloating and reduce inflammation. It offers cold and fever relief. It attracts a wide variety of beneficial insects and over 20 species of native bees. It is lovely, drought tolerant and thrives in poor soil conditions. Amphicarpaea bracteata, American hog peanut, is an annual to perennial vine in the legume family native to moist slopes in the eastern US. They produce above ground and underground pods. It fixes nitrogen and grows in the old clonal colony pawpaw patch. We found it today coming up around our Asimina triloba cultivar seedlings which is where we planned to move them. Yay! 😀 It feeds birds, deer and mice. Native Americans ate the pods and underground peanut tubers which are nutritious. A good source of protein, fiber and carbs.Asimina triloba KSU Benson cultivar seedling with American hog peanut spontaneously growing around it offering a low maintenance partnership with the hog peanut feeding the pawpaw tree. Fern trail near the Rappahanock cultivar which is recovering nicely from the frost that bit it. Hypericum stragulum, low St John’s wort, which is toxic to grazing animals. Native Americans used the plant for the treatment of sores, fever, gastrointestinal issues, nosebleeds and snakebites.
We had a nice Sunday with lovely weather in the 60s as we got chores done and took a stroll around the trails.
Packera anonyma, Small’s ragwort, a native perennial in the Aster family. Toxic to most mammals but insects have adapted to feed on it. Found on south set back line at SAFF. Desmodium rotundiflora, Round-leaved Trailing Tick-trefoil, or dollar leaf. A native perennial found across the eastern US that grows along the ground with round to heart shaped leaves and pink to purple flowers blooming from June to November. It serves as a larval host for the Variegated Fritillary and Southern Cloudwing. It is a member of the pea family so it helps fix nitrogen in the soil. It is a beautiful plant we see all over the farm as it typically grows in dry woodlands. Antennaria plantaginifolia, plantain-leaved pussytoes, also in the Aster family and found all over SAFF. It is a host for the American lady butterfly and a great drought tolerant ground cover. Smilax rotundifolia, round leaf greenbrier, a thorny, woody vine native to eastern US and Canada. It provides cover and food to wildlife. The tender young shoots are edible and taste similar to asparagus or green beans when cooked. Berries from it are a crucial late winter food source for cardinals and sparrows. Medicinal uses are teas and poultices used as an anti inflammatory, diuretic and detoxification. Chris prepping the area to clear the bridge encroachment. Drill in hand.
We loaded up the trailer with the supplies we needed to take down the bridge and drove the tractor to the south end set back line. It took several hours to take it down. The weather was perfect as it was much cooler with temperatures dipping into the high 30s at night and only warming to the 60s. It finally feels like spring.
Houstonia caerulea, azure bluet or Quaker ladies, bloom in early spring in the forest and clearings. These are still hanging on near the bottom main waterway. They provide early nectar for small native bees, bee flies and butterflies. The flowers are edible and can garnish salad. Mainly we love to look at them with the blue flowers floating near the ground, they are magical.Asimina triloba new leaves and early fruit still hanging in there! We counted 10 of these tiny little fruits. Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple, with early fruit. We counted 4 fruits easily seen yesterday. They will ripen to yellow in late July or August typically. The bridge is gone. Yay!
Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon, we just noticed this new persimmon coming up out front near the roadway. Phylloxera caryaeglobuli, Hickory leaf stem Gall Phylloxera, an insect creating the distinctive galls. They do not damage the hickory trees. This was found in the bottoms near main waterway.The underside of the pignut hickory leaf with the gall showing a little hole where the insect exits. Aplectrum hyemale, Putty root orchid, open a bit more than the day before. Seedlings that look like this get our attention because we are on the lookout for Tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, which has thumbs on the leaves. It’s a fast growing invasive that attracts spotted lantern flies and grows in thickets of dense trees that fall over quite easily. Happily, it has no thumbs, so this is Juglans nigra, eastern black walnut which grows primarily in riparian zones and is native to eastern North America. Asimina triloba grows well with eastern black walnut. However the tree produces juglone that can inhibit growth of plants that are sensitive to it within their root zone. Juglans nigra has dark strong wood and nutrient dense bold tasting nuts. Blurry Rubus pensilvanicus, Pennsylvania blackberry, found along SAFF south set back line. We found a couple clusters of these native berries flowering.Ferns and Mayapples, Podophyllum peltatum, in the old clonal colony of Asimina triloba.
We went over to Buckingham to get some jobs done at Saint Andrews Forest Farm. It was a gorgeous day here in Virginia with crisp cool overnight temperatures and warm sunshine heating everything up throughout the day. The rain gauge registered .1 inch. Virginia and most of North Carolina are in a drought. Before we left to drive back to Staunton, we took a walk around the forest. It was quiet except for the birdsong and our footsteps crunching along on the dry leaves. We plan to spend most of the weekend working on our Pawpaw project and taking down the bridge our neighbor to the south built on our property a few years ago.
Top of pic shows the bridge we will dismantle this weekend.
Yesterday in the clearing up top beginning with the start of this season’s meadow of crimson clover on the hillside.
Aplectrum hyemale, Putty root orchid, budding up at the bottom of North Trail at the waterway. The corm produces a single green and white striped leaf in the Fall that we watched all winter until it sent up the flower stalk. Native Americans used the sticky substance from the corms to mend pottery. This morning at SAFF we counted about 10 fruits set on various trees down in the old clonal colony pawpaw patch. We are delighted and grateful they’ve stayed on this long and continue to hope for the best. We were pleased to find a rooted agaric mushroom, Hymenopellis incognito, in the main clearing up top near the shed. It was in the sun on the grass yet growing from an underground stump or root. It has a long tapering taproot that extends into the ground to eat dead wood. Photo by Cecily Franklin showing the long taproot of the Hymenopellis incognita. Diospyros virginiana, American persimmon, up top near the female tree. They’re crowded by pines and we’d like to give them more room.
We met the electrical cooperative representative at Saint Andrews Forest Farm to talk about the logistics of hooking up to the local grid. We are undecided still. We went on a walk and saw our Tallahatchie Asimina triloba cultivar rebounding from the freeze with a new leaf on the top which was happifying. It was a cool morning and warmed up throughout the day. SAFF got about .1 of an inch of rain. We are forecast to get more on Saturday.
Smilax glauca, sawbrier or the cat greenbriar found up top near the driveway. A thorny woody vine native to North America. Young shoots are edible with an asparagus-like flavor. It produces dark berries in winter providing food for birds. Its extensive root structure helps it to regrow quickly after a disturbance. Can be a nuisance.
Saint Andrews Forest Farm 