Around the Grounds Archives - Nature Center at Greenburgh

October 29, 2025November 5, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Lawn Care

How to Do Fall Garden Clean-up

I prefer to do my fall garden clean-up with a good book and a glass of wine. But it works just as well with a nice cup of tea, followed by a nap.

The point is, the less garden work you do at this time of year, the better!

Sure, you can blow or rake fallen leaves off of driveways and patios, and move leaves from lawns to flower beds, shrub borders, and under trees. If you’re a real over-achiever, you can do a final weeding job, and maybe spread some compost around woodland plants. Then wrap up the fall chores by spreading fallen leaves over the soil to keep everything warm and snug over the winter. But you don’t really have to.

Fallen leaves are good for the garden, and a few leaves on the lawn are harmless

There are very good reasons to simply let leaves stay where they fall. And intentionally spreading fallen leaves, especially on plants along streets and driveways where salt application is expected, or where dogs visit to leave pee-mails for friends, adds some valuable protection for plant roots and stems. Fallen leaves are better than any sort of commercial mulch for that purpose because they are free, untainted by chemicals, and they add nutrients to soil and plants. In addition, those fallen leaves are likely hosting beneficial (and adorable) insects like butterflies that you’ll want to have around in the spring, and they protect valuable (and even more adorable) insects like fireflies and ground-nesting native bees.

Mourning Cloak butterflies spend the winter in fallen leaves and emerge in early spring

Bagging leaves is so much work, and so unnecessary. But it does make it easier for those of us who need more of them to cart them away! We routinely swipe bagged leaves from around the neighborhood to mulch around plants in common areas, like traffic islands, for winter protection.

A bag of leaves “borrowed” from a neighbor and put to good use

If you have way too many leaves for your own garden, consider using the excess to expand into parts of your lawn for new beds for shrubs and perennials in the spring. Simply define a section of lawn for a new planting area and pile the excess leaves 3 to 6 inches deep. Put up a simple temporary fence, if you like, to contain the leaves over the winter, and let them sit there until spring. A deep layer of undisturbed leaves will eventually kill the lawn, enabling you to plant directly into the soil the following season. If you still have too many leaves, adding them to a compost pile or bin is a great way to turn them into excellent, and free, fertilizer.

Another chore to skip in the fall is cutting plants back. Native grasses and perennials, in particular, are loaded with nutritious seeds that birds can forage all winter long. Cutting these valuable sources to the ground, while buying commercial seed mixes for birdfeeders, is counter-productive. I have been endlessly entertained watching song sparrows and dark-eyed juncos repeatedly jumping up from the ground to grab seeds from the tops of Switch Grass and Prairie Dropseed. And goldfinches adore the seeds of Coneflowers and Black-eyed Susan. Masses of tall perennials and ornamental grasses left standing also provide essential cover for songbirds hiding from predators and stormy weather.

Perennials left standing can provide food for birds all winter

For many years, suburban gardeners considered “neat and tidy” to be the proper garden aesthetic, but that view is rapidly changing. Modern landscape designers very intentionally include grasses and perennials specifically for “winter interest.” The movement of these plants in the wind, and their muted winter colors and interesting shapes, make their inclusion in contemporary designs essential. Cutting them to the ground destroys that beauty, resulting in a barren landscape all winter. Wait until spring — the best time to cut back grasses and perennials is early spring, just before new growth begins.

Switch grass (*Panicum virgatum*) catches the afternoon sun

So, garden friends, take it easy! Leave the leaves. Don’t put down shredded bark or wood chip mulch. Let plants go to seed. Stop dead-heading and tidying up. Let Nature do its own thing for the plants, insects, and birds we want to have around in the spring.

And it’s a lovely day to take a nap!

September 17, 2025September 18, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds

Where’s Autumn?

The Northeastern United States is famous for fall foliage. “Leaf peepers” come from all over the world to see our native plants in their dramatic fall colors.

Why, then, should a walk around suburban neighborhoods, in the same region during the same season, be so disappointing? Where are the colors?

The plants that thrill “leaf peepers” grew in abundance before the suburbs were developed, and they would still thrive here – if only they were planted! It seems that every suburban yard uses the same non-native “foundation plants” — boxwood, pachysandra, ivy, and hedges of yew or privet or even bamboo! – all completely devoid of our famous fall colors!

C’mon people! We can do so much better than this! Why not plant our yards with the same trees, shrubs, and perennials that make this region a tourist attraction in the fall? Let’s add some color, life, and seasonal interest beyond pumpkins! There are so many great choices with our incredible abundance of Northeastern native plants.

Red maple (*Acer rubrum*)
Photo: Michael Martini

The undisputed rock-stars of fall color are our native Maples, and Oak trees are a close second. If you have a lawn, you probably have room for a Maple or a native Oak. Oaks have enormous value for wildlife — and for homeowners! [See this blog post] Both Maples and Oaks are beautiful year-round, but autumn is their glory season.

Our native flowering trees are also brilliant in the fall. Nothing beats the American Dogwood (Cornus florida) with its intense maroon foliage and vivid scarlet berries. Crabapples (Malus spp.) also produce colorful fruit, and American Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) starts blooming in October!

The Northeast is also blessed with native shrubs that produce kaleidoscopic colors in the fall. While evergreen foundation shrubs are useful, why not add some of the flowering and fruiting native shrubs that bring color and interest in both spring and fall? Here are some easy choices to add to your yard. All of the shrubs pictured below are locally available, easy to grow, valuable to wildlife, have beautiful flowers, and are spectacular in the fall.

Oakleaf Hydrangea (*Hydrangea quercifolia*)

Possumhaw Viburum (*Viburnum nudum*) pictured with
American Witch Hazel

Low Bush Blueberry (*Vaccinium angustifolium*)

American Cranberrybush (*Viburnum trilobum*)

And don’t forget fall flowers and grasses in gorgeous colors!

Aromatic Aster (*Symphyotrichum oblongifolium* ‘Raydon’s Favorite’)

Switch Grass (*Panicum virgatum* ‘Cheyenne Sky’) shown with Ironweed (*Vernonia lettermanii* ‘Iron Butterfly’)

Not only are these plants beautiful, they are incredibly valuable to the ecosystem of the Northeastern US. So many suburban landscapes use non-native plants that offer nothing to birds, butterflies, bees and other insects, and many are destructively invasive as well. If your only fall color is coming from burning bush or Japanese maple, you may want to consider native alternatives for those reasons. Privet, bamboo, ivy, vinca, and pachysandra are all known to be invasive plants and can be replaced easily with native plants that are beautiful in the fall, and year-round.

And wouldn’t you enjoy an autumn view like this?

Willow leaf oak (*Quercus phellos*), American dogwood,
and Pin Oaks

And this?

Oaks, Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana and A. hubrichtii), High Bush Blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum), Common juniper, and Possumhaw Viburnum

The fall glory of native plants lies within your reach!

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, NATURE CENTER at Greenburgh. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

July 2, 2025July 31, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Lawn Care, Native Plants

The All-American Yard

Summertime, and it’s the 4^th of July! American Independence Day!

We love celebrating the Stars & Stripes — flying the flag, draping patriotic bunting on the porch, and decorating everything with red, white, and blue.

But wait! Is your landscape part of the theme? Is it proudly American? Or is it decorated with English Ivy, Norway maple, Chinese silver grass, New Guinea impatiens, Korean dogwood, and Japanese honeysuckle? It’s a shame that so many suburban landscapes today are decidedly…. un-American!

Look around your neighborhood.

Do you see big open lawns extending right up to the house? That’s 19^th Century British style!

In the 1800’s, British aristocracy used cheap manual labor to maintain expansive lawns in a display of wealth and power.

Are there yards in your neighborhood with tightly-clipped evergreen shrubs arranged in rows? That style goes all the way back to 17^th Century France!

French royalty favored shrubs clipped into artificial shapes

Should we really be trying to copy that?

American history is closely tied to wilder, natural landscapes and a vast bounty of beautiful and useful plants. Those plants tell our American story!

For example, if you have an Eastern Red-cedar (Juniperis virginiana) in your yard, you should know that in 1584, English explorers were so awed by the incredible beauty and fragrance of Roanoke Island’s Eastern Red-cedars, they decided to make Roanoke the very first colonial settlement in America.

Many of our best native landscape plants today were critical to the life and survival of early American settlers. They used Witch-hazel (read more here & here), Arborvitae, Bee Ba l m, and hundreds of other plants for medicine. They learned which native plants were good for food and which were useful as building materials. They used native plants to improve their lives — native junipers made good pest repellents, and Bayberry scented their candles and removed odors in their homes.

The common names of many native plants still tell us so much about our past. In New England, colonists relied on the bloom time of Amalanchier shrubs to alert them to the beginning of the shad run as fish started migrating up-river from the sea, so they called the plant “Shadbush.” In other towns, settlers called the same plant “Serviceberry” because its bloom time marked the season when traveling ministers who performed wedding and funeral services could begin using local roads again as the snow melted. Those uses may be gone, but the names still link us to our history.

*Amelanchier*, “Serviceberry” or “Shadbush”

You could show your patriotism on Independence Day by planting a White Pine in your yard. Before the Revolution, the English Crown claimed exclusive use of all American White Pines for the British Royal Navy for ship masts. The Crown’s over-reach triggered the first violent protest by Americans against the British, which likely served as inspiration for the Boston Tea Party. In another practical act of rebellion, colonists started making their own ink and cloth dyes from Pokeweed, an American plant, thereby avoiding British taxes on imports.

Indigenous people introduced colonists to Joe Pye weed as an effective treatment for typhus, and so it was named for a highly-respected indigenous leader. Amsonia or Eastern Blue Star was named for a physician who once treated George Washington, and two early American botanists named their discoveries of indigenous woodland plants, Jeffersonia diphylla and Franklinia alatamaha, after our founding fathers. Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were hobby botanists, and when Washington lost interest in European plants, he began collecting and growing native American Redbud trees, among others, for his own estate.

From the first Thanksgiving through the War of Independence, America’s native plants supported settlers and, quite literally, built America. But today, as more Americans have moved to suburban areas, landscapes composed mostly of lawn grass, with a few tightly-clipped, non-native shrubs, have become standard.

The resulting loss of insects, birds, and wildlife is well-documented and tragic. By eliminating pesticides, reducing lawn, and planting native trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials, homeowners and gardeners can help save and rebuild American biodiversity.

But we can also reclaim American history! Learning about native plants teaches us about our past. The best landscapes give us a sense of place and connect us to what is truly American.

Let’s celebrate the 4^th of July by planting a few great American plants! Many have been featured in this blog over the past several years. Maybe the Goldenrod called ‘Fireworks’ would be appropriate?

So, buy American! Plant American! Go USA!

June 10, 2025June 10, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Baptisia: It Will Return!

“Perennials” are plants that come back every year… at least in theory. In reality, some perennials are short-lived and only come back for a few years. Others may come back every year, but not necessarily where you planted them – they pop up in other places, or dramatically expand their territory. Some perennials need to be divided (split at the roots) to stay vigorous, or they will languish and stop blooming.

Baptisia (“Wild Indigo” or “False Indigo”), on the other hand, is truly perennial. There are documented cases of gardens, abandoned and neglected for over 30 years, where the only remaining original plant was Baptisia – still growing right where it was first planted, and still blooming.

*Baptisia australis* (Blue Wild Indigo) in spring

Baptisia is as beautiful as it is durable. It sends up vertical stalks loaded with flowers in May and June. All summer long, it acts like a shrub, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with blue-green foliage that remains fresh even in the hottest weather. In the fall, it produces attractive pods that add seasonal interest. The whole plant dies back to the ground after a few hard frosts, remaining unharmed by snow mounds or road salt throughout the winter. In spring, this reliable perennial definitely returns.

Baptisia evolved growing in open meadows and prairies. It is in the legume family, which explains the sweet-pea shape of the flowers. Like other legumes, Baptisia is nitrogen-fixing. Essentially, the plant manufactures its own nitrogen fertilizer, so it can live in very poor soil. Baptisia roots can extend 7 feet deep, even into hard-packed prairie, so it is drought tolerant.

Though Baptisia is easy to find in plant nurseries, you may be inclined to give it a pass when you first see it. It looks a bit like purple asparagus coming up in early spring. Because of its deep roots, nurseries can offer only very young plants, but a small plant will fill out dramatically after two or three years in the ground.

**A one-year old *Baptisia australis* in the Pollinator Garden at the Nature Center**

Baptisia is very low maintenance. It never needs dividing. In fact, once its deep roots are established, it really should not be moved or divided. The best bet is to buy container plants and give them enough room to mature undisturbed. Note, however, that the one non-negotiable for Baptisia is sun – 8 to 10 hours a day. Even very long-established plants will begin to fade if they become shaded by trees and shrubs. So, plan ahead when deciding where to site Baptisia.

**A 15-year-old stand of Baptisia plants in mid-June**

There is a lot to choose from in the Baptisia family these days – at least 3 garden-worthy species, plus hybrids and cultivars. Here are a few favorites:

Baptisia australis, or Wild Blue Indigo, is a species native to New York and always our first choice. Its natural habitat varies from moist woodland edges to open prairie. Its original native range extends south as far as Georgia and west from Nebraska to Texas. It likes our acidic soil, and is hardy in Zones 4-9. It is not generally attractive to deer, and it is the host plant for the Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly.

Baptisia sphaerocarpa (Yellow Wild Indigo) is not native to New York, but is native farther west and south from Missouri and Oklahoma to Texas. Baptisia alba (White Wild Indigo) is native in the Southeast from Virginia to Florida. Both of these Baptisia species are winter hardy to Zone 5, and do well in New York gardens.

Interestingly, these three Baptisia species have yielded natural hybrids resulting in some very beautiful flower color variations. Hybrids called ‘Purple Smoke’ and ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’ are often available and seem to perform as well as the species.

**Hybrid Baptisia ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’**

New cultivars have been developed by growers and are sold under various names such as ‘Lemon Meringue,’ ‘Dutch Chocolate,’ and ‘Cherries Jubilee.’ Whether these cultivars provide the same benefits to wildlife as the species is unknown.

So, if you want a true perennial that will come back every year, never need dividing, never need fertilizing, and will be beautiful for many years to come, try Baptisia!

**Wild Yellow and Wild Blue Baptisia in the garden**

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

May 2, 2025May 2, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Early Bloomers: Native Perennials For Spring

“April cried and stepped aside, and along come pretty little May”
-Rogers & Hammerstein

April’s daffodils are fading, but May is the best season for flowers! Are you ready for spring planting? Plant sales are happening all around us. Let’s make a shopping list!

This year, consider skipping the big box stores and garden centers selling flats of annuals for flower beds. Who really wants to watch tropical plants (wax begonias, New Guinea impatiens, petunias) wither and die in our very un-tropical weather? If you are going to all the expense and trouble of planting flowers in your yard, why not choose a few of these native perennials that can withstand our variable climate and come back strong next year?

Here are some great early-blooming native perennials that start to shine just as the daffodils fade from view:

In a sunny area, try Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea or aptera). With masses of big yellow flowers, Zizia looks just like sunshine. It is in the carrot family and is the native host plant for Black Swallowtail butterflies. If you plant it, you will definitely see them. The plants spread themselves around where they are happy and are easy to grow. Never more than 2 to 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide, blooming from late April well into June, Zizia tolerates a little shade, but does best in average garden soil with a mostly-sunny exposure. And it is deer-resistant.

Do you usually plant annuals along your front walk? Try these early-blooming native perennials instead:

Moss Phlox (*Phlox subulata*)
blooming now

Prairie Smoke (*Geum triflorum*)
blooming now

Pussytoes (*Antennaria plantaginifolia*) blooming now

Moss Phlox or Creeping Phlox is widely available and popular –for good reason! It blooms profusely from late April into May and is available in a huge array of colors, from white and pastel or hot pink, to a variety of blues. It needs full sun and sandy or pebbly well-drained soil, so it is perfect for lining a sunny path where the soil tends to be poor. After blooming, it forms a weed-suppressing, green, mossy clump that stays through the winter and reliably blooms again the next spring.

Pussytoes and Prairie Smoke also work along concrete, gravel, or masonry paths, and for the same reasons. They don’t mind the thin rocky soil typically remaining after construction of paved surfaces; they don’t mind reflected heat and cold from pavement; and they tolerate drought and salt better than most garden plants. See our post on these and other great plants for walkways here.

Jacob’s Ladder (*Polemonium reptans*) blooming now

How about an early-bloomer for shade?

For a fabulous front-of-the-border plant in dappled shade, or a great choice for underplanting trees, try Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans). It is one of the very first plants to break ground in the spring, and within a couple of weeks, it is covered with light blue flowers that are magnets for the first bumblebees emerging from hibernation. The foliage stays green all summer and has interesting leaves spaced evenly along the stem inspiring the name “ladder.” There are some tempting cultivars of Jacob’s Ladder on the market with variegated or multi-color foliage, but they seem to suffer in Northeastern winters. The old-fashioned Jacob’s Ladder species is not only reliable, but spreads slowly to make a lovely ground-cover.

Two other early bloomers for shade are Woodland Phlox and Wild or Spotted Geranium.

Woodland Phlox (*Phlox divericata*) blooming now

Woodland Phlox is a true woodland species, preferring humusy soil where leaves are allowed to stay on the ground and decompose naturally. It loves the even moisture of a shady wooded area, but does well in cultivated shade gardens with rich soil and good drainage. Colors range from nearly white to pale pink or true blue. Grow it under mature trees and shrubs where fallen leaves provide winter cover and summer moisture protection. It blooms early and is a great native replacement for vinca. Rabbits may hit young plants, so a repellant is advisable.

Wild or Spotted Geranium (*Geranium maculatum*)

A favorite early-blooming native for part-shade, Geranium maculatum is a total winner. It blooms on and off for months and the leaves are beautiful all season long. It’s a great edge plant between lawn and taller shade perennials and will form substantial clumps growing slowly from the crown, and even occasionally sending seedlings into nearby areas. The flower colors are soft pastels that seem perfectly at home in dappled shade or morning sun.

Fringed Bleeding Heart (*Dicentra eximia*) blooming now

If there is one early bloomer that will capture your heart, it is this one. Dicentra eximia starts blooming with the daffodils in early April, and will still be blooming in October! The lacy fern-like foliage forms a soft mound about a foot high and wide, though older plants may be 18 to 24 inches tall. The flowers are suspended like charms on slender stalks just over the leaves, each cluster lasting a week or more. Fading flowers still look good as they gradually turn white, so dead-heading is unnecessary to keep the plant looking fresh all summer. Deer and rabbits ignore Fringed Bleeding Heart, but it is not a strong competitor and can be overwhelmed by thugs like ivy and vinca. It is happiest in part sun and very well-drained, even rocky or sandy soil. Too much moisture or heavy soil will shorten its life-span. Unlike the Asian bleeding heart, Dicentra eximia will not disappear after blooming, and it is surprisingly tolerant of drought. For more information click here.

So, check out your local native plant sales, or visit a good nursery that carries a varied selection of perennials. Some of these plants are available at garden centers if you know what you’re looking for – check the Latin names to avoid mistakes and non-native hybrids.

And if you plant these early bloomers now, you will see them again next spring and, hopefully, for many springs to come!