Fall is a good time for seeding prairie area - Wild Ones

What is a weed really?What is a weed? There are almost asmany answers as there are weeds, but here area few for consideration:A weed is an ugly plant. (Beauty is in theeye of the beholder.)A weed is a vile, noxious plant that causesallergies (ragweed, poison ivy), pain orscratches (nettles, berry briars, brambles, catbriar, roses, prickly ash), or impedes our travelthrough an area (tall grass, brambles, densethickets, tangling vines.)A weed is a plant that kills other plants byfeeding on them (mistletoe, dodder), growingover them (wild grape, Virginia creeper, bittersweet),or harboring diseases that infectother plants (gooseberry, juniper).A weed is a plant without commercialvalue.A weed is any plant growing where youdon't want it.A weed is a wild, uncultivated, or commonplant which grows allover the place.A weed is a plant you don't like or want..A weed is a plant which decreases theaesthetic or economic value of an area.Whether a plant is considered a weed.depends upon the situation and who is doingthejudging. Take, for example, the case of therare and endangered dwarf white lady slipper,Cypripedium candidum, growing in a justplowed and wet, limey, springy cornfield. Afarmer would, no doubt, consider tile orchid aweed to herbicide. Wildflower entilUsiastswould consider the corn to be the weed, andwant to protect the fen and delicate plant.A dictionary definition says a weed is "anintroduced plant growing in ground that is or(WEEDS. page 8)Couple gets media attention for second village mowing"Americans are so accustomed to pool-table lawns that a patch of nativevegetation can be a threat to the established order. In Germantown(Wisconsin), the powers-that-be sent out two police officers and a landscaperto mow down Curtis and Judy Crane's 20-by-120-foot strip of nativewildflowers and grasses.Germantown has got it backward. It's the obsession with the perfectlymanicured lawn that's the problem, not wildflowers. Deep-rooted andadapted to drought, most native species require little watering and nomowing; herbicides and fertilizer aren't needed, either. In a world offiniteresources, natural lawns ought to be encouraged, not stamped out. They canadd beauty and diversity to urban and suburban landscapes." (From theeditorial page of The Milwaukee Journal, Saturday, August 21, 1993.)The last newsletter described the Crane's year -long struggle with theirvillage over their native plants on typical subdivision, difficult-tolandscapeberm. Neighbors in sympathy with their plight, have beendecorating lawns with pink flamingos and spinning plastic flowers andhandmade signs with statements such as "Germantown Approved Flowers,""Germantown Nature Zone," and "Landraped by Germantown."Community surveys needed for expanding data baseSurveys asking about village, city, school, and other public and privateinvolvement in natural landscaping are available from The Native PlantPreservation Coalition of the Milwaukee Audubon Society and Wild Ones.Information collected will be used to form a clearer picture of current lawsand practices throughout Wisconsin. If you can fill out a form for yourcommunity, please send a request and a self-addressed, stamped envelopeto: Rae Sweet, 8635 North Fielding Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217.Coalition plans February workshop for municipal officialsAttorney BretRappaportwilI speak ata seminar for community leadersconcerned with weed ordinances. His topic will be "Lawn Ordinances:Case Studies, Legalities, and Suggested Guidelines for Avoiding Problems".Rappaport is author of a law journal article on the subject. Therewill also expert presentations on a number of other related topics. Pleasecall 414/351-2291, if you know of an official who should receive aninvitation. Space is limited for the event which is planned for Friday,February 1I, 1994, preceeding the UWM Natural Landscaping Seminar.Prairie Moon NurseryRoute 3 Box 163Wlnons. MN 55987(507) 452-1362l1JBayside Garden CenterComplete Garden Needs414-352-6159Native Plants and Seeds .Wetland. Prairie. WoodJand400 E. Brown Deer Rd.Milwaukee. WI 53217We have your native plants.2

(SEEDS, from page 1)All hand seeding should be followedby a light raking.If using a mechanical seeder, depthshould not be set more than 114inch forforbs or 112inch for most grasses. F01-lowing seeding use a tractor or truck topull a farm drag with teeth adjusted tocut into soil about 2 inches or a use asquare piece of chain linkfence weighteddown with several cement blocks torake in seeds.Cover CropsCover crops of oats or winter wheatcan be used if the site is subject toerosion. A heavy cover crop can beplanted alone before natives are seededor it can be used to hold soil whileslower natives are taking root. Sincenative seedlings are difficult to identifythe first growing season, a cover crop(which is easily identified) is a good"security blanket." If the cover crop hasgerminated and is growing well, nativeseeds should also be doing well, even ifyou can't see them. Missing cover cropshows areas needing reseeding.Other planting tipsA native prairie is a complex naturalecosystem. Attempting to duplicatethis environment which has evolvedover tens of thousands of years is difficult,if not impossible. But by usingcare and with nature as a model, abeautiful, natural-looking landscape canbe created.When planting a prairie from seed,patience, and dedication can't be overemphasizedbecause plantings may tendto look like a weed patch for a few years.. Fall and frost plantings don't needseed bed packing or watering as snowand rain firm the soil and provide moisturebefore seed germination begins.We thank Alan Wade of Winona, MiIUlesota forallowing us to use information from his native plantnursery catalog for the above article.• /1"1/;,iBaysl-de SCh 00I recIalms - natura I area';i' .flt; -Two new outdoor classrooms havebeen added to Bayside School's crabapplemeadow. Richard Butt, scienceteacher at the middle school has planteda prairie and Lorrie Otto has designedand contributed a woodland. Butt hasinvolved his students in digging andtransplanting indicator specimens suchas silphiums, helianthus; rattlesnakemaster, stiff goldenrod, and spiderwort.A burr oak tree was added to give theeffect of an oak savannah.The Wisconsin Department ofNaturalResources contributed prairie grassGroup consulting offeredCRM' Ecosystems has workshopsavailable covering the seasonal topicsof site preparation and identification ofwarm season grasses and fall flowers.Limited class size will give participantsas much individualized attentionand outdoor "hands on" plant experienceas possible. Sessions will runapproximately two hours and will beheld at Prairie Ridge Nursery in Mt.Horeb, Wisconsin."Site Preparation" will be heldAugust 28 from 1O a.m. lo noon. "Identificationof Warm Season Grasses andFall Flowers" will follow on September25. Cost is $20 per session. Call 608/437-5245 for more information.Crops hurt as bees disappearAccording to an article in ChicagoTribune, wild bees have almost vanishedin many urban areas. They havebecome victims of suburbanites whodestroy hives, plant bluegrass wherewildflowers once grew, and douse theiryards with insecticides.Farmers who need bees to pollinateapple and other crops, have also foundthat bees are being destroyed by parasiticmites. Scientist are consideringaltering bee genes as a solution.seeds which were scattered among thetransplants in early June.The young woodland has an assortedcollection of native trees foundin stories, songs, and literature for gradeschool students: an Amercian chestnut,an American beech, a linden, ashagbark hickory, a yellow bud hickory,an ironwood, a musclewood, a blueash, hackberry, a chinkapin oak (cut inhalf by a resident rabbit), and a Europeanmulberry (from the childrens'song). As shade developes appropriate.flowers will be added, but until then oakand beech leaves are being used asground cover.Bayside School's natural area hasnow doubled since it was listed in CariTaylor-Carlson's Milwaukee Walks.. ,,,. . ",.'.Country Wt,t(arufs9(prsuy & .....Consu[ti"/JLta..'.(f Wetland. woodland andprairie restoration,"installation, management.and enhancement ' '.'.•.g. Provision of native seed:'..and plant l11aterials

STINGING NElTLE(Urtica dioica)Nettle FamilyThe Inside Story.~ Other Names: Stingers, Greater Nettle,Common Nettle, Net Plant.Habitat: Damp, nutrient-rich soil,waste places, and roadsides.Description: Stinging Nettle is coveredwith bristly, stinging hairs. Ithas a four-angled stem and slender,branching, feathery clusters of tinygreenish-white flowers in the leafaxils. The leaves are 2 to 4 in. long,opposite, ovate, with heart-shapedbases, and are coarsely toothed.Height: 2-4 ft. Flowering: June-Sept.Comments: This plant is naturalized fromEurope. Since it is not a native species, itis considered a weed and a nuisance. WhenI finish revealing all its attributes, maybe youwill change your mind.If added to a compost pile, it is said to speedthe decay process. A concoction of the rootsand leaves makes a natural pesticide againstaphids and flea beetles. At one time a linenlikefabric was made from this plant, as wellas ropes and fishing nets. It makes a goodscalp conditioner, leaving the hair soft andglossy besides stimulating hair growth.When dried, the plant looses its sting andcontains 40% protein, rivaling cottonseedmeal as a source of the vital nutrient. Nettlefodder is said to make cows give more milk,and, if powdered and added to their feed, induceschickens to lay more eggs.Medicinal Use: A solution made from .theplant was used on burns, nosebleeds, and tohalt hemorrhage internally and externally.Doctors during the Civil War recorded howthey deliberately cut open and laid bare amajor artery of an adult sheep. They thensoaked a gauzelike material in a strong coldtea made of Stinging Nettle and applied itdirectly to the open wound. The bleedingstopped within a matter of minutes. Thenthey went a step further. They put someblood in the palms of their hands and addeda few drops of Nettle juice. Immediatelythe blood started to coagulate. In Englandthe plant is an accepted wash for "greenwounds, old rotten or stinking sores and gangrene."It has been suggested that Nettle bestudied further for possible usesagainst kidney and urinary systemailments. Recently, Germans havebeen using the root in treatment for. ,_

(WEEDS. from page 2)has been cultivated usually to the detrimentof crops or disfigurement of theplace--economically useless plants--plants with an unsightly appearance--plants that tend to grow freely andexclude or retard more valuable plants--plants with exuberant growth and injuriouseffects--a forb in rangeland."There's a lot of truth in that. Noticehow the definition places weeds in thecontext of cultivated ground and mentionsthat they are introduced. It is afact that most "real" weeds are notnative or evolved in our country. Theyare aliens or immigrants which werebrought from Europe and Asia. Althougha few were deliberately introduced,most came accidently, and manyin spite of efforts to keep them out.Native American communities ofwild plants like prairies, woodlands,wetlands, and tundras are largely weedfreeexcept to the extent that they havebeen disturbed. That is, the more theyhave been abused and disturbed, themore weedy they are. This view of theworld of weeds sort of says that alloriginal, native vegetion is natural, andweeds are foreigners, the aliens, - likestarlings, house sparrows, Norway rats."Detriment, disfigurement, economicallyuseless, unsightly, exclusive,injurious" are all words relating to theopposition of economic endeavors suchas farming, ranching, developing, urbanizing(things that use our environmentfor the sole purpose of making usmoney). This part of the definitionimplies that all of nature is weeds. Thewhole earth is filled with them, tryingto resist and fight back against all the"progress of man." What all this meansis that before there were people, therewere no weeds. Weeds come fromman's viewpoint not nature's.The Bible says weeds are a curse.They were not part of God's originalcreation which He called good. Weedscame as a part of the fall of man from thepristine condition of caretaker and gardenenjoyer to farmer and laborer. Nowhe must work by the sweat of his browto eat and "Cursed is the ground for thythy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it allthe days of thy life; thorns also andthistles shall it bring forth to thee; andthou shalt eat the herb of the field."Genesis 3:17-18.History supports this view. "True"weeds evolved with man and hisagricultural and soil-disturbanceactivities. They followed him from thecradle of civilization and spread withhim as he covered the earth. Hunters,gatherers, and primitive farmerspunching holes for a few corn kernelshad no weeds to contend with. Plowersand tillers, earth movers, and moundbuilders had weeds allover the place.Originally the land was coveredwith native plants specifically adaptedto conditions oftheir environment. Theycompeted for necessities which were inlirnitedsupply, like sunlight in the forestor water in the desert. They evolved byworking out methods best suited totheir needs.In every ecosystem there were a fewplants unsuited to compete with theconvergently-evolved masses. Instead. they chose a line of evolution whichhelped them gain ajump on everybodyelse by getting there first with the most.In floodplains, on wind blowouts, newlyturned up mounds, or hollows wheretrees fell over, after landslides, floods,or fires, in buffalo wallows, on gophermounds, there were always a few speciesthat couldjump in and grow right away.They had evolved more rapid means ofreproducing and growing in order totake advantage of these less-frequentlyoccurring disturbances.For the most part these earlysuccessional plants were annuals whoseshort life cycle allowed them to evolverapidly .. They were fast growers andprolific seeders whose seeds oftenremained dormant, though viable, forhundreds of years, waiting foradisturbance to trigger their germination.Many were sensitive to a quick flash oflight (hence the old farmer'stale aboutplowing during the dark of the moon).They were "pioneer" or "bandaid" plantsthat came in to cover bare soil or breaksin plant cover.In the United States, ragweed issuch a plant. There are several species,each adapted to slightly different formsof disturbance. On moist floodplains,giant ragweed would cover new soil,helping to prevent erosion, while slower,long-lived perennials began to grow. Inbison wallows, other smaller ragweeddid the same thing. After a forest fire,fireweed, quaking aspen, and certainspecies of pines would begin to growthat first year. These are all opportunisticplants capable of taking advantage ifgiven a chance.In nature, disturbances are usuallysmall if they are frequent. Larger, morecatastrophic disturbances, like theYellowstone fire of 1988, occur onlyevery century or so; therefore, evolutionin natural settings is relativelyslow. Giving these types of plants a(WEEDs. page 10)SEEDS & PLANTSforWETLANDS, WOODLANDS& PRAIRIES9738 Overland RoadMI'. Horeb, WI 53572608/437-52458

Natures Best ToYouGrowers of a Unique Selection of Native Plants- Locally collected seeds -Nursery propagated. not collected from the wild!- Quality balled and burlapped plants -Locally grownNative Wisconsin Plants Available for Purchase~:Freeman MapleRedMaple- sSilver MapleSugar MapleBlack Maple - pAllegany Serviceberry - pYellow Birch - sPaper BirchRiver BirchMusclewood - pBitternut Hickory - p, sShagbark Hickory - PCommon Hackberry - pPagoda DogwoodDowny HawthornDotted HawthornWhite AshBlack AshGreen AshBlue Ash- pThornless Common HoneylocustKentucky Coffeetree - sButternutBlack WalnutIronwood-pQuaking AspenBlack Cherry - sChokecherry - sWaf~WhiteOak-sSwamp White Oak - sBur OakRedOak-sAmerican LindenSbI:uhs:Running Serviceberry - sBlack Chockberry - PSilky DogwoodGray DogwoodRedosier DogwoodAmerican FilbertDwarf BushhoneysuckleEastern WahooCommon Witchhazel - pKalm St. JohnswortCommon WinterberryCommon NinebarkPotentillaAmerican PlumFragrant SumacStaghorn SumacPrairie RosePussy WillowAmerican EiderCommon SnowberryIndiancurrent Coralberry - sWitherod Viburnum - pNannyberry Viburnum - pBlackhaw Viburnum - PAm. Cranberrybush Viburnum- PEyer~s:BalsamFtrOldfield Common Juniper - pCreeping JuniperEastern RedcedarWhite SpruceWhite PineAmerican ArborvitaeCanada Hemlockp - Also available in small pottedplants from our Propagation Dept.upon request.s - Not currently available thisseason, must be ordered prior toApril 1 to be assured a spring dugplant.W.180 N.6275 Marcy Road, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (414)252-4988(Just North of Silver Spring on Marcy Road)

(WEEDS, from page 8)chance to hasten their evolution throughone human-eaused disturbance afteranother, turned them into the aggressiveweeds we have today. This happenedin Asia and Europe where farmingmethods were evolving and improving.For thousands of years, humans,agriculture, and weeds grew together.In fact, some weeds are so likethe crops they grow beside that theirseeds cannot be separated by size, shape,weight, or time of maturation. Fewnative American weed species are problemsto the gardener or farmer; theyhave just not had sufficient time toevolve as the old world weeds have.Some wonderful adaptations thatweeds have come up with include makingmultitudes of seeds, having seedslive for centuries before germinating,having high germination rates, growingrapidly to overtop competing vegetation,or spreading flat to preventgrowth of other plants, having ex1remelyefficient methods of spreading seeds,and even having the ability to produceseed without pollination or fertilization.Just think how all cut off dandelionflowers tum to seeds on your lawnafter you mow. Many weeds alsospread by stollens or rhizomes, so cuttingor chopping these parts only servesto make more of them. It seems withweeds, you just can't win!Not only are they persistent, theyare omnipresent. Where ever peoplego, they follow. You want to findweeds, where do you go? Outtoavirginprairie or bog? Of course not! You goto a farmer's field, your garden or lawn,the very place where you are trying thehardest to get rid of them. That's whereyou'll find them, busily adapting to anew hoe or herbicide, going about theirburgeoning way evolving new strategiesto cope with our new ways of tryingto eliminate them. If we ever do set uphousekeeping on the Moon or Mars,you can bet, the first plant to grow willbe a weed! - Pat ArmstrongPat' native landscaping is featured in theSeptember 1993 issue of Country living.Wildcare •.•September: F ALL TRANS-PLANTING is best for trillium, mayapple,shooting star, etc. For others,fall may be preferable because of lessweed competition, cooler temperatures,and more rain. Consult Rock's PrairiePropagation Handbook & Sperka'sGrowing Wildjlowersfortips. If you'veexpanded a woodland this year, addappropriate groundlayer species now.UPDATE your yard's plant-eommunityrecords before leaves fall. Noteyoung plants' progress, and determinecounter -measures for aggressives ones.MARKfems & others known to emergelate in spring.ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS don'tall have natural areas ...yet. Your naturalyard could set the scene for an art orscience lesson--maybe start somethoughts to start a school prairie.BIRD-DOG ragweed locations. Assummer progressed, mowed-off ragweedplants formed flowers &seedheads close to the ground. Gravelshoulders between pavement & traditionallawns are a prime spot for thisdetermined-to-survive hayfever agent.SEED-COLLECTING DATES: SeeThe Outside Story, (Sept - Oct 1992)October: EXTEND the beauty. ofyour native yard by collecting & dryingstalks for winter enjoyment. JaneEmbertson's 1979 book, Pods: Wildflowersand Weeds in Their FinalBeauty, 'gives collecting times & techniques.Colleen Weiler, who did manyof the arrangements in its color photos,gives workshop classes in our area."BUT OUR KIDS NEED ALAWN" ... Have you worked out anyprovisions for play and sports in yourprairie/woodland? Can you relocateany prairie paths? Cross & reconnectthem--kids love mazes. Is there spacein a clearing for frisbee and hacky sack?Develop your own version of prairiecroquet or bocce ball. What about anexercise path through the woods?QUESTION: "Condo" conjures imagesof chemically-eontrolled lawns andclipped shrubs. Do you know any naturallylandscaped ones? Just curious ...l~A:~~Grny-he.o.de.cl CeV'e~~ C/O~.WILDERNESS UNIVERSITY, afree Wednesday evening series, startsSeptember 15 at UW-Waukesha. DanBoehlke's woodland program is thegrand finale. Call 521-5445 for details."DO NOT BUY any cultivar ofloosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). Nomatter what nurserymen claim, evenloosestrife said to be sterile will crosswith that growing in the wild and producean invasive hybrid. Loosestrife,an exotic, destroys wetlands and has novalue to wildlife." - Faith Campbell,Natural Resources Defense CouncilA BIG THANKS to the DNR'sMichelle Anderson, Judy Crane whokept us on track, and all who helpedwith the State Fair project--wasn't it allworth it? Liatris planted few years agobloomed and complemented newlyadded cup~plant and purple coneflowers.Great interest in our plants andAldo Leopold bench. We'll run thenewly revised plans. - Barb GlasselNursery Grown Wildflowers-Native midwestern plants ofwoodlands, prairies and wetlands~Perennials, shrubs and vines-Books on naturallandscapingFor a catalog please send 50 centsand your name and address to:Little Valley FannDept. WORoute 3 Box 544Spring Green, WI. 53588 _ 9fm//_ dl '""\~\~ . -p-----..:i;''Vf~'0,'., ~'"--d'/i~ ~;:.. ..: i.'J10

Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd.President Irena Macek 414/242-7769Vice President/MembershipMandy Ploch 414/242-2723Secretary Jan Koel 414/251-7175TreasurerDorothy Boyer 414/375-3913Program Lorrie Otto 414/352-0734HospitalityBarb Glassel 414/354-8018Display Leslie Grove 414/351-3239Newsletter EditorCarol Chew 414/351-0644Green Bay Chapter Contact:Jim Jerzak 414/499-5944Madison Chapter Contact:Dave Egan 608/262-9591Northern Illinois Chapter Contact:Pat Armstrong 708/983-8404Wehr Chapter Contact:Pat Brust414/529-4101Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd. isa non-prof1i organization with a missiollto educate and share information withmembers and community at the ''plantsrootsII level and to promote bio-diversityand environmentally sound practices. Weare a diverse membership interested innatural landscaping using native speciesin developing plant communities.The Outside Story is published bimonthlyby Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers,Ltd.@Material for newsletters is welcomedand should be submitted eight weeks priorto publication to: Carol Chew, 8920 NorthLake Drive, Bayside, WI 53217. Sendchange of address to: Mandy Ploch, 4108West Mequon Road, Mequon, WI 53092.Advertising Managers: Melissa Cook,6838 North Range Line Road, Glendale,WI 53209 and Judy Crane, N97 W16981Cheyenne Court, Gennantown, WI 53022Distributi on Coordinator: Delene Hansen,Artwork: Lucy Schumann@ Wild Ones@ 1993Green Bay group visits member yards and prairiesGary Fewless was the guide thoughGreen Bay members visited two the UWGB prairie. Some "friendly"yards in June. Some of the existing plants seen were bush clover, leadplants in Kathy Meyer's woodland are plant, pale purple coneflower, bigsedge, star flower, and lowbush blue- bluestem, and Indian grass. Sweet c10-berry. A few landscaping ideas were: ver, is a bi-annual requiring removalidentifying and transplanting sedge; (such as burning) two years in succesaddingmiddle story trees (cockspur sion. Gary suggests giving considerhawthorn,or American1)ophornbearn); ation to planting a partial area whenand considering the resulting light starting. As one area is established,change caused by any tree removal. seeds can be collected for the nextBrock Robinson recommends be- section. Prairies change over seasons,ginning with a plan. After his lawn was so visit several times.destroyed, leafmold and shredded bark In August, the group saw Kitwere used on the area. Many plants in Woessner's suburban front yard plantedhis woodland were rescued in the dor- in prairie and a developing woodlandsmant stage. Advantages of this method in back. Jim Jerzak described his threeare: durability of root stock, chance to year prairie restoration project as memdelayplanting, and larger numbers of bers toured his acreage.plants which maybe carried ina smaller Join the Purple Loosestrife Taskspace. Blooming shooting stars seen in Force by calling UW _Extension (391-the visit were especially beautiful. 4610). _ Sue BarrieGentian, prairie seed expert shares knowledgeBabette Kis is a very patient plant and need to grow with other plants.propagator whose Milwaukee yard was Bottle gentian likes a pH of 4.0 - 7.5the site of our August meeting. All of while creamy gentian is more tolerant.her wildflowers are started from seed, Asters and goldenrods are good comsomethingthat she has been studying panion plants. Provide at least a foot ofand doing since she was nine years old. humus for gentians.Although gentians are her forte, she has Collect seeds just before dispersalproduced purple coneflowers, blue bap- and store until fall. Some seeds cantisia and thimbleweed for Milwaukee then: be planted safely, but wait untilboulevard plantings. Retzer Nature after beetles and birds are gone so theyCenter consists primarily of plants from won't harvest them. Blue baptisia seedsBabette with Barnes Prairie origins. can be cleaned, stored dry and coldOne in particular, butterfly milkweed until March planting. Legumes planted(Asclepias tuberosa) has adapted to in sterile soil will need an inoculant, buthea\-)', loam soils unlike the familiar not if planted outside in garden soilone which comes from sandy soils. She where bacteria is available. When transsaidseedlings are much more tolerant planting, don't wash away soil containofgrowing conditions than mature ing valuable microorganisms. Seedplantsso it is important to understand lings can be potted up to five years.what pH balance mature plants require. Solomon's seal develops a root the firstA plant is growing in the right place if year and takes four to five years toit has lived there for at least 10 years. bloom; trilliums need five to seven; andHowever, pH can change from year butterfly weed three. Starry Solomon'sto year and spring to fall. Barnes' seal and goldenseal won't germinate forPrairie, she noted, has changed from two years or grow under black walnuts.3.5 to 6.5 - 7.0 in the past 20 years, Add oakorbeechleaves,pfitzeroryewprobably from acid rain.needles to lower pH, add lime to in-Prairie gentians require 5.0 -5.5 pH crease pH. - Jan Koel11

CalendarSchlitz Audubon Center and WehrNature Center Chapters: (Note thatthe same program is given at SchlitzAudubon Center, 1111 East BrownDeer Road, Milwaukee, WI 53217 at9:30 a.m. and Wehr Nature Center,9701 West College Avenue, Franklin,WI 53132 at 1:30 p.m.)Saturday, September 11: We'll be seeingNoor Morey's Mequon yard.Saturday, October 9: Seed collecting.Saturday, November 13: LucySchumann describes how she developeda charming, woodland garden.Saturday, December II: Janice Stiefelgives us plant and insect lore at ourannual holiday meeting seed exchange.Saturday, January 8: School naturalarea maintenance is Lorrie Otto's topic.Green Bay Chapter:Saturday, September 25 at 9 a.m.We'll be gathering seeds this time.Wednesday, November 10 at 7 p.m.Business meeting and seed exchange.Call 414/826-7520 for information.Northern Illinois Chapter:Sunday, September 12 at 2 p.m. JanSmith will show her small flower-filledyard and we'll visit two gardens she'sdesigned. Call 708/653-3958.Thursday, September 16 at 7 p.m.Karen Moore will demonstrate how todry fruits and flowers for crafts andpotpourri. First fall meeting at COD,Building SRC, Room 1024A. For informationcall 708/983-8404.Saturday, October 16at 1p.m. VirginiaUmberger will talk about growing andusing gourds. Call 708/742-0355.Thursday, October 21 at 7 p.m. Dr.George Ware, Dendrologist at MortonArboreturm, will tell us about caringfor trees. Meeting at COD. Call 708/983-8404 for information.Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m.Annual holiday party and seed exchange.The ------Players will be backby popular demand. Food, fellowship,and fun. Call 708/887-0541 for moredetails about bringing seeds and food. Ifyou don't have seeds you'll be able tobuy them for 10 cents a package.wild ones@newsletter for natural landscapersNon-profit OrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDMilwaukee, WisconsinPermit No. 4016