Text and Photos by Laurie Larson
On Thursday, October 10, the sky was clearing and the temperature was 55-60°. At 9:30 a.m., Ava van Baaren, Ben Hart, Robert Koch, Laurie Larson, Debbie Lux, Diane Samuel, and Miriam Swartz gathered in the meadow. The mission was to plant seedlings to add to the variety in the Lumberton meadow.
Debbie supplied a flat of Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, and a flat of Blazing Star, Liatris scariosa. The little plants were planted in sunny areas, the milkweed with some moisture and the liatris in drier spots, at the northeast end of the meadow. We gathered seeds from the dry seed heads of existing plants and scattered them at the northeast end as well.
While working, we enjoyed the dry seed heads and fall colors of many of the meadow plants, including Monarda, goldenrods, bluestem grasses, oat and rye grass, and many more. A few butterflies still braved the late season, including a Buckeye, a Clouded Sulfur, a Fritillary and a Cabbage White.
