Crow’s Nest: Plants we love, and compost

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager

I am fond of the native trumpetcreeper (Campsis radicans) growing in the barnyard garden. It has a reputation for being aggressive but we have had no trouble keeping its growth in check here. This year I am paying more attention to the insect life that visits it.

Below, tall coneflower (Rubeckia laciniata) is growing with a backdrop of New York ironweed (Vernonia novaboracensis). I love these spontaneous compositions.

Finally, I saw moveable signs at a community garden in Maine that identify which sections of compost piles are ready to use and those to which fresh material can be added. Cody executed a set with a wood burner for the new compost bins he built here. The signs can be slipped into the joints of the bins and moved as necessary.