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On The Wild Side

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Christine Schoene Maccabee
Wildflowers Along the Railraod Track

Anyone who has driven or walked or jogged or biked along Woodside Drive in Thurmont this spring will have noticed the colorful flowers along the railroad track. Many of these flowers are various poppies, mallows, and cornflowers from a mix of flower seeds spread over a few areas prepared in early spring. Miraculously, many of these seeds sprouted and grew in spite of a very dry period, with no one watering them.

Much to the relief of most neighbors on Woodside Drive, a deal was made with the Midland Railroad company not to spray herbicides along the tracks in that area. One fellow said he would rather see green and growing things than dead and dying things, not to mention the toxic smell that wafted over to his property. This project has been just one of the many things the Green Team of Thurmont has been doing for about one year now. You may have already read about these efforts to create a more sustainable, green community. The Green Team is flourishing and, of course, always welcomes new enthusiasts. This wildflower project is just one of many great projects, such as energy saving in homes and businesses, encouraging citizens to shop locally, watershed stewardship, the farmers market, community vegetable gardens, and so on.

Much like any creative project, this garden along the railroad tracks is just getting started, and it will take a few years to rid it of invasives and “unwanteds,” as I call them. However, as the ladies helping to implement this vision know, there are already many important wildflowers growing there that came directly from the soil, no seeding or planting necessary. Some of these flowers are late bloomers, such as the wild asters and evening primroses, so keep your eyes peeled for a late summer show.

Right now, the Queen Ann’s Lace are showing off with all their summer splendor, even as the spring poppies are fading away. Those lovely poppies will return next spring, however, with even more numbers, as thousands of seeds from their seed capsules will drop and fly wherever the wind may blow. That is the beauty of a wild area: It eventually will self-sow.

We have plans this autumn to prepare other areas for sowing of wild native plant seeds, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, lupines, and many more. We will also do some live plantings. Until then, through this summer heat, you may see a couple of us at a time, sweating as we are “working on the railroad,” cutting back lambs quarters, thistle, and wild lettuce before they go to seed. We are projecting that this project, though on-going for years, will be greatly enhanced within about three years. Of course, we welcome any other hardy volunteers to help, so please call or write us (see contact information at the end of this article).

Now, I know that not all people like such a wild display. However, I also know for a fact that the members of the wild community love and need it. If one stands long enough to observe, one will see bees, maybe butterflies, and the birds, which are eating both seeds and bugs. These insects and birds will travel to front and backyard gardens to delight the owners; therein is the secret to creating a natural community of which humans can be an important member.

The more habitat for wild plants and wildlife, the better, as far as most experts are concerned. Air quality improves, streams are cleaner and cooler for aquatic life, bees have more nectar and pollen for survival—and for us to put honey on our toast—and our children will learn more about the importance of connecting with the natural world and how humans can be such an important part of this amazing wild world, if only to protect and enhance it.

If you wish to join with us in the Green Team, please contact us at thurmontgreenteam@gmail.com. You can also write Jim Humerick at the town office at JHumerick@thurmontstaff.com, or you can write me at songbirdschant@gmail.com.

COLUMN---wild-flowers
Christine and Cindy Poole at the railroad tracks for the wildflower project, just one of the many wonderful projects the Green Team has in the works.

On The Wild Side

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Misunderstood but Beautiful

Christine Schoenemann (Maccabee)

In a very real way, flowers are a lot like people. Fragile, they are born vulnerable, and if fortunate to receive the proper care, will thrive and bear much goodness. However, many people, like flowers, are misunderstood. Some of us are late bloomers and get cut down while struggling to grow, while others of us may express ourselves in the wrong way, or the wrong place, and are criticized.

True, it is about the world of plants and flowers that I mostly write, but the connection between humans and the natural world being what it is—ever constant and essential—is often times impossible to separate the two. Many of our greatest writers and teachers refer to nature, recognizing the wisdom that is to be gained if we but open our hearts and our minds to it. Many of these people have been misunderstood as well.

Four of my very favorite wildflowers are the lavender bergamot, rarely seen anymore due to mowing; the shy blue chicory; the wild asters, of which I have four species on my property; and the tall rarely seen white and yellow wild sweet clovers (which look nothing like clovers, but are in that family). Both chicory and bergamot are blooming profusely right now here at my Mystic Meadows, and I can never see them enough. The wild bergamot has cross-pollinated with its relative, the gorgeous red monarda, creating two new shades of purple and maroon. I am blown away by their beauty and their usefulness. Standing very still by each large cluster of flowers, which are shoulder high, the hundreds of flowers seem literally in motion with the activity of hummingbird, moths, various butterflies, and bumble bees—large and small. Of course, even a hummingbird cruises by for a nip on the way to its favorite mimosa tree. Sadly, I see very few honey bees this year.

Chicory is the most tenacious wildflower I know. It tends to grow right up against the country roads people drive down in their early morning rush to work or school, gracing our journeys with their joyful blue color, brightening our moods if we but see them. Even when mowed down, they grow right back, undeterred. If permitted, they will bloom right through the summer into fall, providing nectar for bees and, later, essential seeds for small birds like finch. They usually close their blue petals during the heat of the day, and so are seen as ugly by most people as they have tiny leaves and look spindly when their petals are closed. But oh, when the day is cooler and the flowers are open, behold the powdery blue profusion!

Wild asters spend the entire summer growing slowly into tall, elegant plants full of elongated leaves. There are four varieties which I grow throughout my gardens, and the reward for my patience is a glorious, end-of-summer show of tiny, daisy-like flowers, a final burst of white and purple beauty which goes well into the fall. These plants, besides being a welcome source of inspiration for me before the long, cold days of winter, serve as essential nectar and pollen for our bees. Without these wildflowers, the bees could easily starve in their hives. Goldenrod, which I will write about in a sequel to this article, is also significant for bees, and even butterflies, to stave off starvation. It is and has been mostly misunderstood as well.

Many years ago, I was enjoying the beauty of my back road where, unfortunately, the white and yellow wild sweet clovers were growing embarrassingly close to the road. They are somewhat guilty of looking gangly, like some people I know, and were very tall. I knew they would eventually be mowed, so I decided to cut them with more care by myself. So, I went home and came back, laden with an arsenal of cutting tools, only to loose my resolve when I put the blade to their stalks. I thought to myself, What is more important, the flowers or the road? I had observed very few of these particular flowers being permitted to grow anywhere, so I put down my weapons and joined the ranks of the misunderstood. After that day, they moved themselves to a safer place. They now grow, undisturbed, in various spots on my property. Plants come to me that way, and I welcome them with open arms!

I love the late bloomers and the misunderstood ones, be they human or flower. Perhaps our biggest challenge in life is to embrace these ones, to accept them as amazing creations on this miraculous planet, which is full to bursting with diversity. I leave you with an ancient Indian quotation I love that reflects the awesomeness of it all: “Flowers are the footprints of the dancing steps of God.”

Now, off I go to enjoy the rest of this glorious summer!

Christine is a Master Naturalist in the State of Maryland. She welcomes any questions and feedback at songbirdschant@gmail.org.