Gardens Throwing Shade

 

I was in the MN Landscape Arboretum Bookstore to pick up 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘚𝘬𝘺, 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘴 by Travis Novitsky and Annette S. Lee. Travis presented his work for my landscape photographer speaker series in early December, 2023 —just a month after his book had been released. He was the third of five guest artists I brought in for my last event as photography programs manager at the institution colloquially known as "the Arb." His presentation was full of connections made between the night sky, photography, seasonality, human experience and how these come together through storytelling. If you have the chance to hear him speak, do it -or pick up his book.

Book in hand, I turned to look across the aisle, and eyed 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘪𝘭 by James Nardi, a book I read a dozen years ago in my Brooklyn apartment, merely 3 feet from our garden and its mixed-blessing soil between the apartment wall and sidewalk. In this book, Nardi describes the soil as a cosmos under our feet, and within it, a universe of chemical compounds, ionized atoms, and organisms. If you want to understand how over-watering can be toxic to a plant or be able to explain how electrical charge relates to fertility, this book is a good read. 

Next to Life in the Soil was another book on earthworms. While paging through this book, I got to thinking about failures common to native gardening under shaded, home landscape conditions. Out in the park, the gardener sees Trillium grandiflorum or Caulophyllum thalictroides, and thinks "I’ve got shade and medium soil, so this should grow in my yard." After purchasing these difficult-to-find plants, siting and digging them in, they don’t make it. The gardener questions the plant (was it healthy?), the sky (too much sun, not enough water?), or the source (can’t trust that nursery!). 

Blue Cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides, in bloom at Shelterwood

These questions should be asked, but are only the beginning. Forest-dwelling plants have a complex relationship to the earth conditioned by millennia of dead leaf and wood deposition, decayed and partially decomposed, along with fungi, insects, and microbes. The chemical composition of such healthy soil is light years apart from scraped, compacted, replaced, overused, apparently healthy but relatively lifeless earth around our homes. Even in apparently natural woodlands, soil in human-occupied regions has often declined to simple mineral soils that lack layers of organic matter. These layers are necessary in support of those plant species we desire for our yards. In other words, trees alone are not enough. Yard trees have a very different relationship to yard soil than forest trees have to forest soil —something I repeat to Shelterwood customers each year. 

 

You may be wondering what a gardener can do to grow more soil-sensitive species among those species well-adapted to survive less hospitable conditions (I’m looking at you, PA Sedge). Before addressing that, a brief discussion about the types of shade that can be found around common home sites in the U.S. is necessary. See the following post to learn more (to be published on Jan 1, 2025). 

Post Two: Gardens Throwing Shade: Not All Shade Is Created Equal

 

Cutleaf Toothwort, Cardamine concatenata, in coir pot at Shelterwood

Autumn Changes

Two months ago I closed my native plant nursery, Shelterwood Gardens. Although 2024 was my most successful to date, with sales doubling each year since 2020, it was also the year we decided to sell our always-too-big house on acreage we could hardly keep up or afford to have others help. The strictly retail nursery was small, typically no more than 5000 plants, all raised in pots with most over-wintered at least once. Peak species count was about 230 -all native or nearly native to the counties surrounding the Minneapolis Metro region.

What set Shelterwood apart from the other native plant nurseries in the state was my focus on mature potted plants and time with the customer. I understood that a customer's native plant research often mixed with desire and the web's most popular, most reiterated information. Since the nursery was never very busy with customers, I had time to help each choose species appropriate to their site and conditions. 

Nursery in early spring

The information I provided was built on my experience growing individual species, observations of species in the "field," and research -in other words, not fool-proof. In some ways native plant gardening can be quite easy and at times, especially as a gardener aims to mimic natural communities more precisely, it can be overwhelming. The goal was always to keep those new to native plant gardening interested, curious, and motivated to carry on despite the common setbacks like prominent weeds, species failure, and excessive herbivory. 

 

Nursery in mid June

 

In the Upper Midwest, where native plant gardening has its roots in the work and thinking of Aldo Leopold, among others, there are many native plant nurseries -most of them focused on prairie and wetland edge species. Although I also grew and sold these, Shelterwood increased the number of woodland and sand prairie species for those many woodland and sandy soil lots. In this arena there is opportunity for growth -for gardeners and nurseries, should they choose to take it on. 

 

Nursery in winter

Below are my closing words to a list of about 150 customers who had subscribed to Shelterwood Gardens native plant nursery newsletter.

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Dear Native Plant Enthusiasts,

Another summer is coming to a close. Water-stressed trees, primarily sugar maples in our woods, are beginning to show their fall colors. There's also the sound of crickets and katydids, which arrived early this year, but are more pronounced in August. This chorus of rhythmic chirps and trills, what is called stridulation, I consider one of the goals of gardening with native species. Order, in the garden, can and should be expanded beyond sight alone, into a panoply of the senses. Where a neighbor might comment on apparent chaos they see in habitat you've helped create, redirect their attention to the aural order's assurances that all is as it should be. Check out this great website to identify the August singers supported by your gardens. 

If you sense wistfulness in late August -this is the season where we still actively enjoy the wonders of summer, but anticipate its end. In this anticipation there is an aesthetic, emotional quality of melancholy. This feeling is sustained with diminishing light, the hours shifting cool then warm then cool again, morning dew, the flash of fiery senescence on our eyes, and crisp blue sky. Autumnal melancholy is neither sad nor bittersweet; it is no less a yearned for comfort than plush sweaters, spiced hot milk, wood smoke, and squash's sugary starch.

With late August upon us, Shelterwood has only a half dozen or so open weekends left before the close of the season. This season will also be Shelterwood's last. I opened Shelterwood at the outset of the pandemic, making this my fifth season growing Minnesota native plants to maturity. Having worked within horticultural and educational settings over several years, I wanted to bring to the native plant business what I wanted to see and hadn't found -even in Minnesota, a state rich with native plant resources. I think that I have created in Shelterwood a proof of concept that native plants can be grown to maturity, overwintered, and that there are customers who want them.

Minnesota's native plant trade has focused on prairie species for it is in prairie that we find flowers, therefore pollinators, and these two things people have come to want to see more of in their yards and gardens. There is, however, much greater depth to be found in Minnesota's numerous ecoregions, from northern Lake Agassiz Plain to the southeastern Driftless. Woodlands, of which Minnesota has such great diversity, has long been overlooked in the native plant trade. This, however, is beginning to change and will continue to change as long as there are customers who expect to find native woodland species at their favorite native plant nursery. As a small nursery, I was able to grow species that were difficult to germinate or grow at commercial scale. I was able to depend on seedlings emerging in pots of their "choice" instead of rows of hothouse cell trays. Where profit is not the motive, small can do many things big cannot.

 

I'd like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to those customers who've returned, year over year, to support Shelterwood as well as 2024's new faces. Business improved this year due, in large part, to finally getting on the Lawn2Legume grant list of nurseries and participation in two additional off-site sales. It would be great to see these off-site sales extended from May into June and then again in late August to early September. If that is of interest to you, request it from your favorite retailer of native plants. Without the big growers on board, it is unlikely a fall sale could take place. Another opportunity would be to orchestrate sales in each quadrant of the metro, i.e. NE, SE, NW, SW because if there is one thing I've heard frequently -it has been "this is far." More native plant "expos" can help growers sell plants but also bring in new, native plant curious gardeners. The greater the number of gardeners looking for native plants, the better the opportunity for those growers to keep their business growing.

Shelterwood still has over 2300 plants to send to homes. To be sure, some popular species have sold out, but there are plenty to make a trip worth it. If you, or someone you know, has received a grant for a pollinator or rain garden, come out as soon as possible. It is quiet enough that I have been spending an hour or more with customers to help identify the best species for their project. For now my hours will remain similar, Friday through Sunday. I have shortened Sunday hours to 9am-1pm, as there are few to no customers in the afternoon on Sundays. However, please reach out to make an appointment if you cannot make it within open hours. I will continue to serve native plant gardeners as long as is possible.

Some may be wondering "what's next?" Well, for one, you will notice the "for sale" sign at the entrance to Shelterwood. I am also writing. In 2007 I began what became a popular New York City garden/nature/art blog back when people, not AI, did the writing. It's still out there, although I changed the title when we moved to MN, and I occasionally add new material. Unfortunately ads, SEO, and AI have ruined what used to be a valuable Web form. Social media changed things too, starting with attention spans, what is seen and what isn't, and forced character limits on writing (on IG, anyway -I left FB in 2016). Typing on a phone is impossible anyway.  Last winter I started working on a long form story -some call that a book. About what, you may wonder. Keywords: plants, people, ecology, love, boundaries. Fiction -something new to me, and a great challenge. I'm also working on my upcoming exhibition, this November at Rosalux, in Minneapolis. You can see the details here. If you follow Shelterwood on Instagram -I will keep that going and am uncertain what I will do with the account once the nursery closes for the season. Whatever I choose to do, I will announce it there.

Hope to see you soon and enjoy the remainder of summer and return of autumn.

Best

Frank

Shelterwood Gardens

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Some responses I received in reply to this late sumer newsletter, identifying details removed...


Hello Frank,

 

Wow sounds like a lot of change is coming your way.  Will yall stay in Mn?  Still working for the Arb?I feel sad about Shelterwood closing as you offered such a ray of light for us native gardeners. But I understand there are lots of challenges to remain profitable. 

 

Thank you for all you do!!!!!

Kristy

Dear Frank,

It’s not often an email makes me weep. Yet yours this morning did just that. (Weep is a strong word, but I truly did just that!)

The opening paragraphs were so beautiful. It’s exactly how I feel about this time of year but have never been able to put into words. And also how I feel about native gardening – it’s so much more than what we see, which many don’t often understand.

Then to learn this is your last season…what sadness this brings to me. Shelterwood has become my go-to place for natives. Because you have such a variety of woodland natives, which are so hard to find. Because you sell larger pots, which give the plants a fighting chance to survive among the many and challenging tree roots in my yard…and the dry soil as a result. Because your nursery is peaceful. And mostly because you have taken time with me, offering your knowledge, teaching me so much. I wish I had learned of Shelterwood a few years earlier.

Life changes, though – just like our gardens. I wish you all the best in whatever comes next.

As I’ve watched my garden over the summer, I’ve taken lots of notes and kept a list of possible plants to buy for end-of-summer planting. I’ll be out to visit soon, hopefully this weekend.

Warmly,
Kimberly

Nursery late summer

That’s a lot of news! Some good some sad for those of us who have enjoyed you and your plants at the Mound Market or at your beautiful property that you have so graciously opened to so many of us!! How much I will miss my stops there in the spring…… thank you for all you have done and you will be missed !! Wishing you continued happy, successful adventures!!!!!! I hope to stop by one more time?

Best Regards,
Marie

 

Nursery in early fall

 

Hi Frank, I'm saddened to hear you are closing the nursery! I also read that you are selling the house? Where are you moving to?

I wanted to tell you that you have been an inspiration of sorts for me. Over the past few years I have successfully winter sown a large variety of native plants. I divide them up in the late spring and then plant in the fall. I'm amazed at the success rate of this method (however, Coreopsis palmata has, for some reason, been a tricky one).

Anyways, thanks for all of the great info you've shared over the years.

Mark

 

 

 

Squirrel Appreciation... 🤔

We don't blog because, well, social media apps. Instagram is where I am (@shelterwood_gardens or @frankmeuschke), although it delivers more grief than blogger, but there is an instant audience. That fact seems to keep many of us long-time bloggers on our phones. I will try to upend that by, at first, reposting and building upon wordy posts from that other platform. This is one from January 21, Squirrel Appreciation Day, 2024.

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The squirrels have had quite a winter so far. Is it the lack of snow or the mast year full of acorns? In winter they often emerge after sunrise, warming up in the sun, before making as few journeys across the land as possible. Not this winter. Daily, up before sunrise, chasing each other, bounding from tree to tree, and remaining active for most of the day. Earlier in winter the larger Fox Squirrels were more abundant, but now the gray dominate. When I leave our place in the woods, it may be the squirrels I’ll miss more than any other wildlife as they animate the yard, living as close to us as possible with only modest interaction between us.

I know this is not the position of many people. There are few posts on this blog more visited than the one about drowning squirrels (not me!). In urban settings squirrels are often considered a pest. They bite each tomato! They nip the rose buds! They destroy my house! Curiously, they do none of those things at our place. Why? They have what they need within the woods here. They treat the house like a big boulder, present but of no interest. I have yet to see them take interest in the vegetable garden, but we also protect it from more interested parties.

Cities are the ultimate walled gardens. Within the city, ideas are cultivated about the value of wildlife, out there, in the wilderness. Yet wildlife, within its walls, is subject to other values. We aim to protect distant wilderness, and the creatures we identify with it, while we struggle with the wilderness within the walls of the garden.

We hold dear the preservation of wilderness. We head out to it for a taste of beauty, clean air, and wildlife. Given over to the experience, it can teach us that the way of wilderness is not aesthetic, is not perfection, is not harmony as we tend to think of it, but that wilderness is the walls torn down.

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day.