The September 9 work day featured beautiful weather as well as three first-time volunteers!
There was a lot of sand, trash, and tree litter in our creekside work area from recent flooding, so our group did a cleanup and filled four trash bags (see photo). Some volunteers continued to remove privet (Ligustrum sinense) and wisteria
(W. sinense) in the creekside area, while others weeded and tidied the garden in the pavilion area. Volunteer Tyra put up a new display on the bulletin board featuring poison ivy and its lookalikes.
Several Joro spiders were found in the park. These spiders are native to Asia and are thought to have arrived in Georgia in a shipping container. They are spreading rapidly in Georgia and adjacent states.
The following plants were noted to be in bloom: Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), a sunflower with lance-shaped leaves (Helianthus sp.), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), Maryland aster (Chrysopsis mariana), and Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and Hearts-a-bustin’ (Euonymous americanus) berries are ripening; Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) and crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) shoots are mingled with the large pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) in the butterfly garden, along with wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and little bluestem
(Schizachirium scoparium) grass. There is a new species present, Fringed Campion (Silene polypetala). Probably it is from seed we planted last year. However, the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) by the steps are for some reason much smaller than they were last year.
Our next work day will be October 14.