Gardening

650 x 400 Unity Garden Volunteers

Can pulling weeds really be meditative?

Update on the CNC native gardens

By Jacqueline McRae, Manager of Horticulture and Gardens

 

Out on the grounds here at CNC, the Horticulture Team is truly gardening for wildlife year-round. In summer there is much work to be done to keep nectar flowing for the butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that visit the grounds.

Every day we tend to the amazing collections of native plants that provide shelter and will produce the seeds and berries for our Georgia birds and wildlife in the fall. With our visitors in mind, we want the beds of plants native to Georgia to look the best they can so when you visit there is always something new to see in bloom.

 

Volunteers helping on the CNC grounds

A newly forming group of CNC grounds volunteers has begun to pitch in with the Horticulture Team and beginning to appreciate the satisfaction of bigger projects such as rescuing trees inundated with vines as well as smaller projects such as weeding very carefully between the native Georgia plants we want to see thrive.

Down in the weeds we are literally as close to nature as anyone can be!

 

Native Plant Sale

It is important to our local Georgia food web that we especially look after the plants native to Georgia and include them in our landscapes. We grow wildflowers here at CNC and you can too in your home gardens and community spaces. These native plants are adapted to our weather and our soils. They provide vital sources of food and shelter for birds, caterpillars, and many other species of wildlife that call Georgia home.

With this in mind, you can imagine how happy the Horticulture Team was to discover the first orange and black caterpillars of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly chowing down on newly emerged Passionflower vines growing in the gardens.

You too can look forward to feeding many other butterflies and hosting their caterpillars with our Georgia plants in the months to come by checking out the native plant sale located next to the Butterfly Encounter until August 8.

Unity Garden Update

CNC has a group of volunteers that loves to pull weeds and who readily join the Horticulture team each week in the Unity Garden to pitch in and help. “Weeding is meditative”, they say, even in the Georgia summer heat and humidity as they happily get in between rows of vegetables and beds of herbs to pull out any offending weeds. No worries, there are plenty of weeds left for any of you who would like to join us!

The Unity Garden was fully planted for summer by mid-June using plants grown from the seeds sown with the help of volunteers earlier in the spring. With all of us working together Horticulture successfully raised extra tomato and pepper seedlings and was very happy to be able to donate these plants for distribution by the Atlanta Food Well Alliance.

Volunteering at CNC

Last month we greeted large groups of volunteers with open arms for the first time since what felt like forever. In addition to the usual harvesting, weeding, and planting in June we also embarked on a project to build a second set of raised beds in the Unity Garden. The raised beds will help to provide good drainage for our plants and keep out some of the weeds from the pathways through the garden.

Check out the CNC website to volunteer if you like the idea of rolling up your sleeves, joining other volunteers as we learn more about the plants that support our natural world here in Georgia as well as about the plants not from Georgia growing here and that we need to remove.

Visit CNC and explore the native gardens and if you are looking for a way to relax and give back explore volunteering with the Horticulture Department!

650 x 400 Butterfly

Tips for Starting a Successful Butterfly Garden

Always include a nectar source and host plants

March 16, 2021

Giant Swallowtail

There are two parts to any successful butterfly garden: nectar sources and host plants. Nectar is an important source of food for many pollinators, and luckily there are many different types of annuals and perennials that provide this resource.

To attract native pollinators to your garden, we recommend planting native annuals and perennials that would typically be found in your area naturally. Butterflies see in ultraviolet light, so bright colored flowers with a lighter center can act as a target to help attract pollinators. Butterflies also prefer a space to land while feeding on the nectar, so native species with larger petals or petals that form in clumps will also help attract butterflies to your garden.

The National Wildlife Federation provides these additional tips when selecting nectar plants:

Monarch Butterfly
  • Plant good nectar sources in the sun
  • Select a variety of plants to promote continuous bloom throughout the season
  • Say no to insecticides! Insecticides are lethal to butterflies while they are still caterpillars.

 

Here is a short list of nectar sources that have been used in our Butterfly Encounter at CNC throughout the years. 

Annuals: Lantana ‘New Gold’, Petunia ‘Wave White’, Calibrachoa ‘Blue Legend’, Zinnia ‘Profusion’, Verbena ‘Vepita Dark Red’, Plumbago

Perennials: Gaillardia pulchella, Indian Blanket, Coreopsis sp., Tickseed, Stokesia laevis, Stokes aster, Pycnanthemum sp., Mountain mints

 

Butterfly weed

The second item necessary for a successful butterfly garden are host plants. Host plants are required for a butterfly’s reproductive cycle. 

When a caterpillar hatches from its egg, it must eat from a specific plant to survive. If an egg is laid on a plant that is not the correct host plant, the caterpillar will hatch, try to eat whatever plant they are on, and then die. Therefore, if you would like to attract a wide variety of native butterflies to your garden, be sure to plant a wide variety of native host plants! 

Below, you can find the list of host plants to some of the native butterflies of Georgia.

 

 

Butterfly: Danaus plexippus,  Monarch 
Host Plant: Asclepias incarnata

Butterfly: Papilio polyxenes, Black Swallowtail
Host Plants: Variety of plants in the Apiaceae family including: Carrots, Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Celery, Caraway

Butterfly: Papilio cresphontes, Giant Swallowtail
Host Plants: Variety of trees and herbs in Rutaceae family including: Prickly Ash, Hop Tree, Common Rue

Butterfly: Battus philenor, Pipevine Swallowtail
Host Plant: Pipevines (Aristolochia species) 

Butterfly: Papilio troilus, Spicebush Swallowtail
Host Plant: Plants belonging to Lauraceae family

Butterfly: Papilio glaucus, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Host Plant: Common host plants in Magnoliaceae and Rosaceae families including: Tulip Tree, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Wild Black Cherry

Butterfly: Siproeta stelenes, Malachite
Host Plants: Ruellia coccinea and other plants in the Acanthaceae family

Butterfly: Heliconius charithonia, Zebra Longwing
Host Plant: Several passion flower vine species (Passiflora sp.) including: Purple Passionflower, Corkystem Passionflower, Yellow Passionflower and more

Butterfly: Vanessa cardui, Painted Lady
Host Plants: More than 100 species of plants have been recorded as a host plant for the Painted Lady including: Compositae family, Boraginaceae family, Malvaceae family

Butterfly: Agraulis vanillae, Gulf Fritillary
Host Plant: Many species in the Passiflora family including: Purple Passionflower and Corkystem Passionflower

Along with nectar and host plants there are also a few other things to consider when planning your butterfly garden. They are not plant related, but just as important for attracting butterflies.

Create a spot for butterflies to rest. Butterflies need sun and warmth to dry their wings and be ready for flight. Flat stones in your garden are a great place for them to warm up and get ready for the day. 

Did you know that butterflies need to drink water? Puddling is a term for when butterflies congregate on wet sand and mud. Birds & Blooms shares details on what to consider when making a spot for puddling. Kidsgardening.org has a step by step guide to making a puddle for your garden. All ages can take part in this activity! The butterflies will appreciate it!

If you would like more information on other plants you can include in your butterfly garden at home,  you can visit your local county extension office or shop at the native plant sales at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. The Spring Native Plant sale happens the last weekend of March and first weekend of April and the Fall Native Plant Sale happens in September. There are horticulturists, master gardeners, and garden experts at the plant sales that can help you pick the right plants for your butterfly garden.

Bring together nectar sources and host plants in your garden, along with a few other features, and you will be on your way to attracting butterflies and other pollinators throughout spring, summer, and fall!

Vegetables picked and lined up in baskets

Over 2,000 pounds of Fresh Produce Delivered to North Fulton Community Charities

The largest weekly donation of 2020 occurred in July

Written by Tracy Begley, Website and Marketing Specialist
August 5, 2020

Despite the challenges of limited volunteers due to COVID-19, the Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) continues to provide fresh produce to North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) on a weekly basis. The largest weekly donation in 2020 occurred in July with a 707.5 pound harvest!

Vegetables picked and lined up in baskets
Weekly produce harvested

The total amount harvested in July was 2,230 pounds and included squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, okra, kale, green beans, turnips, basil, and garlic.

Christopher Horacek, Unity Garden and Schools Horticulturist, said, “In July, 7 varieties of tomatoes and 9 varieties of peppers were harvested.”

The Unity Garden is CNC’s quarter-acre outdoor classroom and urban farm and is in operation year round. Everything grown in the garden is donated to North Fulton Community Charities, making CNC one of the largest providers of fresh produce to a food pantry in the region.

Horacek shared, “July is a peak harvest month so we were fortunate to have 2-6 volunteers assist with harvesting weekly and some even helped harvest twice in a week. It is awesome to have volunteers helping in the garden again.”

Yellow squash harvested in the garden

The Chattahoochee Nature Center recently began to allow volunteers to return to the property in limited capacity. Volunteers must meet CNC COVID-19 protocols, based on CDC and State of Georgia guidelines, before returning to the campus, as well as adhere to operational changes while on the property. Social distancing protocols are in place for all programs and volunteers and staff are wearing masks on the property.

Plants become art

DeAnn Fordham, Senior Director of Development and Marketing, said, “Volunteers are critical to the operation and success of the Center. Each year, more than 500 volunteers contribute 27,000 hours helping the Center implement programs and events, handle administrative work and assist our operational team on the grounds. COVID-19 has greatly impacted our ability to work with volunteers, many who are like family, and there service is greatly missed by our team. We are glad to have volunteers slowly returning to the property.”

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is proud to continue to partner with North Fulton Community Charities and contribute to the health and well-being of the families they serve. If you would like to support the Unity Garden, you can make a donation here.

Want to learn more about the partnership between the Chattahoochee Nature Center and North Fulton Community Charities please visit the following:

The Unity Garden Continues to Provide Fresh Produce to Local Food Bank – May 22, 2020

CNC donates 340 lbs. to local food bank -April 15, 2020

CNC donates fresh produce to the NFCC food pantry – video

Asclepias sp., Milkweed

Explore the Native Gardens at the CNC

Native Plant Scavenger Hunt

By Taylor Lamb, Horticulturist at CNC
July 26, 2020

There is no better time than now to get outside and stretch your legs and your brain! In the horticulture department at the CNC, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of native plant species, and we thought it would be fun to challenge visitors of all ages to a friendly scavenger hunt!

Georgia is renowned for its vastly differing landscapes. From the sandy, dry terrain of The Coastal Plains to the cool, moist climate of The Blue Ridge Mountains, plant species across Georgia have adapted over time to fill every niche.

This variety produces absolutely stunning and unique specimens that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Each of our gardens across the CNC strives to emanate these unique habitats, and we would love it if you join us on this virtual tour throughout our property.

Plan your visit to CNC to explore the gardens and try to find as many species as you can! Some of the plants are not in top bloom so it will be even more of a challenge!

Cowboy Pants: Garden on your left as you exit the top of the Discovery Center

Rudbeckia maxima, Large Coneflower

Photo by Julie Hollingsworth

Extremely tall flowers that can reach 8 feet in height! In the Fall these tall stalks need to be stabilized so they don’t fall in the way of the path.

Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem Grass

Photo by Henning Von Schmeling

Little Blue-Stem is aptly named as its foliage has blue tints to it. This becomes more apparent as Autumn approaches.

Craft’s Memorial Garden: Garden on your right as you exit the top of the Discovery Center

Manfreda virginica, False Aloe

Photo by Julie Hollingsworth

This aloe plant look-alike fools many! It has an aloe-like basal rosette and tall flowering stalks that can reach 5 feet.

Butterfly Garden: Garden above Butterfly Encounter

Asclepias sp., Milkweed

Photo by Tracy Begley

This garden is home to many different species of milkweed – the host plant of the monarch butterfly. Monarch’s require these tall slender plants to reproduce.

Longleaf Pine Gardens: Gardens across the Brady Pavillion

Pinus palustris, Long-leaf Pine

Photo by Tracy Begley

These pines differ from the typical Loblolly Pine that we find around Atlanta with their long leaves and their distinctive growing habits. Immature adults will have one major shoot will stay in this form until they reach adulthood. Then they will branch off to look like a more standard pine.

Barbara’s Button Garden: Garden just below the Great Horned Owl Exhibit

Marshallia caespitosa, Barbara’s Button

Photo by Julie Hollingsworth

Eccentric, low-growing perennial that forms white fluff ball blooms in early Summer.

Georgia’s Living Wetland: Garden past the Brady Pavilion as you walk the unpaved paths near the exit to the boardwalk.

Sarracenia sp, Pitcher Plant

This carnivorous plant is a perfect example of a species that has adapted to fill niches where most organisms would have trouble surviving. Pitcher plants thrive in highly acidic, nutrient-poor environments. When they feel an insect inside of their opening, they shut their hood trapping insects inside digesting/dissolving the prey slowly over time. We have many species in this garden including Purple Pitcher Plant, Yellow Pitcher Plant, and more.

We hope that you have enjoyed a virtual tour of the gardens found at the CNC. There are many other plants to explore in the gardens and we hope that you will plan your visit and take the time to experience the native gardens and all that they have to offer. 

Butterflygeneralimage

How to Invite Butterflies to Your Garden & Help Pollination

Planning is needed to invite pollinators

Edited by Henning von Schmeling, Senior Director of Operations
June 12, 2020

We have all heard the stories of bees and other insects dying out in large numbers. It’s a mysterious phenomenon, however our buzzing friends are not the only ones facing difficulties in populations.

Pollinators of all kinds – including bees and butterflies – are relied upon heavily in the plant world to, well, pollinate. The relationship between pollinators and flowers is one that most people understand.  Butterflies rely on nectar, the sweet liquid found hidden within flowers. As a butterfly lands and sips nectar it unintentionally picks up pollen. By doing that it does the flower a favor by moving its pollen around the garden and ensuring another generation of blooms. While a butterfly may visit a variety of flowers for nourishment, they look for specific plants – called “host plants” – on which to lay eggs. A caterpillar is choosy; it will not munch the leaves of just any plant.

bee getting nectar from milkweed plantOne famous example is the milkweed species of plant. Monarch Butterflies, those bright orange and black butterflies, will only lay their eggs on milkweed, making it essential to their survival. However, if the milkweed is not present when the Monarchs make their annual migration to Mexico, they cannot breed. Likewise, the Tiger Swallowtail, Georgia’s state butterfly, looks for tulip poplar trees, on which to lay their eggs.

Henning von Schmeling, with the Chattahoochee Nature Center, said planning is needed to invite pollinators into a garden.

“Everybody always says that you have to plant flowers since adult butterflies eat nectar, but you won’t raise butterflies unless you have the specific host plants that each species of adult butterfly needs to lay their eggs on,” said von Schmeling.

Even if you live in a subdivision where there are covenants with strict landscaping guidelines, von Schmeling suggests locating a section in the back for a natural garden. Butterflies are repelled, and often endangered, by herbicides and pesticides. They prefer overgrown areas, especially with native plants and flowers of the host and nectar plants they prefer and where they can lay their eggs where the caterpillars will thrive.

NatalieBirnbaum_Other_UnityGardenFritillary_220446

The Flower Power of Pollinators

The secret message in the color of flowers

By Liz Platner, Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator
Originally Posted on March 23, 2018
Updated on June 12, 2020

You may think that roses are red and violets are blue, but that’s because your eyes are human eyes. If you were a pollinator, you would see there’s a secret message in the colors of flowers. To understand why flowers contain secret messages, we need to understand pollination.

Flowers have male parts called stamens, which are the long thin filaments topped with the anther that produces pollen. In order to create seeds, the pollen must be transferred to the sticky stigma which is at the top of the female pistil. Once the pollen grains are on the stigma, pollen tubes can grow down into the ovule and a seed is created. These seeds can grow into new plants, or, in some cases, the ovule develops into fruit and we get to eat it. This explains why flowers are critical to the survival of many plant species.

Wind and insects, especially bees, flies and beetles, are the primary pollinators and there a few other kinds of animals as well. Pollination can occur by water, but it is very rare. Since it’s so important to plant survival, some flowers have embedded color patterns to help pollinators find their nectar more easily. As the pollinators feed on nectar, they get pollen grains stuck on them, which they then transfer to the next flower. These color patterns are called nectar guides, and they benefit the plant by facilitating cross-pollination.

Some of these nectar guides are made of colors in the ultraviolet range, not visible to the human eye but obvious to insects. Our eyes can see colors from red to violet wavelengths of light. Insects such as bees can’t see as many colors, but they can see orange through violet, plus ultraviolet wavelengths of light.

So next time you look at a sunflower or a pansy, know that there are hidden messages for pollinators right in front of your eyes.

UnityGardenChris

The Unity Garden continues to provide fresh produce for local food bank

Unity Garden staff work hard to maintain garden without volunteer support

By Tracy Begley, Website and Marketing Specialist, and Julie Hollingsworth-Hogg, Horticulture Manager

As CNC begins the process of reopening to the public, we are happy to have visitors back on the property. There were too many quiet days, and we have enjoyed hearing kids laughing and enjoying the grounds the past week. The ticketing and reservation system, plus operational changes, will allow us to provide an outdoor, natural area for our guests to enjoy and also feel like we are taking their health and safety into consideration.

During our closure we still had many things happening around the property. The Operations Department worked hard on improvement projects, such as replacing decking and painting all of the metal railings. The Wildlife Department is providing care for the 100 resident animals that you see on exhibit, and those used for educational purposes. The Horticulture Department is still maintaining the native gardens and greenhouses, and the Unity Garden continues to provide fresh produce to the North Fulton Community Charities on a weekly basis.

Operations at the CNC has 3 departments – Maintenance, Horticulture, and Wildlife, and all 3 departments rely upon weekly volunteers to help with various tasks that support our mission at the nature center. 

The Unity Garden has a group of dedicated volunteers that show up each week to help plant, weed, and harvest the 1/4 acre garden. In 2019 the horticulture department, which includes the Unity Garden, had 504 volunteers that provided 4,300 hours. The support of volunteers has been missed greatly. The largest obstacle over the last few months in the Unity Garden has been harvesting. It takes a considerable amount of time for Unity Garden Horticulturist, Christopher Horacek, to harvest alone each week, even with other horticulture staff helping him out.

I talked with Julie Hollingsworth-Hogg, Horticulture Manager, to find out what is currently happening in the Unity Garden.

What is being harvested right now?

The month of May will finish out the cool season crops. Lettuce, greens, carrots, and turnips will finish their growing and harvesting this month.

What is currently in the garden?

At this moment we still have lettuce, greens, carrots, turnips, radishes, and sugar snap peas, but the summer crops are going in. Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, green beans, eggplants, squash, and cucumbers have all been planted or will be going in soon.

How much has been harvested and donated to North Fulton Community Charities in 2020?

We have donated just over 1.5 tons of produce to North Fulton Community Charities to support their food bank for 2020. Last year we donated just over 4 tons. As you can imagine summer will produce larger harvests and donations, which is why it is so important right now to continue preparing the Unity Garden for summer crops even without the help of volunteers.

Just this last week Christopher took over 338 pounds of produce that included 5 varieties of lettuce, mustard greens, turnips, broccoli, and kale. North Fulton Community Charities is serving over 100 families right now. They supply food and personal needs and the families are very appreciative of the fresh produce, and the garden staff has planted specific crops to meet there preferences throughout the seasons.

Until we have volunteers return to the CNC the Horticulture Department and Unity Garden, staff will continue to take care of the garden and make sure that as the needs of families remain in Fulton County the Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center will be there to provide fresh produce.

Want to learn more about the partnership between the Chattahoochee Nature Center and North Fulton Community Charities please visit the following:

CNC donates 340 lbs. to local food bank -April 15, 2020

CNC donates fresh produce to the NFCC food pantry – video

unity garden donation april 2020

CNC donates 340 lbs. to local food pantry

ATLANTA, Ga. – Nature keeps on growing, and Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center is no different. The newest crop of produce — lettuces, kale, turnips — was dropped off April 3 at the food pantry of North Fulton Community Charities. According to CNC’s Manager of Gardens and Horticulture, Julie Hollingsworth-Hogg, this trip yielded 340 pounds of produce.

“It was all sown, grown, and harvested by our wonderful staff,” Hollingsworth-Hogg said.

The Unity Garden is CNC’s quarter-acre outdoor classroom and urban farm and is in operation year round. Everything grown in the garden is donated to NFCC, making CNC one of the largest providers of fresh produce to a food pantry in the region.

Holly York, executive director of NFCC, said the food pantry is serving more than 70 needy families each day with food and fresh produce, thanks in part to CNC.

“By far, the Unity Garden has provided amazing, healthy options,” York said.

The latest batch of produce contained lettuce, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, collard, turnips, broccoli and Swiss chard.

“I feel honored to be a part of us still growing vegetables for all those needy families in North Fulton,” said Hollingsworth-Hogg.

For more information about the Unity Garden and CNC’s horticulture department, click here.

For more information about CNC, click here.

unity garden donation april 2020

Chattahoochee Nature Center Donates Fresh Produce To Pantry

April 10, 2020- Patch
By: Kathleen Sturgeon

This trip yielded 340 pounds of produce to North Fulton Community Charities.
This trip yielded 340 pounds of produce to North Fulton Community Charities. (Jon Copsey/Chattahoochee Nature Center)

ROSWELL, GA — Nature keeps on growing, and Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center is no different. The newest crop of produce — lettuces, kale, turnips — was dropped off Friday at the food pantry of North Fulton Community Charities. According to Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Manager of Gardens and Horticulture, Julie Hollingsworth-Hogg, this trip yielded 340 pounds of produce.

Click to view entire article

CNC: Connecting You with Nature at Home

As an outdoor venue dedicated to healthy activity and overall wellness, the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) is taking the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. The well-being of our guests and staff are of the utmost importance.

CNC is temporarily closed to the public. Essential staff will be on site as needed to maintain the property, continue working in the Unity Garden, and to take care of our wildlife. Please consider helping support these efforts by donating today to CNC.

We will continue to assess the situation daily and follow the recommendations of the CDC as well as state and local health agencies.

CNC’s expert staff are working harder than ever to deliver ways to experience nature on a personal level from the safety of your own home.

 

Connect with the land

The Unity Garden urban farm is CNC’s quarter acre outdoor classroom, growing hundreds of vegetables year-round. Everything grown in the Unity Garden is donated to the local food pantry, run by North Fulton Community Charities. A recent trip saw 340 pounds of fresh produce delivered at a time when many food pantries are going bare. These trips occur every week.

More than 70 families a day are fed through the NFCC food pantry.

“I feel honored to be a part of us still growing vegetables for all those needy families in North Fulton,” said Julie Hollingsworth-Hogg, manager of gardens for CNC.

 

Connect with learning

The education department typically sees more than 40,000 metro Atlanta schoolchildren every year, many of whom have never been on the Chattahoochee River, or seen a wild animal up close.

CNC has moved its learning online through videos and instructional sheets for parents and teachers, so learning about nature can continue long after school is out. Fun and informative, these programs instill the love of the outdoors and wildlife for which CNC is renowned.

 

Connect with nature

A leader in native horticulture, CNC is exploring new ways to connect people with the nature around them, even in their backyards.

The annual Spring Native Plant Sale continued in early April, working around the public gatherings restrictions. It moved online for the first time, accepting ordered digitally and promoting responsible plant pickups in the parking lot. This “drive-through plant sale” was such a success that more such plant sales are being devised to give Atlanta more of the native, hard-to-find species that CNC is known for growing.

 

Connect with friends

Even Camp Kingfisher has joined the online bandwagon, hosting a virtual Spring Break Camp on Facebook and Instagram the week of April 6-10. Videos, games, and camp fun took over CNC’s social media to show just how much fun can be had in nature with CNC, even from home.

 

With so many programs and activities moving online, there’s always new content arriving. Look for more programs, information, and updates via email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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