USC Arboretum Developments Fall 2007

We have received the gift of several tons of rich black topsoil from the University of South Carolina Landscaping Department. That precious supply has enabled us to set up the Organic Garden and a new Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden as raised beds. Some of the plants will be in place for the Open House. If anyone has some small volunteer butterfly bushes in their own garden, they will be most welcome at the Arboretum.

Extensive brush clearing has continued on the west border. This corner above the Wilmot Avenue gate was densely covered with some of the most severe and destructive brush and vines of the Arboretum, with very few native plants surviving. Over 80% of the vines bushes and trees had to be removed but a dozen mature trees and some sturdy oak, sassafrass, mulberry and wild flowering crab tree seedlings up to 7 feet tall had also managed to survive. It looks bare now but we will be restoring the vegetation as soon as rain and cool weather arrive. Our five foot Arboretum Nursery seedlings for restoration will include redbud trees, dogwood trees, mulberry trees, sourwood trees, southern red oak, white oak, hickory, sweet bay magnolia, loblolly pine, longleaf pine and eastern red cedar on the dry upper slopes. In addition, several other species of oak, American beech, pawpaw, smoke tree and hophornbeam will be planted on the moist slopes leading down to the cypress swamp. We will be running irrigation water to this area as soon as brush clearing is completed. The forest is definitely beginning to revive and should look quite nice by next summer.

For those of you who asked me to "do something" about a certain objectionable large yellow object near the Bloomwood gate, please take another look. Also promise to come visit me if I get put in jail for the deed!

We are trying several experiments in the Cypress Swamp to control the colossal growth of weeds. A difficulty arose when we cleared away all the weeks that were threatening to overcome the small cypress seedlings. The unprecedented heat kept up from planting the rye grass cover for almost a month and a new crop of weeds got started. Hopefully the opaque tarps and black plastic sheets will smother the weeds and I can quickly plant rye grass. Anyone who likes to pull weeds will be a welcome help in carefully weeding the swamp areas where the rye grass has already sprouted. Did you know that rye grass is allopathic and after it reaches a healthy size, it poisons almost every other plant that tries to grow next to it.

Several very enjoyable events have taken place this month at the Arboretum. A group of 11 Biology graduate students from GABS (Graduate Association of Biology Students) spent the day on October 6 working with much enthusiasm on several projects for the restoration schedule. Then on October 10, about 25 members of the Crape Myrtle Garden Club returned for a second visit; they seemed very surprised and impressed with the changes in the year since their first visit. They have unofficially "adopted" the Arboretum and will be helping us both financialy and with volunteer workers in the near future. A group of 8 adorable Cub Scouts, accompanied by 17 aunts, uncles, grandmothers, parents, older sisters and brothers. came on October 14 for an hour of trail walking and leaf rubbing. Their energy and bouncing enthusiasm for all thing both plant and animal were heartwarming.

Larry Hembree kindly refurbished the 4 "Seasonal Color" gardens at the gate entries. The fresh pansies replaced the mums which had been fried by the unseasonable heat and drought of the past month. Thanks for the beautiful effect.

We have finally obtained critically needed wood chip mulch. Don't worry. The large pile on our upper Wilmot boundary will disappear quickly as we mulch and restore the trails and some eroded areas.