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January 27, 2022

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Adkins Mystery Monday: What Keeps Green Leaves in the Winter?

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Happy Mystery Monday! Do you know what herbaceous perennial has kept its green leaves despite the winter weather? Hint: this picture was taken in the floodplain, though this plant tolerates a variety of soil conditions.

Last week, we asked you about the pinxter azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides)! Azaleas have characteristically long stamens that can be double the length of the petals. These native azaleas will bloom in April and May before they leaf out. If you are walking in the Adkins Arboretum woods in the spring, keep an eye out for pinxters blooming along Upland Walk and Blockston Overlook.

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What has Lovely Pods?

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Happy Mystery Monday! This week, we have these lovely seed pods. While they don’t contain seeds anymore, the pods can persist throughout winter. Do you know what native shrub they belong to?

Last week, we asked you about northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)! This native grass when growing in a mass gives a beautiful effect with its unique seed pods nodding in a breeze. This grass does well in full sun and part shade and likes medium to wet soils. It can self-seed and spread rather aggressively, so plant it somewhere where you are happy for it to spread its roots and thrive! It is the host plant for several types of skipper butterfly, is considered deer resistant, and provides ample seeds for small mammals and birds to snack on.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Grass has Unique Pods?

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Happy Mystery Monday! What grass has these unique seed pods that offer winter interest and a food source for animals?
Last week, we asked you about the American beech (Fagus grandifolia). American beech is not only a beautiful shade tree, but also an important tree for wildlife. It produces large quantities of beech nuts, which are eaten by many animals. It also provides cover and browse for animals and is the larval host for the early hairstreak. If you are interested in how to tell the nuts of American beech apart from European beech, look at the prickles on the husk. American beech will have curved prickles, while European beech will have straight.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Tree Retains Its Tan Leaves?

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Happy First Mystery Monday of 2022! Do you know what tree retains its tan leaves in winter, has showy coppery buds, and smooth bark? It also happens to look beautiful in the snow 🙂
Last week we asked you about the membrane of a wood duck egg! Adkins Arboretum has several wood duck boxes throughout the property and each year our staff monitor their success. These membranes are left behind in the wood duck chick hatching process and are a good sign that a chick successfully hatched.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: A Final Creature for the Year

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Happy Mystery Monday and Happy Holidays! For our final mystery of the year, we have this! Do you know what this is? Bonus points if you know what creature it belongs to!
Last week, we asked you about the eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)! Eastern red cedar is dioecious, meaning that the male and female are separate plants. Males have yellowish brown flowers, while the females have a lighter blue flower followed by the aromatic blue fruits. Eastern red cedars are excellent plants for wildlife, offering lots of shelter and food!
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What is this Dioecious Plant?

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Happy Mystery Monday! Do you know what plant this is? Hint: this plant is dioecious, which means that the male and female are separate plants.
Last week, we asked you about a mysterious pattern on a log, which was made by a beaver! We currently have a few beavers at the Arboretum wetland and they will nibble the exterior cambium of woody plants to get nutrients. The cambium is the part of the plant that grows and transports sugars, so it makes sense that that is the part the beavers want to eat first!
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. Please give them here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Caused the Pattern on this Log?

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Happy Mystery Monday! Do you know what caused this pattern on this log we found?

Last week, we asked you about the wild geranium, Geranium maculatum! Wild geranium does well in sun to part shade and works as a great ground cover. It has a pale rosy pink bloom in May with foliage that persists for most of the year. You can find it planted in our Parking Lot Alive! gardens.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. Please give them here.

The Talbot County Garden Club Planning 2022 House & Garden Pilgrimage

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Front Row L-R: Caroline Benson, Eleanor Denegre, Pam Keeton, Louise Williams, Maggie Jarboe. Second Row L-R: Patricia Reynolds, Carolyn Rugg, Marsie Hawkins, Virginia Sappington, Ann Ashby, Rebecca Gaffney. (Photo by Rita Mhley.)

The Talbot County Garden Club recently kicked off planning for the Talbot County portion of the 2022 Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage. The tour, which invites visitors to several notable private properties, will take place the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend — May 7, 2022. Eleanor Denegre chairs the event.

“I am thrilled to chair the 2022 tour committee,” says Denegre. “Our committee is working hard to create an extraordinary and enjoyable experience. Our lineup of fabulous houses and exquisite spring gardens promises to be another sensational tour among the many since our biennial event was launched in 1939.”

Properties on the tour include the William Mason Shehan House, Third Haven Friends Meeting House, Riverbank, Shipshead Farm, Legacy, Gross Coate Farm, and Ashby – all in Easton. The tour will also cover a stop at the award-winning Talbot Historical Society Gardens, which are lovingly maintained by the Talbot County Garden Club.

Proceeds from the tour will help to restore Joseph’s Cottage, a late 18th Century wooden dwelling on the grounds of the Talbot Historical Society and to support the many civic projects of the garden club.

Members of the club chairing tour committees include:

Advertising: Maggie Jarboe and Louise Williams

Flowers: Ingrid Blanton and Karen Parker

Hospitality: Georgia Adler and Susie Granville

Hostesses: Jody Shaner

Luncheon: Ann Ashby and Sue Ellen Williams

Parking and Ambassadors: Alden Firth and Fran Jenkins

Patron Letter: Martha Horner and Pat Lewers

Photography: Laura Carney and Marsie Hawkinson

Publicity: Pam Keeton and Rita Mhley

Rack Cards: Rebecca Gaffney

Road Marking and Directions: Carol Harrison and Trish Reynolds

Script: Eleanor Denegre

Tour Bells: Caroline Benson

Treasurers: Joan Crowley, Maxine Millar and Virginia Sappington  

More information about each of the homes, as well as ticket information will be available in the spring.

“Mark your calendars for this highly anticipated event,” adds Carolyn Rugg, club president. “Talbot County is home to some of the most beautiful estates in Maryland and is always a popular part of the statewide Pilgrimage. We feel truly lucky to be able to share our rich history and beautiful landscapes with the many visitors who are sure to come and ‘tour’.”

 

 

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Plant has Longlasting Fall Foliage?

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Happy Mystery Monday! As we enter December, some plants prove to be more hardy than we might expect. Do you know what plant has this longlasting fall foliage?

Last week, we asked about greenbrier (Smilax spp.)! This native brambly vine is green-stemmed and often has thorns. In the winter, it produces berries ranging in color from dark blue to black. At Adkins Arboretum, greenbrier is found along disturbed woodland edges, where they thrive in partial sun and dry to moist conditions. The flowers, while inconspicuous, are very attractive to a variety of bees and flies. Various birds including the brown thrasher and eastern bluebird, as well as other animals like opossums, raccoons, and squirrels, will feed on the berries.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. Please give them here.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Plant Does this Kind of Berry?

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Happy Mystery Monday! While most of the Arboretum is going dormant for winter, we still can find a variety of fruits in the woods. Do you know what plant produces these berries?
Last week we asked you about the eastern spadefoot toad. Their name sheds light on their distinctive dark spade on each hind foot that they use for digging. These toads also have characteristic bright yellow eyes with elliptical pupils. They spend most of their time underground (perhaps you have inadvertently uncovered one while digging?) and have short startling calls that sound like “waaaah.”
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. Please give them here.