THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601160115
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Photographs of two Virginia Beach gardens abloom with native wildflowers have been included in the second edition of ``Gardening With Native Plants of the South,'' a full-color book for anyone interested in growing trees and plants indigenous to our area.
Photos of both the native plant garden at historic Lynnhaven House and of wildflowers in Lee Moomaw's garden in the Bay Colony neighborhood have been featured in the second edition published late this fall. Written by Sally Wasowski with her photographer-husband Andy, the book is published by Taylor Publishing Co. in Dallas, Texas.
Lee Moomaw is president of the South Hampton Roads Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society based in Virginia Beach. She is especially pleased with the recognition that the two native plant gardens here have received in the book since she and other members of the society have been trying to educate us about the value of native plants for several years now.
The native plant society planted and now maintains the wildflower garden at Lynnhaven House so the public can see the value of native plants first hand. Moomaw practices what she preaches in her own garden, as well as in projects she works on for the Virginia Beach Garden Club. She oversees the garden club's native wildflower garden and its upcoming coastal woodland retreat, both at the Virginia Marine Science Museum.
By growing native plants, gardeners help the environment because they save water and add less fertilizer, pesticides and other agents to the atmosphere.
Native plants will enhance the beauty of your yard by attracting native butterflies, birds and other animals that feed on them. For example the presence of little native trees like sassafras, and red and sweet bays in your yard will almost assure the presence of spicebush and palamedes swallowtail butterflies simply because their larvae feed on the leaves of those trees. The native plant society also strives to protect and propagate native plants that are in danger of dying out because so much land has been cleared for development.
Moomaw also is excited about the new book because she thinks it is one of the best books on gardening with native plants that she has seen. She recommends it for anyone who's thinking about planting native plants in the garden and needs direction.
``Not many gardening books are interesting reading,'' she added.
``There's a wonderful introduction that talks about working with Mother Nature, rather than against it,'' Moomaw said. ``The words they use are `common sense.' ''
The book includes chapters on trees, vines, ferns, woodland and garden flowers along with several plans for wildflower gardens. A lot of space is devoted to each plant with details such as growing conditions, bloom color and even the look of its leaves and what wildlife is attracted to the plant.
``All that, plus wonderful comments, like where she's seen it growing and what it grows well with,'' Moomaw said. ``They talk about the importance of native plants to wildlife and how they help wildlife. I like that.''
For example, partridgeberry, the little ground cover with white flowers and red berries that we know especially from First Landing/Seashore State Park is mentioned by Wasowski. She says the berries are eaten by grouse, quail, skunks and white-footed mice!
Moomaw went on to say another virtue of the book is that it concentrates on the Southeast whereas a lot of books on native plants are more wide ranging. ``So many of the books are all over,'' she said, ``but this is of the South and I like that. too.''
P.S. THE CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Adam Thoroughgood House. The book is ``Diary of an American Boy'' by Eric Sloane. Children will make their own journals and learn how youngsters were educated in Colonial times. Admission is $5. Call 664-6283 for reservations.
BEHIND THE SCENES, a program on management techniques at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge by deputy refuge manager Joe McCauley, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the refuge. Call 721-2412. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)nfi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: Lee Moomaw, president of the South Hampton Roads Chapter of the
Virginia Native Plant Society based in Virginia Beach, looks over a
a copy of ``Gardening with Native Plants of the South'' at her home
in the Bay Colony neighborhood.
Photos by MARY REID BARROW
by CNB