Even in the midst of winter, many gardeners are thinking positive about spring greenery popping up on the not-too-distant horizon.
To that end, the Wild Ones organization recently offered a program at Gibson Woods to put attendees in the mood for flower appreciation. Master Gardener Vicki Jostes presented a slide show and discussion on Early Spring Flowers to an audience of three dozen green-thumbers.
“I’ll be discussing a certain type of early season native flowers — ephemeral ones,” Jostes told the crowd of more than three dozen attendees. “This means that they are transit, quickly fading.”
The basic mission is to germinate, mature (bear flowers) die, then go underground to root for the next year, she added. “It’s amazing – ephemerals can do all this in just a couple of weeks.”
A slide show of varieties such as trout lilies, skunk cabbage, garlic mustard and many other natives were displayed for the audience. Jostes’s photos were taken early spring last year during her trips to Deep River Park in Hobart.
Ephemerals are usually found on the forest floor and need just a hint of sunlight to grow, according to the discussion.
The focus of the Wild Ones group is to educate people of all ages about the benefits of using native plants, trees, flowers and shrubs. Among those benefits are low maintenance, convenience, and the simple beauty of the many shapes and brilliant colors found in nature.
Ralph and Theresa Corriere of Hammond have been involved with the Wild Ones for 10 years. They joined the group when they realized there was an interesting option to landscaping their front yard.
“Our grass died for the third time, and we didn’t want to invest in sod again,” Ralph Corriere said. “We became aware of the beauty of ‘natural’ greenery and decided to turn our front yard into a native garden.”
Serving as president of the organization, which is based at Gibson Woods, is Karl Ackermann.
“I joined Wild Ones about three years ago because I believe in their mission,” he said, at the recent presentation. “With our information, this subject (utilizing native flowers, trees and shrubs), touches people’s minds and souls.”
Gayle Tokarz is one of the group’s founding members, helping to organize it 18 years ago.
“I wanted to join because their (mission) seemed like a great ecological thing to do,” she said. “We started with a dozen people, and our membership has grown to approximately 40 this year.”
Many of those currently utilizing native greenery in their home landscaping feel interest is increasing due to people’s awareness of its beauty, convenience and minimal maintenance — not to mention its impact on the environment.
More people need to be aware of the above, according to Shane Sturdy of Griffith, who joined the group two years ago. “It’s all environmentally-friendly,” he added.
Since its inception in 2000, The Wild Ones, which is based at Gibson Woods, offers many opportunities for those interested in cultivating the activity of utilizing greenery found in nature. The Wild Ones offer many events open to the public throughout the year. Most notably are the large-scale Native Plant Sale in May and a Fall Symposium.
For more information, call (219) 844-3188.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
