McFarlane Nature Park

Fascinating talk about the importance of OAK trees that supports our Oak Collection efforts at McFarlane

The Park had a visit today from District Two Commissioner Jerica Richardson who can already envision herself spending quiet time reading at McFarlane.

On this Earth Day, we want to also recognize National Volunteer week. McFarlane exists because of volunteers - from the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County to the neighbors who painted our Little Free Library; the neighbor who restocks the information brochures and the people who keep the calendar. Boy Scouts Eagle projects and service projects, and the Mt Bethel Great Day of Service every March, remulching the trails. The azalea planters and the tree planters. We could not have a Park without VOLUNTEERS.

Sope Creek Garden Club, benefactor of McFarlane, will hold their spring plant sale on Friday, April 30, 8a-6p at Eastside Baptist Church, 2450 Lower Roswell Rd. near the playground. All plants are grown by members and cover a diverse array of plants. They support us, let's support them.

Thanks to book club member Jean, her husband and their daughter, the Little Free Library has had a facelift for spring!

Jan Spring, who is donating her native azalea collection to the Park, pruned them heavily in preparation for the big move. Her helper David Zarate assisted. The pruning will compensate for some inevitable root loss in the transplanting.

It is time for the annual Gingko watch. As soon as we start to have freezing temps, the almost 60 year old Gingko trees will put on their fall display of golden yellow leaves. Then, on one day, they will all fall at once!

It is not all about the leaves and flowers. Check out this tree bark, near the fern swale.

#winterberry It is the season for the deciduous hollies to shine. The bright berries persist into winter and sometimes into spring and show up best after the foliage has gone. It is an important food source for the American Robin.

Rudbeckia with beautyberry and an elegant fern entertain on a walk through the woodland.

Our stand of longleaf pine is looking good in the south pasture. The best view is from the top when they are small.

Lobelia cardinalis, the Cardinal flower, is evident all over the woodland and even popped up in the burning pile! This is a big favorite of the hummingbirds.

Callicarpa - BeautyBerry

It is Beautyberry season at the Park. Magenta, pink and white berries are everywhere. The callicarpa is a native plant. Berries last well into the winter or dry season and are an important survival food for birds and other animals, though they will not eat them until other sources are depleted.

It is so exciting to think about how beautiful these native azaleas will be at McFarlane as they mature and grow. We plan to plant the donated native azaleas in November, when they are totally dormant. They won't look like much, having been heavily pruned for the move from Cherry Hill, until they start to grow again in spring. The sale azaleas, on the other hand, are almost gone! The sale will help cover expenses of moving the donated azaleas and will extend the beauty out beyond the park to neighborhood gardens. There are some left to buy at cobblandtrust.org/html/azaleas.htm

Native Azalea Sale! One of our neighbors is donating 82 native azaleas to be transplanted to McFarlane Nature Park. This sale of additional plants will extend the beauty into your backyard and cover the cost of soil amendments and other expenses of the transplant operation. ... Place your order for azaleas (or make a donation to the project) at the McFarlane website. Orders will be available to pick up October 17th in front of the farmhouse. http://www.cobblandtrust.org/html/azaleas.htm