Entry 10/21/2021
It's been a great summer in Kansas and the WillowRidge greenbelt. Our expanding community - including residents of the nearby Connect55+ apartment complex has enjoyed this revitalized natural resource. The landscape is still a little rough and wild. I let the ragweed and pokeweed get a ahead of me in the heat of the summer and will work to better control them in the future to reserve space for more beneficial and threatened species to emerge and to keep the area more aesthetically appealing for the community. My efforts to control the Johnson grass were remarkably effective. It's relatively easy to remove by hand-pulling in the early wet spring months which really reduced its presence along the perimeter. I've been able to document the presence of more of native plant and insect species, some plants that I re-introduced have taken root and others have emerged from the natural seed bed. I was excited to identify existing black walnut trees within the space! They appear to be too young to fruit but their mere existence is exciting. I will take steps to protect them in the future.
Fall clean-up has commenced over the past couple of weekends - cutting back ragweed/pokeweed; pruning and treating mulberry, hackberry and locust along the perimeter of the walking path. The fall honeysuckle eradication project was re-initiated 10/16/2021. I was able to bushwhack into the southeast corner of the walking path which exits east toward Horizon elementary and prune back and treat a couple of very large bushes (small trees really) that have annoyed me for years. They were more than my little 4-inch electric saw could handle on it's own, but I was able to de-branch them to their trunks. That should knock them back to something manageable. I also cleared and treated some heavy vines which are probably also honeysuckle. The invasion in this area was extensive and will probably require additional treatments. I also cleared the northeast corner across the walking path to free up space for perennial plantings and a feature bush or two down the road.
I will be hitting the honeysuckle hard over the next couple of weekends to reclaim more territory from this evil invader. I also planted 3 wild hydrangea Saturday (10/16/2021) - two on the east end and one on the west along the path behind my house. Most of the seedlings planted over the past two seasons have taken root (I'm getting better at this game). The redbuds and prunus species are gaining size and presence. I am hoping all of my efforts will begin to pay dividends with spring color from the many trees, shrubs and perennials planted these past few years.
Peace
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