Walter's Wood HOA: An Interview with Cathy Rouse

Photo by Cathy Rouse

by Georgia LaMar, Georgia Audubon Avian Advocate Volunteer

Georgia LaMar certified the Walter's Wood Homeowners Association Property on North Carter Road in Decatur as a Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary earlier this year. She interviewed Cathy Rouse, who oversaw the property restoration and certification, for this newsletter.

1. What was the impetus that set you on fire to work on a Sanctuary? I've always had a love of the outdoors and gardening, but it wasn't until I read Doug Tallamy's book Bringing Nature Home around 2010 that I learned of the connection between birds, insects, and native plants. From then on, I began focusing on planting mostly native plants in my own garden, and had it certified by Georgia Audubon several years ago. Meanwhile, around 2004 my neighborhood association acquired three overgrown lots with the idea of creating a public green space. When I retired in 2017, most of the original people involved had moved away, and despite having a good foundation of many native trees and shrubs, the area was becoming overrun again with privet, ivy, and liriope. I volunteered to manage the space, and have focused on making it a wildlife sanctuary since then. I envision Walter's Woods as a place where neighbors can learn how beautiful native plants can be, and be encouraged to replicate the look in their own gardens.
2. How do you interact with neighbors that don’t see eye to eye? I think it's best to teach by education and example. I'll talk to anyone walking by about the benefits of native plants, and I even offer to share plants with them. I also suggest alternatives to invasive plants and to broadcast spraying of pesticides. Recently a neighbor told me that a pesticide company assured them that their product was "pollinator friendly", so I asked if they would get the name of the chemical for me. Of course, they found out that the product killed bees, so then I suggested alternatives like removing standing water, creating a trap with mosquito dunks, and keeping an oscillating fan on their deck. I haven't asked if they've stopped the spraying service, but at least I've planted the seed. And that's what gardeners do, isn't it?
3. What three native plants give nature the biggest bang for the buck? Trees and shrubs are often overlooked in favor of flowering perennials, but trees and shrubs can host hundreds of species of insects, as well as providing fruits or nuts for birds and other wildlife. I particularly like black cherry, Prunus serotina, which offers both flowers and fruit, as well as being a host plant for several hundred species of butterflies and moths; tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, a great early nectar source for hummingbirds and bees; and sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua. Folks love to hate sweetgums, but watching a winter flock of birds mob a sweetgum tree and pick through those prickly balls for seeds is an amazing sight.
   
4. What three plants would you recommend to a new native plant gardener? I've had wonderful success with hoary skullcap, Scutellaria incana. It blooms well in part-sun, reseeds well, and flowers for several weeks. Another plant I've recently discovered is bear's foot, Smallanthus uvedalia. My sister, who's a wonderful gardener in her own right, found it growing on her creek bank and shared a couple of plants with me. I left the plants standing through the winter and noticed Ruby-crowned Kinglets and goldfinches foraging through them for the seeds. It also reseeds well, so there's plenty to share. A third favorite is Indian pinks, Spigelia marilandica. They look exotic, bloom well in part-shade, and hummingbirds love them.
   
5. What is your personal favorite plant? For the last couple of years, it's been the Stone Mountain daisy, Helianthus porterii. It's a wonderful annual native to the metro Atlanta area. A friend gave me a handful of seedlings six years ago, and this spring I potted up over 90 seedlings to share with other gardeners. It blooms in August and September, so it's a great plant for filling in those late-summer bare patches we all get frustrated with. It also provides late-season nectar for pollinators, and seeds for overwintering birds.

To learn more about certifying your property as a Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, please visit our Wildlife Sanctuary page.