WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!

Today, we are launching our NEW website! You'll now have access to more detailed event calendar information, along with the familiar navigation tabs to find out what's happening and also to learn about gardening with native plants, our Seeds for Education grants, where to buy native plants and more.

As a member, you'll be able to access your membership information from the "My Membership" button in the upper right corner. In coming months, we'll be adding more pages that are accessible to members only, making your membership even more valuable.

In the meantime, check out the new site. And don't worry if you go to the old website ... you'll be redirected to the new one right away.

TNValley.WildOnes.org

An Invitation to Join Our Chapter Board

Are you interested in what's going on with the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones? If so, we'd love to have you as a member of our Board. In upcoming years, Board members will be elected for a 1-year term, so you're not signing up for a "lifetime commitment." We welcome your involvement!

For more information, contact us at tnvalleywildones@gmail.com.

Monday, September 9, 2024

5:30 p.m. EDT (before our public monthly meeting)

Joseph Glasscock Community Center

3620 Tom Weathers Dr, Red Bank, TN

Free and Open to the Public

Lorrie Otto (1919 – 2010) is the founder of the natural landscaping movement and taught others to view natural landscaping as a public good rather than as a health hazard. She was the founding inspiration for Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscaping. Lorrie often used the words of Chief Seattle when she spoke: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, but rather borrow it from our descendants.”

Download information page

with Sally Wencel

Monday, September 9, 2024

6:00 p.m. EDT

Note different location!

Joseph Glasscock Community Center

3620 Tom Weathers Dr, Red Bank, TN

FREE and Open to the Public

The mantra “sleep, creep and leap” is a good description for the three growing seasons it can take for your native perennials to put on a show in your garden. In the meantime, you can get off to a quicker start using native annuals and groundcovers to provide cover, color, and pollen and nectar in your new planting areas.

September 9th Program details.

Join us before the meeting for the Fall Seed Swap & Lorrie Otto Birthday Celebration. See details above.

This year, the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones is presenting Gardening with Native Plants, a series of six introductory classes about how to garden with native plants. These classes, led by experienced gardeners from the Tennessee Valley, are free and open to the public. The classes cover everything from why to use native plants to how to plan and maintain native gardens. 

Join us for all of the classes, several, or even just one. The classes are complimentary and together will greatly add to your understanding of native plant gardening. The next class is on Monday, September 16th.

with Ann Brown & Nora Bernhardt

Monday, September 16, 2024

6:00 – 8:00 pm EDT

green|spaces

63 E. Main St., Chattanooga TN

Free and Open to the Public

Selection and layering of native plants is important for a thriving ecosystem in mountain gardens. Strategies for creating and managing those gardens in both sunny and woodland conditions will be discussed. Plant lists will be provided.

with Lyn Rutherford

Monday, September 30, 2024

5:00 – 7:00 pm EDT

Warner Park

1254 E. 3rd St., Chattanooga TN

Meetup in the parking area between

the recycling center and the Community Fitness Center

Free and open to the public



Caring for your garden as it grows and changes over time is the best part! In this class we will discuss basics of sustainable landscape care like optimizing maintenance activities for wildlife support, and reducing air and water pollution. There are key differences between managing a native plant garden and a conventional landscape, so let’s get into it.

The Certificate in Native Plants program is designed to expand students' knowledge of botany, ecology, conservation and uses of native flora in the southeastern United States. The CNP offers a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on learning and guided hikes.  Discounted class fees are available for members of Wild Ones, the Tennessee Native Plant Society or Reflection Riding. Classes are open to all, including interested individuals who may not be working toward the Certificate.

Those working toward the Certificate are asked to volunteer in various capacities to support approved native plant projects in our region. Volunteer requirements will change slightly on January 1, 2025. More information and a downloadable volunteer form are available on our new website.

For more info about the Certificate in Native Plants program, click here.

Instructor: Henning Von Schmeling

Saturday, September 14, 2024

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center

400 Garden Road, Chattanooga TN

ELECTIVE class for the Certificate in Native Plants

$40 for Wild Ones members $50 for non-members

+ $5 charge for supplies

In this class, you will learn about collection, cleaning, storage, planting and germination of a variety of native plant seed.

Instructor: Botanist/Ecologist Gary Kauffman

Saturday, October 12, 2024

9:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute

175 Baylor School Rd, Chattanooga TN

ELECTIVE class for the Certificate in Native Plants

$40 for Wild Ones members, $50 for non-members

Join botanist/ecologist Gary Kauffman for a hands-on native grasses workshop highlighting grass identification and grassland communities. We’ll learn to use a Southern Appalachian grasses key derived from Weakley’s Flora of the Southeastern U.S. and other identification tools, look at samples of common native grasses, and learn a bit about grassland communities and the wildlife they support. You should come away from the workshop able to use the key to Poaceae (grasses) groups and genera, recognize a dozen common grasses by sight, and have ample resources to hone your grass skills.

September 21, 2024

Missionary Ridge & East Ridge

Free for Wild Ones Members & Family Only

Landscapes in Progress events were designed as a way for our members to learn more about native plant gardening from the experiences of other members. Like all of our gardens, these gardens are "in progress." They do not have to be perfect, although there are always some really amazing and beautiful things to see! We have found that these garden visits are a great way to learn about a variety of native plants and the conditions in which they thrive. Join members of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones for a tour of two of our members' gardens. 

with Zach Irick

Saturday, September 28

8:15 a.m – 4:00 p.m. (est.) EDT,

including drive time from Soddy Daisy TN

Alpine Acres and Crab Orchard, TN

Free for Wild Ones Members Only

Southeastern Grasslands Institute ecologist/botanist Zach Irick will lead an educational tour of the native savanna and creekside scour grasslands. We’ll view nearly every genus of the aster family in their prime. Come explore with us for a view of native grasses,fall wildflowers, shrubs and trees of the WMA which is bordered by two scenic waterways – the Obed Wild and Scenic River and its tributary, Daddy’s Creek. You’ll also hear bobwhite, see migratory birds, numerous butterfly and native bee species and will come away with ideas for savanna and prairie plantings, rock garden and rain garden designs, natural growth patterns, as well as identification of many native plants that are often available for the landscape.

October 19, 2024

North Georgia area

Free for Wild Ones Members & Family Only

Join members of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones for a tour of two of our members' gardens in the North Georgia area - Rocky Face, GA and Tunnel Hill, GA.

with Stephan Eselgroth

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Ochs Gateway Trail

Lookout Mountain GA

Free for Wild Ones Members Only

The Ochs Gateway Trail is just one of many interconnected trails along the northwest side of Lookout Mountain. Stephan Eselgroth, MD will lead this hike and the exploration of the bluffs and woodland habitat to Jackson Spring via the Jackson Gap Trail. Consisting of mostly sandstone, there will be a great number of huge rock outcrops, cliffs, a few seeps, and a creek/falls like spring fed from Jackson Lake just above. We should be surrounded by fall colors amongst the native trees and shrubs as we explore this trail and its vistas.

See One of Nature’s Rarest Native Plants

on a Raft Trip on the Middle Ocoee River

Sunday, September 8, 2024

2:00 p.m. EDT

Ocoee, TN

Wild Ones members and any others who appreciate viewing native plants combined with a river rapids adventure along the imperiled Ocoee riverscour ecosystem are invited to join Lisa Lemza (past President of Tennessee Valley Wild Ones) and expert paddlers Mike Shillinger and Emily Smoot for a memorable guided raft trip on the Middle Ocoee River to see Ruth’s Golden Aster (Pityopsis ruthii), one of the world’s rarest native plants. Ruth’s Golden Aster, which grows on just a few boulders in the Middle Ocoee and Hiwassee Gorge, with several in the middle of the river, can only be seen from the water. It will be in bloom at this time. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday, October 5, 2025

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave., Chattanooga TN

Fall — and the best time to plant many of our natives — is just around the corner. 

And so is the Tennessee Valley Wild Ones Fall Plant Sale! 

During the sale at 11:00 a.m., we’ll also be honoring our newest members, along with the recent Certificate in Native Plants graduates who’ve worked hard to complete their coursework and volunteer hours.

So SAVE THE DATE and make plans to join us.

To access information and registration links for all upcoming programs, classes, hikes and members-only events presented by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones and Wild Ones national, click below:

Do you want to receive a reminder email

in advance of our free public programs?

If so, join our Meetup group.



One of the ways Wild Ones seeks to accomplish its mission of promoting native plants and landscaping is by providing learning opportunities for both seasoned gardeners and those who are new to gardening and/or the native plant movement alike. All of these webinar opportunities are free and open to the public to attend.

“The Beauty and Benefits of Hedgerows”

with Heather McCargo

September 19th at 6 PM (CT)

“Matrix Landscape Design”

with Benjamin Vogt

October at 24th at 6 PM (CT)

What better way to support the National Park City movement than by installing a pollinator garden at a school or community center! The Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership, an initiative by Tennessee Valley Wild Ones, is accepting applications for the Seeds for Education Grant. Installing a pollinator garden with native plants, shrubs, and trees, some edible and sensory-packed, supports student engagement with a living resource for building knowledge about our ecosystem and skills to preserve it. We are grateful for the support of the Lyndhurst Foundation for this grant program. Deadline to apply: September 15, 2024. Link: https://tnvalleywildones.org/chapp/seeds-for-education/

September is upon us and it is a busy month indeed! Our Public Information & Membership Committee is in need of volunteers to help out at upcoming festivals/events.

September 14th - Rock the Ridge on Signal Mountain.

Year-two of an amazing event. Native plant vendors, other non profits, bluegrass pickin', events for kids. Come on up and volunteer for a couple of hours and enjoy chatting about native plants and the Wild Ones mission.

Info and sign up

September 21 and 22 - Crabtree Farms Fall Festival.

Another great opportunity for us to get the word out about Wild Ones and native plants. We will have a table on Saturday and Sunday of the festival.

Info & Sign Up

September 28 - Master Gardener of Hamilton County Fall Festival.

Round out the month by helping spread the good word at the MGHC Fall Festival. This event is always very successful and we are able to reach new folks who may not be very familiar with Wild Ones of native plants!

Info & Sign Up

Great Smokies Eco-Adventure

Sunday, Oct. 27 - Tuesday, Oct. 29 Near Gatlinburg TN

Discover Life in America, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be hosting the fall 2024 Great Smokies Eco-Adventure. This event is an opportunity for outdoor, nature, and national park enthusiasts to experience the Smokies in an in-depth and fun way. It also doubles as an essential fundraiser for DLiA, funding vital research on biodiversity in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Tennessee Native Plant Society Seminars

The Tennessee Native Plant Society hosts monthly Native Plant Seminars via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Central (7:30 p.m. Eastern) and lasting about one hour. All members, and potential members, are welcome to attend the seminars. Videos of previous seminars are available via the link below.

September 17 – Sara Wittenberg, Pollinators in the Garden

October 15 – Elizabeth Hermsen, Plant Fossils of Tennessee

November 19 – Adam Bigelow, Wildflowers of Southern Appalachia

The Reflection Riding Native Plant Nursery has reopened for the fall planting season. Visit the nursery from Thursday to Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm, to browse the selection of native perennials, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees. 

Midsummer and Fall Garden Rejuvenation

In this post from Northcreek Nurseries, you'll find some good gardening tips for landscape refresh, weeding, trimming, staking, deadheading, and planning for fall plant moving.

Read more.

The weird world of wasps and why we should worry if they are on the wane

We think of them as pests to run away from, or to squash with the nearest object to hand, before they sting us or target our jam sandwiches. But wasps are actually one of the most fascinating species around.

Read more.



Hummingbird Migration Takes an Incredible Journey

Many kinds of birds, from geese to goldfinches, typically migrate in flocks. But hummingbirds travel as loners—each individual navigates on its own. Even young birds making their first southward migration fly solo, without any guidance from their parents. Instead, they rely on instinct.

Read more.



This fungus has a humorous but accurate nickname of dead man’s fingers.

You can find these fungi in wooded areas of all six inhabited continents. They’ll be on stumps and the dead wood of trees, especially beech trees. They grow inside rotten or cracked wood.

Read more.

When the Hottest, Driest Place on Earth Became a Lake

This year Death Valley, the hottest, driest place in North America, filled up with water. In the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the August rain that swept in with Hurricane Hilary (California’s first tropical storm watch ever), coupled with the slate of raging atmospheric rivers, caused many annuals like desert sunflowers, rock daisies, and sand verbena to germinate out of season in the fall, overwinter in oddly warm weather, and then bloom at six or seven months old in the spring. Normally the seedbank flourishes for just a few weeks.

Read more.

This month, Mike O'Brien shares more amazing photographs, including the four photos below showing part of the life cycle of the Braconid Wasp, a very small, garden beneficial, parasitoid wasp that we rarely see because of their diminutive size of 1/32” to 5/8” in total length. Most are similar in size to tiny black ants or small fruit flies, thus escaping our vision.

Braconid Wasps are pollinators and are attracted to plants that provide necessary foods such as pollen and nectar for the adult wasp’s survival. These plants include Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Yarrow, Chamomile, Catnip and members of the Daisy family to name just a few. Having some of these plants in your garden will assist these wasps with their life cycle to help as biologic pest control in vegetable and other gardens.  Braconid Wasps have four stages in their life cycle:

1. Egg stage: The female Braconid wasp lays her eggs either on, or within hosts like caterpillars, aphids, flies and beetles. 
2. Larval stage: The eggs hatch and become small white larvae that feed on the living host’s internal tissues. The host remains alive for most of the larvae’s life cycle and eventually dies. The host’s most vital systems, like circulatory and nervous, are preserved until the end of the larval maturation. 
3. Pupal Stage: When the larvae have reached maturity, they pupate either within, or on the surface of the host’s body. The larvae mature into their adult wasp form within the pupal case (cocoon), similar to the way a butterfly matures within a chrysalis. They emerge from the top of the cocoon. 
4. Adult Stage: The tiny adult wasps emerge from the their pupal cocoon and fly away to start the life cycle again. This life cycle is variable from weeks to a few months.

Often in your garden, it is much more likely to encounter these wasps in their pupal stage where the bizarre-appearing, parasitized hosts shows numerous pupal cocoons upright on their backs.

In the photos below of the 3/4" long Saddleback Caterpillar, the first photo shows the still living green caterpillar with mature Braconid Wasp cocoons on its back. Each cocoon has a “ round cap” on the top from which the adult wasp will emerge, as can be seen in photo #2, where some of the caps are popped up and have a black exit opening. At this stage, the caterpillar is dead. In the third photo there is a tiny (1/8” long) , black adult wasp on top of the cocoons that has emerged and will quickly fly away. This entire process was photographed over several days.

The final photo shows an unparasitized Saddleback Caterpillar; it has a pair of fleshy horns at both ends. These horns and most of the rest of the body bear stinging hairs that secrete an irritating venom. Contact with the hairs causes a painful, swollen rash and sometimes nausea in humans.

Photos by Mike O'Brien.

American Lady Butterfly "coming and going"

Photos by Mike O'Brien.

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar on Passionvine leaf (its host plant)

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

Autumn Meadow Hawk dragonfly

Photo by Mike O'Brien.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on Thistle

Photo by Mike O'Brien.



Becoming a Wild Ones member shows your commitment to the native plant movement and is a great way to connect with a helpful and knowledgeable native plant community that will prove invaluable in your native garden journey!

Benefits of a Wild Ones membership include:

• Access to the current electronic issue of the quarterly Wild Ones Journal
• Invitations to workshops, garden tours, seed exchanges, plants sales, and stewardship project
• Discounts for partner educational webinars such as NDAL, etc. and Wild Ones chapter programs
• Participation in an annual national photo contest
• Access to the Wild Ones Member Center for learning resources
• Participation in Wild for Monarchs and Native Garden recognition programs
• Involvement in citizen science and networking with conservation partners
• Receiving Wild Ones National e-Newsletters
• Invitation to Wild Ones' private Facebook discussion group and the national Wild Ones Annual Member Meeting
• Networking opportunities and camaraderie with like-minded people who care about native plants and our planet

Additional benefits for members of the Tennessee Valley chapter:



• Discounted admission to all Certificate in Native Plants classes year-round.
• Free admission at members-only programs, including local and regional guided hikes, garden visits (Landscapes in Progress), the annual meeting, an annual plant swap, and other member social events.
• Annual Welcome Party and Orientation for new members.
• Monthly email Member Update, with news about chapter activities.
• All members of the family who live at the same address are entitled to member benefits!

Your membership dollars help forward our mission of promoting the restoration of native landscapes by allowing us to:

• Provide free, educational resources and learning opportunities that are open to the public from respected experts like Wild Ones Honorary Directors Doug Tallamy, Neil Diboll, Heather Holm and Donna VanBuecken
• Support the efforts of over 65 local Wild Ones chapters in 23 states
• Publish a quarterly, award-winning, online journal featuring current native plant information and resources
• Share free, professionally-designed native garden templates for multiple regions in the United States.

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