Words of Others

Words of Others
From Success with Wildflowers
By Frank C. Pellet

Lawyer and naturalist Frank Pellet grew up in Western Iowa during the pioneer period. First published in 1931, Success with Wildflowers chronicles his effort to preserve a remnant of the wild flowers in Cass County.

At first I had no thought except to have a small plot of wild flowers under the trees near the house. As so often happens when one finds an agreeable hobby, the idea grew and the wild garden expanded to the limit of my resources. The area about the buildings was not sufficient for the new vision and five acres across the road was included. At that time, the whole acreage was in anything but an attractive condition. The five-acre tract had been cut over and the trees converted into firewood. Next it had been fenced for a pasture, and course weeds were growing everywhere…

The livestock was removed and a start was made with the weeds, but it was a slow and tedious process. Some roots and bulbs of the more common wild flowers remained in the soil. Others were planted and Nature was given a chance to see what she could do.

…After more than forty years my woodland shows little evidence of once having been a pasture lot for pigs and cows. The trees have grown to goodly height, and the restored wildwood has every appearance of its original condition, except for the size of the trees. A few saplings which were left uncut, because they were too small to interest the woodsman who removed the forest, are now a foot or more in diameter. Underneath, the accumulated leaf mold from more than forty crops of fallen leaves which have decayed there is so soft and springy that one sinks in at every footstep.

Wherever one has a bit of ground, there is usually some portion of it well suited to native plants. It may take special preparation and some patience to establish the conditions necessary to secure best results, but it is an interesting and profitable game. One needs to study the peculiarities of plants in order to decide what is likely to succeed, and then proceed to perfect the correct environment. Even though the area be very small, if conditions are right the plants may be expected to increase in numbers with the passing years. One must not expect to secure results too quickly, for it takes time to build a natural plant association. During the greater part of the time since my little venture has been underway, I have lived at a distance from the farm and, at times, have not visited the place for months together. Only those plants could succeed which found the environment exactly as Nature intended, and these have increased in a way to delight the heart.

Contents

Design by Kenny King.