During the Autumn Season— Tidy Less in the Garden

Habitat Garden Club works hard in our native plant gardens, but we’re careful not to tidy up too much during the autumn season. Clipping back fallen foliage around pathways and sidewalks, we distribute seeds, make floral arrangements for the Nature Center (thanks Holly!) from the cuttings, and we leave the rest for the birds. We like growing tall around here, and leaving grasses, stalks and seeds throughout the fall and winter provides cover and food source for wildlife and structures for overwintering insects.

Online Fall Native Plant Sale is LIVE!

Starting today, through Sunday, October 16th, you can order native plants on our website and pick up your order between Tuesday, October 18th—Saturday, October 22nd at the Ruffner Mountain greenhouse between 10 am - 2 pm.

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Select your plants, enter payment information, and checkout. Select the "Native Plant Sale Pickup" option as shipping will not be available for any plant sales.

Step 2: Pick up your plants between Tuesday, October 18th, and Saturday, October 22nd between 10 am - 2 pm. Follow the "Plant Pickup" directional signage to enter Ruffner Mountain's greenhouse driveway from the alley off 81st Street.

Start shopping by clicking the link below! 

Calling all UAB Employees…

Do you love Ruffner Mountain and are currently a UAB employee?

We need your help!

Through UAB’s Benevolent fund, UAB employees can opt to deduct a small percentage of their paycheck each month (either 1 hour of pay, 1% of their paycheck, or a chosen amount) to go towards a nonprofit organization of their choice. In order to become a designated nonprofit, we need pledges from at least five employees to reach a minimum of $1,000 per year by October 14th, 2022. Will you pledge your support to Ruffner Mountain today? Please email Stella at stella@ruffnermountain.org with your completed pledge form (see button below). Your pledge will be processed starting December 1st, 2022 if we are selected as a designated nonprofit. Your payroll deduction will not be processed if we are not selected.

P.S. If you have other UAB colleagues that you think would be interested in pledging towards Ruffner Mountain, please share this post with them today!

We Love Native Grasses & Sedges

Warm-season grasses are more productive in growth during summer and are now hitting their stride in the quarry and in the habitat gardens. Taller stalks and blooms (yes, grasses bloom!) lend dramatic backdrop to fall wildflowers, and the seeds feed the birds moving through along their migration paths. To mimic the scenes in your habitat garden, plant cool-season Cherokee sedge (Carex cherokeensis) and warm-season purple lovegrass (Eragrotis spectabilis) and pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) in front and edges of borders and beds for seasonal enjoyment. Drop in little bluestem (Schizachryium scoparium) to fill in between flowers and for sculptural interest, and plant switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a backdrop or for center height. Longleaf woodoats (Chasmanthium sessiliflorum) are beautiful planted en masse in a shady woodland garden. They will naturally self sow and fill in nicely even if you only start with a few. And river oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) are perfect for rain gardens or low-lying areas. We’ll have all of these plants available for the upcoming Native Plant Sale.

Fall is the Perfect Time to Plant

Happy first day of Fall!

We say it every year (because it's true)— fall is the best time to plant. Why? For one, autumn is less stressful for plants as the summer heat subsides, and soil temps are still warm. Surrounding trees will soon give us free mulch to nourish soils. As winter dormancy sets in, the roots of the new plants will spread out and grow, and by next spring, the plants will be well established.

To usher in the fall season, we are offering our members and donors the chance to purchase native plants in-person at the Ruffner Greenhouse beginning Saturday, October 8th through Sunday, October 9th. We are trying something new and we appreciate your understanding as we test it out!

Members, be sure to check your email next week for a link to register. A reservation is required to attend the member plant sale. You will be able to reserve your spot by choosing a time slot from the options provided. Spots are limited - max of 30 attendees per time slot.

Not a member? Sign up online at http://ruffnermountain.org/membership

If you miss the member sale, you can shop online public native plant sale on October 14th - 16th!

Regional Cooperation Matters

Members of Ruffner Board and Staff with Mayor James Stewart of the City of Irondale at the Jefferson County Mayors Association Meeting.

We had the honor of hosting the Jefferson County Mayors Association for their August meeting and were thrilled to receive operating support from the City of Irondale. This support is a great example of regional cooperation. Thank you to Mayor James Stewart and the Irondale City Council!

Regional cooperation is a term that gets tossed around a good bit, but what does it mean and why does it matter?

According to the 2017 report “Together We Can” prepared by the Public Affairs Council of Alabama (PARCA) for the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, our central city of Birmingham is surrounded by more independent cities than any other southern city. This pattern of fragmentation within Jefferson County has consequences. It leads to duplication, creates intra-regional competition, concentrates economic advantage and disadvantage, and diffuses resources and leadership. It makes it difficult to arrive at a consensus, pursue priorities of regional importance, or deliver services that transcend municipal boundaries. In sum, it puts the whole of Jefferson County at a disadvantage.

For example, Ruffner Mountain manages land owned by the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commission, and State of Alabama (Forever Wild Land Trust), and the 501c3 nonprofit, but people from across Jefferson County, from each of its 35 cities, multiple towns, and unincorporated areas visit. Our fractured regional government has left it up to individual cities to provide operating and maintenance funding for regional assets like connected trail systems, preserves, and parks.

The cities of Irondale and Birmingham support a place enjoyed by residents of their cities and visitors from across Jefferson County.

Want to learn even more read the full Together We Can report here (be sure to check out the maps on pages 28 and 29)!

More to come on this topic…

Let’s Fix This

Have you ever tried filling up your water bottle at the pavilion and thought—
“Ugh, this is gonna take forever!”

Have you ever approached the outdoor animal exhibits and wondered—
“What IS that?”

Have you ever visited the Nature Center and asked—
“What’s up with the caution tape?”

We need your help to fix these and 16 other Improvement Projects.

Heard all you need to know? Donate below.