The Wordsmith's Forge

>> I'm ok with the Poison Ivy at the edges of the property (It's 1.74 acres platted),<<

Mine is about 2 acres.

>> I do have an on going battle with invasive Bittersweet and Porcelain Berry has shown up (boo!).<<

Alas!

>> We have native Black Eyed Susans in the brushy area that are biennial.<<

I have those too, mostly in the wildflower garden. The prairie garden is primarily giant plants. The goldenrod and bluestem are about 5-6 feet, the cup plant 8-10', and the sunchokes 10-12' in late summer. Yellow coneflowers range about 3-5' and appear in several places there, but shorter plants aren't competing well except a few patches of wild strawberries at the edges.

>> The first year after we cleared out the bittersweet, a lot of deadfall that got moved into wildlife hiding piles and removed a good number of invasive Ailanthus, it was covered with yellow blooms. It was amazing.<<

Yay!

>>Found some native Spotted Wintergreen a few years back, after we really focused on trying to care for the land, and now, every year, I find another, larger patch.<<

Now that's impressive.

>>We've planted native Redbud, Red Maples, Ninebark, Persimmons, Hazelnuts, a Deodar Cedar and a Pecan so far. <<

I've planted redbud, persimmon, hazelnut, and a bunch of other stuff. I don't think the ninebark survived but the nannyberry did.

>> Lost our two mature White Pines 6 months apart, <<

Alas!

>> they were left in place as it's at the back of the property, we just cleaned up a bit and created more deadfall piles for wildlife, <<

Yeah, I do that if they're not in the way.

>>and recently found 2 offspring, so that was exciting. Heh.<<

Awesome.

>>We have literal groves of Red and White Oaks and Black Walnuts now. <<

I have tons of black walnuts but only one mature oak. The others are saplings or seedlings.

>>And unfortunately non native red Mulberry.<<

I have mulberry, not sure what kind, but it is all over Illinois and fits nicely in the ecosystem, so I'm fine with it.

>> And still so much Ailanthus that we'll be working to remove over the winter. And invasive Privet is trying to make inroads along with invasive Burning Bush. Ugh.<<

Here it's honeysuckle. :/

>>But it's fun, and finding yet another new native that establishes itself here as a result, makes it worth it.<<

A lot of the natives I plant have flourished, and a few have appeared that I didn't plant, which is exciting. Over time I've become more inclined to plant natives than foreign plants, except for a few herbs, flowers, and vegetables in pots or beds.

>> So do the visitors in the form of deer, turkey, an occasional fox and bear, numerous rabbits, the opossums, a raccoon or two, and Woodrow the Groundhog who lives under the shed.}:P

We've had deer, pheasants, foxes, raccoons, possums, skunks, rabbits, both fox and gray squirrels, bats, a weasel, snakes, toads, and birds including resident great-horned owls and fly-by red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and twice a bald eagle. :D I am all asquee that in the last couple of years, tree frogs -- two species, one green and one gray -- have established themselves enough to be seen regularly instead of once every two years.