Native Plants
It’s National Pollinator Week: Thank a Bee, and a Fly, and Even A Beetle
In 2006 the United States Senate designated the first National Pollinator Week as a way to recognize the importance of pollinators to agriculture and ecosystem health. Sure, beekeepers and avid gardeners celebrate this week, but the average American is hard pressed to name even a single pollinator beyond a honey bee. As we have become increasingly disconnected from our food…
Read MoreRemembering a Great Naturalist: A Toast to Carol Gracie
This past fall we lost one of the great naturalists of the Northeast, Carol Gracie. Carol was not just a naturalist, but a botanist, photographer, lecturer, and author of four fantastic books: Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, Florapedia, and Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States (co-authored with…
Read MoreWhy Locally-Sourced, Locally-Grown Native Plants Matter
Have you visited your local farmer’s market lately or picked up your weekly allotment at a CSA? If you are a locavore, like so many of us, you might be asking some pretty specific questions of your suppliers when you are vetting your food choices, such as: Where was this food grown? How far is the farm from here? Where…
Read MoreEasy Native Perennials to Start from Seed: Economical and EcoBeneficial!
Biodiversity is critical to the health of ecosystems but species diversity is crashing and getting worse in the face of climate change. How can you help? Skip the clones of native plants (grown from cuttings or tissue culture) and plant native seeds to increase genetic diversity to support our challenged environment. In many cases, native plants require some type of…
Read MoreDwarf Nativars – Do They Measure Up?
For those of us with small landscapes, dwarf cultivars of native plants can seem like a gift from heaven. Want to grow a particular native plant, but just don’t have the room? Have a straight species plant, like a native viburnum, that needs a pollinator partner for fruit production – but you just can’t squeeze another large viburnum in your…
Read MoreHoliday Gift Ideas with a Native Gardening Twist
Enough with the ugly sweaters, run-of-the-mill Amazon gift cards, overpriced fruit-of-the-month club, and belly-bomber fruitcake! Why not give the gardeners you love a gift that they will love? The gift of native gardening! Here are some ideas for your holiday shopping: 1) Membership to a Native Plant Society No matter where your gift recipient lives, there is a native plant…
Read MoreSpotlight on a Great Native Nursery: Amanda’s Garden
When you are looking to buy native plants, it can still feel like the search for the Holy Grail. Take the time and effort to seek out local native nurseries that grow the regional native plants you want and that healthy ecosystems need. Skip the big box stores, and support local suppliers that care about their clients and the environment.…
Read MoreLessons from the Smokies: Biodiversity in the Home Landscape
During a recent trip to the annual Great Smoky Mountain Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, I was overwhelmed by the incredible biodiversity of native plants and animals, interwoven in their natural habitat in the Smoky Mountains, making up one of the healthiest and most beautiful ecosystems I have ever encountered. Instead of the endless Japanese Barberry thickets I notice at home in…
Read MoreNative Viburnums and Cross-Pollination – What the Nursery Isn’t Telling You
Ever wonder why those terrific native viburnums you planted are not producing fruit? You are not alone. It’s one of the frustrations of gardening ecologically in a world where “cross pollination” is rarely mentioned at local nurseries or garden centers (and forget about the big box stores!). Some plants, although deemed self-fruitful, may need a “pollinator partner” to bear fruit…
Read More