Native Plants
A Bakers Dozen of EcoBeneficial Ideas for Earth Day
Give your ecosystem a gift this Earth Day with these 13 ideas that are sure to please the environment: 1) Select at least 25% of your lawn that you don’t really use. Make a commitment to turn that area into a habitat garden by the end of spring (pollinators, butterflies, birds, etc.). 2) Comb your garage and garden shed for…
Read MoreNative Cultivars vs. Native Plants & Their Attractiveness to Pollinators
As you start shopping for plants this spring, please emphasize regional native plants that support your local ecosystem. That sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, it’s actually a bit more complicated. Sometimes the only native plants you can find are native cultivars, not open-pollinated, “straight species” natives. These native cultivars are often referred to as “nativars.” For those of you who…
Read MorePlanning Your Pollinator Garden: Native Perennials for Bees
As you plan your landscape this year, why not include a pollinator garden to help challenged bees? The truth is, a pollinator garden will attract and support many species beyond bees, and will also improve the overall health of your ecosystem. I suggest that you include signage in your pollinator garden (Xerces Society is one good source) and make a…
Read MoreGardening Differently This Spring With an Ecological Focus
As spring begins, gardeners and landscape pros take off like runners at the starting line when the gun goes off. Please pause for just a moment, and consider how you might do things a little bit differently in the landscape this year. This spring you can make a huge positive impact to the landscapes you design, install, garden or maintain. …
Read MorePlant It and They Will Come: Cedar Waxwings & Serviceberries
The Cedar Waxwing is one of my favorite bird species – the adults with their sleek tan and gray Cardinal-like bodies, bright red spots on their wing tips and yellow “paint” on the tips of their tails, but best of all – their Zorro-like masks. Chances are, you have Cedar Waxwings around at some point in the year, as they…
Read MoreBackyard Foraging: Edible Native and Invasive Plants With Ellen Zachos
The phrases: “grow local” and “eat local” take on a whole new meaning when you add native plants and invasive plants into the picture. Many of our native plants, such as Serviceberries (Amelanchier species) and Pawpaw (Asimina species) provide beauty in the garden while offering delectable fruit picked right off the plant. Some of our edible native plants are also…
Read MoreExploring Native Plant Superstars with Dr. Doug Tallamy
Some native plants are true workhorses in the landscape providing a wide array of benefits to your ecosystem, while adding beauty to your landscape. One such terrific plant is Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). There aren’t many native plants that bloom from spring through fall – this one does. While visiting with Dr. Doug Tallamy (author of Bringing Nature Home) in…
Read MoreLatest Research on Honey Bee Deaths: What Does it Mean for EcoBeneficial Gardeners?
A new research study was released this week that points to a variant of Tobacco Ringspot Virus as a possible culprit in the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The study was conducted by a group of researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, Emory University and the University of North…
Read MoreReplacing the Green Desert: Why Native Plant Alternatives to Turf?
The great American love affair with lawns has a long tradition. The funny thing is, it’s not even our tradition – we adopted the idea from Europe where turf grasses are native. And that’s where the ecological problem starts. Our native flora and fauna species did not co-evolve with European turf grasses and are not supported by these exotic grass…
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