Wildlife
Declining Species: A Huge Red Flag
The recent press on the dramatic decline in Monarch butterflies prompted me to write this letter just published in the “Community Views” section of The Journal News. Please read and share. We can make a tremendous positive impact through our own actions! http://www.lohud.com/article/20131219/OPINION/312190073/Declining-species-huge-red-flag from Kim Eierman at EcoBeneficial Photo: Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed Photo credit: Flickr_thoeflich
Read MoreInterview with C. Colston Burrell on Native Plants and Landscapes
I recently interviewed C. Colston Burrell (Cole), the noted author, lecturer, landscape designer and native landscape expert. Cole is the author of a number of great books on plants and gardening including: Perennial Combinations, a best selling gardening book on Amazon.com, the award winning book A Gardener’s Encyclopedia of Wildflowers, and a number of other books on native plants including:…
Read MoreNative Edibles: The Tropical Looking Pawpaw
As the chill of winter sets in, it’s a great time to start making plans for your spring planting. Start with the structural “bones” of your landscape – native trees. In mature landscapes it may be difficult to find the space for another large tree, in that case “go small” with an understory, or smaller native tree. A smaller tree…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Doug Tallamy, Author of Bringing Nature Home
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Doug Tallamy at his home. Doug is the author of Bringing Nature Home: How you Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants, a book which has sparked a new cycle of enthusiasm for native plants and ecological landscapes. Doug is Professor & Chair of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware,…
Read MoreTop 20 Ways to Create An EcoBeneficial Garden
Wondering how you can give a huge “eco-boost” to your garden? Look no further. Here are 20 of the best ways: 1) Reduce or eliminate the “Green Desert” (lawn/turf). It is an ecological wasteland. 2) Increase the health of your soil. Everything starts with the soil: healthy soil makes for healthy plants. Disturb your soil as little as possible. Leaves…
Read MoreMeadowscaping: A Perfect Alternative to Lawns
You might be thinking about doing some planting this fall. Why not consider planting a native meadowscape: a meadow or a meadow-like garden? Meadowscapes are fantastic ecological alternatives to lifeless lawns (“green deserts”). Whether you have a tiny yard or an expansive landscape, you can create a native meadowscape and give your landscape a big ecological boost. Bees, butterflies, other…
Read MoreHelping Pollinators & Improving Ecosystems: Inspirations from the UK
Just “across the pond” in the United Kingdom, there are some inspiring initiatives going on to help pollinators and create environmental improvements. In June of this year the British Government’s Minister for Environmental Science announced that a National Pollinator Strategy will soon be created. This is the only country I know of which has placed pollinators, and their critical role…
Read MoreThe Power of Every Landscape
It’s no secret to followers of this blog that I encourage the use of regional native plants because they have co-evolved with other living things and support our ecosystems. These symbiotic relationships are fundamental to a healthy environment. The great news is that every backyard, every community garden, every rooftop garden, every commercial landscape and every container on a patio…
Read MorePreserving Native Species: Lessons from the American Chestnut
Prior to the year 1900 the American Chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) was the predominant tree in Eastern forests. It is estimated that there were almost 4 billion American Chestnut trees in the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century, accounting for 1 in every 4 trees in Eastern hardwood forests. American Chestnut was a “keystone species” playing a critical…
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