with Kim Eierman
Content Archive
The new year brings more challenges than ever to our environment. Fires, floods, development of pristine natural areas, species loss, pollinator decline – on and on it goes. Sometimes it can feel a bit paralyzing as we ask ourselves – “what can we do, how can we really make a difference?”
The answer is this – we can do a lot in our managed landscapes to improve the environment around us. It’s not mysterious and it’s not even that difficult – we simply have to landscape a little bit differently,…
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 reliably.
Although potentially self-fruitful, native viburnums are actually pretty self-incompatible and typically require cross-pollination for good fruit production. Two genetically different plants of the same species should be planted in reasonably close proximity. …
Want to help challenged pollinators in your landscape? Learn how to create a Pollinator Victory Garden to help win the war on pollinator decline. Kim Eierman shares some tips in this first installment of “The Pollinator Victory Garden.”…
Ecosystem gardening isn’t limited to plants, but includes coexisting with wildlife – much of which may depend on our landscapes. Learn how to successfully share your landscape with wildlife (even the hungry ones!) in this EcoBeneficial interview with Nancy Lawson, author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife.…
Question:
I am thinking about adding the serviceberry Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ to my landscape. I realize that it is a cultivar of a naturally occurring hybrid of Amelanchier laevis & Amelanchier arborea. Will this plant be a good source for pollinators & birds?
Answer:
Our native serviceberry species provide a useful early nectar and pollen resource in April for early-emerging pollinators. The fruit that follows in June is loved by many fruit-eating birds and humans alike….
Question:
My neighbors are constantly blowing leaves off their yard. Besides being noisy and annoying, I know it’s not good for the environment. How can I convince them to stop?
Answer:
Leaf blowing has become an obsession in America. At this time of year, in the fall, the relentless hum of leaf blowers is not only disturbing, but highly destructive to our landscapes. Instead of valuing leaves as part of natural ecosystems, many people have learned to treat leaves like toxic waste – something to quickly clear away and cart to some other location. …
Some of our most important native plants are “woodies” (trees and shrubs). Woodies provide critical structure and ecological function to most landscapes – some are early pollen sources for hungry bees, some are nesting sites for songbirds, and some, primarily evergreens, provide cover to many creatures during harsh winters.
Your trees and shrubs are valuable to you and your ecosystem – so how do you keep them healthy through the winter? You start right now, in the fall.
First – skip the standard fertilizer,…
It’s that time of year when leaves seem to blanket everything in sight in much of the U.S., at least in locales where there is an abundance of deciduous trees and shrubs. For years, homeowners have taken great care to remove every dead leaf from their landscapes as if those leaves were coated with toxic waste. An army of rakes and leaf blowers burst into action in the fall, filling countless leaf bags, left at the end of driveways like yesterday’s trash,…
Urban forests and natural areas are alive and well in New York City as a result of the hard work of NYC Parks, its staff and volunteers. Learn how they do it, and pick up some pointers, in this EcoBeneficial interview with Kristy King, the Director of Forest Restoration for the Natural Resources Group of NYC Parks….