Welcoming Birds Back to the Garden this Spring

As the weather warms, neo-tropical migrating birds start to reappear in our landscapes.  Are you ready to offer a proper welcome?  Resources can be slim at this time of year in our landscapes, both for overwintering birds and returning migrants. Now more than ever, we need to provide welcoming habitats for birds.  According to the National Audubon Society, 20 of…

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Book Giveaway & New Video: Carol Gracie on Spring Wildflowers part 2

EcoBeneficial! book giveaway! Win a Copy of Carol Gracie’s wonderful book on Spring Wildflowers! Watch part 1 or part 2 of the EcoBeneficial! interview with Carol Gracie. Click at the end when prompted. (If you are watching on an iPhone the banner does not display.  Please submit you entry using the contact form on the website and mention “contest entry.”…

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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…

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Native 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…

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