This week I share an under-appreciated Monarda species, Monarda punctata, aka horsemint, spotted bee balm, and dotted mint. See this lovely pollinator powerhouse plant blooming in all its glory in the Nature Niche dry sand prairie and learn about its...
Happy Butterfly Season! This week I share how to tell monarch and the similarly colored viceroy butterfly apart. Learn about caterpillar, adult, host plant, and flight pattern differences between these two species. Hope you can venture out and enjoy observing...
This week I share tips for successfully installing your potted native plant materials. From storage, layout, and installation through initial monitoring, there's plenty to think through as you take action as a Habitat Hero for our local wildlife! Other...
This week I share two wonderful June-blooming wildflowers that support pollinators in my own back yard: Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) and Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus). Both species are quite adaptable and make great additions to rain gardens and hummingbird and...
Happy Pollinator Week 2023! This week I discuss this wonderful annual celebration of pollinator health and outline the Pollinator Partnership's 7 Things You Can Do for Pollinators. If you're local, come check out the awesome native plants we have at...
This week I'm pleased to share a lovely nature photography exhibit at the Crosslands Life Plan Community in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Residents' nature photographs have been skillfully matched with inspirational quotes and poetry to help people find the "Peace Within."...
This week I share some lovely native spring wildflowers from the Les Cheneaux Islands Region of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I learned so much attending the 2023 Aldo Leopold Festival this year. Special thanks to the ecologists from Little Traverse Conservancy...
This week I share another favorite spring woodland wildflower, wild geranium (Geranium maculatum). This species provides important early season pollinator support and looks beautiful planted with other shade-loving plants. Its tolerance to a range of light and soil conditions makes...
This week I share a lovely little native woodland wildflower, foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia). This perennial forb makes a nice groundcover and does well interplanted with other shade-loving plants. Its early spring blooms provide important early season pollinator support for bees,...
