This week I share a favorite perennial woodland wildflower that makes a lovely part-shade groundcover and pairs well with your favorite spring ephemerals and bulbs, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata). Add this fragrant flower to help provide early season pollinator support...
This week I highlight some wonderful vernal pool wildlife observations from the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol training I attended in mid-April and discuss some important ecosystem etiquette for monitoring respectfully and responsibly. Be sure to get out and enjoy our...
This week I share the main ideas behind the No Mow May movement and explain how we can rethink the American lawn and its management to better help our native bees and other wildlife species. Additional Resources: beecityusa.org/no-mow-may/ beecityusa.org/no-mow-may-low-mow-spring-faqs/ www.xerces.org/blog/no-mow-may-gateway-to-better-landscape-management-for-bees...
Happy Earth Day 2024! This week I offer up several readings and perspectives about the relationship between humans and Planet Earth. I hope that in sharing some of the influential people and their written work I've encountered, you will ponder...
This week I discuss the concept of cultural sustainability of our native landscaping efforts and offer some ways we can leverage familiar aesthetic conventions to make our "messy" plantings appear cared for and valued. Consider how you can incorporate or...
Since we get so many customer questions about when certain migratory bird species will return in spring, I compiled a little online tour of my favorite bird migration map resources! Find leading edge reports of first sightings for species like...
Happy Easter and Happy National Native Plant Month! This week I continue the spring landscape project theme and discuss why it's so important to save the stems of your standing dead plants to serve as nesting and overwintering habitat for...
This week I continue the spring landscape project theme and discuss why it's so important to leave our leaves in the landscape as long as possible into Spring and how to best implement and time leaf management activities. Learn more...
This week I share important info about why we need to choose wildlife-friendly erosion control products for our landscape projects and explain what characteristics are needed to make these items safest for wildlife. Special thanks to Carrie Tansy with the...
