Soft Landings – Protecting Pollinators With Plants
What are soft landings? When I first came across this term at a native plant conference in winter of 2024, I had no idea what it was. And now, I see that I have been using soft landings most of my career, without even planning for it. Soft landings are plant filled places under key […]
Thistles – The Good and Bad
Thistles often get the worst reputation, because many are invasive in pastures and lawns. But did you know there are several native thistles which are important parts of the native ecosystem? We will go over the various thistles, both natives and nonnatives. It is always important to distinguish between the two, since there are insects […]
Moths – An Introduction
2021 was the year of the moths, for me. I have always been fascinated by insects in general, but in 2021 I studied moths more than any other insect. It was truly an eye-opening experience. Most gardeners I talk to know very little about the enormous variety of insects surrounding them, including the some 11,000 […]
Flying Flowers and More
But what are flying flowers? When I was growing up, I used to love poring over the photos in Birds & Blooms Magazine, which I read at my Grandma’s house. In the magazine, they had a section called flying flowers, which were photos of butterflies. I learned a lot about butterflies and gardening that way. […]
Benefits of Growing Black Walnuts
Autumn is harvest time, and as harvest of field crops begins to dwindle, many turn their thoughts to Thanksgiving and Halloween. I often think about my grandparents at this time of year, remembering all the great experiences they shared with me… eating potato doughnuts on Halloween, learning about trees in the backyard, and husking and […]
