Category: Native Plants

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The Living Landscape, by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke

Hot off the press — a NEW book:

The Living Landscape,
Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden
by Doug Tallamy and Rick Darke

My copy arrived earlier this week and I’m enjoying the book immensely. The authors walk us through and help us understand the layered landscape, something that so many gardeners don’t address, consider, or even know to think about.

I was guilty of it for years and am trying to rectify the situation by making some changes:

  • incorporate layers under the Tulip Tree that shades our house with understory shrubs and shade-loving wildflowers
  • incorporate shrub layers in my back side yard where previously lawn had reigned
  • and my biggest project has been our reclaimed woodland where previously Multiflora Rose grew so thick that there was no understory except for this non-native rose. The woods have given me immense pleasure as I experiment with new understory trees, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and grasses. I continue to be amazed by all the native plants that come up on their own (either planted by wildlife or from seeds in the soil that couldn’t survive previously because of the Multiflora Rose). For example, friends gave me 2 baby Willow Oaks and since then I’ve found 5 more that came up on their own.

If you’re intrigued,be sure to get Tallamy & Darke’s new book and digest it. It’s a gem!

Happy Gardening!

Pat

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Eupatoriums in the Wildlife Garden

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Monarch nectaring on Joe-pye-weed with Boneset in the foreground – TWO great Eupatoriums

If you’re looking for some fun plants to add to your wildlife garden, seriously consider the Eupatoriums:

1.  They are stunning 2.  A selection of them can cover a good part of the growing season 3.  They are pollinator magnets 4.  Monarchs LOVE them and Monarchs need all the help they can get

 

Enjoy my latest post on Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens Eupatoriums – Butterfly Magnets to learn  more!

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Black Cherry vs Bradford Pear

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Cecropia Moths are one of 456 butterflies and moths that lay their eggs on Black Cherry

Black Cherry, Prunus serotina, is one of THE most important trees for wildlife.   I’ve watched 53 different species of birds feed on the fruits, including Black-throated Blue Warblers.

Learn why Black Cherry is a far better tree to plant than Bradford Pear by reading my latest column on the Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens website (where over 20 of us contribute educational and informative columns to guide and encourage wildlife gardeners, so they don’t make the same mistakes we did).

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Red Cedar vs Leyland Cypress

001 - CedarWaxwing eating RedCedar berries-11-18-08(03)In southern New Jersey my favorite evergreen is Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, for about a zillion reasons.   I’ve watched 32 different species of birds feed on the fruits, including big flocks of Cedar Waxwings (so named because they favor Red Cedar fruits).

Learn why Red Cedar is a far better evergreen to plant than Leyland Cypress by reading my latest column on the Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens website (where over 30 of us contribute educational and informative columns to guide and encourage wildlife gardeners, so they don’t make the same mistakes we did).