I am looking forward to sharing one of my favorite programs at the next meeting of the SE Chapter of the Native Plant Society of NJ on Monday, November 17th! Details follow:
The next meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey is coming up
WHEN: Monday, November 17, 2025 7:00 p.m. (FREE: all are welcome, members & nonmembers)
“HOW TO CREATE A NO-FUSS WILDLIFE POND” by Pat Sutton
WHERE: Stockton University 101 Vera King Farris Drive Galloway, NJ 08205 (in Atlantic County) Unified Science Center Room 346 (on 3rd floor of Unified Science Center) — same building, but one floor higher than this past spring & last fall —
ABOUT Pat’s PRESENTATION “How to Create a No-Fuss Wildlife Pond” by Pat Sutton
Pat shares: my two wildlife ponds have evolved these many years from a large hole where I laid a fancy-schmancy waterproof sheet / pond liner that within a few short years sprung a hole (and ended up as an “almost” bog) to the two pre-formed, kidney-shaped ponds I have and love today. I am sold on these pre-formed ponds because they are easy peasy to install, will last forever, and have provided me great joy and study opportunities. My presentation will walk folks through all the mishaps I’ve encountered and resolved, so hopefully I’ll spare new wildlife pond folks these same false steps.
Frogs, toads, and dragonflies all need freshwater ponds for egg laying to create future generations. Even a tiny pond will attract and support them. Learn what a true wildlife pond is and how simple it is to create – with no need for running water, filters, fish, and all the fuss. Pat Sutton will share the basics of how to create a wildlife pond and, even more importantly, how to maintain it so that wildlife benefits. Learn which native plants to add to the pond (and which problem plants to avoid). Don’t make the same mistake that others have made by creating a pond for exotic fish that supports little else. In a true wildlife pond, expect to attract and watch the amazing life cycle of huge Common Green Darner dragonflies or count a growing population of Leopard Frogs, Green Frogs, and Gray Treefrogs that find your pond as if by magic. Look forward to the child-like wonder and joy of looking for and finding young Gray Treefrogs that have emerged from your very own pond and taken up residence on insect-rich, native nectar plants in your garden! Create it and they will come!
Note: Pat Sutton’s handout “How to Create a No-Fuss Wildlife Pond” can be found on her website HEREalong with many of her other educational, native-plant-focused handouts. Even if you can not attend Monday evening, this handout will help you greatly!
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Parking Tip:See the Stockton campus parking link below. The closest parking spots are in Lots #4 and #5, which share the same entry off Vera King Farris Drive, the main drive on campus. Parking Lot #5 is made easy to spot by the mural of two ospreys on the Sports Center wall.
Click HERE for Map & Directions to Parking for the Unified Science Building at Stockton’s Galloway Campus
I am often asked to recommend someone who can help with invasive plant ID and removal, design, native plant choices, and even creation of a wildlife garden, pond, and / or meadow. “The Wildlife Gardener” (Josh Nemeth and Dustin Welch) right here in Cape May County was always my “top of the list” recommendation. I trusted them to “do right” by their customers. They knew native plants. They grew native plants. They were passionate about wildlife gardening utilizing native plants most important to wildlife. They understood design, fun plant combos, and which plants would work best in different settings. And they worked hard! They created many, many, many gardens and wildlife habitats here in South Jersey for over ten years.
In 2023, Josh Nemeth moved to New Mexico to become the state’s District Resource Manager for the SW Region. Of course he loves it, working outside, and he liaisons between land users and the state land office. Then in 2025, Dustin Welch had an opportunity for a full time job with Natural Lands in Cumberland and Salem Counties as their Assistant Preserve Manager. I was so happy for both of them to have full time jobs, health benefits, and outdoor jobs (something they both excel in).
At the same time, I was at a loss, especially when asked to recommend someone to help with the creation of native plant gardens. And rightly so. I have heard far too many horror stories. I especially love the one where a woman in Avalon (or maybe it was Stone Harbor) lined up a local nursery to re-landscape her property with native plants for butterflies and hummingbirds. When she returned from her winter quarters she found Butterfly Bush and a ton of other non-natives and even invasive plants covering her property. And believe you me, she had paid a pretty penny for this redo. She called the nursery owner and expressed her dismay at all the non-natives and other “junk” plantings. He replied, “They’re native, they’re everywhere!” So in his mind he had done nothing wrong! That is the sad reality. Business owners are jumping on the band wagon, offering their services, but they are clueless about native plants, habitat gardening, avoiding neonics, etc. Many even have their crews dig up Milkweed and other native perennials and toss them into the trash. They plant horrific invasives like Purple Loosestrife and Rugosa Rose (don’t get me started, I just found it planted at a “new” open space park at Norbury’s Landing). They use leaf blowers, mulch volcanoes, take away leaves, and charge for mountains of icky treated wood mulch, etc. When done, their landscapes are dead zones, far from wildlife friendly.
Well, I am thrilled to share that I am no longer at a loss when asked to make a recommendation. The Wildlife Gardener is BACK!Dustin and Brittany Welch are now collectively operating as The Wildlife Gardener! They grow native plants on their humble acre in Goshen (Cape May Court House), NJ, for retail sale and restoration plantings. In addition, they offer consulting on wildlife habitat restoration and garden design to benefit the wildlife in your own back yard while conserving soil and water.
Dustinhas been with The Wildlife Gardener since 2013; a transplant to Cape May County from Northampton County, PA. Along with Josh Nemeth, they have provided advice, design, and maintenance on many gardens throughout Cape May and surrounding counties. Dustin took over the business in 2023 when Josh and his family moved to New Mexico to pursue public land management. Dustin is an avid birder, moth enthusiast and the muscle of the operation. Now, he is passing the torch to Brittany, as he recently became Assistant Preserve Manager with Natural Lands, stewarding over 10,000 acres in Cumberland and Salem County NJ.
Brittany has worked in the conservation field for over 10 years helping landowners address natural resource challenges with sustainable solutions through conservation planning and stewardship with New Jersey Audubon and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Her love of native plants stemmed from her first job in college collecting wild seed, propagating plants and maintaining a nursery and seed collection plots through her work with Rhody Native in Kingston RI. She is excited to be stepping into The Wildlife Gardener and returning to her roots while raising their daughter and pursuing a consulting role for native gardeners, farmers, and landowners looking to address resource challenges and transform their properties to benefit wildlife.
Dustin and Brittany were married in June 2022, and welcomed Miss Isla Grace in January 2024. She is the hype ma’am, the greeter at plant sales, and brings the cheer with a little bit of chaos! Together they are embarking on a new season of The Wildlife Gardener with Brittany at the helm and Dustin providing guidance behind the scenes. They look forward to continuing to provide native plants, habitat design and conservation consulting and sharing their journey with the wonderful people of Southern New Jersey.
— The Wildlife Gardener — To make an appointment for a consultation please email TheWildlifeGardenerNJ@gmail.com or call Brittany Welch at 609-706-3279
They post their retail native plant sale days on Facebook: The Wildlife Gardener & Instagram: NJWildlifeGardener These dates are also shared on Pat Sutton’s Gardening Gang alerts! If social media is not your flavor, they invite you to reach out to have your name added to their mailing list
They had several sale days in May, with additional dates TBD in June.
They also have sales by private appointment, so if you can’t make a retail sale day but would like to browse their availability, please reach out to schedule a visit!
p.s. If you have benefited from The Wildlife Gardener and would like to share your story, please add it in the comment section below (include your town and county).
p.p.s. If you have found a hard-working, knowledgeable person/company to help you incorporate native plants into your landscape, or to help you with invasive plant ID and removal, wildlife garden design, creation, maintenance, wildlife-friendly spring clean-up, etc., please share your experience and their contact information (name, business name, e-mail, cell phone, city, state, and county) in the comment section below, so fellow readers can benefit and also support them. We really need to “grow” this livelihood (wildlife garden landscaping), don’t we!
Be sure to offer a wide variety of nectar and host plants from early spring until the frost. This is my fall garden, still going strong with lots of Chocolate Cakes!
Hi Gang,
My list, “Some Sources of Native Plants in 2025,” includes THE BEST sources of native plants that I feel comfortable recommending. So, check it out and visit websites and facebook pages to learn of each of their hours and 2025 offerings! Consider yourselves very, very fortunate that there are so many sources of native plants. That was NOT the case when I began planting natives in the late 1970s and 1980s, or even in the 1990s or early 2000s!
You will find my 6-page “Some Sources of Native Plants in 2025” at the end of this post, 2nd Edition (05-01-25).
A number of websites have searchable Native Plant Databases with filters to help you generate lists of plants suited for various sites on your property. Some of my favorites follow: Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Jersey-Friendly Yards Website which has filters for “native plants only” (@ 318), wildlife value, region, ecoregion (barrier island/coastal, Pinelands), deer resistant, drought tolerance, salt tolerance, and many more filters. Have at it and see what may work in your yard!
PLEASE NOTE: many native plant nurseries are not like the nursery down the road. Often they are owned, maintained, and run by a caring native plant grower who is surviving by also working a 2nd job or sometimes even a 2nd full-time job that covers their health insurance and most of their income. This being the case, they are not available 24-7 to answer all your questions. But when they are open or hosting a pop-up sale, they eagerly and gladly share their knowledge and will guide you towards the best native plants for your site. These same growers collect their own local native seeds or cuttings (they do not dig up from the wild), and they do not use systemic Neonicotinoid Insecticides that would cancel out future generations of butterflies and moths (more on Neonics below). So, don’t panic when their milkweeds have aphids; but instead realize that if there are no aphids, it means the grower has spent hours hand picking them off. Know too that growing from seed can be a lengthy process. The Turk’s-Cap Lily, Lilium superbum, that I purchased from Clemenson Farms Native Nursery in 2014 (now a patch of 44 stalks a/o May 2024) took the Clemensons 8 years to grow out from seed to plant that could be sold. Understand too, that some natives are slow to break ground in spring so are not going to be available during early-season sales: milkweeds, Partridge Pea, and Joe-pye-weed to name a few.
Once hooked on wildlife gardening with native plants, it can be a real challenge to find native plants. Yes a few have been mainstreamed, and the nursery down the street may carry them. But BEWARE OF CULTIVARS OF NATIVE PLANTS. Cultivars are plants created or selected for specific characteristics such as early blooming or color, often at the expense of nectar, berries (the plants may be sterile), and sometimes even the leaf chemistry is changed so the plant can no longer be used as a caterpillar plant. We (wildlife gardeners) want the nectar, the berries, and we want the leaf chemistry intact so our butterflies can create the next generation!
That said, some straight natives might be ill behaved and total thugs, overwhelming other plants in your garden and leading to hours and hours spent thinning them every single year. This is the case with Cutleaf Coneflower. In 2009, a friend shared a cultivar of this plant with me (Cutleaf Coneflower, Rudbeckia lacinata “Herbstsonne,”) that is a Chocolate Cake, always full of pollinators, and not a thug at all because it is sterile. I’ve raved about my Cutleaf Coneflower for years, many have planted the straight native, and been frazzled by its rambunctious wanderings.
Be careful too that your plants are Neonicotinoid free. Neonicotinoids are systemic (get into every part of the plant, including pollen, nectar, even dew) pesticides that are applied to many commercially-available nursery plants and are harmful to bees, caterpillars, moths, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators.
Speak up when you purchase plants. Ask if the nursery uses Neonicotinoid Insecticides. If they don’t know what you are talking about, it sounds like a nursery to avoid. If they proudly share that they do not use Neonicotinoid Insecticides (verbally and/or on their website), they are a nursery “in the know” and a nursery to support. The Xerces Society’s publication, “Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides: Buying Bee-Safe Plants,” addresses asking nurseries these important questions and is available HERE. There is a complimentary Xerces Society publication for nurseries, “Offering Bee-Safe Plants: A Guide for Nurseries,” available HERE. Let nurseries you frequent know about it. If you find that any of the nurseries on my list are “in the dark” and still using Neonicotinoids, please alert me ! ! !
Around the world steps are being taken to protect pollinators from neonics. In 2018, the European Union voted to completely ban all outdoor uses of three types of neonics (citing their impacts to honey bees). Canada followed suit, planning to phase out all outdoor use of three specific neonics in 3-5 years (2021-2023) because of impacts to aquatic ecosystems. In 2016 Connecticut became the first state in the nation to restrict the use of neonicotinoids when the legislature unanimously passed An Act Concerning Pollinator Health (banning sales of neonics for use by general consumers in backyard garden settings). Soon after, Maryland passed a similar bill that restricts the sale of neonics and bans their use by consumers. And in January 2022, New Jersey became the 6th state to pass a similar bill to save pollinators by classifying bee-killing neonicotinoids (also known as neonics) as restricted use pesticides.
Educate yourself about Neonics by reading the following:
American Bird Conservancy (ABC) found that Neonics (Neonicotinoid Insecticides, highly toxic to birds and other wildlife) were in 90% of food samples taken from Congressional cafeterias. Their page on “Solutions to Pesticides & Toxins” covers the following issues in depth, often with educational posters: (1) Pesticides at Home, (2) Tips for Organic Bird-Friendly Gardening, and (3) Neonic Free Seed Sources for Growers.
HUGE INSECT DIE-OFF / INSECT APOCALYPSE
‘A car “splatometer” study finds huge insect die-off’
Nov. 13, 2019, by Damian Carrington, Environmental Editor, The Guardian
Measuring how many bugs fly into car windshields might sound silly. But to scientists predicting an “insect apocalypse,” the numbers are deadly serious.
The Insect Crisis, The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World, by Oliver Milman. 2022. A devastating examination of how collapsing insect populations worldwide threaten everything from wild birds to the food on our plate.
BIRDS ARE VANISHING
“Birds are Vanishing from North America”
The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 2.9 billion, or 29 percent, over the past 50 years (1970-2019), scientists find (Science, 2019).
Here are just a few of the things that each and every one of us can do:
1. Plant NATIVES, especially Keystone Species (read Doug Tallamy’s books to understand what Keystone Species are). If you live in the East, the “Eastern Temperate Forests – Ecoregion 8″ plant list should be the backbone of your plantings! If you live elsewhere, chose your Ecoregion HERE for your list of Keystone Species.
2. Ask nurseries you frequent if their native plants have been treated with Neonicotinoids (see Xerces Society’s document, “Protecting Pollinators from Pesticides: Buying Bee-Safe Plants,” for tips and how to ask these important questions) . If they don’t know, ask them to find out. If the answer is yes, don’t purchase and explain why, that Neonics are hazardous to the wildlife you are trying to attract and benefit.
3. Leave fallen leaves on the ground: they are full of insect life, they protect tree and shrub and perennial roots, they break down and naturally nourish your soil, and they prevent erosion. Listen to Doug Tallamy’s talk about his latest book, The Nature of Oaks (search youtube Doug Tallamy Nature of Oaks), and learn that oak leaves are the BEST fallen leaves to LEAVE on the ground because it takes them so long to break down (3 years or more). All that time (3+ years) they are providing for an abundance of LIFE that needs fallen leaves to survive. Heather Holm calls these leaves “Soft Landings” for the many caterpillars feeding on the tree above to land in and then nestle down into as they metamorphose into the next life stage before emerging as an adult butterfly or moth the following year. To truly preserve the life in leaf litter do not mow it / mulch it (that would chop up all that life using it).
4. DO NOT USE Pesticides (including Organic – they KILL too) or Herbicides or synthetic Fertilizers
5. Turn outdoor lights OFF at night (use motion sensor lights instead)
6. Remove as many invasive plants as possible on your property
7. Share some of your native “Chocolate Cake” perennial divisions (that are also Keystone Species: Asters and Goldenrods, for example) with others to help get them hooked
8. Read and give Doug Tallamy’s books (Bringing Nature Home, Nature’s Best Hope, The Nature of Oaks, and How Can I Help?: Saving Nature with Your Yard) to family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors.
9. If you ever have a chance to hear Doug Tallamy speak, BE THERE and bring your neighbor, friend, family member, landscaper, lawn care service worker so they can learn to speak the same language. In the meantime Google “YouTube videos (or podcasts) Doug Tallamy” and you’ll have dozens to choose from, many of which are keynote talks he’s given about the importance of insects, native plants, fallen leaves, and much more. Watch Doug Tallamy’s presentations and what you learn may change your life and/or the way you view life. Share video links with neighbors, friends, family members, co-workers.
10. Read and give Heather Holm’s books about beneficial pollinators (Pollinators of Native Plants; Bees, An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide; and Wasps, Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants) to family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors to help you (and others) understand beneficial pollinators. You’ll learn key practices like leaving stem stubble during spring garden clean up and standing dead trees (these stems and dead trees provide pollinator nesting sites), utilize fallen branches and tree trunks to line garden or woodland paths (ditto: potential nest sites), leave fallen leaves, and avoid too much hardscaping, mulching, and turf so that ground-nesting pollinators have safe places to nest.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Coral Honeysuckle, a GREAT native spring nectar source that often reblooms all summer long
Hi Gang,
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are migrating north! Yesterday, April 4, 2026, two were spotted by wildlife gardeners in Cape May County, NJ!
So, I scrambled to get ready for returning hummingbirds (make hummingbird solution, fill a few feeders, and place them strategically where they could easily be seen by hummingbirds and from inside our house).
You can monitor Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration north (AND enter your own sightings) on the 2026 Hummingbird Centralmap and on the Journey North map. When you go to each of these sites, be sure to set the date for these migration maps to 2026.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been surging north from their wintering grounds (northern Panama and Costa Rica, north to southern Mexico) since mid-February and March. They will steadily move north with each good migration weather day, the opening of important nectar plants, and warm enough days with insect life.
Native nectar sources that I planted for hummingbirds and other pollinators will soon bloom: Coral Honeysuckle, Wild Columbine, and Red Buckeye to name a few.
Why Feeders?
You might wonder why I recommend putting out a hummingbird feeder, which is obviously an artificial nectar source. When hummingbirds arrive, my garden is still dirt! Without well-maintained feeders, “on-the-move” Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will keep going. Nothing much is in bloom.
Why More Than 1 Feeder?
In spring, once hummingbirds have arrived I have a total of 6-8 feeders scattered around our yard, so that returning males (they migrate first) can’t take control of our entire wildlife habitat. I want females to settle in too and consider nesting in our yard. I’ll space the feeders out. I put one feeder on each end of my front porch (and enjoy them from the front porch rockers). I hang one from a shepherd’s hook on our back porch, easily viewed from the kitchen and sunroom. I hang one from the arbor into our perennial garden. I hang one from a tree limb at the back of our garden. And I hang one at the back of our woods. This way females will have options, places to set up their own territory and nest in our yard, away from bossy, territorial males (who DO NOT share, even with females they’ve mated with). When activity picks up I add two more, one outside my office window and one outside our screened porch.
The Proper Solution for a Hummingbird Feeder
The solution I use (that is most like nectar) is 1 part sugar and 4 parts water. I make a quart at a time and refrigerate what’s left. I’ll only put two ounces into each feeder in the spring (and in late fall) because use is light and the last thing any of us want to do is waste sugar (sugar cane fields are gobbling up important habitat). I mark my calendar so that each week, like clockwork, I empty and clean the feeders with hot soapy water, then rinse them with boiling water, and then put in 2 ounces of fresh solution (when temperatures heat up, I clean the feeders every 3 days). NO red dye is necessary; the feeders have enough bright red parts to attract hummers and red dye is cancer causing (and outlawed in many countries). Hummingbirds have long tongues and can easily reach the 2 ounces of solution. I don’t fill the feeders with more solution until activity gets crazy and that doesn’t happen until young are on the wing and during migration when so many birds are tanking up and moving through our habitat.
The site I recommended for 23 years, Hummingbirds.Net, is still available. On this site you can view 23 years of spring migration maps (1996-2018) for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but there have been no LIVE maps since 2018. The creator of this great website is no longer able to maintain it because of technical (and expensive) changes (his explanation can be read at the top of the page HERE).
If you are a new wildlife gardener, be sure to also provide:
a pesticide-free property (since hummingbirds also feast on soft-bodied insects and spiders)
a habitat filled with native perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines that provide nectar attractive to hummingbirds from spring thru late fall!
Some Sources of Native Plants in 2025
We are so fortunate to have a number of native plant sales and reputable nurseries in this region. Be sure to support them. You’ll find my latest list of : “Some Sources of Native Plants: 2025“.
All About Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds
To read more about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds check out my additional post below. You may also want to print my Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fact Sheet (the reverse side covers Hummingbird Feeder maintenance and gardening for hummingbird info).
As a wildlife gardener I’ve been tuned in to droughts and how they affect wildlife, wildlife gardens, and nectar and host plants in natural areas. Last summer’s heat dome and endless drought resulted in many of the Chocolate Cake nectar plants in my garden blooming all too quickly and going to seed, long before normal. Forget natural areas where no one was wetting down native nectar and host plants. They were crisped beyond recognition. Vernal ponds are wet in the winter and early spring, then dry out by summer. Many of our vernal ponds were dry this past winter, resulting in salamanders having no place to breed. Salamanders seek these seasonally wet sites for breeding because they are fish free (fish are primary predators of salamanders and their young). Overwintering butterflies and moths in the egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis/pupa form become desiccated during lengthy stretches without rainfall. There are many, many other examples of wildlife suffering during long periods of drought.
Even native plants are affected during long periods of drought. Southern NJ has been in EXTREME DROUGHT for some time now: 2024-2025.
In 2024 my wildlife garden was on a number of wildlife garden tours. I love to share my wildlife gardens and all the wildlife they attract! But last year’s drought took the joy right out of those tours. Clay and I spent all of our free time watering, so some of our native plants would be alive to benefit pollinators and other wildlife. We did what we could, watering in triage the parts of our 1/2 acre property that were suffering the worst. It was a never ending effort. Even native trees and shrubs were dying. The garden tours were full of excited native plant gardeners and they saw lots, but they did not see the abundance I am used to and that was painful to me. During the tours I, of course, put on a smile and showcased what was surviving in our gardens and the wildlife there, but know that it was hard to be joyful when our area was being brutalized by a heat dome coupled with unending drought.
As of March 11th, southern NJ (all of Cape May, Atlantic, and much of Cumberland County) is still in EXTREME DROUGHT (that is a step beyond SEVERE DROUGHT) as you can see from the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map (above). To follow this drought click here (updated each Thursday): Drought Monitor Map for the U.S. You can zero in on our area, the Northeast, here: Drought Monitor Map for the Northeast. In each you can see that southern NJ stands out like a bright RED sore thumb (Extreme Drought).
I have been curious about the rainfall in my garden for years. I’d talk with friends only a couple of miles away who were inundated with rain the night before, when all we got was a sprinkle. So, you can imagine how excited I was to learn about and become part of the “Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)” in October 2013. CoCoRaHS is made up of “Volunteers working together to measure precipitation across the nations” (US, Canada, and the Bahamas).
I submit my rainfall (or snowfall) each morning at 7:00 am from my official CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge. When I travel I am able to submit the cumulative rainfall when I return. If you live in NJ, my garden is CoCoRaHS Station Number NJ-CM-29. Check it out!
Rainfall — How Much? Learn exactly how much rainfall your garden enjoyed by joining CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network)
Click HERE to learn about CoCoRaHS (you’ll find links to “sign up” as a CoCoRaHS Volunteer Observer here too)
The only cost to you will be the purchase of a CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge (you can donate to CoCoRaHS annually too if you’d like; I always do)
Here is an explanation about acceptable rain gauges for CoCoRaHS: CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge.
I enjoyed sharing my program “Backyard Birds Attracted to a Wildlife Habitat” for Jenkins Arboretum via ZOOM (so it was available to all, near & far) on February 20, 2025! And it was FREE! And I gave permission for Jenkins Arboretum to record it. I’ll share full details further down in this post, but first let me gush a bit about Jenkins Arboretum and how excited I was to present a program for them.
Some of my favorite natives in our itty-bitty restored woodlands (1/3rd of our 1/2 acre property) came from Jenkins Arboretum, propagated on-site by staff and terrific volunteers from natives in their own landscape and sold in their Garden Shop.
My heart sings when Pinxterbloom Azalea, Rhododendron periclymenoides, blooms, a South Jersey native, but one that I could not find available for sale at any of the South Jersey native plant nurseries I knew of in 2009 (when we saved our woods from Multiflora Rose and Japanese Honeysuckle). So I am forever grateful to Jenkins Arboretum for this shrub.
For the first eleven years my Pinxterbloom Azalea did not bloom and, quite frankly, I forgot I’d even planted it. But then on March 30, 2021, a shrub I didn’t recognize with large, showy buds caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks, thinking “What the heck!” I found my plant sign near its base and recalled my purchase. I kept an eye on it. On April 22nd the buds were getting close to blooming, but one-by-one the stems (and buds) were disappearing (cleanly sliced off). I quickly realized why I’d lost track of this shrub. Our abundant rabbits, who must think we’ve planted everything for them, had been repeatedly pruning this shrub of its buds (resulting in no flowers of course). That day I gathered reinforcements and circled my brutalized azalea with chicken wire (1.5′ high). April 29th flowers finally bloomed on my Pinxterbloom Azalea. Now, each spring, I eagerly and with child-like wonder look forward to these big, showy pink blooms, always busy with pollinators, and now occurring on multiple branches safely within my ugly chicken wire protection.
So, when Jenkins Arboretum invited me to present a program for their Third Thursday Lecture Series, I eagerly agreed. And I gave Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens permission to record this program and add it to their You Tube Channel as an educational video. Details follow:
“Backyard Birds Attracted to a Wildlife Habitat,” by Pat Sutton
Click HERE to see a recording of the program and Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens’ links to additional great information
Click HERE for Pat Sutton’s Backyard Birds HANDOUT
This handout should answer questions you may have after viewing this program; it shares some of my favorite books, resources, tools, protection measures, etc. that I include in the program.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Create it and they will come! Pat Sutton will share accounts of the diverse wildlife attracted to the South Jersey wildscape she and her husband have nurtured for over 45 years. They have tallied over 213 bird species, 79 butterfly species, and 116 other pollinators (37 different wasps, 34 different flies, 26 different bees, 10 different beetles, and 10 different diurnal moths) in their tiny one-half-acre wildlife oasis. How’d they do it? By questioning each practice as to whether it would help or harm wildlife. Get tips on creating a backyard habitat that benefits wildlife.
ABOUT JENKINS ARBORETUM: I’ve included Jenkins Arboretum’s offerings in my “Some Sources of Native Plants” for a number of years. If you live near there and haven’t visited yet, by all means do. And if it means a road trip, I promise you that it will be worth your while. Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, PA 19333 (Chester Co.); 610-647-8870. Garden Shop (open daily: 9 am – 4 pm) sells a wonderful selection of native seeds year round and, from mid-April until late October, also sells a great selection of native perennials, shrubs, trees, and evergreen & deciduous azaleas (most all are propagated on-site at Jenkins). Check their website for their regularly updated “Plant Inventory List.” See native plants in the landscape by visiting this 48-acre arboretum and gardens with 7 different trails (each about 1/4 mile or less). Garden map & trail descriptions can be found HERE. Open daily year round (hours vary seasonally, depending on when the sun sets): March 15 – April 30 (9 am – 7 pm), May 1 – August 31 (9 am – 8 pm), September 1 – 30 (9 am – 7 pm), and October 1 – March 14 (9 am – 5 pm). FREE admission, donations recommended.
This post does not involve gardening, but concerns something that I thought avid naturalists and wildlife gardeners would want to know about.
Clay and I were birding on Friday, January 17, 2025, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, east and south of the Cohansey River. We found a flock of 10,000-20,000 (truly uncountable) Snow Geese and were dazzled by them for much of the day. It had been quite a few years since we’d seen numbers like this, even though for many years we could hear the clamoring of Snow Geese from our house in Goshen, NJ, each winter as they fed in the marshes between Reeds Beach and Jakes Landing. Those concentrations haven’t happened for years now. On January 17th, this huge flock of Snow Geese near the Cohansey River also attracted a steady parade of local resident and wintering Bald Eagles. We roughly estimated 36 Bald Eagles for the day. Each eagle’s flight over the Snow Geese resulted in noisy and mind-blowing flushes which entertained us all day long.
While scanning for other raptors and birds, we noticed a dozen or more dead Snow Geese scattered around the farm fields that held the Snow Geese. At first we thought these dead birds were maybe the result of hunters winging them, but then we feared that it could be Avian Flu, also known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This alarmed us because we saw numerous Bald Eagles, a Northern Harrier, and a Raven feasting on this easy prey (dead Snow Geese).
I called and reported the dead Snow Geese to the NJ DEP’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program and learned that a press release had gone out the same day, January 17th about HPAI and I wanted to share it with you. I learned that HPAI is very active in NJ, DE, and PA right now, affecting hundreds (or more) snow geese plus other waterfowl.
This press release (click on underlined text to read) about Avian Flu in NJ, also known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), just went out Friday and asks anyone who finds dead or sick waterfowl or raptors to report their findings to the NJ DEP hotline at 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337)
All cases are being investigated, but at times it is not possible to collect all carcasses. With good reason, the Endangered and Nongame Species Program is very concerned about NJ’s Bald Eagle population and will do what they can to limit their exposure, but dead and sick geese are magnets for eagles. The die-off Clay and I discovered is one of several. As of January 21, other known outbreaks are in Mannington (Salem County) and in Warren / Hunterdon counties.
If you should find a sick or dead waterfowl or raptor in the wild and need to move it away from your home or some other area, review information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for specific groups and take additional precautions, including wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
If you live in one of the surrounding states that is finding HPAI, look for information in your state for where to report similar findings (dead or sick waterfowl or raptors). Here is an excellent news release by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources about their efforts (this news release was also posted on January 17th). The Maryland news release addresses a question about bird feeding that many of us might have right now:
Anyone who fills bird feeders for the winter should feel free to do so, as songbirds carry a very low risk of getting or spreading the virus. (That said, I would add that it is very important to keep feeders and water sources clean!)
Please do not send questions about HPAI to me. I am not an expert. I am just trying to inform folks who, like me, explore and enjoy the natural world and might be in a position to find dead or sick waterfowl or raptors. Read the news releases I’ve shared and follow all the links in each news release to educate yourself.
Our array of heated bird baths have been busy non-stop today (amidst the 8″ of snow we’ve had) with a variety of birds, including this flock of American Robins.
Heated bird baths are life savers during wicked winter weather. They provide crucial drinking and bathing water through snow storms and stretches when all natural water sources are frozen solid. This is especially important this winter since our area, South Jersey, is still in a state of extreme drought (that’s a step beyond severe drought shared on the U.S. Drought Monitor Map). Many of our normally wet woods remain bone dry.
Have you set up a heated bird bath this winter? If not, read on!
Mourning Dove and Brown Thrasher at our heated bird bath
Wildlife needs are basic: food, cover, and water
FOOD needs can be met by planting (or preserving) native nectar plants and native berry-producing and seed-producing plants.
Two of our brush piles near feeding station to provide important winter cover
COVER is crucial so that birds and other wildlife can avoid becoming a predator’s next meal. Cover also provides safe places to nest, roost through the night, or get out of bad weather. Native evergreens like Red Cedar, American Holly, and Waxmyrtle offer excellent cover for wildlife. If your yard is wide open and without adequate cover, gather fallen branches and make a winter brush pile. You’ll be amazed by all the action it attracts as birds dash for the safety it offers when a hungry hawk flies through the yard. Or collect discarded Christmas trees and place them near bird feeding stations and bird baths, so that birds are not too vulnerable when they come to feed or drink or bathe. And next spring seriously consider planting a Red Cedar (or American Holly or Waxmyrtle) or two or three!
Providing WATER is just as important as providing food and cover
Songbirds lose water through respiration and in their droppings. To replace lost water, most songbirds need to drink at least twice a day. In order to stay fit and healthy birds also need to bathe to keep their feathers in good condition. Bathing loosens dirt and makes their feathers easier to preen. Preening is a daily ritual where birds carefully clean, rearrange, and oil their feathers (one-by-one) with their bill — spreading oil along each feather from the preen gland. This daily preening successfully waterproofs their feathers and traps an insulating layer of air underneath to keep them warm. Keeping their feathers in perfect condition through daily preening is a matter of life and death. Well maintained feathers enable birds to fly at a moment’s notice and regulate their body temperature.
E. Bluebirds were drawn to our heated bird bath on January 5, 2016, when the temperature was 11 degrees F.
Birds face difficult times when water is scarce or nonexistent during deep freezes like have experienced several times already this winter and will undoubtedly face again this winter or during drought periods.
Heated Bird Bath
Providing water in the wildlife garden is something many accomplish easily spring through fall, yet fail to do once freezing winter temperatures settle in. There are solutions even in the dead of winter. A heated bird bath coupled with an outdoor socket is the key. We use an outdoor power cord to connect the two.
We’ve had our Pole Mounted ERVA Heated Birdbath (photo above) for over 25 years. The pole with its additional leg for support, when driven into the ground, makes this birdbath very sturdy so it remains standing no matter what! In the summer months I use the same stand to hold a large plastic dish/tray (like you’d put under a large flower pot) full of gooey fruit for butterflies. So even though expensive, this heated birdbath has served me (and wildlife) very, very well. Beware that most of today’s standing heated bird bath designs are tipsy by comparison (bird baths balanced on inadequate tripod legs), looking like they’d topple over every time a frisky squirrel leaps up.
Wildlife gardening friend Jean Riling uses a Bird Bath De-icer unit to keep her bird bath water from freezing (photo below); Ed & Cindy Russell alerted me that the 80 watt de-icer handles the task far better than the 50 watt version. Ecosystem Gardener Carole Brown uses a heated dog bowl.
Garden Gang member Steve Mattan shared that he uses a special plug to control when his heated bird bath turns on and off (the plug / thermostatically controlled outlet powers ON at 32-Degrees and OFF at 50-Degrees ). How cool is that? Clay & I unplug our extension cord when it’s warm and plug it back in when temperatures drop, but this special plug can save the day if you’re not paying attention.
Shy away from “artistic” bird baths that may look pretty but are not as serviceable to birds: too deep, too fragile and likely to break if they topple over, or (most important of all) are too hard to keep clean. The heated bird baths we’ve used are made of a hard black plastic material that is very easy to clean with a good scrub brush and a little muscle.
If You Have a Wildlife Pond
If you have a wildlife pond and are thinking of putting a de-icer into it to make that your winter water source for birds, this could lead to some serious problems. If indeed large flocks of birds descend on your pond to drink, their droppings will accumulate in your pond and you could face an algae problem during the warm month fueled by all these bird droppings.
Remember, birds need cover to avoid hungry predators. Place your heated bird bath near a safe retreat like an evergreen tree or shrub or near a brush pile or, as we have, place some cut evergreen branches around it.
Stay away from chemicals!
Some folks, who don’t know better, add chemicals to keep their bird bath water from freezing (like glycerine, anti-freeze, or salt). This is a death sentence for the birds. These chemicals can destroy the waterproofing capability of birds’ feathers, or poison the birds.
Hermit Thrush at our heated bird bath
Scrub out, rinse, and refill daily
During lengthy periods of frozen conditions water is in such demand that heated bird baths become heavily soiled. To avoid the spread of disease, maintain your heated bird bath with care by scrubbing it out with a soft bristle brush, rinse it with fresh water to wash out any residual bird droppings, and refill it with fresh water at least once (and often twice) a day. With heavy use heated bird baths may be emptied by flocks of birds twice a day or more. We keep a jug of water handy by the backdoor to easily facilitate this task.
Gray Catbird at our heated bird bath
Beyond helping birds survive brutal winter weather, our heated bird baths give us great pleasure. We’ve had excellent looks (and photo opportunities) at some real skulkers like Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and other secretive birds not normally seen in our yard in winter.
Winter can be a stressful time for birds. Lengthy stretches of sub-zero weather can freeze solid every last bit of available water. Natural foods can be buried by snow. Heavy snow or freezing rain can creep into the deepest cover where birds are roosting.
If you have a tip to share, please do so in the comment section below. Shared comments and tips by fellow Garden Gang members have made this post stronger and stronger over the years. Thank you all!
Let’s do what we can to help birds survive a tough winter. Add a heated bird bath (or two or more) to your wildlife habitat this winter.
For two solid months (July 9th through September 8th) we enjoyed 1-4 Monarchs daily in our 47-year-old wildlife garden, many days including a female (or two) laying eggs. We saw our 1st Monarch on May 26th, then another on July 1st. On July 9th we spotted a female laying eggs, and the rest is history.
Our neighborhood may be more of a Monarch oasis than many neighborhoods because our wildlife garden harbors so many milkweed plants (over 100) and because I have milkweed scattered around our half acre, not all in one or two spots, and because we have a few nearby wildlife gardening neighbors with loads of milkweed . Garden strolls this summer and early fall included finding multiple eggs, tiny newly-hatched caterpillars, and large caterpillars. Even now, as I write this on September 18th, I am still finding multiple caterpillars (some small and some about to pupate). We have not found a chrysalis . . . YET, but that doesn’t keep us from looking.
Our milkweed offerings are plentiful, including:
Butterfly Weed Several plants return each spring, but are not that happy in our richer-than-they-would-like soil. This native milkweed much prefers sand, gravel, bone-dry sites, and railroad beds, hence it’s other common name, Railroad Annie.
Eastern Swamp Milkweed Seven plants return each spring in my rain gardens, where hose ends empty out our rain barrels. This native milkweed is stunning and a magnet to all pollinators. By September, their leaves are pretty much dried up and not looking their best, but I leave all in place for wildlife!
Common Milkweed Over one hundred plants are scattered throughout the sunny (and not so sunny) perennial garden, meadow, and vegetable garden. Many consider this milkweed to be a thug because it sends underground runners and pops up in entirely new sites like garden paths, lawn areas, other garden beds. For years I dug up these wayward milkweeds and substantial portions of their roots so I could give them away. Now I cherish each outlier because these outliers are less likely to attract as many predators. Monarch eggs and caterpillars on outliers seem to have a better chance of surviving. This native milkweed is a hotbed of Monarch activity. It blooms in late June / early July. Its fragrance is intoxicating and its huge pale pink balls of flowers steal the show and draw in many, many pollinators. By August and into October (and sometimes even through November), its leaves are still robust and being used by resident Monarchs as they lay one last batch of eggs before dying. These late-season eggs, if frosts hold off, result in one last generation of migratory Monarchs on the Cape May Peninsula (where the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay sustain micro habitats of pleasant weather).
Tropical Milkweed Each spring I purchase 4-5 plants at nearby Goshen Gardens nursery. I tuck this non-native annual milkweed into a few spots in my yard, including out front where I have no other milkweeds. Being an annual this milkweed blooms and blooms and continues to bloom right up until the first frost. It is a favorite of Monarchs for nectaring and egg-laying. September 7th I set up a study station for two young home-schooled naturalists. They discovered an egg and multiple caterpillars on two plants.
I had hoped that my own garden was an indicator that it was a good Monarch year. But I was in several milkweed-rich gardens on September 8, 2024. These gardens (in Atlantic County and Gloucester County) were part of a tour of Native Landscapes in South Jersey, organized by the SE Chapter of the Native Plant Society of NJ. The tour and the properties were inspirational. Each site was unique and offered great learning opportunities. But, I saw zero holes in milkweed leaves in the prolific patches. Huh! It was a shock to see so much untouched milkweed (without holes in the leaves). The garden owners shared that they had seen very few Monarchs so far this year.
In comparison, my milkweed leaves are full of holes! You might not realize this, but when the tiny Monarch caterpillar hatches from its egg, its first meal is what remains of its egg shell. Then it cuts through the leaf in a nice neat circle around the egg to get the milkweed milky sap (known as latex) to flow . The bit of leaf in the center of this circle is now latex free and safe for the tiny newborn Monarch caterpillar to eat . Elizabeth Howard / Journey North has a beautifully written and illustrated graphic on this topic: “Let’s Find Monarchs! Clues in the Milkweed Patch.”
Maybe the key to more Monarchs is having a few nearby neighbors who are also wildlife gardeners, so your own offerings are not the only show in town. And if you do have milkweed, be sure to have lots of it and scatter it around so that predators can not find every last egg and caterpillar. Predators are drawn to our wildlife gardens and all the life we’ve attracted. Predators are hungry too and a Monarch caterpillar is a choice meal for a paper wasp to carry back to its nest.
Time will tell if summer Monarch numbers were good. They were in my garden; I still had 7 full grown caterpillars yesterday (September 17th), and that was without even peeking under all the leaves. But, as I learned just recently, even a county or two away they were absent.
This Fall’s Monarch Migration
If you are keen to witness this fall’s Monarch migration at Cape May, respond to cold fronts. When temperatures drop and you need to find your flannel PJs or a comforter, seriously consider making the journey to Cape May the next day. These cool winds from the north and northwest blow southbound migrating birds (and butterflies) out to the coast. Once migrants reach the coast they hug the land and follow it south (sometimes working hard not to be carried out over the treacherous Atlantic Ocean waters). These migrants reach lands end at Cape May Point.
Winds That Bring Monarchs to the Tip of the Cape May Peninsula
Often, the strong winds that carry migrating Monarchs to the tip of the Cape May Peninsula are winds that are not conducive for crossing the Delaware Bay (strong winds that could blow them out to sea instead). Their numbers may build as they wait for gentler and more favorable winds to cross the bay. During these periods you can find them nectaring on Giant Sunflower and Groundsel-tree (Baccharis halimifolia) along the trails at the Cape May Point State Park and on Seaside Goldenrod in the dunes.
Winds That Help Monarchs Cross the Delaware Bay
These gathering Monarchs wait for gentle tail winds (winds from the north or northeast) that will enable them to safely cross the Delaware Bay. Such winds often occur several days after a cold front has passed. In the meantime, while they are gathered at the tip, enjoy evening roosts (sometimes holding hundreds or thousands) and return at first light to watch “lift off” as they use these gentle tail winds to continue their migration.
There are many opportunities to learn about Monarchs:
NJ Audubon’s Calendar filters for all their Monarch events:
Monarch Monitoring Project Drop In(s) at the Nature Center of Cape May
Monarch Monitoring Project Drop In(s) at Triangle Park (in Cape May Point)
Monarch Tagging Demos
The Cape May Point Science Center is also offering Monarch Butterfly Tagging Demonstrations using a solar-powered GPS device as part of their Project Monarch. These demonstrations will occur on Thursdays (September 19 and September 26) at 1:00 p.m. and on Saturdays (September 21 and September 28) at 11:30 a.m. Follow the Cape May Point Science Center’s Facebook page so you don’t miss these and other great learning opportunities.
I am a proud member of the Native Plant Society of NJ. I share Garden Gang alerts, when time permits, about the great work this group is doing. I have been remiss, though, in not sharing with you news of one more incredible learning opportunity from this group featuring often funny, sometimes sad, but always reflective conversations in:
The WildStory, a PODCAST of Poetry and Plants by the Native Plant Society of NJ Co-produced by Ann E. Wallace PhD Poet Laureate of Jersey City & Kim Correro Rutgers Master Gardener & Co-leader of the NPSNJ Hudson Chapter Each podcast also features “Ask Randi,” questions answered by Dr. Randi Eckel Entomologist, Vice President of Membership NPSNJ, & owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm
If you haven’t tuned in yet,
you can learn about and access all episodes (16 as of September 11, 2024)
of the WildStory Podcasts HERE Listen on iTunes (apple podcasts), Spotify, or Amazon Music
I was interviewed by Ann & Kim on July 30, 2024 This interview is part of their September 11, 2024 WildStory Podcast
Follow The WildStory Podcast on Instagram HERE to see videos and extra content
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Since we all love to learn, I knew you’d also want to know that . . .
the Native Plant Society of NJ (NPSNJ) has a terrific library of webinar recordings available to all on their website You can find them HERE (obviously bookmark this page and visit it frequently since new webinar recordings are added regularly)
Obviously, theNPSNJ is a great group to support as a member!
Happy Learning About Native Plants and the Critters That Need Them,
Pat
