Why Winter Gardens Might Seem Ugly
Sometimes we might think a garden left standing over winter isn’t as pretty, even though we know the ecosystem value of leaving plants alone. There
Sometimes we might think a garden left standing over winter isn’t as pretty, even though we know the ecosystem value of leaving plants alone. There
Folks, the industry has us a bit duped on wood mulch. Here are some thoughts seeing as we constantly get bombarded with the benefits /
We get asked all of the time what our go-to tools are for install and management. It’s really a simple list. Since we work with
It’s spring so garden articles and social media pages are abuzz with information on how to tidy and clean up your garden beds in time
I stumbled upon David Orr’s wonderful essay “Love It or Lose It,” which I think I stumbled upon years ago and forgot. The guy is
When we ask for equality among our own species it feels like an attack for many, especially for those accustomed to privilege in our culture.
There are a few ways to convert your landscape into planting beds. Two of the most commonly suggested are sheet mulching and solarizing — both
A growing voice in garden circles dotes on dandelions for pollinators, particularly as they are claimed as the first flowers to bloom in spring. This
There are many garden practices that are so widely believed and preached that they become de facto blanket statements for what makes a successful garden
[from 2018] This was my second time. The first was about four years ago when our front lawn was taller than six inches and had
If you enjoy spreading wood mulch every year in your landscape, then by all means ignore this post. If you enjoy pushing heavy wheel barrows
Recently, someone told me I should stop being so “political” about gardens because gardens aren’t “political.” I think the term was used as a way
If climate change and mass extinction aren’t the first subjects we’re addressing in garden design and horticulture, then perhaps these fields are a waste of
Should you be using native plant cultivars? Are they as robust or as beneficial to wildlife as straight species natives? Oh my, what are straight
Honey bees may harm native bees. This is the sentence that launched a thousand arguments on social media. For years most media has brainwashed us
Climate change is altering our world in massively unpredictable ways, which will lead to severe cascade effects eroding biodiversity and ecosystem function. Earth will look
If our goal is to garden for wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on, then we need to eschew hardiness zones on plant tags. But
I am frequently asked what my favorite native plant is and my new response is: whatever replaces some lawn. The other frequent question is how
A mid to late summer culling of blooms might seem beneficial, but there are several instances when leaving the flowers is the better option. There
No, it doesn’t cause hay fever (that’s our native ragweed), so let’s get that out of the way first. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticky,
Nature doesn’t cut down spent flowers or rake up leaves each autumn, and if we’re going to garden for wildlife and less maintenance — for
From time to time I post thoughts in the spirit of the old blog which ran for a decade with a mix of subjects related
It’s easy to get excited about a new plant when you’re gardening for wildlife in your local ecoregion, and that’s especially so when the plant
As a garden designer I prefer to start from scratch — I have a vision that’s built from a client’s vision, and it’s often simpler
In a recent newsletter I shared with folks a plan to DIY prep garden spaces over the summer, just in case nurseries and landscapers had
Weed mitigation is one of the most important aspects of creating a low-maintenance pollinator garden. Often, this mitigation needs to start weeks and months before
I struggle with finding the middle ground for advocacy. On the one hand are folks concerned primarily about plants as being hosts for insect larvae,
The other night I was reading part of a book I bought as research for my unwritten Oklahoma memoir (because I apparently like to think
Our goal is always to put the right plant in with the right plant communities. In a hybrid approach where ornamental layers are placed purposefully
No topic is hotter than how to avoid and / or work with weed control when they come with a stern letter. In my town,
With cooler weather comes seeding season. After a few hard freezes and before the new year is the best time to sow, giving seeds ample
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we choose garden plants; it’s almost always about how the plant looks. And one thing that happens
I’ve written and erased a version of this post several times the last week trying to get the ideas down right — this is a
Native plants are not low maintenance. You’re likely to hear from folks that they are — that just using natives means you can stand back
In A New Garden Ethic I make the case that any conversation or debate we have about native plants is less about the plants and
Of course you can have a beautiful, ecological garden full of native plants in dry shade. And of course you can even have a meadow
Over the last 7-9 years I’ve heard this term tossed around a lot. While thankfully not as as prevalent a term today, it is still
The #1 topic among native plant / natural / wildlife gardeners is what to do when weed authorities come knocking. The frustration, despair, and aggravation
It isn’t. But it also is. (This is going to get deep!) I can’t tell you how many clients come to me lamenting a spouse
I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic the whole year — in part as I review installations from the past few years, and in
Let’s just dive right in. Why mix seed with plugs in your garden? Two of the biggest reasons are: 1) Cost. Doing 100% plugs will
I admit I’m a bit frustrated this morning regarding the topic of dandelions. This happened because I have fought back against the many social media
Using exotic plants is not rewilding — that’s just the same old colonialism and privilege rebranded. I know we have this unfortunate line in the
What native plants work in shady sites, from moist to dry soils? Last week our team installed a 2,500′ backyard meadow, which replaced a hosta
One of the hardest aspects of nature-inspired gardening is the fact that we need to know the plants — which I suppose is true for
Many issues in a landscape bed can be addressed by increasing the number of plants in that bed. I see it time and again —
The call to plant milkweed — while easily sharable and actionable — is greatly reductionist and oversimplified. Maybe even harmful in some ways. I don’t
Don’t just dig a ten dollar hole for a one dollar plant, but also spend ten minutes researching that plant before you ever buy it.
Someone asked me about the term “rewilding” and if I thought that’s actually what we’re doing when we replace traditional urban landscapes with gardens that
What is a plant community? How does it form the basis of a healthy natural garden that is in sync with the local climate and
It’s starting to make the rounds again — meme misinformation. Please ignore this advice below as temperature has nothing to do with when to clean
The plain and simple fact is that any time you make yourself stand out in this culture, the culture will try to force you back
I get it. Learning another language is hard. And in the horticulture world you’re almost having to learn two at the same time — Latin
Oh we’ve stepped in it now. I know. It’s ok. Let’s dive in and think critically with nuance — because what no mow may has
There’s a seemingly overwhelming amount of variables to consider when selecting plants and designing a garden: height and width, growth habit, perennial / ephemeral /
In the top three subjects I get asked the most about is native shade gardening. As in, the assumption that there aren’t native plants for
Do you have rabbit damage in your garden? Ready for a radical thought? It’s not damage. It’s nature. It’s an animal using a plant to
This a post I’ve been thinking about for a while but for which I didn’t want to spend time moderating comments. It’s a topic I
Here’s a super cool story by gardener Asa Wood who used Prairie Up to create a cool landscape at the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend,
When you disturb a site — plant a new garden — you WILL have weeds. These weeds are usually annuals, but they can get pretty
Here are some reasons why seeing an adult insect on an exotic plant’s bloom isn’t justification that it doesn’t matter what you plant and /
Anytime I post a meme that espouses kids don’t need lawns to play in — that in fact kids are healthier if they play in
Over the last decade-ish the poster child of insect conservation and rewilding has gone through peaks and valleys; after a valley the word on the
We know all about the impact urban lawns have on the ecosystem, from pollution to habitat loss. We’ve heard the stories about bees and butterflies
Right now much of the country is experiencing mid to late spring temps 1-2 months early, which means the social media channels are all abuzz
Well, let’s say native plants — and some cultivars — that lend a bit more orderly shapeliness to a bed, even if that bed is
Daffodils and snowdrops are not a sign of spring anywhere in North America. And they aren’t all that helpful to insects or bugs. In late
