Yes, we are all about supporting biodiversity, but voles are a part of biodiversity that seem to want it all to themselves--they do not share well! A few in spring can be tolerated, but a large population of them can consume so much of a garden that there is little left for the gardener or any other species to enjoy. (Read more.)
Read More…It can be tempting…I’ve done it myself! A single perennial plant comes my way, looking for a home. Even after doing research and learning that I really don’t have the most preferred site for this plant, I tuck it somewhere anyway…hoping for the best. But I don’t put in a proper drift of them, because, well…it feels like a gamble…
Read MoreSpring ephemerals live their entire life cycle very quickly, using stored energy from their roots (often a corm or bulb) to send up leaves and a bloom that is relatively large and showy compared to the size of the plant. Those large, often showy blooms provide pollen or nectar for hungry, early season pollinators. (Read more.)
Read MoreIf you enjoyed Robin Wall Kimmerer's “Braiding Sweetgrass,” here is another book that brings this way of thinking about nature closer to the realm of our own landscapes. I've been reading Jared Rosenbaum’s new book, Wild Plant Culture, whenever I can sneak in a few minutes...it's a very good read…..(Read more…)
Read MoreWiregrass or Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a nuisance when it gets into your beds. It spreads by stolons and rhizomes and also sprouts from seeds—a triple threat! A native to warm places of Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia, it is actually planted intentionally as a lawn in hot and droughty southern California, because of its legendary toughness and ability to stay green in the heat of summer. (Read more…)
Read More…This saves a lot of work compared to having to scrape away the lawn layer OR using herbicide to kill the grass—which has a whole other set of problems. One problem is that it can kill or weaken the new plants you are putting in. Another problem is that even the once environmentally approved Roundup has now been found to cause significant environmental harm (big topic, that’s another newsletter).
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…So here is a more detailed treatment of 6 top garden sedges from the trials, that might be useful in small or large garden settings—3 for dry and 3 for wet gardens.
All of these 6 sedges are semi-evergreen, which means that they tend to retain their green leaves through much if not all of the winter. There might be a little browning at the edges as winter wears on. I've included some plant combination suggestions also, since that's an interest I hear often….(Read more)
Read MoreThis is an exciting time for sedges. More and more of them are becoming commercially available, as more of their benefits are known and appreciated. They hit so many of my own plant selection checkboxes: tremendous wildlife value, good winter interest, and suitable for a wide variety of site conditions (if you know which ones to select). They come in a variety of heights and interesting textures, some of them make great groundcover, and they are super low maintenance. So, yep—these are definitely powerhouse plants in the world of native plant landscaping! (Read more…)
Read MoreWhat beautiful plants they are in a tall woodland bed, where they have room to eventually stretch out and play with the dappled shade! Their more delicately-hued blossoms do still come in a variety of shades, ranging from white through pink and deep rose all the way to the intense orange of flame azalea….(read more)
Oaks are widely considered one of, if not the single most important of our beneficial keystone species. They support caterpillars and other insects, house multitudes of types of birds, enrich the soil, cool the air, sequester carbon, and help to manage stormwater. All this power packed into each acorn...it is amazing.
OK, so you’ve decided to plant an oak…now how do you decide where to put it? And which oak to choose? (More…)
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