Walters Gardens is offering the new MONARCH Buddleia, a “royal” collection of butterfly-loving plants. NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!! This is what is wrong with Big Horticulture. In its quest for profits, damned the consequences, they are trying to trick unknowing consumers into buying this increasingly invasive weed with by adding “Monarch” to the name. Nothing… Read more »
The Beauty Behind Snags
Trees die all the time as a result of disease, lightning, fire, animal damage, too much shade, drought, root competition, as well as old age. Dead standing trees, called snags, are highly productive sources of habitat in natural areas and designed landscapes. In our desire to keep things neat and tidy, we usually cut these… Read more »
Links to Interviews
Over the past couple years I have been interviewed on a variety of outlets. Here are links to these interviews starting with the most recent. Michigan Homes: How to Create A Socially Responsible Garden Check out my interview, How to Create A Socially Responsible Garde on Michigan Homes, one of the top sites for Michigan Realty,… Read more »
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
What I mean by this is I can do (just about) anything with native plants that can be done with exotic species of plants. The reasons to use natives is ecologically clear. See the Native Plants page on this website for a short explanation why. If you want a longer read, there are many good… Read more »
Roundup – Villain or Useful Tool?
In my post Monday, I wrote about eliminating invasive shrubs and the use of Roundup as an essential tool. I’m sure that raised some eyebrows among you given the bad press Roundup has received in recent years and the emotion it elicits. So, I thought I would spend a little time and share my thoughts about… Read more »
Winter Invasive Species Removal
You might think that winter is a dead period in which no outside work can be done. While this is true for the most part, there is one winter activity that can be performed and that is the removal of invasive shrubs. In our area, the most common invasive shrubs are Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica),… Read more »
Welcome to our blog!
This is the beginning of our blog. We will be posting interesting (hopefully!) information about sustainable landscaping regularly. Topics will include landscaping for wildlife, rain gardens, pollinator gardens, prairie gardens, lawn alternatives, reducing resource inputs, and general information on birds, bees, other pollinators, and wildlife. Check back often.
