Coneflowers are wonderful plants for helping wildlife. Here are three reasons to add coneflowers to your garden. They are easy to grow Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, are native to North America and are members of the daisy family. Hardy from zones 3-9, they are easy plants to grow, very forgiving of different light exposures, ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalRattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a native plant receiving more attention in gardening circles these days, particularly for pollinator gardens. I've had it growing in my yard for three years, and it is one of my favorite plants. Is rattlesnake master worth adding to your garden? Definitely. Weirdly Delightful Rattlesnake master looks like a thistle ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalIn my yard, after early spring bulbs and flowering shrubs, catmint is one of the first perennials to bloom. Along with dandelions and henbit, catmint is the big draw for bees, snowberry clearwing moths, and butterflies in late March and early April. Just this week, I saw two tiger swallowtail butterflies on one of my ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalWhile my last blog expounded on the benefits of native plants in a wildlife-friendly landscape, I'm going to take a brief detour to laud a familiar, but beloved, non-native. Chaenomeles speciosa or close relative, Chaenomeles japonica, both known as flowering quince, are an early boon to bees. Honeybee on flowering quince. I have lived in ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalI know I write a lot about native plants on this blog, but they are the heart of a wildlife-friendly landscape. It's hard to have one without the other. So, with spring on the horizon, I want to encourage you to plant natives this year. Then: Ugh! My plants are being eaten! I like to ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalFall is here, bringing a promise of relief from scorching hot summer days. The last two weeks of September and the first of October are always busy in my yard. The butterflies arrive in clouds, often visitors from the south and west arriving on stiff winds. This year has been no different, and I thought ...
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