Now you all know that I am a very avid birder, and it was a bird who altered the course of my life’s work to begin teaching people to create welcoming habitat for birds and other wildlife in their gardens.

You all know that because habitat destruction is the number one cause of the decline in wildlife populations that I am devoted to giving a little back to birds and other wildlife.

You may even have noticed that I mention birds and creating bird habitat in almost every post I’ve written at this site. I’m a birder, you all know that.

But apparently, creating bird habitat in our gardens does not qualify as a “birding” blog, even though one of the categories for birding blogs on this new list is “Feeding Birds.”

Now bird feeders are a lovely way to entice our avian friends to come closer so that we can enjoy them. It’s more of a benefit to humans than it really is for the birds. Wildlife gardeners go far beyond bird feeders and work incredibly hard to create habitat in their gardens that will provide all of a birds needs.

But, since I don’t limit myself to writing solely about bird feeders, this blog is not welcome on the birding blogs list. But if I only wrote about bird feeders I’d be more than welcome. Sad, isn’t it? And more than a little short-sighted, too!

Now I’ll be honest. I have at various points in my life dropped everything including my paid work to rush to a spot where a rare bird had been sighted. That’s a real birder.

I own expensive binoculars and a spotting scope. That’s a real birder.

I have taken amazing vacations in far away places just to see new birds. That’s a real birder.

I keep a bird list. In fact I keep several: a backyard list, state lists for every state I’ve visited, a North American list, a World list, monthly lists, yearly lists. Real birders are all about that list.

But tell me. Can you name just one thing that this “Real Birder” behavior is doing to create, protect, or preserve habitat for birds and other wildlife? Probably not.

Wildlife gardeners on the other hand devote incredible amounts of time to creating habitat for birds and other wildlife in their gardens. Most of us also are quite passionate volunteers at our local nature centers, schools, parks and other natural areas, working hour after hour to protect these places and create more habitat for birds. Many of us work tirelessly with children to teach them about nature and the wildlife that lives in our own backyards.

We realize that if we want to continue to add to our bird lists, these very birds must have appropriate habitat. The habitat is the ultimate issue here. No habitat = No Birds for the “Real Birders” to check off their lists.

To be honest, I’m way more excited that the Screech Owls are nesting near my house, the Carolina Wrens had a very successful year last year, I had nesting Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied Woodpeckers as well as Flickers in my wildlife garden last year. And I had many other huge successes for birds and other wildlife, too.

I am much more gratified that I actually did something that contributed to bird survival than I am about checking off another bird on my list.

Am I angry that the “Real Birder” told me I am not welcome to play in his sandbox? No. But I have to say that such behavior saddens me a lot. You might think that people who care about birds and wildlife would also care about creating habitat for them. Apparently not.

I am giving back. Are you?

[Update: I am very happy to report that this situation has been resolved ]

First, you get to meet other wildlife gardeners who are just as passionate about creating welcoming habitat for wildlife in their gardens as you are. These gardeners are eager to share their successes (and their failures). It’s a wonderful way to make new friends who share their excitement. And I have made many life-long friends this way.

Wildlife gardeners are such a fun group. Visit their garden and they’ll eagerly show you every butterfly chrysalis, every bird’s nest, and every plant that a butterfly has laid its eggs on. And their enthusiasm is infectious!

Second, you’ll get lots of ideas that you can try in your own garden. When you see a particular plant that is just covered with butterflies, and another that has loads of caterpillars, and another that the birds just can’t keep away from, then you’ll want to add these to your own wildlife garden.

Every year I make room in my calendar to attend the wildlife garden tour series led by my friend and mentor, Pat Sutton who has been leading tours of private wildlife gardens in Cape May County, NJ for many years.

Pat has been teaching workshops about creating wildlife habitat in your garden in the Cape May area for a long time, and this is evident when you attend her series of wildlife garden tours.

Most of the gardens on the tours are owned by people who have taken Pat’s workshops and put the ideas into action. They were so excited about what they had learned that they went home and started creating wildlife habitat in their gardens right away.

Pat’s series of wildlife garden tours takes place over three days, and each three day block is repeated three times, in July, August, and September. Each day is devoted to a different section of Cape May County.

It’s really fun to attend all three sets of tours so that you can see the changes in each garden over time, and as the focus shifts from butterflies, to hummingbirds, to Monarch migration.

Pat has published a wonderful series of photos showcasing each section of the tours:

• Southern Cape May County
• Cape May Mid County
• Northern Cape May County

Please go check out these stunning photos. Also, my friend Pat is a published author and an in-demand speaker, but she’s new to blogging, so please leave her lots of welcoming comments so that she continues to share her beautiful photos and wildlife gardens with us

To learn more about Pat Sutton, I’ve written about her several times before. See:

Pat Sutton: Ecosystem Gardening Hero
A Visit to Pat Sutton’s Garden

Here are some popular and beautiful wildlife gardens around the United States:

1. The Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (Indiana): This garden is home to over 350 species of plants, including tropical, native and water-wise varieties. It also features a wide variety of wildlife, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Visitors can explore the lush gardens, which feature a variety of pathways, ponds and benches.

2. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (California): This botanic garden is home to over 1,000 species of plants, many of which are native to the region. It also features a variety of wildlife, including butterflies, lizards and birds. Visitors can explore the trails, look for wildlife and enjoy a variety of educational activities.

3. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (Virginia): This garden is home to over 50 acres of gardens, ponds, woodlands and wildlife. It features a variety of plants, including native and water-wise varieties. Visitors can also explore the trails and look for wildlife, including birds, frogs and turtles.

4. The Atlanta Botanical Garden: This garden is home to a variety of wildlife, including butterflies, hummingbirds, and dragonflies. There are also numerous plants and flowers that are beneficial to wildlife.

5. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park: At this park, visitors can view more than 3,500 animals, including many rare and endangered species. There are also many gardens that provide food and shelter for the animals.

6. The Oregon Zoo: This zoo is home to more than 1,800 animals, including numerous birds, mammals, and reptiles. There are also many gardens that focus on providing food and shelter for the wildlife.

7. The Chicago Botanic Garden: This garden is home to numerous species of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. There are also many gardens dedicated to creating habitats for the wildlife, such as wildflower meadows and wetlands.

I continue to be very interested in the many ways each of you encourages your neighbors to make positive choices for the environment in their gardens. It’s a form of crowdsourcing, where we are building a useful library that all of us can draw inspiration from.

So if you haven’t already, head over there right now and give us your suggestions.

Anyway, Betsy Franz left a wonderful comment in which she quoted from her book, How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet: Exploring, Restoring and Protecting Your Share of Planet Earth.

Here’s what she said:

I think that the best thing we can do is to continue to set a good example for our neighbors. It took awhile for re-usable shopping bags to catch on, but they did. Hopefully, wildlife friendly landscapes will follow suit.

Below is an excerpt from the book How to Take Care of Your Share of the Planet

How to Influence Others
– Educate Your Neighbors. Adjacent yards with wildlife habitats are even more effective. Share seeds, cuttings and informa-tion with neighbors that are interested in creating their own habitat.

– Share your stories, your pictures and your journal with neighbors and friends. Enthusiasm for wildlife is contagious!

– Have your yard certified in the National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. Erect a sign and display it proudly.

– Share cuttings and seeds of native plants or wildlife friendly plants at garden club meetings or plants swaps.

– Remember, your goal is to educate, encourage and assist, never coerce. Enthusiastic wildlife gardeners are much better received than arrogant or extreme environmentalists are.

– Submit wildlife friendly topic ideas to local newspapers.

– Help schools to create schoolyard habitats or butterfly gar-dens.

– Open your yard to garden tours and explain your wildlife ha-bitat elements to visitors.

– Participate in on-line wildlife and garden forums.

– Give a copy of How To Take Care of Your Share of the Planet as a gift.

When I replied to Betsy’s comment, I said that I’d love to review her book for you. Well, I received a copy in the mail yesterday morning. Thank you, Betsy!

This small book is chock full of great ideas, from keeping a habitat journal of your garden, to planning your wildlife garden, protecting groundwater, gardening with nature not against it, and encouraging your neighbors to also start making more beneficial choices for the environment.

I’ve kept a journal of my garden since we bought this house in 2001. It’s so helpful to look back and see which day I should expect the first hummingbird, when does my Cardinal Flower bloom, or when the first Monarch will arrive.

This book has lots of great tips for keeping your wildlife journal up to date. I try to enter my sightings every day because I don’t want to forget anything.

The section on getting to know your property is really important. You should do this before you do anything at all in your garden so that you will be able to put the right plant in the right place.

Betsy has sections on butterfly gardening, bird gardening, pollinator gardening, dragonflies, and other wildlife. All in all, this would be a good choice to add to your reference library. It’s got loads of useful tips for planning your habitat garden and becoming a steward of your little piece of the planet.

Our first stop in this 3-day extravaganza was to the ocean-side garden of Teresa Knipper. Enjoy this description of her butterfly garden in her own words:

We first moved into our Cap May house in November of 1998. There was an existing garden that contained many plants that the previous owner was familiar with in her western PA woodland garden: astilbe, lily of the valley, and hosta.

Creating a Butterfly Garden

I began work transforming the garden by planting perennials that were conducive to butterflies and better suited to a coastal garden, while learning about backyard habitat.

After nine years the garden was beginning to feel like my own, but there was a new problem. Severe mold in the house due to a constant pool of water in the basement, which led to health problems for one of my children.

Wildlife Garden Destroyed

A “simple” renovation of the basement led to a major rehabbing of the house: new windows, replacement of the roof and shingles, etc. Thus the entire garden except one tiny corner (the NW corner) was destroyed.

Workers lounged in my former butterfly beds!

Stacks of lumber crushed former shrubs!

Concrete and stone debris littered the garden!

House renovation was completed in the hot July days of 2007. However the brick wall, soil amendments and sod were not scheduled to be finished until winter of 2008.

Planning a Butterfly Garden

This gave me time to PLAN! And plan I did, following a process that I learned in a landscape design class that I took as a master gardener.

First, I made a “wish list” of plants I wanted to include in the new garden. Then I took my house survey to Staples and had them blow it up by %400. Taking tracing paper and placing it over the survey, I played with my wishlist and colored pencils.

The plan was finalized late that winter and I began to buy and plant in April of 2008. I ended up planting over 200 perennials and about 35 shrubs.

Almost all of the plants are natives. Any non-natives were selected for their benefits to butterflies. This garden is just over 2 years old and brings joy and butterflies to our lives.

Highlights of the New Butterfly Garden

The renovation forced me to be more creative in my garden and create more season-long color. Careful planning of the perennials is augmented by longer blooming annuals that provide nearly constant color and nectar for about 7 months of the year.

Placement of signs highlighting the garden’s usefulness to butterflies, monarchs in particular, is a new addition in 2009 and really helps make it a teaching garden to the hordes of visitors who stream by from the condo unit one block back.

I LOVE SALVIAS! And so do hummingbirds. This year I am featuring 10 varieties of salvias:

• Salvia dorisiana, Fruit scented sage
• Salvia argenta “Artemis”
• Salvia farinacea, Mealycup Sage
• Salvia Longispicata “Mystic Spires”
• Salvia guaranitica
• Belize Sage
• Salvia officinalis, Culinary Sage, variegated
• Salvia discolor, Peruvian Sage
• Salvia nemorosa

As well as superb nectar plants, the garden contains many caterpillar host plants, namely 3 kinds of milkweed, fennel and parsley for Black Swallowtails, pussy toes and curry plant (a helichrysum) for American Ladies, Hackberry tree for Snouts and anglewings, and Partridge Pea for Cloudless Sulphurs.

This process usually causes a certain amount of cognitive dissonance, for instance “clean coal.” Kind of makes you tilt your head to the side and say “What?”

There is a great summary of companies attempting a miracle of greenwashing perspective at the Greenwashing Index. After reading the definition, make sure to check out the “in the news” section.

We must be very careful in our gardens about products that claim “all natural,” “organic,” “green,” “sustainable,” and “environmentally safe.” This is especially true when creating habitats for wildlife is our goal.

For a very enlightening illustration of just how insidious this problem can be, check out “Be part of National Wildlife Federations’s Gardening Focus Group” at Garden Rant, and the follow-up, “National Wildlife Federation Responds to your Comments.” Make sure to read the comments in both posts. This is another example of an issue that induces very deep passions.

My point here is, first I do not have any idea how NWF decided on this issue, and I am making no accusation against them. Second, don’t ever just take someone’s word, no matter how expert or “green” you think they are. Don’t trust any organization, no matter what good things they say they are doing. Do your own homework. Look things up. Follow the money. Come to your own understanding of what is really “green.”

Greenwashing is a term used to describe false or misleading environmental claims made by companies in an attempt to promote their products as environmentally friendly. Here are a few examples of greenwashing:

Misleading packaging: A product might be packaged in a green or eco-friendly looking package, but the actual product itself might not be environmentally friendly. For example, a product that is packaged in biodegradable packaging but contains harmful chemicals is an example of greenwashing.

Overstating environmental benefits: A company might make exaggerated claims about the environmental benefits of their product, without providing any scientific evidence to support their claims. For example, a product that claims to be “100% environmentally friendly” without providing any specific details about its environmental impact.

“Green” products that are not recyclable: A company might claim that a product is “green” because it is made from recycled materials, but if it is not recyclable itself, it is still contributing to the waste stream.

Misleading certifications: A product might carry an environmental certification label, but the certification process may not be credible or the label may be used in a misleading manner.

Half-truths and vague statements: A company might use vague and misleading language, such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable,” without providing any specific information about the environmental impact of their product.

These are just a few examples of greenwashing. It’s important for consumers to be aware of these practices and to carefully consider the environmental impact of the products they buy.

The Uninsured

Wildlife species of all kinds are in serious trouble because of habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation due to human action. We are simply leaving them no place to go. Without action from us many species will disappear. “Uninsured” species (those most at risk) include birds, butterflies, frogs, toads, salamanders, bats, and native pollinators. We have the ability to provide for the “uninsured” wildlife species by making positive choices in our gardens and creating welcoming habitats for them. Even small choices can have a great impact, such as planting native plant in that empty spot, providing host plants for butterfly caterpillars, adding a water source, or creating a nectar garden for native pollinators and butterflies. Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, talks of these choices when he states:

Now, for the first time in its history, gardening has taken on a role that transcends the needs of the gardener. Like it or not, gardeners have become important players in the management of our nation’s wildlife. It is now within the power of individual gardeners to do something that we all dream of doing: to “make a difference.” In this case, the “difference” will be to the future of biodiversity, to the native plants and animals of North America and the ecosystems that sustain them.

Pre-existing Conditions

We have developed a set of “pre-exisiting conditions” that threaten wildlife. As human development has spread from the cities to the suburbs and beyond and gobbled up farmland, drained wetlands, clearcut forests, and made room for the necessities of life such as another Walmart, strip mall, luxury condo, or business park, we have taken away vital habitat for wildlife, degraded ecosystem function and services, and left many species of wildlife and plants in danger of extinction.

Big Pharma

We have been seduced by the $32 billion dollar per year chemical fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide industry who spends millions of dollars each year convincing us that we are less than perfect citizens if we do not continue to purchase and apply these poisonous elixirs. In fact, this industry is currently spending millions of dollars to convince us that Michelle Obama has placed her children in great danger because she has not succumbed to the “Big Pharma” hype that food safety can only be insured by the application of their magic potions, but she has instead opted for an organic vegetable garden at the White House (Yay, Michelle). We must say no to “Big Pharma.” Pesticides have wiped out large numbers of butterflies and native pollinators. Herbicides have destroyed endangered native plants and may be a cause in the decline of frogs and toads. And fertilizer runoff causes a dead zone larger than New Jersey every year at the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico where fish, shrimp, crabs and other life are unable to survive (and neither are the fishermen who are dependent on this harvest for their livelihoods).

The Public Option

Enter the Public Option. We have seen that habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation due to human activity are the primary reasons for the decline of so many species. If our activities can be harmful, they can also be helpful if we so choose. I have been saying for years that if every one of us did just one thing to benefit wildlife on our properties, the results could be amazing. We can learn to share our lives and property with wildlife by giving back a little bit of habitat. The effect of human alteration of the land has touched every place on earth, no matter how far from human settlement they may be. Therefore, it is in our hands to make some choices that will, in part, reverse this trend. Our role as property owners is first to take a landholder version of the Hippocratic Oath: FIRST, DO NO HARM. This is the public option. Each of us has a duty to become stewards of our land and learn to make healthy choices for the wildlife in our care. This duty was expressed very elegantly in Sara Stein’s great book, Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of our own Backyards

….we have left our land too retarded to take care of itself, much less to be of any help to us. This is not someone else’s problem. We–you and I and everyone who has a yard of any size–owns a big chunk of this country. Suburban development has wrought habitat destruction on a grand scale. As these tracts expand, they increasingly squeeze the remaining natural ecosystems, fragment them, and sever corridors by which plants and animals might refill the voids we have created. To reverse this process–to reconnect as many plant and animal species as we can to rebuild intelligent suburban ecosystems–requires a new kind of garden, new techniques of gardening, and, I emphasize, a new kind of gardener.

The Co-op Idea

Now that you’ve embraced the public option that we are each responsible for the management of our properties in ways that support wildlife, it’s time for the Co-op idea. Spread the word to your neighbors. When neighborhoods join together to create welcoming habitats for wildlife, much more can be accomplished. Healthy choices on your property make a difference. Better choices as a neighborhood make a bigger difference. And this spreads to your city, your state, and so on. Start a Conservation Gardening for Wildlife Co-op in your neighborhood now.

The Angry Mob

We gardeners can be a very passionate group. This is especially true in the ongoing natives vs. exotics debate. You can see this by reading “What’s Invasive: Telling People what they can’t plant in their yards” and the comments that follow. This is an Angry Mob, with neither side being willing to give an inch. Now instead of folks reacting badly to being told what they can and cannot plant it would be much kinder if we could focus on the consequences of our actions. Invasive plants are destroying wildlife habitats. Therefore, when we make the choice not to plant them we are helping to protect those habitats. It’s very simple. Take responsibility for your actions.

Single Payer

We as taxpayers are the “Single Payer.” We pay billions of dollars each year to attempt to eradicate or control invasive species and restore ecosystem function and services. It is much cheaper to protect ecosystem services than it is to attempt to restore them. If we became educated and informed gardeners, we would not continue to import and promote the spread of invasive plants. Please obtain a list of invasive plants for your state. Print it out and carry it with you every time you go to your local nursery. Do not purchase any plant on that list. This is very important, and we must each learn to be responsible Conservation Gardeners.

I know at this point you are wondering what coffee production can possibly have to do with your garden, but it turns out that you can support property owners in Mexico and South America who, just like you, are making healthy and responsible choices for their properties.

Rewarding these farmers for making great decisions is one of the best ways I can think of to encourage more family farms to make these (sometimes very difficult) choices.

Over the last several decades scientists have noted long-term declines in the populations of many migratory birds. These are “our” spring migrants, also called Neotropical migrants, and include tanagers, orioles, and warblers.

These declines prompted researchers to study the whole life cycle of these birds, including their wintering habitats, which took them to Mexico and South America. Here they found that biodiversity of plants, birds, and insects, was greatly increased in areas which most resembled the native forest, including the shaded, traditional polyculture coffee farms.

It was not that the birds or insects were using the coffee plants themselves, but these farms retained a large proportion of native plants which provided food and other resources for wildlife.

It was the diversity of native plants and their structure that created welcoming habitats as opposed to the monoculture, full-sun factory farms, which did not support much wildlife at all.

In other words, there was a direct correlation between the number of remaining native plants and the numbers of other wildlife!

Structure refers to the fact that a variety of plant forms exist together to make up the forest. There are a wide variety of different types of plants: tall canopy trees, shorter understory trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, vines, and epiphytes.

We can replicate these conditions in our own gardens by including a variety of native plants of different heights, different blooming and fruiting times, and different functions.

The other reason that coffee production is important is that we can make an enormous contribution to the welfare of our migratory birds by purchasing certified coffee. There are currently three different certifications for coffee:

1. Certified organic means that the coffee was produced without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides, but not necessarily that the forest was left intact.

2. Certified fair trade means that the small farmers are compensated fairly for their product, but not necessarily that it is either organic or shade grown.

3. Certified shade grown means that the plants were grown under a canopy of shade, but not necessarily a canopy of native forest, and also does not guarantee organic growing methods.

If you are a coffee drinker, the choice you make regarding this purchase can have enormous beneficial consequences for wildlife, the rainforest, and the native human population, or your choice could be harmful for all of the above reasons.

Potential short term gain for you by saving a few cents per pound can have many long-term negative consequences.

Purchasing triple certified coffee means that you are:

• supporting the continuance of the native forest
• discouraging the use of harmful chemicals
• encouraging farmers to participate in this way of production because they receive a fair wage.
• In addition, you are helping to ensure that our migratory birds and other wildlife have the habitats so necessary for their survival.

Update: At the dailygreen.com read about shade grown coffee and global warming: Turns out growing coffee the natural way may be the best way, in a warmer world

Shade grown organic coffee varieties:

• Songbird coffee Panama bean
• Songbird coffee Hazlenut bean
• Songbird coffee Guatemala ground
• Songbird coffee French Roast ground
• Songbird coffee Nicaraguan ground
]]> https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/managing-rainwater-in-the-conservation-garden.html Thu, 16 Feb 2017 03:39:04 +0000 http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/?p=1400 As the recent flooding in Missouri has so tragically shown, storm water management is an issue that must receive serious attention. As rampant development continues in this country, the earth is being smothered under the impervious surfaces of our buildings, roofs, driveways, streets, parking lots, and shopping centers.

Our current method of dealing with the amount of rainwater that collects on these surfaces is to funnel this water from gutters and downspouts and stormdrains into our sewer system or into streams. We spend millions of dollars directing water away from the place where it falls and into our waterways.

A much better option may be to manage water where it falls—allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the earth, storing water in the soil and recharging groundwater levels.

A roof of 1000 square feet can generate 600 gallons of rain as runoff for every inch of rain. Multiply these 600 gallons by all the houses in your neighborhood all dumping this runoff into our streams at the same time.

These streams may handle a one inch rain event with no problem, but larger rain events may cause significant problems, such as the horrible flooding just observed in the Midwest.

The streams simply cannot handle large volumes of water entering them at the same time. This amount of runoff can cause severe erosion, pollution, sedimentation, and flooding downstream.

Under natural conditions water collects on vegetation and slowly seeps into the soil, recharging groundwater levels, and slowly finding its way into streams. Current development treats this water as a waste product, with the goal of removing it from a site as soon as possible. A much better option would be to manage this water where it falls.

Managing water onsite may involve several different options, which can be used singly or in combination, with each added element providing that much more toward the goal of managing 100% of runoff from each site.

• Rain barrels provide the easiest method of water collection. These are easy to install and are able to capture rainwater for later use in garden irrigation. With the rising cost of municipal water and drought restrictions across much of the US in the summer months, this method provides a means of conserving water and protecting our water supply.
• Green roofs provide an insulating layer to a building, making it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, and therefore reducing heating and cooling costs. These roofs also slow the flow of rainwater into downspouts which reduces the amount of runoff flowing into streams. These roofs may also provide habitat for insects and nesting birds by mimicking rare or endangered ecosystems such as Midwestern prairies.
• Stormwater Swales keep rainwater off of roadways and allow it to seep slowly back to the water table. They also provide excellent wildlife habitat.

Green Roof Resources:

1. Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, by Kelly Luckett
2. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury
• The installation of porous paving for driveways and patios will allow rainwater to infiltrate the ground instead of running off into sewer systems. Many materials are available for this use from commercially available pavers to recycled products such as crushed brick and concrete.
• A rain garden is a shallow depression located near the runoff from a downspout. Rainwater will collect in the garden and percolate into the soil, recharge groundwater levels, and slowly make its way into streams and watersheds. These beautiful gardens, when planted with native plants, can greatly increase biodiversity in our yards.Rain gardens are discussed and beautifully photographed in Nigel Dunnett and Andy Clayden’s Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape
]]> https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/finding-native-plants.html Sun, 09 Oct 2022 15:54:21 +0000 http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/?p=1212 What should I plant?

This is the most frequently asked question I get asked as I travel around the country speaking at conferences and giving workshops about Ecosystem Gardening for Wildlife.

But the answer to this question is not as simple as you may think. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. But instead this answer depends on many factors, chief of which is where do you live? The best plants for your wildlife garden will be native to your local area.

What works in my Pennsylvania wildlife garden will most certainly not be a good fit in your Arizona wildlife garden.

Pennsylvania native plants for your wildlife garden:

1. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
2. Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
3. Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
4. Beebalm (Monarda didyma)
5. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
6. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
7. Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
8. White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata)
9. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
10. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

These plants are ideal for a wildlife garden in Pennsylvania because they provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for many beneficial insects, birds, and wildlife. In addition, they are native to the area and will thrive in the local climate. Redbuds attract birds, bees, and butterflies, while milkweed is an important source of food for Monarch butterflies. Wild Columbine provides nectar for hummingbirds and bees and its striking flowers are a delight to the eye. Beebalm and Wild Bergamot are easy to grow and attract bees and hummingbirds. Black-eyed Susans provide food for birds and beneficial insects, while Wild Strawberry is a favorite for birds, small mammals, and humans alike. White Wood Aster, Swamp Milkweed, and New England Aster are all important sources of nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects.

Arizona native plants for your wildlife garden:

1. Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea): The iconic saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert and is a great addition to any wildlife garden. Its towering stature can provide food, shelter and nesting sites for a variety of wildlife species.

2. Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia): Prickly pear cactus is a drought-tolerant plant that provides food, nesting sites and shelter for birds, lizards and other wildlife species. The bright yellow flowers provide a splash of color to your garden and will attract bees and butterflies.

3. Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni): The barrel cactus is a low-maintenance, native cactus that can tolerate extreme heat and drought. Its abundant fruit provides food for birds and mammals, while its spines protect it from predators.

4. Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata): This evergreen shrub is an important food source for many desert birds and mammals. It also provides nesting sites and shelter, and its fragrant yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies.

5. Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata): This native flower is a great choice for a wildlife garden because it provides nectar for pollinators and food for birds in the form of its seeds. The desert marigold is also low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, making it a great choice for an arid climate.

Other factors to consider when choosing the best native plants for your wildlife garden:

• How much sun does your garden get throughout the day?
• What’s your soil like?
• How much moisture does your garden get?
• Where are the part-sun spots?
• What spots are in full shade?
• Where are the wet areas in your garden?
• Which areas dry out more quickly?
• Do you want to attract a specific butterfly?
• Do you want to support native bees?
• Would you like to see more birds in your wildlife garden?

Plants are expensive, so you don’t want to throw away your money without knowing the answers to all of these questions so that you can put the right plant in the right place with the knowledge that it will thrive there. You’ve got to do a bit of homework and make a plan for the native plants that will work best given the conditions in your garden and that are locally native to your region.

The absolute best way to begin to discover which native plants will work best in your wildlife garden is to connect with your local native plant society as well as nearby native plant nurseries.

These folks are passionate about native plants and love to share their knowledge with anyone who asks. Since their gardens are probably close by, they can give you the best answers about what will work best in your garden.

]]> https://www.ecosystemgardening.com/chinese-wisteria.html Mon, 03 Oct 2022 15:54:17 +0000 http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/?p=1020 Invasive Chinese and Japanese Wisteria

Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and it’s relative Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria foribunda) are landing squarely on the Most Hated Invasive Plants list.

One of my neighbors across the street has this plant in his yard. Not only is it pulling down the arbor in his yard, it is spreading its runners throughout the neighborhood, even poking its head up through the dirt floor basements in every house on that side of the street.

Needless to say, my neighbors are not happy. This plant is sprouting up everywhere, pulling down fences, arbors, backyard sheds, and even some buildings in its path. Just in my neighborhood, the cost of this destruction is huge.

Chinese Wisteria was first imported into this country in 1816, followed in 1830 by Japanese Wisteria. Because the vines grew fast and provided dense shade, this was a favored plant for porches, trellises, and gazebos.

An interesting fact I learned while researching this article is that Chinese Wisteria twists clockwise around objects in its path, while Japanese Wisteria twists counterclockwise.

Chinese Wisteria/Japanese Wisteria Destroys Native Wildlife Habitats

This vine grows very rapidly, reaching up to 70 feet with 15 inch trunks. Because of this rapid growth and dense shade, native canopy trees, understory trees, and shrubs can be smothered or killed beneath the heavy weight of this invasive vine.

This is especially a problem in the warmer Southern states, where native ecosystems are being wiped out in the path of this aggressive and fast-spreading invasive plant.

The vine curls tightly around the trees and shrubs that it’s climbing, eventually girdling and killing these trees.

The destruction of native ecosystems means that habitat for birds, butterflies, pollinators, and many insects and other wildlife has been wiped out, leaving them no place to make their homes.

Do Not Purchase or Plant Invasive Plants

This problem can be reduced if we refuse to purchase or plant these invasive species, and by politely informing your local nursery or garden center that this plant is highly invasive and that you will not shop at their places of business while they continue to sell invasive plants.

Be polite and gentle. This is a wonderful opportunity to provide education about the dangers of invasive plants to native habitats and the wildlife that is dependent on them.

How to Get Rid of Chinese Wisteria/Japanese Wisteria

Getting rid of Chinese Wisteria is no easy task, because of the huge trunks and fast-spreading habits, you’re going to be working at this task for probably several seasons. Sorry

What you need to do is cut off the vines close to the ground. They will, of course, resprout. Keep cutting back these sprouts until you have effectively starved the root system.

I’d recommend cutting the sprouts back as soon as you notice them because they grow so fast, become quite thick, and are much harder to cut if you let them go.

Native Alternative for Chinese Wisteria/Japanese Wisteria

There is an American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens), that is native from Virginia to Missouri and south to Florida and Texas. Also give these a look:

• trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Hummingbird favorite
• Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) Host plant for Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies
• crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
• trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) Hummingbird favorite, can be aggressive, don’t plant next to your house because it can damage your siding.
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