ecological design, consultation, plant sourcing, education

WILD ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS

 
 

Take a tour of my front gardens showcased in Fine Gardening’s Garden of the Day blog.
 
 

Native plants

See through the eyes of a butterfly, a bee, a bird…and discover their plight to find food, nesting sites, water, and safe overwintering habitat. In a world experiencing losses in plant and animal species—a symptom of historic choices—can we reconcile our use of the land with a more sustainable, wildlife and climate-friendly approach? Could protecting and restoring native trees, shrubs, perennials be a significant part of the answer?

 

The beauty of native plants.

 
Hyssop leaved thoroughwort (Eupatorium hyssopifolium)— a fine-leaved, romantic but tough and wild native plant loved by a diversity of pollinators. Large white inflorescences show off from late summer to frost making it a fantastic fall source
It’s aster season! Click the blog link in my bio for a deep dive into 2 of my favorite asters--aromatic aster and blue wood aster. I share lots of photos from recent designs for inspiration and discuss growth habits and management techniques. I
Join me this Thursday night at the Narberth Area Garden Club for tips on creating outdoor spaces friendly to birds. I’ll discuss keystone plants for baby birds, the best native shrubs to support migrating species, winter habitat, practical appr
Interested in providing more bird habitat, shade and beauty in your space? Join me next Thursday online to learn about keystone tree species with the most impact for the food web. Get tips on picking the right tree for your site conditions, and learn
Looking to enhance year-round fulfillment in your outdoor space? Join me in-person at the Morris Arboretum next week (9/17, 6pm) for suggestions on compelling habitat-friendly plant selections and planting design techniques to extend garden interest
If you’re local, please join me tomorrow night in-person for my talk on Achieving a Four Season Garden at 7pm (Thursday, March 7) in the Narberth Municipal Building on 100 Conway Avenue Narberth, PA 19072.  The talk is
I can hear them coming and always look forward to rambunctious grackle stopovers. Migrating from northern breeding grounds, flocks of these beautifully iridescent long-legged blackbirds land on every tree in sight but especially love beech nuts from
Sometimes the fluffy seed heads of orange milkweed just work. Planted here with little bluestem grass against a backdrop of Virginia sweetspire and wrinkle-leaf goldenrod, the fall textures and colors create a moment of pause to reflect on seasonal
Successful conversion to native landscaping around the entrance to our local public library. Belmont Hills and Penn Valley resident volunteers helped to install a monarch way station and Pollinator Pathway garden that I designed in the fall of 2021.
Native plant combinations in client projects with the gloriously tall red beebalm, Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’. 1,2,3) A cheerful early summer combo with the bee-loving Southern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia ‘Butterfly&r