What are some good plants for shade gardens? The first answers to that question that come to mind for most people are hostas and ferns, right? There are better answers to the question. Native woodland plants provide beauty as well as ecological services in the form of food and shelter for insects, birds and larger [Continue]
Well, this just seems wrong. Wouldn’t you figure that a plant called duck potato would be something that ducks would eat? Not so, and for a couple of reasons. More on that later. I’ve seen duck potato plants all my life, but didn’t know what they were. I called them arrowhead plants for lack of [Continue]
Numerous birdseed mixes are sold so humans can help birds survive the winter months. Each is blended for certain target bird population. There are songbird mixes, woodland bird mixes, blends specific to mourning doves or finches, waste-free mixes, and regional blends, as well as single ingredient bags of sunflower seeds, safflower seed and thistle seed. [Continue]
Highbush cranberry isn’t a true cranberry, although the berries are similar in both taste and appearance. The Latin name is Viburnum opulus var. americanum, which is important to know if you buy plants for growing cranberries for your own consumption or to support wildlife. Highbush cranberries are multi-stemmed shrubs growing 10–15 feet tall and 10-12 [Continue]
There are two times of year when native plants are at their best early spring when the spring ephemerals cover the forest floor, and late summer/early fall when the prairie plants shine. Here is a quick review of what native plants are and why we should plant them. Natives are those that were growing in [Continue]