“A meadow is a field which has grass and flowers growing in it.” Collins Dictionary A meadow can be a low-maintenance, low-water area full of grasses and flowers to attract and provide for friendly wildlife like pollinators, birds, and toads. …
Grow Your Own Meadow Garden at Home When we think of meadows we think of grassy, open spaces, often with wildflowers. They play an important role in the environment. Creating meadows in home landscapes is becoming quite a trend, as …
Of the many pretty ferns we can grow in our gardens here, one of the nicest ones we can plant is a native one that grows here already. The western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) grows throughout the western states from …
Those are fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea), native to North America from southern Canada down to northern Mexico. They are perfectly normal and a part of our ecosystems across the continent. They thrive in the warmest time of the year, starting …
Here’s a nice little native plant whose flowers attract butterflies and bees and it starts blooming in mid-summer. Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) is native to much of California, mostly in foothill areas north of Los Angeles up to southern Oregon …
I’ve discovered a nice little native groundcover with some good benefits. Two years ago I moved into a new place. When I first looked at it, I saw a big, sunny, almost empty space that would be perfect for a …
The colorful, early bloom always attracts attention Redbud has swung into full bloom over these past few weeks. I hope you’ve been able get out and see it. It’s easy to notice the brilliant, magenta-pink flowers every spring. It’s one …
Do You Know About This Wild, Native Fruit? There’s a wild fruit tree around here. It’s one of the earliest trees to bloom, usually starting in mid-February, and it’s a cheerful harbinger of spring. It grows in the more open, …
If you’re looking for flowering shrubs to add to your landscape that don’t take much water, won’t get eaten by deer, will feed the birds and the pollinators and is an attractive asset to your landscape…here’s one to get. This …
Violets are the only food of the fritillary butterfly caterpillar The fritillary butterfly lives its larval stage dining only on violets. The best food for the fritillary in our neck of the woods is the violets that evolved in our …