Birds need food, the food that emerges from the ecosystems of native birches and oaks, willows and maples, and from elderberries, serviceberries, viburnums, and winterberries. They need food when they’re year-round residents and food when they’re migrating. And when you plant the food-supplying trees and shrubs birds need, the birds will stop.
Tag Archives: Ecological Gardening
So What Exactly Is a Native Plant? The Pollinator-Friendly Plant Labeling Act May Have an Answer
When talking about gardening, it doesn’t take long before native plants become part of the conversation. One question comes up repeatedly in these conversations, a fundamental question with an elusive answer: “What exactly is a native plant?”
On Leaving the Leaves
Last November, in my efforts to support pollinators and other insects, I left the leaves on the garden beds. In late fall and throughout winter, maple, oak, and magnolia leaves masked the bare soil of unplanted areas with a colorful, textured blanket that provided insulation and habitat. Now the garden feels like a patch of woodland, which is great for critters, but frustrating, because I can’t see what’s going on beneath the leaves.
3,500 Square Feet, 25 Species, No Feeders – The Birds in My Backyard
When I first began gardening, setting up a few feeders seemed the best strategy for attracting birds to my backyard. Several years later, my perspective has changed. I decided to take down the feeders to see what would happen.
Edgings Garden Research and Design 