This has been one wild and wacky summer for weather, and I have the feeling we "ain't seen nothin' yet!" I, for one, welcome the cooler Sweatah Weathah, and not just for the influx of pumpkin flavored everything, and the glorious show Mother Nature puts on, and the fresh picked apples, and the cooler night air, and the...well, you get the picture. I also LOVE Fall for PLANTING! Viburnum nudum var cassinoides (Wild Raisin) That's right. I'm not one of those ambitious Spring pl

I recently drove by a traffic island planting we designed, installed last year by a wonderful Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project, and I did a double take. It's a rough spot, a traffic island in the middle of a busy street leading into a State Park, in full sun, hit with road salt all winter, with some debris from traffic. And it's thriving (I'm for sure not taking credit for the thriving, but am patting myself on the back for plant choices!): Here is the complete list of p

Guest post by Olivia Nicholson Each year in early spring, something remarkable happens across the forests of Massachusetts. As snow melts and the first warm rains arrive, amphibians begin emerging from their winter shelters and making their way toward temporary wetlands known as vernal pools. For nature enthusiasts, this moment marks the start of herping season—the time of year when people venture outdoors to observe reptiles and amphibians in their natural habitats. From qui

We here at Blue Stem Natives are pretty stoked about the snow this year but we get that not everyone shares our excitement. The calendar says spring is almost here. The seed catalogs are stacked by the couch. It feels like winter has lasted a decade. And yet…there is still snow on the ground. If you’re looking out the window wondering whether winter plans to personally spite you this year, you are not alone. Spring fever has officially set in across New England. But before w