Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in: Whether you own a house in Knoxville, TN, or are renting an apartment in Charlotte, NC, adding a trellis to your garden can support plant growth, spruce up your garden decor, and can be used to create more private outdoor spaces by acting as a fence. So what exactly is a trellis, and how can it add style and support to your outdoor oasis? Keep reading to find out. Read the full article here: What is a Trellis? How You Can Take Your Garden to New Heights | Redfin

Here’s the scene: You got really excited this spring and found us, and bought a bunch of lovely native plants for your garden that you aren’t completely sure what to do with them. You put in them the ground and now the summer is beating them up a bit. You don’t want to lose any precious plants, but it can feel like one thing after another is trying to sabotage your efforts! Here are a few simple tips to help get your garden through the heat of the summer and safe from hungry (THIRSTY!) animals.  Caring for new plantings: Even if you planted drought resistant plants, they still need to become established for a solid growing season before they can handle this kind of heat. Water deeply and on a regular schedule (every 2-3 days for first season), drip irrigation is best, avoid overhead watering as much as possible. Water in early morning for best absorption with less chance of encouraging fungal issues.  Rain barrels: can help bridge the gap when there is a water ban instituted, use water from shower warm up as well. Rain barrels that are connected to any roof source will collect a surprising amount of water even in short storms. Place a barrel off gazebos or sheds to save every drop.  Mulch : When you are working on a new garden bed, you can use mulch to help keep weeds down and moisture in the soil. I’m not talking about those dyed wood mulches from the store, use Use compost in ring around plants, keep pulled away from stems, straw, light-colored material wait for cloudy or overcast day to plant, water really well, do not add additional compost or fertilizer to the hole! Top dress only as needed.  If full sun plantings, consider adding temporary shade during extreme weather, burlap over tomato cage Rain barrels can help bridge the gap when there is a water ban instituted, collect water from your shower warm up as well.  Wildlife: Between the rabbits and Asian beetles, I don’t know what is causing more damage this year! While we are building our native gardens to support wildlife, that doesn’t mean we want them eaten to bits either. While rabbits are cute, they sure are destructive little creatures. There are a few practices that can help mitigate loss. Protect small and new plantings. No one likes having to cage up their plants, but does it really make sense to put all of this time, effort, and money into building a garden only for it to be mowed down overnight? I encourage using decorative wire cloches and simple fencing to protect plants as they are establishing. It won’t be forever, and as your garden fills in over time, any munching will be mitigated by sheer volume. You can also try planting for  them, using clover in your grass, or planting sacrificial plants that you know they love, like peas! Planting a plot of peas can help distract them from your flowering plants, plus peas are cheap, you can grow them continuously through the summer, and they are nutritious for wildlife as well...  Add shallow water sources throughout your garden. In this heat, wildlife are often trying to find water more than just eat, and they obtain a lot of their water from plants! Placing shallow water dishes around your garden can help (a little!). Make sure you are placing pebbles or small rocks in the dish to give perches for insects, and keep the dishes clean and filled. If you are worried about creating mosquito breeding grounds, you can add a few granules of BT ( Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis ) , which will kill mosquito larvae without harming other insects and wildlife.  For the flying pests, the best thing to start with is…nothing. Practice IPM, integrated pest management! First, identify the problem. If your leaves have holes, it doesn’t automatically mean something bad is happening. Remember, we are planting food sources for our native insects, and many of them will use the leaves for food and nesting spaces for their larvae. This has been a banner year for the American Lady butterfly on it’s preferred host plants, Antennaria spp and Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting). The larvae can make the leaves look pretty gnarly, but they won't destroy the plant. On the other hand, we have some non-native insects that absolutely can and do cause true damage to plants. I am thinking about the Willow leaf beetle and the brown asian beetle, both of which are doing a number on our willows and other plants. IPM dictates that we tackle the problem in stages. Once identified, manual removal should be the first step. You can get a glove and vent your frustrations if you don’t mind the squish, you can knock the bug into a cup of soapy water, or you could blast them off with a hose. Keep in mind you don’t want to cause more damage to your plants! If the infestation is too large and your plant is in danger of failing, you could consider a pesticide. Remember that even organic pesticides like Neem oil are broad spectrum insecticides , meaning they do not pick and choose what they kill. If you determine that an insecticide is required, follow all of the instructions on the bottle, and only spray what you must in order to get the situation under control. Pesticide use should always be a very last resort.  Drought: While technically speaking we are not experiencing drought in eastern MA right now, it certainly feels awfully dry! I have noticed a change in the lower areas of my own yard, and have lost some plants that prefer more moisture. That’s how the cookie crumbles, but there are some ways to mitigate this stress on plants. Use the watering tips above, but also consider planting more! That may feel counterintuitive, but more plants help to shade the ground and can keep the ground up to 6* cooler, and can reduce water loss through evaporation. This is different than mulch, which, especially dark colored mulch, attracts heat and holds it, as well as acting like a sponge with that overhead watering. Consider the mulching tips I gave above, if it is needed. If your plants are properly situated and well established, they should get through this heat with little damage. Keep an eye out for drooping flower heads or wilting leaves. Water the base of plants, not overhead! Avoid fertilizing at this time, regardless of the age of the plants.  Flooding: Jeez, we have to worry about drought and flooding? These two things go hand in hand! During periods of prolonged heat, soil can become extremely dry on the surface and sometimes even hydrophobic  (repels water). Take super dry soil and add a sudden afternoon rainstorm, and you have a flooding issue. The best way to prevent erosion and flooding is to add more plants!  I’m not trying to push sales here (ok, maybe a little), but even the US Government agrees with me! I’m not sure that’s a plus in most cases, but in this instance it is. Adding more organic matter to the soil helps it remain porous, like a sponge. Organic matter includes plant roots, so the more roots you have, the better the soil will be at absorbing water and nutrients. In addition, I have another brain bender for you. When we are expecting a rainstorm, head out to your garden and give a quick once-over with the hose. Yes! I am telling you to water before a storm! If you moisten the top layer of soil, the rain will be able to penetrate instead of running off. This gardening thing is wild, I tell you! So there you have it, a few of our best tips to keep your garden healthy and growing through this crazy, hazy summer. Best of luck! Kristen

SPACE INVADERS! You've likely seen this one in your yard, your neighbors' yards, in the woods, on the side of the road, and so on. Garlic mustard ( Alliaria petiolata ) produces copious amounts of seeds and is "allelopathic", changing the soil with biochemicals to prohibit the germination and growth of other plants. It's a "biennial", living two years and generally producing flowers and seeds in the second year. But its "offspring", from those copious seeds (we weren't kidding!), create a dense carpet other species can't compete with. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION Garlic mustard generally grows at the edge of woods in disturbed soil in part shade conditions. Although it grows most vigorously in moist conditions it will still grow prolifically in any soils. Which is why you'll see them in your yard, your neighbors' yards, in the woods, the side of the road...you get the idea. photo 1 by Alan Wolf, 2 by Katja Schulz, 3 by Robert Flogaus-Faust HOW TO REMOVE: The bad news: garlic mustard contributes intensely to the seed bank (the viable seeds on and in the soil from previous year's plants). The seeds remain viable in the soil for upwards of 10 years so you'll need to pull this species for a few years. It took me 4 years in my yard to completely eradicate the garlic mustard. But it wasn’t as daunting as other invasive species in my yard (I'm looking at you bishop's weed!).  The great news: The taproot is relatively easy to remove with one pull and shouldn't regenerate from any fragments left. Random fact: If you keep chickens, they love to eat the leaves before it goes to seed (obviously know the background of the area and that it hasn't been sprayed with chemicals). You can also routinely mow garlic mustard down to keep it from flowering and producing more seed. Once pulled, don’t put these plants in a compost pile, especially if they have seeds. Bag them to dispose. If you enjoy pulling these check out the event link at the bottom of this page, "Weed for Wildlife in Cohasset, MA on May 5. WHAT TO PLANT: "Nature abhors a vacuum" , so either you need to plant something as a replacement or whatever seed is already there will fill in the gaps. We recommend after pulling out garlic mustard that you plant native plants that tend to be strong growers . These will shade the ground and keep a lot of the viable garlic mustard seeds from germinating. Some of our favorite natives that have similar growing conditions to garlic mustard. Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower) Can cover a larger area relatively quickly and has shown not to be too bothered by the biochemical soil changes. These plants send out runners, much like a strawberry plant, and can cover a larger area relatively quickly.  Tiarella cordifolia thrives in moist soil, perfect for a humusy woodland edge. The foliage is bright green and delicate flower spikes appear in the Spring. Packera aurea (golden groundsel) This spunky little plant has low growing heart-shaped leaves and sends up a spike of bright yellow, daisy-like flowers that will brighten up any landscape. If allowed to colonize, this plant can serve as a suitable ground cover for areas that receive sun to full shade and regular moisture . Excellent for a woodland garden . Anemone canadensis (Canada anemone) This native spreads quickly by rhizomes , preferably in moist, rich soil in partial shade to full sun . W hile you might want to rethink placing it in your front garden beds, you definitely want a native plant that can hold it’s own against garlic mustard. Perfect for naturalizing moist areas, it is also a very cute, flowering plant with bright green leaves that add great texture to the landscape. Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern) Stays green year round. Easily established in the proper conditions, this fern makes for an excellent four-season accent plant in shade gardens. Unlike some other ferns, this one does not tolerate standing water, rather, it thrives in moist soils with good drainage, but it is also surprisingly drought tolerant. Solidago flexicaulis  (Zigzag Goldenrod) This lovely goldenrod (no they don't cause seasonal allergies!) reaches heights of 2-3 feet and features beautiful yellow flowers that bloom in late summer and early fall. The unique zigzag pattern of its stems adds visual interest to any garden, making it a great choice for borders or naturalized areas. Zigzag Goldenrod is easy to grow and low-maintenance, thriving in partial to full sun and well-drained soil. Matteucia struthiopteris  (Ostrich Fern) A stately, vase-shaped fern that grows between 3-5 feet tall and has a 2-3 foot spread. A dramatic addition to a shade garden during the summer months before falling dormant by early fall.  Notably, the early growth of these ferns are called “fiddleheads”, and are edible (but always do your own research before consuming any plant from your garden!) . Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine) An important nectar source for hummingbirds and pollinators . Best suited for light sun/part shade areas , you likely won’t see flowers until the second year after planting. Once the showy red and yellow flowers emerge, you will delight in watching the myriad of wildlife attracted to them. With the right soil, these plants will willingly self-seed into a large colony, and if we happen to have a cooler summer the blooms may remain well into July. Happy garlic mustard pulling! Britt LEARN MORE Pulling Garlic Mustard in Spring, Video by Wild Cohasset (lots of great info!) "Weed for Wildlife", May 5, Wild Cohasset (sign up!) Garlic Mustard, iNaturalist

Ok, so here’s the thing. Two years ago I was sitting in my comfy chair penning a blog post all about how we were expecting the inevitable drought, and how you, the lovely gardener, could be preparing for that categorically inevitable onslaught of heat and dearth of precipitation. It was all quite dramatic, really. Queue one of the wettest summers on record. Didn’t I feel silly. The following season I was a bit more cautious and did my very best weatherman impression. We needed to be prepared for anything, clearly. Our expectations for a hot, dry summer were met, as you may recall, ranking as one of the hottest summers on record. Lucky us. On top of the heat, has anyone noticed the insane winds over the summer into this spring? Maybe I am just noticing it more being outside for hours day after day, but it feels very different to me. The point of the rambling is just to say, we obviously must be flexible and ready for just about anything. We are “lucky” (ish) to not experience the voracious wildfires of the West, but we should still take some of those prevention techniques to heart. Keeping shrubs and plants away from foundations is good practice not only for fire prevention but also for pests and mold as well. And while I am absolutely not crossing my crossables for another wet summer, I think it is more than likely we will experience a drier one. I know it can be difficult to look past the April showers and think about drought, but being well prepared can go a long way in keeping our gardens happy through the dog days of summer. Now is a perfect time to start setting your landscape up for success. Installing rain barrels are a sustainable way to capture and utilize the rain coursing down your drainpipes. Not only can that help mitigate flooding during heavy storms, but it can give your plantings a real boost when it comes time to plant. Erosion is also a huge concern during the spring, because we don’t have much by way of plant matter slowing down the movement of water. It’s really quite astonishing how much water can be captured off of a roof during a single rain storm. There are ways to calculate how much water can be captured, which can help you determine appropriately sized storage. It’s simple math, I promise! Take the approximate square footage of your roof (serviced by gutters) and multiply that number by 0.56. This is going to give you the approximate number of gallons available for capture for every 1 inch of rainfall. This formula already takes into consideration some loss, so you can work straight off these numbers. A single, 55-gallon barrel such as the ones we sell could potentially be filled with one afternoon storm! There are a bunch of ways to utilize this captured rainwater. You can use it to supplement your watering regime during town water bans, or to reduce the wear and tear on your home well. You can set up drip irrigation systems with a timer and a pump that will push water through to your beds on the far side of the yard. You could use the water to care for wildlife, putting out dishes and baths during the hot days, hopefully providing a source so that they don’t eat all of your plants in search of hydration. If stored water concerns you, it is perfectly safe (and advisable) to add BT dunks to the barrels to prevent mosquito infestations. These dunks are safe for wildlife and will not cause harm to birds or dragonflies. Of course, if we do have a return of mushy weather, there will be a host of other issues that come along, not the least of which, fungal diseases, insect explosions, and most importantly, very soggy nursery owners… Happy Planting!

When the world feels like it is spinning out of control, we can start from within our own spaces to cultivate change, lead with compassion, and create the kind of world we want to see—one action, and one act of kindness at a time. Here are some “action” ideas for 2025: Plant native plants Did you guess that would be the first tip?! Ok you know by now we aren't JUST trying to sell plants, native plants are sustainable and support our wildlife. It's one of the best environmental actions we can take from our own home. Check out Grow Native Massachusetts One of our favorite organizations, lots of events and education: "Every garden matters ~ Every landscape counts. Our human footprint is everywhere, and conservation no longer works by focusing on only a small percentage of total land area. Consider this— over 90% of the lands in Massachusetts are privately owned, and much of that is in parcels smaller than one acre. More than 90% of our population lives in the cities and suburbs that extend over half of the state's land area. What we all do matters, quite simply— everywhere." Leave the leaves support wildlife and improve your soil at the same time all while doing less work! Feed baby birds and stop using pesticides . Insects are not our enemies. Did you know, about 96 percent of terrestrial birds raise their nestlings on insects, caterpillars being particularly important. If we are planting native plants, which are the natural food of our native wildlife and then we spray it with pesticides we are making problems worse. Grow your own vegetables Join us for our first "Vegetable Gardening 101" in the Blue Stem greenhouse, Sunday, March 30, 2pm-3:30pm with Todd of Grateful Gardens fame. He's a wealth of knowledge! " Learn the Basics for beginning home vegetable gardeners. Everything we can squeeze into an hour plus a thirty minute Q&A: Soil, Planting, Watering, Plant Selection, Tools, Books, Resources, Etc." Switch to hand powered or electric lawn equipment " Leaf blowers aren’t just noisy — they’re also huge climate polluters. Gas-powered lawn equipment like leaf blowers and lawn mowers pollute a lot more than you might think. They pump out millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, the primary driver of climate change." Use peat alternatives " Peat moss is not a sustainable option for gardening on any level. No matter how good of a product it may be for anyone, the mining of peat moss is an incredibly destructive industry that is harming not only sensitive habitat but some of our largest carbon stores on the planet." Have we told you that we are 100% peat free in all our growing? We use (and sell) Organic Mechanics soil from seed to sale, all peat-free. "Cultivate compassion for creatures great and small" Ok, if you are here we can assume you love wildlife?! The Humane Gardener is one of our favorites. Blog, books...and presentations if you can find one! Stop using synthetic fertilizer, and maybe skip the fertilizer all together ! Native plants, in the right location, do not need fertilizer. It's one of the reasons they are sustainable. Vegetable gardening can be a different story but there's no reason to use synthetic fertilizers in your home garden. "During rain storms, water running off lawns picks up excess fertilizer on the ground and carries it down storm drains, which often lead directly to streams, rivers, lakes, and bays. Fertilizer that finds its way into our waterways fuels the too rapid and harmful growth of algae and other aquatic plant life. Sometimes the growth is so explosive it creates an algal “bloom” with millions of organisms discoloring the water. This excessive growth causes an unhealthy increase in the amount of organic matter within a water body..." Instead BUILD HEALTHY SOIL ! If you must have fertilizer for your vegetable garden we like Neptune's Harvest and Buffaloam . Put a sign out so your neighbors know what you are doing There are many places you can buy yard signs. Blue Stem carries them when we are open for the season, but there are many places to grab a sign: National Wildlife Federation ’s Certified Wildlife Habitat signs, Monarch Joint Venture habitat signs, Monarch Watch waystation sign, and Wild Ones Certified native habitats signs. Refill instead of buying new! Find your local Refill Shop! We love Four Corner Supply in Marshfield.  " We believe in reducing, reusing, and refilling to create a more sustainable future. Your Go-To Destination For Eco-Friendly And Ethical Home Goods. Local Delivery. Thoroughly Tested." Join the south shore chapter of Wild Ones Wild Ones is a native plant garden group located on Boston’s South Shore. "Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.” Native plants are a food and nectar source, prevent water run-off, lower our carbon footprint, and are generally easy to care for." Read a book Need something great to read? These are  some of our favorite books about native plants, wildlife, design, and more. We carry most of these titles, but libraries do too! Watching Doug Tallamy videos Doug Tallamy is an entomologist , ecologist and conservationist , and professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. "Tallamy advocates for home gardens and landscaping th at bridge the gaps between parks and preserves in providing habitat for native species. He has spoken on the connections between plants and insects and how those relations are important to birds.He has called for smaller lawns." Any of his presentations are inspirational and full of knowledge. Take a class at Garden in the Woods One of our favorite places, check out Garden in the Woods for classes in person or online. " Today, as native plants face the greatest wave of threats since the last mass extinction, we are still a national leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education." Go bird watching at Mass Audubon... and then come home and plant native plants ! Decrease your lawn Lawn is helpful for when we need space for soccer and such but most of us could do with less lawn. Our viewpoint on adding clover to your lawn: skip that and just decrease your lawn. Clover that we use for lawns is another non-native plant generally supporting the non-native honeybees. To decrease your lawn we like using cardboard to smother grass as it's not labor intensive. " Sheet mulching with cardboard is an inexpensive way to remove a lawn that does not require chemical application or sheets of plastic. A single layer of cardboard is laid out over the areas of lawn no longer needed. When it eventually breaks down, the cardboard will add carbon back into the soil." Some people are iffy on the glues in cardboard being broken down into the soil but it's leaps and bounds better than a mono-culture of grass or using plastic that will be thrown away. Plant for the future! Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar) can live up to around 300 years! Amelanchier canadensis (Serviceberry/Shadblow) might live 50 years Shop local There's a misconception that big box stores have cheaper plants. These plants are generally trucked in far, are rarely native, if they are "native" they are a cultivar. And often the plants seem cheaper because they are annuals. Instead visit a local grower! The first section of this list at Grow Native is a list of local MA growers all focused on native plants. We are a fabulous bunch all with something different to offer. When you shop at a locally owned business most of that money stays in your community. Aim to keep water on your property " As we develop our cities and towns, we replace forests and meadows with buildings and pavement. And now when it rains, the water (often called runoff or stormwater) runs off roofs and driveways into the street. Runoff picks up fertilizer, oil, pesticides, dirt, bacteria and other pollutants as it makes its way through storm drains and ditches - untreated - to our streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Polluted runoff is one of the greatest threats to clean water in the U.S." Rain barrels Rain gardens Swales Cheers!

When we think about planting for pollinators, we rarely consider anything outside of pollen and nectar. These two components are super important, of course, but there is a huge piece of the puzzle that is often missing from ornamental “butterfly gardens.” If you want the butterflies, and bees, and songbirds, you need to be ready to support the larval stage, namely, caterpillars! Lots of pollinators can and will visit just about any flower containing pollen and/or nectar, but need specific species of plants in order to raise their young. This special relationship with host plants, is easily explained with the lovely Monarch butterfly. We all know (we know…right?) that the Monarch butterfly will seek out milkweed (Asclepias ssp.) plants to lay their eggs on. The eggs hatch, the caterpillars go to town munching on the tender milkweed leaves as they grow bigger and bigger, before they move off the milkweed plants and find a place to start forming their chrysalis. In this instance, the milkweed is the host plant for the Monarch, feeding the caterpillars as well as the adults butterflies. We can apply this understanding to many of the native plants in our garden! We have been conditioned to freak out when we see holes in plant leaves, or webby nests being built, but this is an excellent opportunity to investigate what is eating the leaves, and understand why this may be that missing piece mentioned above. Keep in mind that an estimated 90% of native insects have host plant relationships. We recently had a customer contact us after seeing the tops of her pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) curling and looking rather rough (her photo is to the left). This looks like “pest damage” or “disease.” What you are seeing, however, is the beginning of a webby nest for either the American Lady, or Painted Lady butterfly larvae! These butterflies hold a special place in our hearts here at Blue Stem, as they are often one of the earliest butterflies of the season, and they never fail to show up almost as soon as we put their preferred host plants out, the aforementioned pearly everlasting, as well as the adorable pussytoes (Antennaria ssp). Even though this stage can be hard on our human eyes, it is important to remember that this damage is not permanent, and these insects will not completely destroy the plant. It is in their best interest to keep it around, after all. She sent a follow up video and her pearly everlasting is the best restaurant in town! Keep in mind that not all plant “damage” is due to beneficial host relationships, there are a whole lot of non-native, potentially invasive, insect damage that can and does occur. It does take some education to be able to recognize different insects and their various life stages. Luckily there are quite a few wonderful resources you can use to find more information. We adore The Caterpillar Lab (thecaterpillarlab.org) for a local resource, Native Plant Finder (https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/) for county-level information, and there are some truly nerdy bug groups on Facebook that can help with identification. I particularly enjoy “All Bugs go to Kevin.” I also utilize an iPhone app called “Picture Insect” to help with tentative identification in the field. Learning about these insects and their habitat is fun, and can go a long way in helping assuage the distress we may feel when we see our beloved plants getting munched. “If something is eating your garden, congratulations!”

We have been trained to believe that the cooler temperatures mean a heavy dose of garden clean-up, but this doesn’t have to be the case! We talk all the time about leaving the leaves and dried perennials for the wildlife, but that doesn’t mean your landscape has to rival the Munster’s! Here is our Top 10 list of garden chores that will keep your neighbors and local wildlife happy. We say save your back and leave the leaves, but there are plenty of reasons why you might not want to have a carpet of leaves covering your entire yard. Gently rake any leaves out of the main traffic area into your garden beds, or into a pile in the back corner of your yard. Mowing and using a leaf blower can destroy the cocoons of many over-wintering moths and butterflies, so try to avoid them if you can. Use garden-friendly cleaners when giving your patio furniture a wash before packing away. Biodegradable solutions are key but be sure they are also rated as safe for the environment and use them as sparingly as possible. A properly diluted bleach solution is often the safest bet, as it degrades to a saltwater solution after a few hours in the sun and can be disposed of in your drain. Use the water in your rain barrels to give your garden beds a good soaking before the frosts, and drain them completely. Again, a diluted bleach solution can be used to sanitize the insides once they are empty. If you don’t have indoor space to store them, turn them upside-down and leave any drains open. Hoses should be drained and either stored inside or you can coil them up inside the barrel. If you can’t turn the barrels over, leave those drains open and be sure to securely cover the tops to prevent water and wildlife from entering over the winter. Hopefully you have been collecting seeds from your native plants as they become ready, but if not, now is the time! Harvest any seed heads that have dried on the plants, being sure to leave plenty for the birds! It isn’t advisable to cut back dormant plants in the Fall, but rather, leave them as they are! (we call that Winter Interest in the biz). If you must cut them back, be sure to leave at least 12-18 inches of the dried stems in place, and drop the spent seeds heads down onto the ground. These tops will decompose over the winter, improving the soil, providing bedding material for small creatures, and food sources for birds and small mammals alike. Another typical Fall chore is to prune back dead branches from trees, to reduce damage from snow load. Now, if you have large dead branches that could cause injury or damage to your house should it come down, by all means, remove it. However, if you are trimming smaller branches primarily for the looks of things, please reconsider. Many creatures use dead and dying wood as a habitat, including our beloved bees, birds, and an array of important beings. Trim what you must, and make a brush pile out back. You will be providing habitat and safe spaces for the wildlife. Use natural deterrents when you are closing up spaces for the winter. Use cedar blocks inside the grill and small spaces when you close them up, which will deter mice from making cozy home. Peppermint oil is said to also be a deterrent, you could soak small wood pieces or charcoal from your firepit in pure peppermint or cedar oil, leaving by any potential openings in your shed or garage. Speaking of openings, plug up any small openings dime-sized or larger with plain steel wool, which will prevent mice from chewing through. Avoid any pesticides or rodenticides, which not only poison the rodents, but also cause horrible damage to predators like owls, foxes, and bobcats. Prepare for holiday decorating bysustainably harvesting dried flowers, native berry plants like winterberry, holly, and conifers. Use these natives in your outdoor décor so that you might enjoy them as well as feeding the wildlife. Fun crafts like pinecone bird feeders can be useful and decorative, and you won’t have more cleanup to do after! Adjust your outdoor lighting schedule. Many bird species are migrating south now and bright nighttime lights have been proven to confuse them and disrupt proper migration patterns. Switch your outdoor lights to motion sensors, and only use landscaping lights when you are actively using your yard. Consider reducing the brightness and duration of holiday lights as well. Keep any necessary lights reflected down to the ground, and reduce the brightness to the lowest setting possible. There are plenty of natural seed options for birds, but if you do put out feeders, be sure to practice good hygiene and clean them weekly. A water source is very important, so if you are able to keep a bird bath from freezing, be sure to replace it with clean, fresh water on a regular basis. If you have trouble with bears in your area, put the bird feeders away until they are hibernating, and then you can place them out again. 10. Last but certainly not least, learn to see the beauty in Nature’s cycle. Drying plants may seem ugly and out of place at first, but try to retrain your mind to seeing the good that leaving those plants will do for the wildlife in your yard. Embrace the idea of “winter interest” and get ready to see plenty of visiting birds and wildlife that you may never have seen before, visiting the natural habitat you have created for them. We hope these tips have inspired you to step away from the rake and enjoy your wonderfully wild landscape.

Got burning bush (Euonymus Alatus) in your yard? Let’s talk! Perfection isn't the goal Our goal here at Blue Stem Natives is not perfection and that includes not guilting our customers into having yards that are perfectly 100% native. Perfection, after all, is the enemy of good. Customers often come in to talk about native plants and tell us sheepishly that they have non-native plants in their yards. Hey, we do too! Peonies remind me of my wedding, tulips give some nice, early spring color, and purple coneflowers (not quite native to New England) remind me of my mom. All of these plants I have planted for my own enjoyment; they are lovely and also bring me joy. And that’s a good thing. None of these species are problematic, other than that they can take up the room of native species. Although, as my poor neighbors can attest, my small yard is chock-a-block full of native plants, too. (Purple coneflower is also very ecologically beneficial...so much so, that we carry it at Blue Stem.) The problem is that a small portion of non-native plants become invasive, forming thickets or dense stands, pressuring out native plants, and therefore reducing biodiversity. Cue: start “The Imperial March” music. Enter: burning bush (nerdy Star Wars reference if you aren't in the know). History Burning bush is native to eastern Asia where, as a balanced part of an ecosystem that evolved over time, it is "well behaved". It was brought to the United States in the 1860s as an ornamental plant and was well received. It’s important to acknowledge that the invasive species that are/were brought here intentionally were brought with a purpose. Beauty, erosion control…screening the nudist neighbors. But sometimes the bad ends up far outweighing the good. Kudzu, planted in the south for erosion control now has the moniker “The Plant that Ate the South!”. Visiting relatives in Georgia, it’s shocking to see sweeping forests of kudzu with the shape of woods underneath. In the 1970s, people realized that burning bush was starting to become a problem. The Good So what’s good about burning bush? The vibrant fall color. That’s pretty much it. Although its vibrance is enough to warrant the love, the rest of the year they are kind of ‘eh. I think another reason they are wildly popular is that they are easily recognizable. People buy, plant, talk about, and recommend what they are familiar with. We can assume you have read conversations on Facebook; people asking for plant recommendations usually leads to commenters, with good intention, listing the same 20 plants. Over and over, day in and day out. Non-native: hostas, rose of Sharon, vinca…and burning bush. That's what people know, and traditional garden centers feed into that. The Bad and the Ugly Occasionally, non-native plants fall into the category of causing environmental and economic harm, and that can take us years to realize. Are you thinking of any species currently not an official problem but has the makings of a terror? Rose of Sharon I am looking at you. There are a few reasons why people love burning bush, but there are more reasons not to love them. The state of Massachusetts now deems burning bush illegal to buy, to sell, and to trade. Why? One burning bush grows more burning bushes...EXPONENTIALLY. I often see burning bush conversations on social media where person after person comments, “They are not invasive in my yard". However, birds will eat the berries in your yard, fly off, and “dispose” of those berries elsewhere (if you catch my drift), woods being a favorite place. Those berries will germinate and grow new burning bushes ad infinitum. Just because you aren't seeing a problem in your yard doesn't mean they aren't causing destruction elsewhere. I can guarantee you they are. Recently, even the wonderful and experienced gardener Martha Stewart posted on Instagram that burning bush was not invasive in her woods, but Instagramers quickly pointed out that her entire understory was burning bush. Burning bush is tolerant of shade and adaptable in different soils, so it quickly outcompetes native plants in our forests. Dense thickets quickly form. Nothing else stands a chance not even the future oak and pine saplings. The berries are not only a problem because they grow more burning bush that damage our forests. Scientists have found that the berries are not a good source of fat/energy for our birds. Native berries, preferred by birds when they can find them, have the right stuff. “The highest fat content and energy densities were found in fruits of native shrubs, ranging from 6.57 to 48.72% fat and 18.83 to 28.68 kJ/g of energy. All invasive fruits had ≤0.99% fat and ≤17.17 kJ/g of energy.” Can you just cut the berries off and dispose of them when they form? No. Just no. Please, no. Can you commit to that for the life of the shrub and of every future shrub any missed berries will grow? No. It's just not feasible, and there are just too many great native burning bush alternatives. Burning bush can also grow from "layering". If a branch comes into contact with the ground it can root and grow a “new” shrub. "But I reeeeeally Like Burning Bush." Fun. I like Thin Mints, but that doesn’t mean I should sit and eat a whole sleeve of them in a sitting (don't ask me how I know this is a bad idea). In 2005, burning bush was banned for sale/trade/planting by the state of Massachusetts. Why would the state tell us what to plant, or actually not plant in our yards? Environmental damage and lots of money down the drain. In addition to being a problem for wildlife, destroying ecosystems, wetlands, etc, dealing with invasive plant species also costs us, as U.S. taxpayers, $36.6 billion a year. Which is why we look to the experts. Not everyone is thoroughly educated about the science of what makes a species environmentally destructive. What we see in our backyards is not necessarily what is happening in our natural areas. Which is why we have the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group. MIPAG members come from research institutions, non-profits, the green industry, state and federal agencies, and also representatives of the nursery trade. Experts weigh on plants that are potentially a problem. These experts come to the table with careers such as Supervisory Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Environmental Biologist, MA Dept. of Agricultural Resources; Conservation Botanist, MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program; Water Resource Scientist, Lakes & Ponds Program, MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation. Legit. Assessed plants are determined to either be: Invasive (36), Likely Invasive (33), Potentially Invasive (3), and Not Currently Meeting Criteria (34) (although those are ones that are being watched so why bother planting?) Some in the traditional nursery trade work to produce "sterile cultivars" of popular invasive plants such as burning bush. Sterile cultivars...in theory...should not produce viable seed. But that is no guarantee, as plants can cross-pollinate and cause new problems. This unknown is not a solution. The article title, “Scientists thought they had created the perfect tree. But it became a nightmare.” is aptly titled as it sheds light on supposed sterile species. "Sterile" Bradford pears won't pollinate each other but they can cross pollinate with any other species in the pear family and have caused massive problems across the entire United States. Oops. Again, there are just too many great, native, alternatives to gamble on an experiment. The Very Hungry Caterpillars ...are not found on burning bush There are a myriad of reasons to be happy about having caterpillars on your plants. If you are a bird lover you might know that it takes 6000 to 9000 caterpillars to raise one clutch of chickadees. That is the norm for songbirds, not the exception. Caterpillars don’t really eat burning bush, and that's a bad thing! Insects are an integral part of ecosystems, and feeding birds is just one wonderful and fascinating thing about them. According to etymologist Doug Tallamy, 90% of insects can only eat plants that they have evolved with over eons. Those insects can be called “specialists”. The Monarch butterflies' caterpillar is our poster child for "specialist" as they can only eat milkweeds. Since insects in New England didn’t evolve with burning bush, the VAST majority can not use burning bush as food. And if you garden for wildlife with any intention at all, then that’s a bad thing. Insects are "...the fabric tethering together every freshwater and terrestrial ecosystem across the planet.” (link to Reuters article, a detailed, great read!) Identification Aren't sure if that vibrant-in-the-fall shrub you have is burning bush? A few characteristics: Multi-stemmed The stems have ridges (or "wings" which give it one of it's other common names, "winged Euonymus") Leaves are elliptical shaped, dark green in the summer Leaves are opposite each other on the stem Brilliant red fall foliage The flowers are inconspicuous, nothing showy Berries are bright red-orange How to Remove Does the state mandate that you have to remove your established burning bushes? No. Is this heading a not-so-subtle-hint that we want you to pull out your established burning bushes? Well, we are only passing along the information for you to decide (cough, cough...but yes…cough). When to remove them? Anytime. Really, when the ground has thawed is the best time but you can always get started in the winter by trimming off all the branches while they are bare. Burning bush aren’t the easiest to remove due to their size and the fact that you need to dispose of them properly to avoid any portion re-rooting. They don’t, thankfully, have the deepest root system. Cutting down most of the branches first helps to manage easier removal of the roots with a shovel. When we moved into our current house we removed about 20 of them. A few of the larger burning bush (8'+) we hooked a chain up to the back of our car and pulled them out.* The smaller ones (6'-) we were able to remove with a shovel and hard work. If you have the physical capability to do so, removal with a shovel or a weed wrench works well. You may have burning bush seedlings popping for a few years but those are easy to pull out. All portions of the burning bush should be put into black plastic garbage bags to throw away or disposed of in a similar manner as to not allow any portion to re-root or allow the berries to be eaten. *Disclaimer: please only do this with a car if you know what you are doing, you have to be careful of electrical lines, trees, structures, etc. We prefer to avoid chemical means when possible while recognizing the difficulties of a serious infestation or the difficulty in physical limitations. You also have to be careful and follow specific protocols if you are near a wetland. Visit Mass.gov for best practices. Native Alternatives for Great Fall Color "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." (Maya Angelou) Does removing all of this understory reduce wildlife habitat? Yes, in so much as it removes cover for wildlife. So replace them with native shrubs that host insects, act as a cover, are lovely, and a natural part of our New England ecosystem. Pictured below from left to right and top to bottom: Aronia melanocarpa, black chokeberry Prunus maritima, beach plum (I don't have a photo of one in the fall but they are wonderful!) Rhus aromatica, fragrant sumac Vaccinium corymbosum, highbush blueberry Viburnum lentago, nannyberry Viburnum trilobum, American cranberrybush Nyssa sylvatica, blackgum Amelanchier canadensis, serviceberry Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia creeper Cheers, Further Reading Prohibited Plant F.A.Q., Mass.gov Invasive Species, National Wildlife Federation Invasive Plants in Massachusetts, Mass Audubon Websites referenced: The Invasive Plant Problem, Mass.gov Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, Mass.gov Burning Bush. Penn State Extension The Value of Native and Invasive Fruit-Bearing Shrubs for Migrating Songbirds, BioOne/Northeastern Naturalist Scientists thought they had created the perfect tree. But it became a nightmare. Washington Post. The Chickadees Guide to Gardening, BackyardHabitats.org Meet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your Backyard, Smithsonianmag.org Insect Apocolypse, Reuters Photo Credit Burning bush stem close up: El Grafo Leaf close up Franz Xaver Highbush blueberry by Dan Wilder

Well, folks, we’ve made it to the end of another wacky summer. Hottest July on record (that was a rough one), and pretty darn rainy (although we are still far behind that wonderful summer of ’21 when we opened!). Like so many other gardeners, we have battled mildew and fungus issues, as well as a lot of aphid pressure. Fear not! These native plants are built to handle much of this up and down cycle. While you may be seeing some loss in your garden, I’d be willing to bet a lot of it is due to either the late spring freeze or the incredible rabbit pressure we have seen this summer. I swear, just about every single person who visited our nursery this year asked about rabbit resistant plants. The truth is, there really isn’t much that those fuzzy buns won’t nibble on. The babies especially are damaging, as they haven’t quite figured out what they don’t like yet, and will snip a plant at the base and leave it on the ground to taunt us. Our best advise has been to protect the fresh plantings with physical barriers for the first season, and when the plants are larger and well established, many should be able to resist the snacking. As with deer, rabbits do tend to leave strongly scented plants alone such as those in the mints and onion genus. Speaking of protecting tender plantings, do not be nervous about installing more plants this time of year. Typically the early fall is a perfect time to plant, even for plants that are on their way to dormancy. Cooler temperatures help to lessen transplant stress and allow the roots to become established before the soil freezes. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of fall availability of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous species, even if they are past bloom or have not-so-pretty foliage. You will want to ensure consistent watering up until a decent freeze, and if you are planting woody species, do yourself (your back, and your wallet) a favor and protect it with hardware cloth over the winter. It will help prevent deer and rabbit browsing. Speaking of shrubs and trees, the fall is a great time to plant, for all of the above reasons, however there are a few species that you will want to pay some extra attention to. It’s best to put woody species into the ground as soon as possible, but if you can’t, it is imperative to keep them well watered. If they remain in pots, you should be careful to water every day, and if you aren’t able to get them in the ground before the winter, you should heel in, which means putting them in a pile of mulch or compost, pot and all, out of full sun. These species include maples, birches, cedars, dogwoods, and oaks, amongst others. We know that this can all seem overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to start. Let us help make that a little bit easier by starting with one of our garden kits, designed to fill a 12 square foot area with beautiful pollinator-friendly plants. As always, we are here to help with any of your native plant questions. Happy planting!

Mild Winter though it may be, we have reached the point where our fingers are itching for the dirt. The winter months are for seed catalogs and garden dreaming, with a hot cuppa by our side, and our imaginations blocking out the dreary scenes outside our windows. My personal favorite activity in these chilly times is garden planning. For obvious reasons, I don't have a ton of time for a full veggie garden anymore (hello, small business owner!), but I do have a deep desire to get my landscape in some semblance of order. I have lofty goals, but I also know that I am about to be MIA for most of the growing season. For that reason, I've decided to take our oft-given advice to customers and apply it to my own landscape. "Start small" Recently we hosted the wonderfully talented landscape designer, Marie Chieppo of EcoPlantPlans, to give us a primer on how to set ourselves up for garden design success. Marie gave through a presentation highlighting the basics of doing a site analysis, and explained that, while our impatient selves typically want to dive in and start digging, a successful garden needs a proper start. Marie explained the need to determine the sun and soil types for a particular area, and advised us to keep in mind surrounding structures that might create micro-climates. After her presentation, we broke into groups and started to work through plans for small spaces in our yards. Obviously we all want to skip to the good stuff, choosing the plants and getting them in the ground, but we also don't want to waste our time and money by installing plants in the wrong places. A bit ago, I wrote up a (sorta) step-by-step guide to how I was doing my own site analysis, and I wanted to share that with you all as well. Over the next few weeks I'll put out the next steps and by the time Spring rolls around, we should have a garden plan in place!

For so many of us, we have been long conditioned to cleaning up the gardens in the fall to within an inch of life, quite literally. No leaves left behind, cut back all of the drying perennials. Check. Chop down dying trees and grind the stumps into dust. Check. While this method of landscape hygiene is desirable to some (not all of us!), it is absolutely devastating to our local and migrating wildlife. All of this cleanup and cleanout removes valuable habitat for nesting bees, overwintering butterflies and moths, birds and other fauna, and reduces healthy and natural food sources for migratory and winter birds. Our desire for a neat and tidy appearance is detrimental to the wildlife that depends on this habitat to survive. Beyond that, many of us do care deeply about this wildlife and often put out suet and birdseed through the winter to support these creatures. This perplexes me, to be honest, as to why we go through the trouble of removing all of the natural habitat and food sources (seeds from spent plants) only to add to our expenses by feeding them store bought seeds? “Food” for thought… A big theme this time of year on garden blogs is talking about “winter interest”. You might also see it in seed catalogs as “four season interest”. What they are describing are plants that tend to have physical qualities that are attractive even through the winter months. Attractive to whom, you might think? Well, that’s the real beauty of it. Winter Interest can cover a myriad of qualities, from strong, upright stems, attractive seed heads, brightly colored berries or stems, evergreen leaves, or, my personal favorite, really cool branch structure, only to be seen when all the leaves have fallen. I’ll admit, it can be a bit of a challenge to look at a garden full of brown grasses, dried plant stems, and stumpy trees and see beauty. It is much easier to do once you look past the decay and see the life that is all around. Tell me, what is prettier after a snowfall, a blank, flat landscape? Or one that is supporting life? Birds will be coming to your garden not to hang around the hanging seed dispensers, but to balance on the spikey seed heads of Echinacea and pick at the seeds encased. The brown tufts of Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) or Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) provide cover from predators, as well as perfect nesting material. The gorgeous berries of Ilex verticillata (Winter berry) may not last very long into the winter months, but the ones from Aronia spp do! These berries also contain high quality fats that are required by migratory birds to help on their long journeys, while other non-native berries tend to be higher in sugars and less nutritious. If you have trees that need attention, by all means, contract a reputable arborist and have the dangerous part of the trees removed. If you are able to safely leave a standing snag, you will be providing an amazing source of habitat for so many creatures, from insects to owls. By providing this habitat, you will also be helping yourself, by the way! Increased predators mean balanced numbers of rodents and other “pests.” Besides, who doesn’t want to see an owl hanging around? Winter Interest doesn’t necessarily mean everything is brown either. We have quite a few evergreen and semi-evergreen plants that can help break up the monotone winter landscape. Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) makes for a gorgeous wind break when planted in groupings, and it is a standout when the silver-blue berries form on females. These berries will encourage the beautify Cedar-Wax Wing to dine in your backyard. Several of our native groundcovers are evergreen/semi-evergreen, such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) and Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Three-toothed cinquefoil). Sprinkle in some boldly colored-stem plants like Cornus sericea (Red/yellow twigged dogwood) and you have a vibrant, thriving landscape for the entire year. What are some of your favorite winter interest plants?

You may have noticed a particular line in our bio that says we grow only straight species, no ‘cultivars’. This is one of the fundamental tenets on which we are building this business, and we’d like to explain why! Let’s begin by gaining an understanding of what a cultivar is and what it means ecologically. A cultivar is, true to its name, a cultivated variety. A human takes a plant that has a desirable characteristic and propagates that plant, creating multiple copies. These aren’t considered “babies” as there is no reproduction involved, rather, these are all clones of the original plant. Oftentimes the clones are also sterile, and the only means of making more plants with that characteristic is through cuttings, grafting, or tissue cultures. Cultivars are not grown from seed, as doing so would result in genetic diversity, producing different characteristics as occurs in the wild. You can easily tell when a plant is a cultivar because it has been given a name, one that is enclosed in single quotations. ‘Sunset Hydrangea’, ‘Purple People Eater’, ‘Dayglo Bikini’…you get the idea. A nursery tag would have the botanical name and variety, sometimes common name, and the ‘cultivar’. When you see a name in single quotes, you know that this plant is an exact copy of the original plant. What does this mean ecologically? Just about everyone can agree that genetic diversity is a very good thing. In this case, genetic diversity comes from plant reproduction, that is to say, grown from seed the way Nature intended. Simply put, cultivars reduce genetic diversity. You could fill an entire field with the most glorious cultivar flower, and you would have succeeded in creating a sterile environment. More of the plant does not equal better, in this case. On the other hand, if you had a native variety, let’s take the ubiquitous Echinacea purpurea, and sowed an entire field with seed gathered from multiple plants, you would have yourself a lovely plot of genetic diversity, with some natural hybrids appearing and disappearing over generations. I’d be willing to wager you’d have some hecka happy bees and butterflies hanging around as well. If we are looking to support wildlife and be ecologically friendly, it does make sense to use the plants that are known to best support local fauna. Are cultivars a bad thing? Here’s where people get caught in the weeds. Cultivars are not automatically “bad” or to be avoided out of the gate. Unless you are a native plant purist there is no reason to avoid having your favorite plant (or few) in your yard. What does matter is that you try to find a balance between cultivars and straight native species. There is no real formula to it, but as Dr. Doug Tallamy says, “We need to balance the number of decorative plants in our gardens with plants that are contributing in ecologically important ways; otherwise, we will have beautiful but sterile landscapes…Every time that you add a productive native plant to your landscape you improve your local food web” (https://www.finegardening.com/article/ask-the-expert-doug-tallamy). There is some emerging evidence that many cultivars do not support wildlife to the same degree that straight species do, even if the cultivar is derived from a native plant (colloquially known as a “nativar”). Studies have shown that depending on the characteristic manipulated, cultivars can hold little to no value for pollinators or other insects. To add to the confusing aspect, this does not mean that you won’t see pollinators visiting your garden center plants. What you won’t see are the large numbers of native insects that specialize on native plants. (That’s a post for another day!) Now, to be fair, some cultivars do not have this effect, and in fact can be quite beneficial. The work being done to the American Chestnut tree comes to mind. Other characteristics that can be manipulated with seemingly little effect on ecological value include stem thickness, plant height, and moisture tolerance. Essentially, so long as you leave the blossoms and leaves alone, the cultivar shouldn’t have a negative impact ecologically. Dr. Annie White’s research shows how cultivars that have been bred for enhanced blooms, color, and other characteristics do not support pollinators in the way native straight species do. You can dive into her work through this fantastic video, “How Native Plant Cultivars Affect Pollinators.” So why, if having some cultivars isn’t inherently bad, are we not carrying any in our nursery? Finding straight species native plants is hard and oftentimes expensive. Many garden centers in the area will carry a handful of natives, but you will be hard pressed to find ones that are not cultivars. We have decided to stick to that line in the sand as part of our effort to increase accessibility of the straight species, without having to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of plugs from a wholesaler. We won’t shame you for wanting to keep your mother’s favorite rose bush, but we will encourage you to install a whole bunch of native plants around your yard. Native plants for LIFE!

You may have noticed lately there has been a lot of chatter in the gardening world about native plants. It feels as though all of us being stuck at home for months on end has us taking a closer look at the land we have around us and wondering how we can best manage it! We’ve had the time to notice that we don’t seem to have as many butterflies as we remember from our childhoods, and the backyard doesn’t light up with fireflies in the summer twilight like it used to. We hang birdfeeders full of seeds that seem to attract fewer and fewer species each year, and the sight of hummingbirds has become rarer than ever. It’s not hard to see that our earth’s climate change has brought about many changes that affect our land, including hotter, drier summers, extended drought conditions where years ago they would have been a short-lived occurrence. These changes are affecting everything from our food sources to our bank accounts. This may seem like yet another doom and gloom article, but there is good news to share. It is well within our power to make incredibly valuable changes simply by choosing wisely when it comes to our landscape. This is where the buzz around native plants comes in. (Most native plant lovers are also obsessed with bees). First, a touch of education. Native plants (in the US) are widely defined as those that grew in an area before European settlement. According to the USDA, a native plant is “… a part of the balance of nature that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem.” (nrcs.usda.gov) Pay attention to the phrase “region or ecosystem.” We have grown accustomed to following growing zones but when it comes to natives, it is more important to understand what ecoregion you reside in. For example, in New England we have the following ecoregions: · Northeastern Highlands · Northeastern Coastal · Acadian Plains and Hills · Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens · Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands (If you want more in-depth information, click here for a downloadable pdf) It is important to understand that while plants can survive in various growing zones, that doesn’t equate to them being native to a particular area. In New England, we have zones from 3 to 7, which refers more to temperature variations and hardiness than what really belongs here. When looking for plants to add to your landscape it's best to first determine your ecoregion, and then source appropriate plants as close to that region as possible. Now that we’ve gotten the technical stuff out of the way, we can dive into the real reasons native plants are so valuable! One of the main reasons why we hammer the point of “before European settlement” is because those plants have grown in the region for millennia alongside the insects and wildlife of the same area. Native plants are well adapted to the conditions of an ecoregion, able to grow well in the soil and weather conditions of a particular area. Having evolved alongside the fauna, these plants are especially suited to provide valuable pollen, nectar, and seeds for butterflies, birds, and insects. We’ll get into the reasons why cultivated plants from outside the ecoregions cannot provide those same benefits later. There are so many advantages to using native plants, I’m just going to list them! · Native plants are eco-friendly and sustainable. They do not require the use of fertilizers or soil amendments, and rarely are pesticides of any kind needed. Occasionally an application of horticultural soap can help in an aphid infestation, but typically if you plant your garden with the goal of creating a well-balanced ecosystem, pest insects are often taken care of by the birds long before they become an issue. · Plants native to a particular ecoregion are well suited to handle the water availability. In plain terms, native plants are often quite drought-tolerant, and sturdy enough to handle volatile New England weather. Natives require far less water than turf lawns, which as anyone who has experienced recent water bans can attest is a growing concern and a valuable benefit. · Native plants provide food and shelter for wildlife. Sure, one can argue that most plants do the same, but that isn’t quite the whole story. There are thousands of insect species that specialize on a single plant for survival. Most people are familiar with the Monarch Butterfly and its requirement of milkweed species to survive. The Monarch is considered a specialist of milkweed (Asclepias sp.) as it has evolved alongside milkweed and has developed protections against the toxic sap. In fact, the Monarch invested so much of its evolutionary energy to building such protections that it was rendered incapable of surviving without it! Years ago milkweed plants were plentiful along roadsides and in meadows, and the migrating Monarchs had no shortage of food. As we humans gravitated towards wide expanses of closely mowed lawns and cleared roadsides, the milkweed plants became much harder to find, and now the Monarch is in grave danger of extinction. This same story is repeated for thousands of other insect species, most we have never heard of and will never see. Native plants provide the food source needed for these species' survival. · Native plants fix problems. Along with being sustainable, natives are also restorative. If you have a patch of land that has been a struggle to grow plants purchased at garden centers, chances are good there are some great natives that will thrive in that spot. Natives typically have incredible root systems that work to break up compacted soil, many fix their own nitrogen from the air and add that valuable nutrient to the ground, as well as encouraging mycelium to flourish, which is a whole ‘nother topic to dive into. · Native plants bring all the songbirds to the yard. Dr. Doug Tallamy is a well-known influence in the native plant world. His most recent book, “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard” has been instrumental in bringing a clear understanding of the desperate need to plant more natives to the general public. If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear Dr. Tallamy speak, many of his talks can be found on YouTube, and his books are fantastic reads. I personally recommend trying out the audio versions, as you can listen along while potting up your precious seedlings. He goes into exquisite detail about how native plants support birds. To paraphrase, if you want native birds, plant native flowers! · Native plants have immense environmental value. These plants do far more to sequester carbon from the air than the plants typically found in the average New England garden. Add to this the water-saving and the soil improvements and you will be hard-pressed to find any plant at a big box store capable of checking all of these boxes. There is one final aspect of native plant gardens that I find is overlooked far too often, and that is the natural beauty that comes with native plant gardens. As we have become accustomed to our well-manicured (sterile) lawns and heavily mulched landscapes, we have forgotten the calm beauty of a tended wildflower meadow or the lovely winter interest of a patch of dried seed heads frequented by cold-hardy birds. Somewhere along the line, we decided that trimmed grasses are more important than the native bees that would have overwintered in the stalks, we decided that our enjoyment of double-flowered blossoms was more important than providing a food source for pollinators and that choosing an eye-catching color palette was more important than providing the colors nature intended to attract birds, bees, and other insects. By filling our gardens with the plants that found their places long before we arrived, we are being the stewards of the land as it was intended.