Wildlife Garden Trends
It seems that January is the time of year for making predictions about what this year’s trends will be in the gardening world. I am so thrilled that at least for some, creating welcoming habitat for wildlife in our gardens has made an appearance on these lists (Notice that this list also includes designing with native plants, [...]
One Million Gardens
Here at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens we know the value of a garden. We work to create welcoming habitats for wildlife with native plants. We know that when we all create healthy gardens this helps create healthy ecosystems. And healthy ecosystems create a healthy planet. We know that native plants support local foodwebs which feed the wildlife [...]
Reflection and Anticipation
As we welcome the return of light and a new year begins, I like to take a moment to reflect on the year that was. What lessons did I learn? What can I improve to create more welcoming habitat for wildlife in my garden? What can I do better? And this year I thought I’d [...]
Doug Tallamy Says Bring Nature Home to Your Wildlife Garden
Talk to anyone who speaks, writes, or teaches about creating welcoming habitats for wildlife in our gardens, and sooner rather than later they will mention Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. This book has become the “bible” for wildlife gardeners everywhere. Doug Tallamy clearly shows in this book how native plants form the basis of the food web [...]
Plant This, Not That: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants
Walk through any neighborhood and you’ll see the same plants used over and over again. Landscapers and garden designers seem to use the same limited palette of plants all the time, even from region to region. Some of these plants are quite invasive and actually destroy wildlife habitat. But how do you know what to plant [...]
Top 10 Tips for Your Winter Wildlife Garden
Many people are surprised when I talk about all the activity in my wildlife garden in winter. For them, everything is dead, all the plants are dormant, and there is nothing to see. How wrong they are! When you plan your wildlife garden, it’s always good to keep winter in mind so that you can [...]
4 Steps to a Beautiful Wildlife Garden
Did you know you can have a beautiful wildlife garden in just 4 easy steps? It’s true, really! Ecosystem Gardening is one of the very few actions we can take that has immediate benefits in our environment. It is truly an “If you build it, they will come” activity, and a wonderful way to get [...]
Give a Little Back to Wildlife for the Holidays
It’s that time of year when holiday giving is on our minds. We spend endless hours shopping for the perfect STUFF to give to our love ones. Instead of giving out more stuff, why not give something that really makes a difference? This year why not give something back to wildlife? My gift giving to [...]
Ecosystem Gardening Essentials: Provide Safe Places to Raise Young
Safe places to raise young comes in many forms, and means so much more than bird houses. While some birds are ground nesters and build their nests in the leaf litter (Ovenbirds come to mind), many other species of wildlife live in the leaf litter and find safety to raise their young. This includes salamanders, small mammals, [...]
Birding Brigantine
Every year a huge flock of Snow Geese gathers at Brigantine NWR near Atlantic City, NJ and I just can’t get enough of watching these beautiful birds, so I make a pilgrimage to see them each winter. I saw the flock from a great distance when I first entered the Auto Loop, which was a [...]
