Two weeks ago we suggested several Earth Day stay-in-place activities you can do while observing physical distancing. Last week we covered the first suggestion on the list, to plant something– flowers, veggies or a tree, with the post  If something is not eating your plants, then your garden is not part of the ecosystem!  In that post, Alana explained how important it is to plant native species that support the pollinators and other critters that form the balance of nature we all depend on. On that note, the Native Plant Conservation Campaign has made available Douglas Tallamy’s video presentation of his latest book, Nature’s Best Hope. Tallamy is a leader…

While perusing Pinterest a while ago, I came across this great sign: For a long time, the ideal garden plants were ones that were “pest resistant.” That often meant plants that were not native to our region, plants that had not evolved with our native insects and were less palatable to them. In recent years, concerns about plummeting insect populations and overall loss of biodiversity has led to a new garden ethic, a movement to use our gardens to support wildlife rather than repel it. Planting native plants is a very important part of this strategy and something I hope you will consider!