We chose native plants because they provide ideal habitat for countless species of wildlife including birds, insects, and pollinators such as hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. Because they are perfectly adapted to local conditions, particularly compared to turf grass, native plants require far less water, less maintenance, no mowing, and less or no chemical pesticides and […]
I was recently faced with landscaping challenges for a weedy and barren new lawn in a strange new climate. And I was overwhelmed, to be honest. I’ve always loved nature, especially photographing wildlife, so I decided I needed something different when I moved to this new location. Something more and something better than a vast green […]
In the 1950s and ‘60s, I was one of four children in a small, three bedroom ranch on the edge of town. My mother was the gardener with her daylilies, tulips, mint, Touch-me-not, roses, portulaca, and marigolds. I’m sure there were others. In the mid to late 60’s my father started vegetable gardening with corn, […]
As long as I can remember, my mother, Shirley, has planted the same vegetable garden plot and separate flower beds in the backyard of the house she and my father, Bill, have lived in since 1969 in Mason City, Iowa. Planting, growing, and harvesting vegetables and flowers comes naturally to Shirley as she grew up on a farm […]
A great friend of mine (boyfriend at the time, still great friends) had property in the country that needed some TLC. He had an above ground pool that was taken down, but had left the deck up. He let me design a beautiful butterfly garden in that spot in March of 2011, and by August […]
More than 75 residents, neighbors, and friends gathered at City Hall in Bowie, Maryland in December of 2016 to celebrate the community’s seven year journey to become a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat under the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Garden for Wildlife program. The excitement in the room was palpable as Bowie was awarded its certification […]
Located in the neighborhood of Central Tacoma, Washington, Franklin Park serves its community well—there are numerous opportunities for recreation for children and adults, including a community garden. It has served its purpose for the elementary school and the numerous homeowners who live nearby since its opening in 1941. There is also space for wildlife, with […]
My sister and I planted milkweed in our gardens for several years before we actually found monarch caterpillars. Each year we would discuss our milkweed and wonder where the caterpillars could be. Then, one summer evening, she invited me to dinner. As I was standing in her kitchen, unaware, she suddenly asked me to go […]
My first love of gardening and all nature started as a child with numerous camping and fishing trips with my parents. My father always taught us the beauty of nature and of need to protect and share it. As an adult my garden has always been a place of beauty but also a learning experience […]
Sarah Hedean is the Living Collections Manager at Smithsonian Gardens. I sat down to talk with her on August 9, 2017 about bluebird nesting boxes at the Smithsonian Gardens greenhouses. For part one of our interview, on the subject of her career, the field of horticulture and some of her current undertakings with Smithsonian Gardens, […]
It started as a desire to get kids outside and let them know about two endangered skipper butterfly species and has now blossomed into the current ever-changing butterfly garden and Little Wings on the Prairie festival. In 2013, a grant from the Connecting People with Nature Regional Funding Initiative allowed us to create the 100’ […]
Our yard started out as a typical urban landscape; lawn, a few shrubs and trees. Maintaining this look was dependent on chemicals and lots of water, so we started to look for alternatives. We started by reducing the lawn, and planting more shrubs and plants that are native to our area. The garden has changed […]
Until late winter of 2007, my only productive interactions with plants had been with the most common houseplants. Neither our family’s efforts during my childhood to grow tomatoes nor my obstinate individual ones to grow watermelons in conditions I later realized were completely ill-suited to the plant had been successful. But in 2007, after having […]