Written by: Julie Snell, ELA Board Member The conference formerly known as The Mid-Atlantic ELA Conference is returning live and in person! If there was a silver lining in pandemic…
Designing Ecological Landscapes
Landscapes that mimic natural systems deliver important ecosystem services and are also aesthetically pleasing. Guided by principles that reduce resource consumption, ecologically designed landscapes provide natural solutions when land is disturbed by the construction of buildings or roadways, and they support landscaped communities from tiny rooftops to grand urban parks.
Pollinator Protection in Suburban Boston: Buzzworthy News
Written by: Breeka Lí Goodlander, CWS, Town of Franklin, MA “Save the Bees,” “Pollinator Patch,” and a myriad of other slogans are common-place today. One can’t travel far without seeing…
Planting a Species or a Cultivar— Will It Make a Difference?
Written by: Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture, ELA Board Member Gardeners in the Northeast are fortunate to have a wealth of plant choices available in nurseries, garden shops, catalogs, and…
The right way to leave stems for native bees
This article was originally published by the Tufts Pollinator Initiative and has been edited for membership clarity. Written by: Nick Dorian, Tufts Pollinator Initiative (TPI) The life cycles of…
Seedling Identification
By: Rie Macchiarolo, ELA President Sowing seeds as a way of creating, transforming, and augmenting landscapes is a wonderfully fun and affordable method. It can be quite rewarding after a…
Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
Tips, Tricks, and Techniques Written by: ELA Staff Zach McElgunn and Amy Nyman, Horticulture Outreach Manager, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill This month, ELA takes some quick tips,…
Myawaki Forest in Cambridge, Mas
MYAWAKI FOREST IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Written by: Leslie Duthie It is a beautiful 50′ circle of green in the dry park. Despite the severe drought, the trees look good and…
Current Climate
First Step to Maintain Biodiversity? Acknowledge Indigenous Knowledge as Science Written by: ELA Director, Mads McELgunn, MA Since reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s 2013 book, Braiding Sweetgrass, I’ve been patiently waiting…
Restoring a Pitch Pine-Oak Upland Forest at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary
Restoring a Pitch Pine-Oak Upland Forest at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary Written by: Dan Wilder, Director of Wildlife Ecology, Norcross Wildlife Foundation Norcross Wildlife Foundation is located in south-central Massachusetts and…
How and Why Trees Die After Planting
By Norm Helie
Many trees die during the first season at the new site. Watering transplanted trees is not the same as watering crops or a perennial garden. Small annual and perennial plant root systems require less oxygen than the delicate fine root systems of the tree.
What’s Missing? Ferns for Your Garden
By Leslie Duthie
Ferns are the ancient plants in our landscapes. Every time we walk into the woodlands or drive along a country road, we see them. They cover old stone walls and flourish in wetlands and meadows. Yet, how often do we think of using them in our gardens?
The South Dakota Pollinator Project
By Paul Clinton
Over the past several years, one of my favorite landscape architecture projects has been developing and monitoring five pollinator plots at the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) rest areas in the eastern part of the state along Interstate 29. As a landscape architect, it is satisfying to witness the return of native prairie plant communities and be a part of diverse projects – and working in South Dakota has allowed me to do both.
