by Max Sano and Jay Feldman With the current existential health, biodiversity, and climate threats, organic land management is a bright spot for the sustainable future envisioned by Beyond Pesticides….
Into the Weeds
Garden Club of America Spearheads National Native Plant Month Initiative
by Phyllis Pollack In an effort to encourage public awareness about the benefits of native plants to pollinators and other wildlife, to the economy, and to the health and sustainability…
Policies and Research Impacting the Future of Plastic Plant Containers
By Mark Richardson on May 1, 2025 in Advocacy, Developing Healthy Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Reduce Reuse Recycle
by Marie Chieppo Plastics are deeply integrated into the horticultural industry, playing a ubiquitous role in plant production with containers, glazing materials, irrigation systems, and fertilizer coatings. Over the last…
The Plant Diversity Report: Native Plant Trust and The Nature Conservancy Partner to Prevent Plant Extinction in New England
By Mark Richardson on May 1, 2025 in Advocacy, Designing Ecological Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Native Plants
by Michael Piantedosi, Native Plant Trust and Mark Anderson, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy Reprinted from the American Public Gardens Association’s Public Gardens magazine Conserving Plant Diversity in…
Nurturing Nature: Conservation and Restoration at Purple Rock Farm
By Mark Richardson on May 1, 2025 in Advocacy, Designing Ecological Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Native Plants
by Nan McCarry Putting land under a conservation easement is a win-win for people and nature. “A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust…
Biodiversity and Conservation After Land Protection
By Mark Richardson on April 30, 2025 in Advocacy, Biodiversity, Developing Healthy Landscapes, ELA Publications, Installing and Maintaining Landscapes, Into the Weeds, Land Management
by Chris Buelow Land protection is typically the critical first step required in realizing many long-term conservation outcomes, especially conservation elements related to biodiversity and landscape resilience. The land is…
Advocating for Plants
By Mark Richardson on April 30, 2025 in Advocacy, Conservation, Developing Healthy Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds
Advocating for Plants This spring, ELA is focusing on advocacy in its member-only publication, Into the Weeds. This is our first exploration of what advocacy means for plants, for our…
Turtles in the Tall Grass: Ensuring a Future for Box Turtles through Adaptive Meadow Management
By Mark Richardson on February 6, 2025 in ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Landscaping for Wildlife, Wildlife Habitats
by Leah Cass Looking out over a meadowscape you’ll notice tall grasses waving in the wind and colorful flowers buzzing with life. Dragonflies, bees, and butterflies fly overhead and birds…
Ecology Informs Naturalistic Landscape Design
By Mark Richardson on February 6, 2025 in Designing Ecological Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Native Plants
by Duncan Brine The garden world is in the midst of a slow-moving shift from the purely ornamental to the ecological. Today, naturalistic gardens are popular and prevalent. They fulfill…
Botanic Gardens Lead the Way in Tackling the Illegal Trade of Threatened Plants
By Mark Richardson on February 5, 2025 in Conservation, Developing Healthy Landscapes, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds
by Megan Barstow, Botanic Gardens Conservation International The world’s botanic gardens are uniquely placed to fight against the increasing threat to wild plants from poaching. This is a growing threat…
No and Low Herbicide Invasive Plant Management: In Real Time and at Scale
By Mark Richardson on February 5, 2025 in ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Invasive Plants, Landscape Challenges
by Steven Blaisdell, Balanced Ecological Systems In 2024, I was tasked with the removal of invasive trees and shrubs on an eleven-acre National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contracted site in…
Book Review: Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell
By Mark Richardson on February 5, 2025 in Book and DVD Reviews, ELA Publications, Into the Weeds, Resources
Book Review: Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery with illustrations by Matt Patterson Review by Angela Tanner Sy Montgomery’s book Of Time…