by Sam Hoadley
Mt. Cuba Center’s mission is to inspire an appreciation for the beauty of native plants and a commitment to the native habitats that protect them. Over the past several years the Mt. Cuba Center Trial Garden has become an influencer to the nursery industry and to native plant enthusiasts. Learn about their trials, designed to identify the top performing species and cultivars within the genus that are best suited for the Mid-Atlantic region.
by Krissy Boys
Four years after replacement of a streambank water control structure, native grasses, sedges, and forbs planted at the site have become well established. Most species are thriving and have propagated themselves by self-sowing in the streambank gardens. Only two species out of 58 genera completely failed.
by Maureen Sundberg
A campus wildflower meadow tucked onto a slope at Greenfield Community College was designed as part of a larger outdoor learning lab that includes a botanical garden, wetland garden, permaculture garden, and raingarden. Two years after planting, the meadow has become an oasis of learning for students across the academic spectrum.
by Ethan Dropkin
Many designers and horticulturists have the unique and challenging task of greening our cities where growing conditions are less than favorable. Too often they resort to using a limited palette of largely exotic species, but by looking to native plant communities, they can develop landscapes that thrive in and contribute to the urban environment.
by Maureen Sundberg
ELA member Marie Chieppo initiated a collaboration with the Town of Needham to install a native plant demonstration garden at a busy public park. With the help of local volunteers and her own teenage children, the installation took place over six weeks this spring, and she continues to maintain the site.
As demand grows for plants that support pollinators and other wildlife, ELA reached out to a few experts to find out which species they recommend including in every landscape design.
by Jessamine (Jessa) Finch
As pollinators lose ground, we’ve been urged to create more pollinator-friendly gardens, but are all pollinator gardens created equal? A team at the Chicago Botanic Garden has developed a project to evaluate native and nativar support of pollinators by gathering data on pollinator preferences across the country. You can become part of the research team.
Photographers from across the country submitted nearly 100 images to ELA’s 2019 Spotlight on Natives Photography Contest. Each sought to capture the special allure of native plants – the unique structure of trunks, stems, leaves, blossoms, seeds; the juxtaposition of plants in a community; the interaction of flora and fauna. This year’s entries again encompassed an outstanding array of plants and habitats.
Five years ago, landscape designer Ellen Sousa and edible plant guru Russ Cohen wrote about Edible and Landscape-worthy Native Plants of New England. In this follow-up article, Russ joins plantswoman Georgia Hann to extol the comestible virtues of more than dozen additional native species.
by Heather McCargo
A native hedge introduces beauty and vitality into the landscape. While a fence may be a great solution in a tight space, shrubs can create a “living fence” for enclosure, privacy, and beauty. Additionally, shrubs add three-dimensional diversity to a landscape and provide important year-round habitat for fauna such as birds, pollinating insects, and other small creatures.
As pollinator populations decline as a result of habitat, solar farms may be a part of a solution that is beneficial to both wildlife and humans. Trials of native plants in conditions mimicking those found under ground-mounted photovoltaic solar sites show positive results.
ELA’s Native Plant Tours are an enjoyable way to see native plants in all kinds of landscapes – urban to rural. Hosts generously share their gardens for a few hours, but they also share invaluable lessons they’ve learned about incorporating natives into their landscapes. Two former hosts share how they became interested in native plants and their insights into use of native plants in home landscapes.
