There was a small time period where I developed a habit of reclining in a zero-gravity chair on my back deck, leaning all the way back until I was looking directly overhead. Above me was my enormous silver maple. I’d lived beneath this tree for years. I watched my children play under it, listened to
The Tree That Keeps Giving Read Post »
Oenothera biennis Not every native plant needs to be beautiful to earn its place in a habitat. Some plants attract our attention through colorful flowers, interesting textures, or the way they complement the surrounding landscape. Others have a much quieter presence, contributing to the ecosystem in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. Common evening primrose (Oenothera
Common Evening Primrose: More Than Meets the Eye Read Post »
When I first began exploring native plants for my own backyard, purple lovegrass was one of the grasses that immediately caught my attention. There was something about its appearance that I found fascinating. A low-growing mound of green foliage topped with what looked like a soft, floating cloud of purple. It didn’t have the bold
Purple Lovegrass: A Cloud of Color in the Native Garden Read Post »
When I first started gardening, I wasn’t necessarily thinking about creating habitat. I was thinking about what I wanted my garden to provide. I wanted a healthy lawn where my kids could play and vegetables that could provide food for my family, herbs I could use to make teas, and flowers that would attract pollinators
What Is Habitat Gardening? Beyond Native Plants Read Post »
Field observations recorded July 22, 2026. Habitats Explored: Restored Prairie · Wet Woodland · Sandy Pine Forest · Deciduous Woodland · Ponds and Reservoir In Search of Blazing Stars I headed to the Beach Ridge Area of Oak Openings Preserve with one particular goal in mind. Blazing stars. I had seen the Blazing Star Loop
Beach Ridge: Adventure Along an Ancient Shoreline Read Post »
Lobelia siphilitica There are some native plants I grow primarily because of what they do. Goldenrods and asters support an incredible variety of insects. Swamp milkweed provides food for monarch caterpillars. Virginia mountain mint can become absolutely covered in pollinators. Late boneset seems to turn into an insect gathering place as soon as it begins
Great Blue Lobelia: Bringing Beauty and Structure to the Habitat Garden Read Post »
There are certain plants in my garden that seem to become gathering places. Earlier in the summer, Virginia mountain mint is one of them. When it is in full bloom, I can stand beside it and watch an almost constant stream of bees, wasps, flies, beetles and other insects moving across the flowers. As the
Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum): A Late-Season Pollinator Magnet Read Post »
Welcome, Walk Sacred Attendees! If you received a Backyard Habitats Native Seed Mix, welcome! These seeds were collected from plants grown right here in my own backyard habitat. Your packet contains a mixture of native wildflowers selected to provide food and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife while adding beautiful native plants to your garden.
Native Seed Mix: Planting & Growing Guide Read Post »
Some plants become part of a garden because you carefully decide exactly where they belong. Others seem more interested in making that decision themselves. Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) has become one of those plants for me. Its small yellow flowers, usually marked with deep reddish-brown near the center, don’t dominate the garden. Instead, they seem
Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria): A Native Annual That Finds Its Own Place Read Post »
When we first start gardening, we tend to think about plants individually. We might choose a coneflower because we like the flower, plant milkweed because we want to help monarchs, or find a grass we like and try to figure out where we can fit it. There is nothing wrong with any of that. It
Plant Communities | How Plants Grow Together in Nature Read Post »
