Counting Down to Earth Day 2013: 4.14.13

 

Welcome to Day 5 of my Counting Down to Earth Day 2013 challenge in which I continue the theme of growing things, with a suggestion for anyone with a backyard, or with planting privileges in a garden or community green space.

Today’s Tip: When you plant, GO NATIVE!

It was in Master Gardening Class that I first encountered Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, by Douglas W. Tallamy. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s one of the most important books I have ever read.

[Sidebar: What is a Native Plant? A native (or indigenous) plant occurs naturally in a particular region, state, ecosystem, and habitat without direct or indirect human actions.] 

Tallamy, a scientist and gardener, introduces the premise that “all plants are not created equal, particularly in their ability to support wildlife. Most of our native plant-eaters are not able to eat alien plants, and we are replacing native plants with alien species at an alarming rate…” The central message of Tallamy’s book is that we must restore native plants in order to maintain the ecosystems on which we ourselves depend. Read this book. 

Even better, use it as an inspiration for your next landscaping project. Appendix One is a regional guide of native trees, herbaceous perennials, grasses, ferns and vines and their attributes. Appendix B addresses the decline in the Lepidoptera population, listing the host plants for scores of butterflies and moths.

A more recent guide for plants that will repopulate your yard with pollinators is The Non-Stop Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs, by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner. I had an opportunity to hear Jennifer speak at the recent CT Master Gardeners’ Symposium. Her book is on my wish list, but I confess I have not read it yet. 

There is an added bonus for the gardener who decides to Go Native. As Tallamy states in his book, “Native plants are well adapted to their particular ecological niche and are often far less difficult to grow than species from other altitudes, latitudes, and habitats.”

Come back tomorrow for a new tip as we count down to Earth Day on April 22.

Love Your Mother (Earth). Pass it on. Together we can make a difference. Yes, we can!

Saturday Short Subjects: Remembering Trees Lost in the Storms

Sandy and her “sucker punch” sister storm Athena took a big toll on the trees of the northeast. The New York Botanical Garden’s old growth forest was hit very hard. 

New Haven's Lincoln Oak

Sandy’s mighty winds felled many of the region’s tallest trees — in woods, city parks, along streets, and in backyards. Suddenly we realized just how tall they were! Sandy weakened others which then toppled under the weight of Athena’s heavy, wet snow. Some of the lost trees, such as the Lincoln Oak on the New Haven Green, had national significance. Others had been planted by families to mark life events such as a wedding or the birth of a child. We will miss them all. Although we can’t replace them, we can take a moment to grieve and then pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and plant new trees where the old ones once stood.

Should you find yourself in the replanting mode, please consider your selection of a new tree carefully. Winter is coming and it’s too late to plant a new tree now. Take some time to read Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, by Douglas W. Tallamy. The book concludes with suggested native plants (including trees) for a variety of growing conditions in each region of the country. Over the cold winter days, Google these plants and try to imagine which ones might work out best on your property. If you choose correctly, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful new tree while helping to slow the rate of extinction of native wildlife.

It is so important to consider your choice carefully. For starters, check out my Saturday Short of the Day, brought to you by the National Association of Realtors. It is a short slideshow about 11 trees you do NOT want to plant in your yard. For more on native plants, check out this website. 

Have a great weekend. 

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).