Deb's Wild Garden

Author: debannhoch

  • Stick with Your Sticks

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    Not only should us wildlife gardeners leave the leaves until the weather has warmed in spring, but we should also stick with our sticks to encourage and support wildlife in our yards. Creating a permanent brush pile from fallen sticks and branches and other garden debris will provide shelter, safety, and sustenance to a wide…

  • In Praise of Violets

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    Every spring, my front lawn is awash in purple as the common blue violet (viola sororia) begins its bloom. A white-flowered variety (pictured above) makes its home under my crab apple tree. Both are charming native volunteers in my garden. The common blue violet self-seeds and spreads readily, and some consider it a weed. That…

  • Where Can I Buy Native Plants?

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    In the United States, a growing number of nurseries are catering to gardeners seeking to purchase native plants. Even so, not all plants labelled “native” are indigenous to your particular location. You are more likely to get truly native plants from a nursery in your region, but even so, be sure to consult range maps…

  • Give it a Rest

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    With warmer days comes the urge to tidy up the garden. Resist that urge for now. You will be doing your garden friends a big favor. “While monarchs and some species of birds fly south for the winter, most of our pollinators and other wildlife will stick around, often in plant debris,” explains Horticulture Educator…

  • Be a Caterpillar Farmer

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    As we head into Spring, I urge you to consider becoming a caterpillar farmer. No, I’m not suggesting you mail order caterpillar eggs to raise and then release (although that could be a lot of fun, especially if you have kids); instead, I’m asking you to consider planting host plants, shrubs, and trees for native…

  • What Does Your Garden Grow?

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    It’s the time of year when many gardeners are completing their catalog orders in anticipation of this year’s growing season. There is a joy in envisioning how these new plants will contribute to our gardens, aesthetically and in service to our pollinator friends. But what would happen if you left an area untouched? What would…

  • Save the (Bumble) Bees!

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    As recently as 2015, 11 species of bumblebees could be found in Massachusetts; today that number stands at 9, with 3 of those species in serious decline. While much attention has been focused on the threats to the non-native honeybee population (understandable given its tremendous importance to agriculture and the availability and price of much…

  • Wildlife Gardening Wisdom

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    Inspirational quotes on gardening for wildlife: “Our gardens are one little patch of land where we can start to turn the tide against the seemingly endless gloomy news of melting icecaps, polluted seas and worldwide habitat loss….[W]ildlife gardening can make a massive contribution to creative nature conservation–indeed, it already has.” ~Chris Baines, Companion to Wildlife…