Free Trees for Philly!!

Need some shade from the hot summer sun?  The best solution is usually as simple as planting a tree in your yard, and now you can get one for FREE!  This fall, TreePhilly, in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Wells Fargo, will give away 1500 trees to Philadelphia residents! They’ll provide the tree, […]

Hidden Toxins in Plants from Big-Box Retailers

A report recently released by the Pesticide Research Institute and Friends of the Earth warns that, “More than half of ostensibly bee-friendly plants sampled at 18 Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart garden centers in the U.S. and Canada contained high levels of neonicotinoids (a pesticide), which are considered highly toxic to bees, butterflies and other […]

Nesting Materials For The Birds

While taking a little time to stop and smell the roses this spring, you may notice the intricate handiwork of birds building their nests. It’s amazing what these instinctive architects can create with found materials.  While an ideal environment provides them with the right building materials, we can also lend a helping hand by providing […]

Best Blooming Native Trees

Trees have so many benefits, from providing shade to intercepting rain water, but some have additional appeal–they put on a lovely flowering show for us each spring.  Native trees have especially great value in our landscapes, as they provide food and habitat for song birds, butterflies and other wildlife.  Native plants are also well adapted […]

Green Solutions for Stormwater Management and Drainage Problems

After receiving record-setting rainfall in many areas of the United States last week, and seeing raging creeks and rivers, the eroded streambanks and many flooded areas, it’s clear that home and business owners need to do something to help manage stormwater on their properties.  The rain water that runs off impervious paved surfaces, and even […]

Great Native Ground Covers, Part II

In Part I of this series, I highlighted just some of the varied ground covers, including evergreen plants, ferns and flowering perennials that are suitable for many different types of landscapes.  I also talked about why ground covers are better than lawns.  Here, I’ll focus on many more types of ground covers that are environmentally-friendly, […]

Free Trees for Philly!

Philadelphia residents are very fortunate this spring to receive up to 2 FREE trees for their yards from TreePhilly, a partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Wells Fargo and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. According to TreePhilly, “The purpose of the Yard Tree Program is to contribute to the tree canopy in the city; the layer […]

A World Without Flowers?

We’re all looking forward to spring, a time of renewal and beauty, and the opportunity to get outside and improve our surroundings.  Appealing landscape design often involves the artful arrangement of flowering plants, but imagine for a moment that 90% of flowers are no longer able to bloom.  This could be our future reality with […]

Great Native Ground Covers, Part I

Our native ground cover plants are far superior to turf grass, which is not native, because they’re low maintenance.  They don’t need fertilizers or pesticides, and they don’t need to be mowed or watered once established (learn more from my previous posts here and here).  Plus, they help manage stormwater runoff, allowing rainwater to follow […]

Tips for Fall Lawn and Garden Care

Autumn is not only a beautiful time of year, but it’s a perfect time for lawn and garden maintenance.  I am not a fan of lawns, as they require too much time, energy, money and maintenance to keep green and are actually detrimental to the environment (Read my earlier post here).  However, most people do […]

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