Design

I gave a talk this evening for a group of Master Gardeners about 'Gardening in Tune with Nature.' It's my stump speech, for sure, changed and honed over the last 15 years. I updated it again this morning. It's about gardening to support wildlife, restoring the ecology of your (back and front) yard, and attempts to inspire folks to think about planting more native plants as well as pollinator-friendly and wildlife-friendly non-natives. I make the point that increased biodiversity in planting results in more wildlife diversity. But I'm beginning to think I also need to talk about what makes natural plant communities function well, too. Hmm. I provide lists of great plants to add to gardens in our region, and hopefully was persuasive. What's good for restoring the ecology of your backyard (Noah's Garden) is not normally what horticulture marketing wants you to buy.

Salv ia is an excellent genus from a wildlife gardener's point of view. The flowers of most of the species that I've grown (with the exception of an annual bedding plant) provide nectar for bees and butterflies of all sorts, as well as ruby-throated hummingbirds. Some of them, such as S. guaranitica (Brazilian sage or Anise sage) and S. coccinea (Texas sage) flower all season long in our Zone 7 climate. What's not to like about that? A cultivar of S. coccinea 'Coral Nymph' - selected for its coral pink flowers - was still providing sustenance for honeybees and carpenter bees on a late November afternoon.

I put in a pollinator border next to the Nature Center (at the Botanical Garden where I work) about seven years ago. Needless to say, it's now in need of renovation and restoration. This photo is from better days. A primary problem is a weedy Bermuda grass patch (brought in with some leaf mulch). Rudbeckia hirta and R. fulgida gone wild (although the finches are happy) is another issue. And the volunteer Solidago isn't a particularly desirable element. So I've come to the conclusion that I need to have a renovation project (inspired by all of the participants in a Home Gardening Fundamentals class - 3/4 of whom are coping with overgrown landscapes). My home garden is in need of some updates, too. I need my gardening companion (AKA my husband) back, now that his final book manuscript is about to be sent off. Hooray! Our gardening assistant, Mocha, is not very helpful, alas, only providing moral support. But that's invaluable.