By Claire Jones
As earth stewards of our amazing planet, we can appreciate the potential importance of all species to the continued existence of a complex ecosystem. But there are some that stand out and do the heavy lifting. Specific integral species are more important than others to the sustainability of an ecosystem and are called ‘Keystone Species’ …
Continue reading "Powerhouse Keystone Species – Plant an Oak and Aster"
The grass is starting to green up and bulbs are peeking through the soil and spring is around the corner. Gardening chores come fast and furious once warm weather hits and sometimes you don’t have time to fit all the tasks in. To jump-start your gardening year, you can hit the ground running early to …
Continue reading "Jump Start Your Spring Chores"
This post has been updated in February 2026, at Pesticide Free Nurseries and Seed Suppliers  After picking out dead honeybees from a honeycomb frame recently, I pledged to use only plants that are neonic free. Neonics or neonicitonoids have been implicated in recent bee declines as well as other factors, such as loss of habitat …
Continue reading "Pollinator-Friendly Seed and Nursery Directory"
Late winter is always a tough period for me. Patrolling my property on warm sunny days in late winter, I am ready to see something blooming and if at all possible - fragrant. This seems a difficult task in late February and early March, but there are three candidates that came through with flying colors. …
Continue reading "Late Winter Blooms and Fragrance"
Sunny yellow blooms fringed with a fringed ruff poking through snow is my first sign that spring has sprung. Eranthis hyamalis, or Winter Aconite, in the buttercup family, is a spring ephemeral, which means that it is a short-lived plant above ground with a burst of blooms, then disappears, remaining under ground until next winter. …
Continue reading "Winter Aconites-First Sign of Spring"
