From the category archives:

Ecosystem Gardening

Philadelphia Flower Show

Today I’m off to see the Philadelphia Flower Show.
While I have many mixed views of the show, mostly relating to sustainability, waste, landfill use, and consumption, I am also thrilled that my best friend, Bill Schaffer, AIFD of Schaffer Designs has won “Best in Show” (yes, I’m aware that’s not the actual name of the [...]

The Benefits of Certified Wildlife Habitat Status

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We’ve talked before about the process of certifying your wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, but aside from the pretty sign, is there a benefit to you for doing this?
In a word, yes!
But before we go into that, did you know that there are many other ways to certify your habitat garden?
Here’s a few:

The [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 6 comments

Certified Wildlife Habitat 35038

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On April 7, 2003, my garden became garden #35038 to become a Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Now there are over 100,000 certified wildlife habitat gardens, with more being added every day.
What does Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat Mean?
For the purposes of the National Wildlife Federation, these were the key elements in [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 11 comments

It’s the Dreaming Season in Your Ecosystem Garden

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I was reading a post by Alison Kerr called A Guide to Happy Family Gardening, a review of a book by that name. I was really struck by one of the chapter titles: The Dreaming Season, a time for planning.
This is definitely the Dreaming Season for me!
Maybe because it has been so cold and gray [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 9 comments

Defining the Garden in Ecosystem Gardening

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You may be surprised to learn that the “garden” in Ecosystem Gardening is about way more than your perennial or vegetable beds. These principles can be applied to almost any space imaginable, any place that can be planted will provide wonderful habitat for wildlife and provide many ecosystem services, which is good for you and [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 10 comments

Wildlife Gardens are Nothing but an Ugly Overgrown Mess, NOT!

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I do not personally believe that wildlife gardens are nothing but an ugly, overgrown mess, but you’d be amazed at how many times I hear that from those who consider themselves “real” gardeners.
Unfortunately, the gardening world, like the rest of the country, is full of divisiveness, an US vs THEM attitude that can sometimes be [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 4 comments

I Need Your Help

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Some of you may know already, but here is the update for everyone: I am currently finalizing my book, Ecosystem Gardening, which should be out this spring. I am also working on a series of webinars on the subject, so I’m asking all of you for your input.
Here’s what I’d like to know to make [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 13 comments

And what the heck is Ecosystem Gardening Anyway?

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You may be wondering just what the heck I mean by “Ecosystem Gardening,” and I can answer that here. As you read through these articles, please be aware that I have grown in my thinking on this subject and I changed the name. In the beginning I was using the term “Conservation Gardening.” But for [...]

Ecosystem Gardening 3 comments