Ecosystem Gardening Best of the Web #7

Let’s continue our weekly exploration of the things that grabbed my attention this week. We’ve got Helen’s lawn reduction plan, cities creating habitat for wildlife, green roofs providing habitat for birds, an interview of me, stinkbugs,

First, a shameless plug. I had the honor this week of being interviewed by Wendy Gabriel,  the Fargo Green Living Examiner, in her series Four Questions. Read Four Questions with Carole Brown.

Helen Yoest over at Gardening with Confidence, takes us on a tour in Puttering in Helen’s Haven. See beautiful photos of her latest lawn reduction efforts, and discover her upcoming plans.

Here’s a great one at the Christian Science Monitor, Native Plants that Attract Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and Bees. Great suggestions for the best native plants for attracting “watchable wildlife” to your garden.

Milwaukee is seeking communities willing to welcome birds who will be recognized for conservation efforts, such as preserving open spaces and landscaping parks with native plants, that are hospitable to birds. This is a great model for the rest of the country. When you can engage folks in the process, they have more of a stake, and therefore feel a greater sense of responsibility. This goes for governments, neighborhoods, and families.

Municipalites in Canada are mandating the installation of green roofs to keep water out of storm water system, save energy, and create habitat for birds. Read Green Roofs the Future of Architecture?

Natural Capital has a great list of wonderful web resources. I couldn’t pick just one so hop over there and check out monarch migration, sustainable agriculture, gardening for the birds, and more. Tell them Carole sent you.

Because I’m a bit of a science geek, and because this is kind of yucky and really fascinating, read about giant mucus-like blobs in the Mediterranean, which are on the rise because of warming temperatures.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted a new issue of Living bird online. There’s a great story about the rare endemic Mexican Tufted Jay (worth a visit just for the beautiful photos) whose habitat is in great danger, and may be saved by ecotourism’s help.

Have you noticed how much worse the stinkbugs seem to get every year? I have. I despise these non-native atrocities. They are just gross. Alison Gillespie of Where You are Planted has noticed this, too. Read her thoughts in No, It’s Not Your Imagination, Stink Bugs Are Getting Worse.

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