user-7037040
member
Fine Gardening Magazine
Fine Gardening – Issue 217
Newsletter
Get the latest how-to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
Membership & Magazine
Taunton Network
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments
Re: Regional Picks: Tough Plants—Northeast
Lovely plants, but still puzzled why 3 out of 4 are not native, when we can see more and more the negative impact on our ecosystems of non-natives. What about native bellwort or false Solomon's Seal instead of African hyacinth; Hydrangea Arborescens instead of a Chinese false hydrangea? I wish the emphasis were more on native plants, and you can still leave a little room for something non-invasive like peonies, since maybe there isn't anything native that resembles them.
Posted: 10:36 am on July 9th 2021
Re: Surprises and Lessons From Barbara’s Garden
Beautiful photos of beautiful flowers Barbara! As one of your Boston suburb neighbors, I hope you get to NativePlantTrust to pick up some natives to boost your pollinator powers, like Rose Milkweed for your Monarchs to deposit eggs on! And "Jeana" phlox and Mountain Mint- you will be amazed!
Posted: 08:39 am on January 17th 2022
Re: Carol's Garden in Winter
Beautiful photos- I am also so envying those bluebirds! Looks like a good amount of native plants; 70% natives will ensure enough caterpillars for nesting :) I think the sparrow is called a white-throated sparrow.
Posted: 06:24 pm on January 24th 2022
Re: Native Landscape in the City
Stunning garden design! I am so happy you used native plants, and that city dwellers (and viewers here) can appreciate their beauty and the added dimension of pollinator and bird activity that is so often missing in the typical hosta/hakone grass/sterile non-native shrub landscaping.
Posted: 09:11 pm on February 10th 2022
Re: 27 Better Ground Covers for Shade to Replace Problematic Plants
These are mostly great suggestions. But it is so obvious that many non-natives have a high chance of becoming invasive, and they don't support our ecosystem. So why not recommend all natives? Especially with Carex, and grasses- there are so many wonderful native types! Why is Japanese forest grass recommended? My neighbor has those, but even she admits they don't look so great compared to the various sedges in our garden: Appalachian, Long-beaked, Pennsylvania, Seersucker, and others. Instead of the non-natives, and in addition to the natives you did recommend, what about: Wild (native) Strawberry- this one is fantastic! Supports many lepidoptera and therefore birds. Moss phlox Goldenseal Anemone Canadensis Native violets Eastern teaberry Canada Mayflower- looks a lot like lily-of-the-valley I hate lily-of-the-valley, it is impossible to get rid of, though the Ragwort I planted there is doing a good job trying to help out.
Posted: 07:11 pm on March 8th 2022
Re: Barb’s Garden Habitat
I love how you have included host plants for the butterflies in your lovely garden. I have never heard of Red Maple being used as a hostplant for Tiger Swallowtails- NABA and other reliable sources usually mention black cherry, ash, sweetbay, tulip tree... Am curious if you have seen them ovipositing on the maple.
Posted: 09:19 am on January 26th 2023
Re: Winter Interest in Jay’s Garden
It is beautiful! I am hoping you might start incorporating even more native species to feed caterpillars, (in addition to your panicum, asters, dogwoods and white pines) because it looks like you have a great bird habitat :)- 70% natives will support nesting chickadees!
Posted: 08:38 am on January 30th 2023
Re: Designing With Fall Natives in the Mid-Atlantic
Nice article. However, I am quite certain that variegated Solomon's Seal is not native to the US: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/polygonatum-odoratum-var-pluriflorum-variegatum/#:~:text=Fragrant%20Solomon's%20Seal%20is%20a,name%20is%20Greek%20in%20origin. Similarly, though on the internet Chocoholic Bugbane is labeled as native, if you research its origins, it originated from a seedling of Actaea Brunette, which is not native. Important info for those who want to make sure the leaves of their plants can be utilized by native insects. Also, dark colored leaves, and other changes in leaf colors, make the leaves less useable for native insects.
Posted: 08:54 pm on September 8th 2023
Re: 9 Perennials to Liven Up Your Spring Garden
Still wondering why you promote so many non-native plants - when Fine Gardening has featured so many authors emphasizing that natives are crucial to sustaining pollinators and wildlife. You mention only 2 natives here. What about native False Solomon's Seal, Golden Alexanders, Native Columbine, Native Geranium, Merrybells, Virginia Bluebells, Jacob's Ladder, Celandine Poppy, Bleeding Heart, Native Twinleaf, not to mention all the spring ephemerals?
Posted: 08:34 am on March 27th 2024
Re: Native Spring Shows
Beautiful photos! Thank you for featuring native plants, they are so much more interesting than what we usually see, and provide much needed wildlife value.
Posted: 08:18 am on April 2nd 2024