This week: 3 Underused Native Understory Trees
Hello! Walk through any neighborhood, and you’ll notice houses with Flowering Dogwoods, Redbuds, and Birches planted in their front yards (wander past mine,...
This week: Feeling Blue (Flowers)
Hello, By February, winter feels impossibly long, and it’s easy to get the blues. Instead, let’s celebrate the color by welcoming a few “blue” native...
This week: Downy Scullcap, Overlooked No More
Hello! I’m embarrassed to admit I overlooked a certain native plant for years: Downy Skullcap (Scutellaria incana). I’d never seen it outside of a seed...
This week: Weeding 101
Hello! Weeds: the bane of every gardener’s existence. While pulling weeds can be a zen-like activity with a great sense of accomplishment when completed, it...
This week: Shrubby Cinquefoil for Small Spaces
Hello! If you’re on a quest for a small shrub that thrives in sunny spots, look no further than Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa). This North American...
This week: What Are Those Funny-Looking Acorns?
Hello! Sometimes, you see things on trees that don’t seem right. Take, for example, little round growths on oak twigs. For a second, you might think they are...
This week: Pennsylvania Sedge, a Grassy Groundcover
Hello! Native sedges have been getting good press lately as groundcovers and possible turf grass replacements. One of the more widely available is...
This week: Two Native Black-Eyed Susans Worth Growing
Hello! Long-time readers may notice a recurring theme: common names are confusing. And here’s one of the all-time greats: Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta)...
This week: Winter Is for Birches
Hello! Imagine a winter landscape. Maybe you pictured a stand of evergreens punctuated by the bright white bark of birch trees. While they are lovely year-...
This week: Easy Native Flower Seeds to Start this Winter
Hello! Starting native perennials from seed is a cost-effective way to grow a native garden, but it requires skill and patience. Skill because some seeds...
This week: Merry Christmas Fern!
Hello, A little evergreen adds structure to wintertime gardens, and one little evergreen is Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). It is a short-...
This week: Winterberry Holly Struts Its Stuff + Announcement!
Hello, Read (or scroll) to the end of this week’s email for some Blooms to Bees news! Now, on with the show. The best part about snow on the ground is having...
This week: American Holly for the Holiday Season
Hello! A quick reminder that on Saturday, December 7, I’ll be at the Swissvale Night of Lights Holiday Market from 4-7 pm, peddling garden-themed gifts. The...
This week: Majestic Sycamore + Thanksgiving Freebie
Hello! Since it is Thanksgiving week, I thought I’d feature a classic American native tree—the Sycamore (and a Sycamore-related download if you make it to...
This week: 5 Shade Trees for Curb Appeal
Hello! Ever notice how lovely it is to drive down a tree-lined street or walk through a shade-dappled neighborhood? Neighborhoods with mature trees are...
This week: Highbush Blueberries for the Birds
Hello! Do you know that a common fruit is also a gorgeous, widely available shrub perfect for attracting birds? Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium coryumbosum) is...
This week: Carolina Silverbell, a Tree with Fall and Winter Appeal
Hello! Autumn isn’t only for leaves but also for seed pods, too. One of my favorite seed pods hangs from the Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia carolina or H....
This week: Fall Garden Checklist
Hello, While the autumnal equinox was way back in September, the temperature and the trees agree that fall is finally here! And with that, a slew of garden...
This week: Fall Seed Collecting
Hello! While the varying bloom periods of flower species mean that you can collect seeds beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, fall is a time of...
This week: Fall Seed Collecting
Hello! While the varying bloom periods of flower species mean that you can collect seeds beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, fall is a time of...