Reference my earlier post on the House Botany Bill HR1572. In July 2018, Senator Mazie K Hirono introduced the Senate version of the Botany Bill (S3240) with three co-sponsors. This past July 2019, she re-introduced her bill in the Senate with ten co-sponsors as S2384. Similar to the House … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2019
National Water Quality Month
With all the flooding we've experienced around the country this year (and around the globe), it's important we think about water quality. So it is a fitting reminder that August is National Water Quality Month. As native plant enthusiasts however, we already know we are doing our part to maintain … [Read more...]
A New Thought on Jewelweed
Reference my earlier post entitled Jewelweed - Friend or Foe? This year I'm more than grateful to have the Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) growing in my yard. With all the damage to my prairie, I have so little quantity and, to a lesser extent, variety of plants standing upright that the … [Read more...]
Downspout Gardening
I was sitting in the doctor's office the other day reading a magazine when I came across an article entitled "Downspout Gardening." Huh! A new name for rain gardening? Well, sort of. It was an article about a flower garden placed around a downspout, using primarily non-native plants. There was no … [Read more...]
Dogwoods – Part 2
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), often referred to as Red Twig Dogwood is another striking shrub because of the red highlights in its growth. This multi-stemmed shrub has red stems which are at their most brilliant in the late winter when the sun begins to … [Read more...]
Dogwoods – Part 1
The other day my husband John and I were having breakfast on the deck, overlooking the prairie, and he asked "are those red things on the dogwood berries?" Nope, they were not, but from a distance the bright red stems left from the Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) fruits sure did stand … [Read more...]