I received a comment from Susanne Davis who lives in New York, "I know every perennial’s job is to spread and 'take over.' I have battled all kinds of plants who have done their job better than I wanted them to do. However, this plant makes all the rest seem like slackers. This plant has choked out … [Read more...]
Mycorrhizae
Wild Ones member Janet Carlson asked, "Is there a way to increase the fungi in the soil? I’ve been working on a yard heavily infested with buckthorn. Nothing grows in some parts. Now garlic mustard is moving in after buckthorn removal." I responded with, "I found a good source from the Smiling … [Read more...]
Wasps by Heather Holm
THE BUZZ ABOUT WASPS BY HEATHER HOLM AN INFORMATION-PACKED GUIDE TO FLOWER-VISITING WASPS THAT OCCUR IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA To order WASPS is the first full-color, illustrated guide featuring approximately 150 species of flower-visiting wasps, and the specific native plants and habitat each … [Read more...]
Dame’s Rocket
One of my new neighbors (from Texas) told me that they had seen white and pink flowers on the ditches and woodland fences. Could it be phlox (Phlox pilosa)? It could have been, but it's not. These plants are actually dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis), a non-native, very invasive member of the … [Read more...]
3PM Memorial Day
Memorial Day brings a time to reflect. Originally intended to honor those who died in wars fought for our country, for many of us the day has expanded to include honoring all living things that have died in the service of our United States of America. Please join me this Memorial Day wherever you … [Read more...]
Lamiaceae Family
In this hot, very humid weather the invasives are taking control of my lawn. All the species in this genus are native to Eurasia. I asked John Zaborsky of the Wisconsin State Herbarium, "Do I need to eradicate them? The prairie doesn’t seem to mind." He answered, "Maybe. All three spread along the … [Read more...]