Forest Park Forever Park Ecologist, Peter VanLinn, presented a walking tour around the Deer Lake native restoration area which includes prairie, savannah, wetland and an education area with demonstration plants. Management processes were discussed. Ed Schmidt emphasized the importance of supporting projects as this for their native habitat value. Ed…
by Betty Struckhoff How to make a perfect fall day spectacular? Join other native plant lovers to dig up free plants. On September 8, 2012, St. Louis Wild Ones members had the treat of digging prairie plants from the backyard of a home formerly owned by a member, and taking…
by Jeanne Cablish September 22 is planting day for the 2012 Landscape Challenge. Here is the design and plant list for those of you who want a preview. Hope to see you there! Click any image for a larger version, then click the enlargement to go to the next one.
Located northeast of Alton, Illinois, Heartland Prairie is a 27-acre reconstructed tallgrass prairie on the north side of Gordon F. Moore Park (Google map). The prairie was planted in 1977 by Sierra Club members, and is managed by The Nature Institute and the City of Alton. Boasting more than 150 native…
If you need some new plants after the hot, dry summer, the Fall Wildflower Sale at Shaw Nature Reserve may be just what you’re looking for. It’s smaller than the spring sale and Wild Ones will not have a booth, but it’s a great resource for fall plantings.
By Fran Glass At the University of Missouri-St. Louis our hostess was Jen Fruend of CHERP (Campus Honors Environmental Research Program). CHERP is an urban ecology honors college course studying natural ecosystems to restore wildness to the campus, local parks, and neighborhood. Jen is a CHERP Education and Ecology Instructor…
Many local governments have ordinances to define acceptable land use. However, proponents of manicured lawns and native plant enthusiasts may have very different perspectives on what sort of yard is desirable. In the final video in the series, Joy Buslaff provides suggestions for effective policies.
In the second video of her 3-part series, Joy Buslaff discusses a scientific evaluation of the risks and benefits of native landscaping and traditional lawn maintenance.
Joy Buslaff, a Wild Ones member in Wisconsin, created a 3-part series of videos about landscaping with native plants and addressing local land-use ordinances. The first video covers the history of lawns, and motivations for native landscaping.
By Peggy Whetzel The U.S. Drought Monitor is forecasting the drought in the Midwest to continue through September 30. I don’t miss the roar of lawnmowers, the humidity, powdery mildew, mosquitoes or Japanese beetles. But I do miss the butterflies and fireflies. And I worry about the wildlife.
