Wild Seed Blog
The Disconnect Between Garden Aesthetics and Local Ecology
by Curtis Jirsa
The horticulturist Alan Chadwick, according to his disciples, rebuked anyone caught weeding sow thistle (Sonchus) from his garden beds. “They’re all plants,” he once declared. “It’s just that, if a […]
Native Ground Covers for Beauty and Biodiversity at the Ground Level
by Heather McCargo
Groundcovers are low-growing plants that fill in quickly to make a dense carpet of foliage. Once established, they’ll crowd out weeds, provide year-round protection to the soil, and offer overwintering […]
Growing Vertical with Native Vines: Climbing plants for fences, trellises and walls
by Heather McCargo
With their roots in the earth and their stems twining upward, vines are a great solution where ground space is limited but vertical space is available. Choose a native species […]
Autumn and Winter Seed Sowing in Six Easy Steps
by Heather McCargo
Fall and winter are the best times to sow native seeds. In Maine, the yearly cycle for seed ripening and germination is different from common garden and vegetable seeds. Many […]
Native Seed Balls – Dispersing Seeds with Guerilla Action
by Heather McCargo
There is something satisfying about the idea of tossing seeds of wild flowers or trees into an empty area with the hope that it will magically turn into a flowery […]
The Butternuts of Belfast
by Philip Crystal
Belfast, Maine is loaded with butternut—the tree, not the squash. Since moving back to Maine last fall, I have seen more mature butternuts here than during my years at Purdue […]
Connecting Habitat in Portland: Creating corridors of native plants for urban biodiversity
by Heather McCargo
In urban areas, green spaces of natural habitat rapidly lose biodiversity if they exist in isolated patches. Many cities across the country and the world are working to promote corridors […]
Flowers, Pollinators and the Sex Lives of Plants
by Heather McCargo
The warm, sunny days of midsummer are a great time to observe the many kinds of pollinators that visit flowers. In Maine, the pollinators include the ruby-throated hummingbird and a […]
Pop-Up Parks and Parklets: Just Add Plants and Seating to Bring Nature and People Together in Urban Landscapes
by Jennifer Claster
Pop-up parks and parklets are catching on as a way to create a mini-oasis in an urban or paved environment. All across the country and around the world in many […]
In the Shade: Gardening with Native Plants from the Woodland Understory
by Heather McCargo
There are many beautiful and resilient plants – [ Read More ]
