Notes from the Habitat
All about the native plants and pollinators that call our garden home.
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Love Pumpkin? Thank a Squash Bee!
Our native cucurbits, pumpkin and squash, rely on native squash bees for pollination. Ground-nesting, solitary squash bees (two different genera: […]
On a Wing and a Prayer
The distinctive seedpods of milkweeds (Asclepias spp) are produced in late summer. At first a fresh green, they have turned […]
Love Lunas? Leave the Leaves!
The luna moth (Actias luna), with its incredible size (3-4.5-inch wingspan), striking pale green color, and long tails, is arguably […]
Fright or Friend?
Eek! The jagged assassin bug (Phymata spp) might look scary, but there’s no need to fear–unless you’re an insect. This […]
Best Supporting Act
It’s beginning to feel a lot like autumn, and right on cue, the leaves are beginning to don their magnificent […]
Falling for Fall
“Bringing the outside in” is a popular decorating trend, and autumn is a great time for it, offering many interesting […]
Staying Power
A must for any pollinator garden, aromatic aster (Symphotrichum oblongifolium) produces masses of purple flowers in the fall which bloom […]
A Bee, or Not a Bee?
That is the question…which is frequently asked by visitors to the SBG! When we discuss the habits of solitary ground […]
Monarch Migration 2024
First reports are in…and they’re not great. According to the World Wildlife Federation, the eastern migratory monarch population shows a […]
Milkweed Loves Monarchs
That’s right–not only do monarchs need milkweed to survive, but some ecologists believe that milkweeds may rely on monarchs as […]
Milkweed Madness
Monarch butterflies depend on milkweed to survive–but they’re not the only ones! There are two true bugs that are associated […]
King of the Meadow
Growing anywhere from 2 to 10 feet tall, it’s no wonder that another common name for tall meadow rue (Thalictrum […]
Prairie Powerhouse
The bright yellow flowers of prairie coneflower (Ratibida spp) feature heavily drooping petals that flutter in the slightest breeze, grouped […]
Anise? Hyssop?
Neither an anise or a hyssop, this member of the mint family has the characteristic square stems of its tribe. […]
Smell of Success
“Its flowers are very fragrant and when in season, they fill the woods with their sweet exhalations and make it […]
A Honey of a Plant
At the SBG, we’re often asked, “What kind of honeysuckle is OK to plant”? People are increasingly aware that non-native […]
Name That Native!
Blooming now, the broad, flat clusters of elderberry (Sambuca spp) are an attractive nectar source for a wide array of […]
Sweet Native
Many pollinator gardeners have learned that some popular ‘pollinator’ plants are really not that great for the habitat, such as […]
Smooth Move
Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) is a wonderful native hydrangea that is the host for the stunning hydrangea sphinx moth (Darapsa […]
Way Down Yonder….
Pawpaw (Asiminia triloba) could once be found growing all over the eastern half of the US, especially favoring the rich […]
Sweet Violet
A North American native, Canada violet (Viola canadensis) delights us in spring with its fragrant white blooms. A good choice […]
Spice it Up
We crave the bright colors of spring after a long, grey winter, and native plants are always happy to oblige! […]
Eggs-citing
The Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who brings colorful eggs! Many butterflies and moths lay beautiful, jewel-like eggs, either […]
Sign of Spring
Pussy willow (Salix discolor) is a welcome sight as one of the earliest signs of spring, and it’s perhaps the […]
Double Duty
At the SBG, amsonia is one of our favorite double-duty native perennials, with its lovely blue spring flowers and brilliant […]
Meet the Beetles
What pollinating insect has over 400,000 known species, making up almost half of all insects and 25% of all animals […]
Feed the Birds
Many gardeners are bird lovers, and even those who aren’t confirmed ‘birders’ enjoy watching our feathered friends in the garden […]
Leaves for Lepidoptera
With the advent of colder temperatures, curbside leaf collection is underway in many parts of the Centre region. But savvy […]
Wild and Woolly
We’ve posted before about that caterpillar that we all see crossing our paths at this time of year–the banded woolly […]
SOS–Save Our Seeds!
It’s hard to believe, but it’s time for many of our favorite pollinator plants to set seed. And now’s the […]
A Regal Pair
“Purple and gold, the heraldic colors of the king and queen of the meadow, a regal procession in complementary colors”. […]
Back-to-School Edition
Since 2010, the SBG has been installing ‘satellite gardens’ at schools throughout the Centre region–more than 20 to date! Master […]
Regular Joe
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp ) is in full bloom at the SBG, and pollinators are taking full advantage of […]
Parsley Worms?
Gardeners know: Those colorful swallowtails munching away on your dill, fennel or parsley can eat the entire herb down to […]
Suddenly Susans
The cheerful faces of ‘black-eyed Susans’ set gardens and roadsides ablaze at this time of year. The genus name Rudbeckia […]
Wanna-Bees
Bees: these pollinator super-stars are great garden friends who are enjoying increasing popularity among gardeners who realize their value. But […]
A Tale of Two…Monardas
Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a most decorative member of the mint family. The common name ‘bee balm’ refers […]
The Admirable Red Admiral
The gorgeous red admiral butterfly can be found worldwide, including at the SBG! Adults are easily identified by the bright […]
Let’s Hear it for the Boys
It’s easy to joke about how male bees are only good for one thing. But on this Father’s Day, let’s […]
I Need a Drink!
The dry weather we’ve been experiencing recently is a reminder that pollinators need water, too! A fully-stocked pollinator habitat must […]
Mind the Gap
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) is an easy-going native that should be in every pollinator garden. Its blooms fill the gap […]
Hi, Neighbor!
Finding the capped-off tunnels of native cavity-nesting bees is always a thrill for us at the SBG. Whether spotted in […]
Soft Landings
Arbor Day is right around the corner (April 28) and at the SBG, we love to celebrate trees–after all, native […]
Clean Up Your Act
You were a conscientious gardener and waited to begin your spring clean-up until after April 15 (even though it was […]
Keeping Time
At the vernal (spring) equinox, the sun shines directly at the equator, making it one of two times in the […]
Blast from the Past
Over 70% of native bees are ground nesting, with the females digging and provisioning their own individual nests in the […]
Weather Whiplash
Sunny and 70 degrees one day, snow and ice the next; periods of drought followed by torrential rains. Sound familiar? […]
Any questions?
Question mark butterflies (Polygonia interrogationis) can be found throughout the eastern U.S., most often in open woods or woodland edges, […]
Super bee Sunday
Bumble bees (Bombus spp) are superstars of the pollinator world. Their long work day, efficient pollen-transport structures, and ability to […]
Love is in the air
Valentine’s Day may have passed, but love is in the air at the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in […]
Gardening is for the birds
Many gardeners are bird lovers, and even those who aren’t confirmed ‘birders’ enjoy watching our feathered friends in the garden […]
The gall of it
The winter landscape offers a chance to focus on interesting sights that are often hidden by the blooms of spring […]
Vole patrol
As the snow melts, homeowners may begin to notice a network of ‘runways’ wreaking havoc on their lawns and flowerbeds. […]