Gardening practices that might actually be causing more harm than good. We are all doing our best to build healthy gardens that support birds and bees. However, we are constantly learning better practices, like understanding why we should grow native plants instead of the flashiest bloom. Here are a few more things to think about: Potting soil often contains peat. Peat is a non-renewable resource that is harvested from peat bogs, destroying the bog ecosystem. Peat bogs are very old and hold enormous amounts of carbon which is released into the atmosphere when they are disturbed. Growing native plants in soil or compost reduces the need for peat. Greenhouse grown plant material also has hidden costs. While greenhouses help plant growth by providing extra light and heat, these buildings often are climate controlled with big fans, supplemental lighting, and heaters to compensate for poor weather. All this climate control costs energy, increasing the strain on our fuel supply and polluting the atmosphere. Native plants can be grown outside in natural conditions. Greenhouses also may import pollinators such as bumble bees to pollinate inside the greenhouse but these farm raised bees can have pathogens like mites that spread to natural populations of native bees. Ladybugs may also be imported for pest control and introduce new deceases to native populations when they escape. The alternative to ladybugs is pesticides treatment. Some pesticides degrade by the time it is placed in the garden but many stay active lang after the plant is sold. Neonicotinoids are particularly dangerous for insects as they are in the plants tissues and can cause damage for as long as the plant lives. Plagues of pests are common when garden plants are raised using traditional farming methods that eliminate diversity and grow species as a monoculture. Any species grown in monoculture is more likely to be infected with disease and is more susceptible to being eaten. New pest species have historically been accidentally introduced through the landscaping industry when plant material is shipped across natural boundaries such as the Japanese beetle, spotted lantern fly, and jumping worms. Irrigation on a small or large scale can use limited resources. Many of us water our lawns from the spigot using treated water. Municipal water has been treated with chemicals to make it safe for drinking but the chemicals like chlorine can be harmful to plants. Diverting drinking water to irrigation is another problem for drought-stricken communities that are pumping water from depleting aquifers and rivers. When water is diverted for human use, it can cause water shortages in natural systems leaving not enough water for plants and animals. Beyond the chemicals used to treat drinking water, there are other chemicals that are flushed into our yard from rain or flooding. Gardens are often damaged along streets from rainwater carrying deicing chemicals, oil leaks, engine fumes, chemical drift, excess fertilizers, and small pieces of trash. These chemicals can damage plants by contaminating the soil and changing soil chemistry. Microplastics are another way that chemicals can enter our gardens. Microplastics can be found in mulches, potting soil, and even tap water. Microplastics can leach chemicals into plant root systems like PFAS (forever chemicals), endocrine disrupters or carcinogens. Plastics don’t have to be micro to be a gardening problem. Black plastic plant pots can not be recycled in community recycling centers and need to be taken to special facilities for recycling. Not all communities have the ability to recycle garden pots so many are thrown into the dump. Shopping at big national chain stores can put smaller local stores out of business. Money going to big box stores is often funneled out of communities to support share holders instead of the local economy. The larger a business, the further materials may be shipped and the less accountability the store has to its employees and the environmental impact of production. Native plants need to be purchased locally for best results. The rest of your gardening supplies should also be purchased in your community from retailers who take responsibly for their environmental foot print. I’m sure there are many other hidden costs of gardening that we all will learn along the way. Caring for a garden is a constant learning process, but we are continually becoming better stewards if we keep an open mind. Making good decisions for a piece of earth we love is a constant balancing act to making forward progress and doing it responsibly. We all want the best for these little spaces we have created for nature now and in the future as well as a healthy planet for all.

Gardening practices that might actually be causing more harm than good. We are all doing our best to build healthy gardens that support birds and bees. However, we are constantly learning better practices, like understanding why we should grow native plants instead of the flashiest bloom. Here are a few more things to think about: Potting soil often contains peat. Peat is a non-renewable resource that is harvested from peat bogs, destroying the bog ecosystem. Peat bogs are very old and hold enormous amounts of carbon which is released into the atmosphere when they are disturbed. Growing native plants in soil or compost reduces the need for peat. Greenhouse grown plant material also has hidden costs. While greenhouses help plant growth by providing extra light and heat, these buildings often are climate controlled with big fans, supplemental lighting, and heaters to compensate for poor weather. All this climate control costs energy, increasing the strain on our fuel supply and polluting the atmosphere. Native plants can be grown outside in natural conditions. Greenhouses also may import pollinators such as bumble bees to pollinate inside the greenhouse but these farm raised bees can have pathogens like mites that spread to natural populations of native bees. Ladybugs may also be imported for pest control and introduce new deceases to native populations when they escape. The alternative to ladybugs is pesticides treatment. Some pesticides degrade by the time it is placed in the garden but many stay active lang after the plant is sold. Neonicotinoids are particularly dangerous for insects as they are in the plants tissues and can cause damage for as long as the plant lives. Plagues of pests are common when garden plants are raised using traditional farming methods that eliminate diversity and grow species as a monoculture. Any species grown in monoculture is more likely to be infected with disease and is more susceptible to being eaten. New pest species have historically been accidentally introduced through the landscaping industry when plant material is shipped across natural boundaries such as the Japanese beetle, spotted lantern fly, and jumping worms. Irrigation on a small or large scale can use limited resources. Many of us water our lawns from the spigot using treated water. Municipal water has been treated with chemicals to make it safe for drinking but the chemicals like chlorine can be harmful to plants. Diverting drinking water to irrigation is another problem for drought-stricken communities that are pumping water from depleting aquifers and rivers. When water is diverted for human use, it can cause water shortages in natural systems leaving not enough water for plants and animals. Beyond the chemicals used to treat drinking water, there are other chemicals that are flushed into our yard from rain or flooding. Gardens are often damaged along streets from rainwater carrying deicing chemicals, oil leaks, engine fumes, chemical drift, excess fertilizers, and small pieces of trash. These chemicals can damage plants by contaminating the soil and changing soil chemistry. Microplastics are another way that chemicals can enter our gardens. Microplastics can be found in mulches, potting soil, and even tap water. Microplastics can leach chemicals into plant root systems like PFAS (forever chemicals), endocrine disrupters or carcinogens. Plastics don’t have to be micro to be a gardening problem. Black plastic plant pots can not be recycled in community recycling centers and need to be taken to special facilities for recycling. Not all communities have the ability to recycle garden pots so many are thrown into the dump. Shopping at big national chain stores can put smaller local stores out of business. Money going to big box stores is often funneled out of communities to support share holders instead of the local economy. The larger a business, the further materials may be shipped and the less accountability the store has to its employees and the environmental impact of production. Native plants need to be purchased locally for best results. The rest of your gardening supplies should also be purchased in your community from retailers who take responsibly for their environmental foot print. I’m sure there are many other hidden costs of gardening that we all will learn along the way. Caring for a garden is a constant learning process, but we are continually becoming better stewards if we keep an open mind. Making good decisions for a piece of earth we love is a constant balancing act to making forward progress and doing it responsibly. We all want the best for these little spaces we have created for nature now and in the future as well as a healthy planet for all.

I learned a new phrase recently, tropic cascade. I had learned about this concept before, but I love the mental image I get from tropic cascade. It describes the ripple effects of one change in a food web system. I imagine a small ripple of water gathering energy slowly to become a big wave and then finally an uncontrollable cascade of water changing everything in its path. “Trophic cascades are powerful indirect interactions that can control entire ecosystems, occurring when a trophic level in a food web is suppressed. For example, a top-down cascade will occur if predators are effective enough in predation to reduce the abundance, or alter the behavior of their prey, thereby releasing the next lower trophic level from predation.” A backyard example of a trophic cascade is when local cats are kept indoors. Cats are the top predators in many backyard ecosystems killing song birds, frogs, moles, and anything else. With the cats removed, the birds flourish and are able to raise more babies. The birds are able to eat more insects keeping those populations in check. In turn, less insects means that the plants have less herbivores eating them and are able to grow stronger. The act of keeping cats indoors cascades down the trophic levels leading to a healthier garden. These trophic cascades can happen in any direction in the food web. Poisoning moles in the lawn can cascade in the direction of the moles prey but also in the direction of the creatures that eat the moles. Moles are tunneling through the soil looking for grubs to eat. Uneaten grubs would be able to cause more damage to the plants roots they feed on. So, we need the moles to eat the grubs and keep their populations low. In the opposite direction of the cascade, moles are food for hawks, foxes, owls and other predators. The poison in the mole can move into these predators and kill them. If we have less hawks, them our backyard rabbit and squirrel populations may explode. The cascade flows in multiple directions that we may not be able to anticipate from the start. Sometimes a backyard can start a tropic cascade that effects much bigger ecosystems. Over fertilizing our lawn can lead to fertilizer running off into our storm drains. From the storm drain those chemicals are washed into the local creek. Extra fertilizer in a creek causes algae blooms which drains the oxygen out of the water causing the fish to die. Fish eat mosquito larva that float on the water’s surface. These unintended consequences may be difficult to see the cause and effect without looking closely at the entire system and following the tropic cascade from start to end. Ecosystems are very complicated and many times it takes several negative inputs to throw the system out of balance enough for us to notice. However, the more we study the interactions in our world and outside our front door, the better we can understand our role in protecting and supporting the plants and animals we care about.

When undertaking to create a garden installation, we all want to dive right in and get some plants in the ground. However, before starting I wish more people would stop to ask some very important questions about the site. Questions to ask: · What are the reasons for establishing this garden? Are there specific goals? · What is the budget? Who is paying for each item? Who is applying for grants? · Who is maintaining the garden forever? Is there a maintenance staff or a volunteer group? How much training do they need to do proper maintenance? · How many staff are on board? Are the people who will be using and maintaining the space all in agreement that this is what they want? · What signs will there be? How will visitors be educated about the garden? · What is the installation timeline? Is this a spring or fall planting? Does the installation need to be split into stages? · How will the garden be protected? Who is picking up litter? Is the garden used for dog walking? Will the garden be spared any future development? Is there a maintenance budget? · How will the garden be used? Will the visitors be returning often or infrequently? Does the garden need features like picnic tables, play space, bike lanes, etc? Should the garden be wheelchair accessible or are there any other accessibility requests?

Even though we are normally daytime creatures, our gardens are still functioning at night. Native gardens at night are home to many creatures like moths, owls, bats, toads, racoons, and lightning bugs. Some plants bloom all night long or even open at night to take advantage of nighttime pollinators. Pollinated by the sphynx moth, the Missouri evening primrose opens in the evening and closes in the morning. Flower scents are stronger at night to attract insects that rely more heavily on their sense of smell in the dark. Moths navigate more by smell then by sight so they appreciate flowers with fragrance. Flowers will often increase the amount of fragrance they release at night to attract pollinating moths. I like to stand on my deck in the evening and just breath in all the good nighttime smells. The garden at night can be a more pleasant retreat than during the heat of day during Missouri summers. Gardens with lots of vegetation can trap cool air and humidity at night to make a little oasis for creatures to take a break from the summer heat. Special times to be in the garden after dark are in the spring to hear the frogs and toads start to sing. In the heat of summer crickets chirp and firefly’s flash. Owls are exciting to listen for especially when they are making their matting calls. Fall bird migrations continue through the night with geese calling from high overhead. Stay out late on full moons to see the garden glow or on new moons to experience the darkness. Watch for shooting stars and the passing of satellites. We have 11000 species of moth in the US. A fun activity to do after dark is to hang up a white sheet with a light pointed at it. Moths and beetles are drawn to the light where they are easy to study and identify. But be sure to turn the light off when you are done to release the moths to perform their nightly duties. Lights left on after dark can confuse night flying insects. Lightning bugs use their light flashes to find each other, so an artificial light can disrupt their ability to find mates. Even birds can be confused by artificial light. A truly dark yard can be hard to obtain unless neighbors share the same values. Dark skies full of stars are awe inspiring but light pollution can make them hard to find. On a spring evening I like to put out my game camera to see who visits in the night. I often capture photos of raccoons, opossums, and rabbits. In the morning the camera role reveals what I missed overnight. Try to spend more time in the garden at night this year. Look for ways to appreciate sunsets and sunrises by placing seating in a good location to take in the view. I love to watch the summer sunset from my porch with a margarita in hand as it falls behind a large oak in my yard. I enjoy the progression of birds across the sky, first the regular daytime birds heading home to roost, then the swifts swooping above, then the bats come out, finally the hidden owl hoot. We all should get in the habit of taking a final walk before bed to enjoy our gardens at night.

Citizen science is a way that you and all your friends can help scientists by documenting what you see in your garden or out in nature. Scientists reach out to the public to help them with data collection in order to do broader research. Helping with citizen science projects can be educational and it also is inspiring to know we are part of something bigger. We have all heard that biodiversity on this planet is declining. Especially the smaller species are rapidly disappearing and we don’t even know exactly how much we are losing. Some beetles go extinct before they are even discovered because we just don’t have enough scientist out there documenting beetles. Recording the species that occur in certain areas can help scientist see where populations are, or where they are declining. A recent citizen science bee study in St Louis discovered several species of bee that had not been recorded in the area before. Having so many people recording the bees they saw in their area made it possible for more observations to be included in the research. Bee diversity in St Louis was even higher than the scientists expected. A current citizen science project involves ticks. People can save the ticks they find to send in to researchers for study. The researchers are looking at species and abundance of ticks across the country as well as the diseases they carry. Tick born diseases are spreading rapidly and effecting more people each year. It will be nice to have this new data about what diseases are out there and where the ticks are. The inaturalists app is a tool that many researchers use when gathering citizen scientists’ data. Our observations on inaturalists can help researches locate populations of rare plants or notice when unique birds visit an area. They can also use the data to find records of when flowers are blooming, eggs are hatching, or butterflies migrating. Invasive species spreading to new areas is also recorded in inaturalists. Invasive species are easiest to control if you start treatment early so having this up-to-date data is great for wild life managers. Sometimes the observer doesn’t even know what species they are looking at but scientists can see the photos and identify the species for them. Get in contact with local universities to see how you can join citizen science projects to document insects, birds, and flowers. There are many projects going on, some are easy to join and some will require special training. Often, helping with these projects is as easy as taking some photos. The more of us helping out, the better we will understand our world and how to protect it.

Our understanding of our environment is rapidly changing as new science is developed and human interaction with the environment changes our ecosystems. Before we can hope for others to care about native plants and insects we need to start with education. Some people have more time and better resources to keep up with environmental issues. Those of us with information need to find ways to share it and spread the word about the issues that matter to us. Education about environmental issues needs to happen in schools. To inform the younger generations, we need to go into schools and speak to kids about the importance of native plants and natural habitat. Planting school gardens is a good way to provide hands on experience for kids to learn about our environment. Sometimes teachers have an interest but need additional support to teach environmental issues in their classroom. Adults also need continuing education about new environmental issues. We also need to teach our neighbors and coworkers about the issues that are important to us. We shouldn’t avoid uncomfortable topics. Sometimes we may be surprised at how similar our neighbors feel about our world. Writing articles and sending them into the local news can also help to spread the word. Letters to the editor can often spark productive public conversations. Sometimes protecting natural systems means getting involved in politics. We can push reforms to change policies about our public spaces to increase habitat and wildlife diversity. Writing to our representatives and inviting them to outdoor experiences can help to educate them about protecting our important natural world. Permanent legal protections for native plants and insects can help us feel that the slow process of restoring and area is worth it, knowing that it will be allowed to thrive.

Hillsides or any type of slope can add an extra challenge to planting a garden. The existing turf or weeds may be the only thing holding the soil in place. Removing them to clear out a garden bed may cause erosion before the new plants can establish large root systems. Killing lawn and then planting and mulching a slope may become a mess after the first rain, as the mulch runs downhill and washes gullies into the garden. The roots in the soil are what keeps it from washing away. How do we protect our soil during this transition. I have several suggestions to try to control erosion during garden establishment. Using a combination of methods will probably give the best results. More gradual slopes will need less intervention. Killing exiting vegetation in a way that does not disturb the root system is better than digging them out. The less soil disturbance the better off the soil will be. Erosion mats are the traditional way of dealing with erosion on a slope. There are plastic or biodegradable mats that can be pinned down and then the plants will grow up through the mats. The downside of mats is that sometimes birds or snakes can get tangled in them and weeding is harder when the roots are tangled in the mat. Plastic mats do not degrade and need to be removed which can be tricky to untangle them from all the plants. Erosion mats may still have their place on very steep slopes but I use them as a last resort. If you are converting a turf slope and have plenty of time, kill sod at the top of hill first and work your way down. Start with killing a strip of sod at the top of the hill, plant your plants, and wait for them to become established. Once the top strip is established, start work on another strip of sod below the first strip. Working your way slowly down the hill season by season until your planting reaches all the way to the bottom. I find that starting at the top of the hill is better because the seeds from the native plants will fall down and start spreading into the lower parts of the slope. Another erosion solution is to make swales. This works especially well on gentle slopes. When the soil is cleared, build gentle ditches parallel to the hillside. Plant your plants in and around the swales. This will slow down the rainwater and help keep the soil from eroding. Over time the swales will fill in but your plants will be established by then. In addition to the swales, use logs half buried parallel to the slope. The logs can be held in place with spikes if they tend to role downhill. As rain water flows down the slope it is stopped by the log and encouraged to infiltrate into the soil. This series of logs and ditches form a washboard of swales and berms. We want the surface water to slow down and infiltrate as it hits each obstacle. Reroute water runoff during establishment. Downspouts or surface flow may be heading towards the new garden. If the water can be temporarily diverted to go around the new planting it will decrease the amount of flow the slop needs to deal with. A trench could even be dug along the top of the slope to detour water to one side during establishment but then filled back in after the plants have developed root systems. If a gutter drains at the top of the slope, hook up an extension tube to the downspout to bring the water all the way to the base of the slope until the new garden is established. Temporarily reducing the amount of stormwater headed towards the new bed is for the long-term benefit of the slope. Less volume and a slower water flow is less likely to cause erosion. Over time the ditches will fill in, the logs will rot, and plants will take their place to hold the soil. Slow, steady, thoughtful progress is the best way to tackle gardening on a slope.

A pollinator pathway is a corridor of habitat between larger habitats. Large pollinator pathways are needed by migrating species. For example, the monarch butterfly needs a pollinator pathway across the North America to Mexico to give it places to rest and refuel all along its great migration. Many birds also benefit from pollinator pathways since the native plants that benefit pollinators also support the needs of migrating birds. This might seem like an issue for national and international policy makers and it is important that they take up this cause. However, there is a lot the home gardener can do too besides vote. We need to connect our yards, filling in missing pieces between larger habitat areas. We can think of our yards as steeping stones in a larger habitat mosaic. Our yards are essential pieces of pollinator habitat but they need to be connected. Highways and subdivisions lead to landscape fragmentation where habitats are carved into pieces. Insects and animals can become genetically isolated when they are kept from find mates by barriers between habitable spaces. Often, wildlife will continue to try to move between safe spaces and be killed along the way. We need to focus on connectivity between wildlife areas. Native plant gardens that adjoin parks, streams, or common ground offer exponentially more value to wildlife then just one yard standing alone. We can ask our neighbors and city planners to join us in making safe spaces for pollinators and all wildlife to live. As our urban areas sprawl, planning for wildlife becomes even more important. Unused lawn and weedy shrub borders can be transitioned to native habitat that wildlife can use to travel between larger wild areas. Let’s invite our neighbors to join us in the creation of pollinator pathways across our communities. Educational signs in our yards and parks as well as talking to our community groups spread our message. Local native plant give away events will help spread plants that pollinators need in each neighborhood. Flowering and fruiting trees are a one plant way to make a big impact for pollinators and migrants. Pass on the word about pollinator pathways. Learn more at www.pollinaor-pathway.org

As our area warms and experiences more extreme weather, how can we protect our gardens? Climate change will bring heat, strong winds, flooding and drought. It will also bring new pests, invasive species, missing pollinators, and rapidly changing habitat. Providing a nourishing garden soil will keep plants healthy during these challenging times. Native plant landscapes not only protect our soil but also take carbon out of the air and store it in the soil, allowing us to live. A healthy deep soil filled with beneficial fungi and microbes will give gardens the best chance at adapting to change. We will not be able to control many of the stressors our gardens will be facing in the future but we can prepare. Healthy soils can release nutrients when our plants need them and store more water. Plants suffering through drought benefit from deep soils with lots of organic matter that can absorb lots of rain when it is plentiful and then release it to the plants when they need it later. Healthy uncompacted soils promote healthy root growth which help trees to anchor firmly and withstand storms. Plants with well-established root systems can better withstand competition from invasive species. Healthy plants are better able to fight off new pests. To build a healthy soil, add organic matter to garden soil by leaving plant debris in the garden. Keep soil surfaces covered with plants to capture moisture and make an ideal habitat for soil microbes. Capture rainwater and surface water and infiltrate it into the garden soil using raingardens. Never use pesticides or herbicides and avoid adding mulches that may be contaminated. Avoid compacting soil especially when it is wet and do not break it up or till. Keep the soil structure in its natural layers that are perfect for soil life. Plant perennial native plants with their deep roots that transport nutrients deep into the soil. Each species has its own symbiotic micro fauna and flora supporting the root system by providing nutrients. Keep a wide variety of species to support as much soil life as possible. Old plant roots can die back and decay deep in the soil, providing even more nutrients at deeper soil layers. The future is uncertain and we are already beginning to experience the extremes that come with climate change. Start now on your safety net of soil to help your garden survive the storm. As we grow our rich soil now we help to protect our future selves by creating a deep carbon sync to keep harmful carbon out of our atmosphere.

There is too much lawn in our parks. We don’t need so much lawn. We need a little lawn for kids to play, picnics, and bocce ball. But we have way more lawn in parks then we use. We should have no unnecessary lawns in public spaces. We just need some well thought out and placed lawn areas and the rest can be natural area. In the lawns that are currently in public spaces, we could reduce mowing. Grass does not need to be kept at golf course height in our parks. Tall grass and wild flowers are beautiful and just as good at providing open space for people to enjoy themselves. Less mowing also means less mower pollution, less maintenance time, and better habitat for wildlife. Parks should have no chemical inputs like insecticides and herbicides. For our safety, these should not be used in public spaces. No spraying for mosquitos. It is ok for these spaces to be a little natural. And we expect these areas to be safe to play in. I wish we could ban chemicals in parks where kids and insects play. Public spaces are meant to be spaces to bring the public together. Gardens, winding paths through woodlands, shady benches, and secluded picnic pavilions make a park an enjoyable place to meet friends. Large trees, flowers, and bird song help us feel relaxed and comfortable. Let’s turn our parks into a place for life including wildlife and for us to feel alive. Less lawn and more life could be our slogan. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little bit of nature so close to home.

It is hard to be an insect these days. Even though insects are vital to life on earth they face a magnitude of threats from poor human decisions. As development expands, natural areas are decreasing, so there is less habitat, nesting sites, and flowers. Habitats that remain are small and far apart, isolating populations and increasing threats from outside. Smaller protected areas are more likely to be impacted by pesticide drift, road noise, light pollution, stormwater runoff, invasive species, mosquito sprays, and disrupted food chains. We need to protect our remaining natural areas from destruction. These spaces are havens for wildlife that are being threatened from all sides. Species need a large enough area to allow a gene pool big enough to prevent inbreeding. Many habitat areas need to be increased in size or connected to neighboring habitat to be big enough to support rare species populations. Decreasing biodiversity of plants, vast areas of lawns, and landscaping fads that favor exotic and even invasive plants leave little food for pollinators and other insects. A traditional landscape supports less than 400 species. A native plant landscape can support over 1400 species. That is a 1000 more species just by using native plants. Ramant pesticide use in agriculture and neighborhoods makes even flower gardens toxic. Bees are less able to fight off disease when they are exposed to pesticides and also reduced nutrition. One of the stressors invading remaining habitat is light pollution. We need to reduce light pollution at home and work. City lights can confuse night insects and migrating birds. Moths are attracted to lights where they spend their time that they should be out pollinating. The glow of a city can be confusing to animals that are sensitive to light to know when it is time to sleep or wake. Day light also triggers animals wishing to migrate and plants wishing to bloom, artificial light can disrupt their rhythm. Supporting wildlife friendly community gardens and having our own gardens that support wildlife can provide more habitat. Connecting these gardens together across a neighborhood can provide even greater benefits.