To know even in my darkest hours that the condors are flying and the dams are coming down. Donna Wildearth
Donna Wildearth
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Gardening for Caterpillars?
Here’s some good news for gardeners who are concerned about the environment: We can make an important, positive impact by the plant choices we make in our gardens. How do you choose plants? I remember that when I started gardening, I wanted flowers, flowers and more flowers, lots of color and fragrance. I think for […]
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Going Wild in the Garden
Interested in attracting more birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden? Pete Haggard, a local expert on insects and co-author, with his wife Judy, of Insects of the Pacific Northwest, has compiled a list of the best local native plants for wildlife. Here are his top 10 picks. Red Alder This fast-growing, deciduous tree commonly […]
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Turning the Page on Native Plants
If you’ve been wanting to learn more about native plants, here are reviews of seven of my favorite books on the subject (all available in the Humboldt County Library). Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (2009): If you only read one of the books in this column, choose this one […]
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The Function of Design
In previous columns, I’ve addressed sustainability issues in landscape design. Here I’d like to focus on several functional issues. Welcoming Entries It’s a good idea to provide a gracious way for your guests to approach your house. Stepping stone walkways are picturesque, but save them for less-traveled portions of the landscape. A front walkway surface […]
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Greening the Garden
My column last month focused on how sustainable landscaping promotes biodiversity. Following are several other important components of sustainable landscaping. Conserve water In this era of water shortages, a sustainable landscape is a water-wise landscape. Here on the North Coast we have been spared the worst of the concerns about drought, but the ever-rising cost […]
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Going Natural
Let’s start the new year with some good news! We are constantly bombarded with bad news, most of which we can do little about. So here’s the good news — by using sustainable practices in our gardens we can positively influence the world around us. And whatever we do to reduce the negative impacts of […]
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Season’s Greetings for the Garden
Take a look at your garden right now. Do you like what you see? Creating gardens that are attractive in all four seasons is one of the goals of landscape design. Spring, summer, and fall are no-brainers for most gardeners, but winter can be a challenge. Here are some techniques to consider. Develop Good Bones […]
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Lying Low in the Garden
What are low-maintenance plants? These are plants that are hardy in your region and adapted to local soil and climate conditions (think native plants); plants that thrive without heavy watering or fertilizing; plants that resist or tolerate insect and disease damage (in our area, primarily slugs and snails, deer, and powdery mildew); plants that require […]
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Keeping it Simple
Low maintenance, low maintenance, low maintenance. This seems to be the mantra of gardeners today. And given our fast-paced lives, it’s not surprising. Low maintenance can and should be designed into a landscape. Following are some thoughts about what that actually means and how to achieve it. What is Low Maintenance? In the words of […]
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Digging Deep
How do we experience a garden? Probably the first thing we notice is the visual aspect — the colors, textures and overall design that appeal to us. We may also enjoy fragrant flowers and plants with aromatic foliage and the scent of newly mown lawn or freshly turned earth. Fruits and vegetables delight our sense […]