By Nikki Belmonte
Did you hear? The newest trend in home gardening and DIY (do-it-yourself) projects is planting native. While native pollinator gardens and wildlife habitat gardens are not new, they have gained widespread popularity due to the combined efforts of local, state and national level organizations widely promoting them. And we are here for it!
The fact is that living with nature is a necessity and we need to figure out how to be better at it. Dr. Doug Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delaware, has been the leading voice for this message, backed by research that demonstrates the critical relationship between native insects and native plants. If these relationships continue to be disrupted and disappear, humans are in real trouble. I was lucky to catch a recent presentation by Dr. Tallamy. He impressed upon the audience that we have to “find ways for nature to thrive, not just survive, in human-dominated landscapes” for this life as we know it to work. “We can’t afford any more lousy stewardship,” he stated. Bottom line – we have to plant native, now.
Climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus) is a critical resource for late fall pollinators and that last gasp of color in a Georgia garden or fencerow.
Dr. Tallamy’s message is starting to get through, and more and more people are turning to conservation organizations to learn how to be a better steward. Researching appropriate native plants and choosing to incorporate a majority of native plants in our properties and projects makes a difference to the other inhabitants of our ecosystems. Specialist butterflies, moths, and bees need native plants. Native plants are the first trophic layer to convert sunlight into food for insects, helping to ensure that those insects thrive. Bird populations rely on abundant insect life to sustain their populations, specifically caterpillars. Caterpillars are a top source of carotenoids, an essential part of birds’…
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