Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) is certainly one of the most cheerful native perennials to grace the late-summer garden. The pure species bears sunny, golden-yellow flowers with distinct raised centers that attract countless bees and butterflies. Blooming from August into October, it thrives in full sun and moist soils—especially thriving along […]
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Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium): A Wildflower of Immense Range and Culture. Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), also known as Willow Herb, is one of those remarkable native plants that seems to follow humanity and disturbance, and then heal what’s been broken. From the charred soils of post-wildfire forests to roadside gravels and glacial valleys, Fireweed is basically a
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Bluets (Houstonia caerulea): Tiny Spring Jewels in the Wild Garden. Looking for Spring through the Plants. One of the first true signs of spring in the Northeast is the quiet arrival of Bluets (Houstonia caerulea). Also called Quaker Ladies or Innocence, these tiny wildflowers are easy to miss at first. But once your eyes tune
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Bird Gardens: Creating Safe Habitat for Our Songbird Neighbors. Bird gardens for the eco-win. If you want more birds in your yard, the recipe is simpler than most people think. Basically, it starts with habitat structure. Birds don’t feel safe in wide-open lawns or landscapes that are mostly lawn or mulch and annuals. They feel
A Niche Plant: Meet the Giant Yellow Hyssop In the world of native plants, some species play unique roles crucial for specific ecosystems. These are known as niche plants. One example is the Giant Yellow Hyssop (Agastache nepetoides). This native New York herb thrives in rich, moist woodlands and along stream banks. Additionally, Yellow Hyssop
Please stop with Lyme tick nurseries. Aka, How to prevent ticks in your yard. Certainly, many people are considering while they plan their outdoor spaces: “How to prevent ticks in my yard?” In the region of upstate New York where we live, Lyme disease- an infection of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that’s spread primarily by
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Wildlife Corridor Gardens Wildlife corridor gardens are certainly one of the most powerful tools we have to repair habitat and protect biodiversity. Straightaway, they exist right on our own properties. Without question, these gardens are intentionally planted green spaces that connect fragmented natural areas. Concurrently they allow migrating songbirds, pollinators, and other wildlife to safely
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Pine Tree Gardens A recent rainy Monday found the Jessecology team on a break near a Pine Forest in the Albany Pinebush Nature Preserve. This nature preserve is a 2-minute walk from the garden we were working in; a 10-minute drive from downtown Albany and 20 minutes from Saratoga. This particular wildlife habitat is a
Monarch Butterfly Garden Creating the Perfect Monarch Butterfly Garden: Beyond Milkweed Monarch butterflies are one of the most beloved pollinators in our gardens. Of course, they are famous for their epic migration and striking orange and black color schema. To support these beautiful creatures, many people plant Milkweed (Asclepias sp.), which is the essential larval
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NY Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracenis) NY Ironweed: A Bold Choice for Native Gardens NY Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is a must-have for anyone restoring habitat and adding stunning beauty to their landscape. This tall, sturdy plant can reach up to 7 feet. Its vivid purple blooms create a bold pop of color in late summer when other flowers
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The Plight of the Blue Lupine in the Northeast Blue Lupine. In the realm of native plant conservation, good intentions can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. The Blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis), a beautiful and vital native species in the northeastern United States, has faced significant challenges in recent years. A mix of enthusiasm for
Butterfly Gardens in Glenville, NY A year in recent history, our company was invited to design and install new butterfly gardens in Glenville, NY. The new gardens were comprised exclusively of NY native plants. The Swallowtail butterfly photo was taken by the homeowner, Mark. The following photo is from summer 2014. It was taken in
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This summer we had the privilege of doing ecological garden renovations at a farm in Saratoga. The farm is located in quintessential farm country, heading east on the way to Schuylerville, surrounded by miles on all sides of wild beauty. It’s a dream location for this exact kind of project: planting dozens of native plants
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Hummingbird Garden DIY: How To Creating hummingbird habitat in our gardens is easy and necessary for the species’ survival. Hummingbird Garden DIY is possible with a few learned principles. Properties that have rich biodiversity have many different native plant species. This includes native trees, shrubs, perennials and native grasses and sedges. Hummingbirds need nectar and
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Edible Gardens in Saratoga Springs, NY. Altogether, many people want to grow their own organic food and have edible gardens at home these days. The photo here shows some Saratoga Springs, NY edible gardens projects in raised beds. It is always a good idea to plant native plants near vegetable gardens to attract pollinators. Correspondingly,
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Native Landscaping in NY Recently we completed new lakeshore edge native landscaping in NY. The new garden build consisted of a home’s foundation landscape design near the shore of the lake. The house is located very close to the lake. Therefore, it was built with a high foundation to prevent flooding issues. We used New
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Recently we published an article about the link between using Japanese Barberry shrubs in landscaping and an increase in human Lyme disease infection rates in the surrounding neighborhoods. People in Saratoga Springs, Albany and Schenectady, NY are learning about this. We humans are collaborating against ourselves in a public health crisis through lazy and shortsighted
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Native Plants: What Are They? What are native plants? How can you differentiate a native species versus an introduced species? What designates a plant as invasive? Can a native plant be invasive? We consider a plant native to a region if it existed there already before the explorers (like Henry Hudson and Christopher Columbus)
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Eco-friendly Gardens and Edible landscaping in Clifton Park, NY Edible plants can nicely augment eco-friendly gardens. In Clifton Park, NY (which is located in southern Saratoga County), there’s an eco-friendly landscaped property that we’ve used edible gardens and edible plants and herbs generously in the design. The above photo contains a June-bearing Strawberry as groundcover
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Black Cohosh plant (Cimicifuga racemosa) Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa, aka Actaea racemosa) is one of the finest native woodland plants. It’s also beloved as a woman’s herb. It graces the shade garden and part sun gardens and woodlands around the US. Black Cohosh has many nicknames, i.e., Bugbane or Black Snakeroot. There is also
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