PLANT NATIVE NEBRASKA

Patience, Mistakes, and #gardengoalsEpisode IntroductionIn today's episode, Patience, Mistakes, and #gardengoals, we go over common mistakes beginner and even intermediate gardeners can make; the virtues of serenity, patience, and open-mindedness in the garden; and how your best-laid plans can come true.Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode Content#gardengoalsDon't be rigidDo have funDon't fall on the sword of perfectionismDon't worry about every little weedDo think about what your spaces to beDo be thoughtfulDo make a plan, but don't be afraid to deviate from itFailures are the star-stuff dreams are made ofYou know how we are all just leftover particles from dead stars?The very beginning of human knowledge is screwing up, or at the very least, understanding how things work. Failure= Understanding Success We can also acknowledge beautiful things unfolding from devastating realties. Waxing philosophical now...That being said there may be mistakes you'd like to avoid altogether:Mistake #1: All planning and no action. Don't plan stuff out and then not do it. Don't do that to yourself, it's not nice.Don't panic! We can help you think of ideas! https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant SocietyYou can take Monarch Gardens classes https://www.monarchgard.com/classes.htmlPrairie Moon has some layouts to get you started: https://www.prairiemoon.com/PDF/2020-Prairie-Moon-Nursery.Garden-Kit-Layout-Suggestion_WEB.pdfMistake #2: Ignoring the house front. The front of your house should be the first place you look to make a statement about natural spaces and it's likely the one you frequent the most. Just remember: Use cues to care https://www.humanegardener.com/wild-design-home-gardens/Mix up bloom times. Think: all seasonsKeep your space maintained. Weed once a month: at minimumMistake #3: Not prepping the space well before getting started.&nbsp; How to site prep: https://prairielegacyinc.com/planning-your-prairie/Think of garden shapes: https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/basic-design-principles-and-styles-garden-bedsMistake #4: Forgetting about ground covers. Sedges, baby.Popular ground covers for sun: heath aster, wild strawberry, Missouri evening primrose, silky aster, purple poppy mallow, pussytoes, purple prairie clover and more. Popular ground covers for shade include wild ginger, violets, wild geranium, zig zag goldenrod, mayapple, shade asters, Virginia waterleaf, and others. Mistake #5: Not taking sun requirements into account or planting something that likes it wet in dry soil or vice versa. Look up plant stats, but experimental skepticism is ok.Mistake #6: Not thinking of adding in paths to weed and access the garden. Paths can be stepping stones, turf grass, mulch, crushed limestone. The options are there. Just make it easy for yourself to get around. Make paths two to three feet wide.Mistake #7 Planting a ton of tall stuff by a sidewalk or path, or letting something go to seed and grow there so your paths disappear. Need a recipe for some potting soil for all the stuff you have to pot up because you psychotically can't bear to waste it??? Yeah???https://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening/homemade-potting-mix-with-compostMistake #8 Planting several aggressive plants, when it’s more practical to control one or two. Aggressive things to keep an eye on: Root Spreaders: wild mint, silphiums, native sunflowers, prairie sage, western yarrow, obedient plant, native roses, elderberry, common milkweedProlific Seeders: hyssops, pitcher sage, tall boneset, verbena stricta, rudbeckiasWe are not saying "DO NOT USE" these plants. We are saying decide for yourself if you can handle the maintenance. Many of these are wonderful plants. You can always grow root spreaders in large containers. Mistake #9 Not planting most things in drifts.&nbsp;Drift philosophy: https://www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/fundamentals-of-natural-garden-designMistake #10 Trying to do too much all at the same time. Dream big but start small. Maintain what you finish. Impress your neighbors. Remember we want to win them over!Be patientGardens take time to be at their best. Some plants need years to even get started. Baptisia, leadplant, and shrubby St. John's wort are all plants that need years to really get going. Let yourself practice and play. Have fun and live a little!Thank you for listening!-StephanieAdditional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living LandscapeDouglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American EthnobotanyHeather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! <a...

The Modern Gardener's Dilemma Turning Big Garden Plans into Small Actionable ProjectsEpisode IntroductionIn today’s episode, The Modern Gardener's Dilemma, I chat with my friend and garden designer Christina Musgrave on how the average person can fight overwhelm and tackle their garden projects with a dose of reason. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Christina Musgrave Christina Musgrave has spent most of her life as an artist specializing in watercolor and printmaking. During COVID, Christina felt a strong desire to begin her garden journey and fell in love. After discovering the myriad benefits of native gardening, she changed her focus to converting her suburban lawn into pollinator habitat. As much as she enjoys gardening for herself, Christina felt a deep desire to assist others with their gardens as well as educate the necessity of pollinators to the environment. She has since returned to school to become a certified landscape designer and has started her own business, Kingsfoil Gardens. Christina now uses her background in art and love of gardening to bring joy and appreciation for the native landscape. Thanks so much for joining us Christina! Episode Sponsors.Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentTRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity. Kingsfoil Gardens Visit Christina's website and learn more about her work and business at www.kingsfoilgardens.com What Most Gardeners Would Do Differently Plan first, tackle projects in small steps, and remember creating excellence takes time. Cool GardenersMonty Don, UK gardener: not US native-plant focused, but has solid gardening knowledge and techniques Piet Oudolf, dutch designer that does favor quite a few native plants: very artistic naturalistic landscapes, Kelly Norris, garden designer and author from Iowa: visually stunning native plant-forward landscapes How to Start Planning Your Landscape Make a list of what kinds of spaces you wantLook at your existing landscape How A Designer Might Plan BASICS: Get an aerial view of the house via GIS system, Google Earth; check sun tracker apps; make a base map with measurements of everything possible; check window perspectives (from the house to the landscape;) check street or sidewalk perspectives; and GET UTILITIES MARKED! FLESHING IT OUT: consider hardscape, paths, seating areas, etc. first! After you have considered the locations of those in your design, a designer may start with trees and shrubs and then work down to perennials and even annuals to hold the space until bigger plants mature GET YOUR SOIL TESTED!https://midwestlabs.com/Traditional Garden Design TouchstonesConsider:Scale: Go out and measure, take out some grid paper and play around with stencils, maybe invest in some clear rulers Balance: Taper plant sizes so that you don't have height discrepancies. There are always exceptions to every rule but it's good to put similar height plants together and back larger ones to the back of the border and place shorter plants up front Repetition (good for aesthetic cohesion)Visual Abundance: Mixing Different Plants (mixing different colors, textures, and bloom times)Shapes- Curvilinear or Rectilinear, which ideally is matched to existing landscapingMulti-Seasonal Interest (again, the different bloom times)Habitat ValueNative Annuals to Use as Fillers While Your Plants Mature Plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)Lemon bee balm (Monarda citriodora)Rocky Mountain bee plant (Peritoma serrulata) Clasping coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis)Christina and Steph's Favorite Plants to Plant "En Masse"Wild StrawberrySwitchgrass Prairie Smoke Penstemon sp.AstersShrubby St. John's Wort Visualize garden spaces as rooms It helps! Trust us. Christina's Favorite Plants for Texture Liatris Eryngium Yarrow Christina's Favorite Plant Pairings Mt. Mint X CoreopsisPussytoes X Plains Oval Sedge Smaller Liatris sp. X Sedges Garden Transitions Think gates, arbors, hedges, walls, doorways, negative space, etc. Negative Space: What's That A place for your eye to rest, negative space can be comprised of turfghass (could be native turf,) balancing smooth texture against rough texture, a color monoculture, hardscaping or fencing vs. plants.\Christina's 7 Herbaceous Plants She Can't Live Without Wild StrawberryPrairie Smoke (Regional Native)Bradbury's Bee BalmButterflyweedRattlesnake MasterPrairie Dropseed Plains Oval Sedge If you've read to the end of this, thank you and I hope it has been informative! Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)Local Plant SuppliersMidwest Natives NurseryGreat Plains NurseryNebraska Statewide ArboretumPrairie Legacy NurseryMulhall'sOnline Plant SuppliersPrairie Moon NurseryPrairie NurseryStock Seed On the WebBONAP aforementionedBellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsocietyBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living Landscape Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHMilkweed MattersNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! <a...

Back To Business Episode IntroductionHost Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialog, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by:Lauritzen Gardenslaurtizengardens.orgListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentWelcome to a brand new season of Plant Native Nebraska. We have an incredible lineup of episodes this year that I am anxious to share with you. Thank you to all of our listeners, sponsors, supporters that have made another year of this podcast possible.&nbsp;As usual, the podcast will balance monologues and interviews to give you different perspectives navigating the world of native plants.&nbsp;This is not a native plant purist show, but it is a show that is pro-native plant. We acknowledge that not all native plants are superior and not all exotic plants are inferior at providing pollen or nectar. We also acknowledge that not all exotic plants are invasive.&nbsp;That being said, most landscapes without native plants are essentially food deserts. We’re not talking about your crazy neighbor’s garden that has a million annuals and exotics and is full of pollinators in the summer. We’re talking about the average person’s landscape of Kentucky bluegrass, Round-up dirt patches, a few evergreens, and a smattering of Asian shrubs for foundation plantings. &nbsp;Now, we aren’t here to trash non-native landscapes. Most folks simply don’t have the time, money, or know-how to do better. Thus, the reason this podcast exists!&nbsp;Most plants native to your location are suitable for your local climate, soil conditions, and are imperative for pollinator and wildlife health. This does not mean to plop a wetland plant in a dry, full-sun garden bed or to plant a prairie plant in your boggy backyard that’s always wet due to your neighbor’s sprinkling system. There’s a reason for the mantra, “Right plant, right place.” Although, who you ask about the right plant may lead to different results. Gardeners can be opinionated folks.&nbsp;Lucky for us, conservationists, educators, entomologists, botanists, nurserymen, authors, and other experts are making it easier than ever to know what native plants to plant where. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum has excellent lists, you can also visit Pollinator.org and xerces.org for ecoregion guides that directly cater to you and take the hard work out of brainstorming.&nbsp;I hope this podcast will serve as one of many jumping-off points that give you a more clear idea of how to start planting. If your yard is hot and dry, look for prairie plants: tall grass or shortgrass prairie is fine. If your yard is shaded from overhead evergreens or you’re knee-deep in the woods, look at midwestern woodland plants. If you have an area that is sunny and consistently damp or perfect for a rain garden, look into wetland plants. The folks over at Midwest Natives Nursery in Lincoln, Great Plains Nursery in Weston, or Prairie Legacy in Western would be happy to help you find appropriate plants from their catalog.&nbsp;Don’t neglect shrubs and trees in your quest to plant native. Extreme temperatures make that Southside oak or black cherry more appealing. Shrubs provide wonderful cover for birds, forageable food for wildlife and humans alike, and some wonderful structure when the perennials are in their growing stage or dormant during the winter.&nbsp;If you aren’t yet familiar with the importance of native plant families to certain pollinators and local wildlife, we recommend the books from authors Doug Tallamy or Heather Holm, either via your local library or procuring them from your local bookseller. We also recommend publications released by Wild Ones, the Xerces Society, the National Wildlife Federation, Pollinator Partnership, and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.&nbsp;A successful native garden:Hosts insect species in their larval stage with native grassesProvides nutritious nectar and pollen to foraging pollinators during the growing season with native wildflowersProvides cover to birds and small mammals year-round via shrubbery and treesProvides nutrition to overwintering birds during harsh winter months via wildflower seeds, rose hips, and other native fruiting plantsProvides a place for overwintering insects to bunker down and emerge from in spring via dormant stemsWhat do all these qualifiers have in common?&nbsp;A functioning, ecological garden provides species survival. Pure and simple. You are creating a living paradise for species to be born and fulfill their life cycles in. You are creating a net positive in a world largely out of our control. You are creating a refuge, a haven, a habitat, and don’t forget that we also are a species that benefits from these healthy environments.&nbsp;Over the last several years, countless studies have shown the effect that immersion in green spaces has on human health, happiness, and quality of life. Those struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental illness consistently report that being in nature alleviates symptoms. Some of the plants themselves have tangible benefits to us, those species that can be foraged for food, medicine, or other therapeutic benefits such as aromatherapy. Not to mention there are studies showing that simple skin contact with the soil exposes us to beneficial microbes that get this : release serotonin, strengthen the immune system, reduce allergic response, and improve mood.&nbsp;Are you like the majority of us beating yourself up for not getting to the gym? Gardening targets every main muscle group with the variety of tasks you will take on during the course of a day in the garden.&nbsp;So my proposal for what seems to be an already very stressful 2025 cloaked in a world of uncertainty is this: Get outside, plant some vibrant, wholesome, sustainable, native-plant-forward gardens. Get that wonderful healthy dose of serotonin, make some pollinator friends, help restore habitat, burn some calories, and harvest a few things here and there for food, medicine, or simply to fill a vase from time to time. Your life will be better for it and if you’re anything like me, the view will be a joy every time.Tune in to the third season of Plant Native Nebraska, excepting kid drama, bad weather, and mental breakdowns, every other Wednesday from March 19th to November 26th!&nbsp;Happy planting, everyone.Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living LandscapeDouglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American EthnobotanyHeather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a...

Fall in Love with Native PlantsEpisode IntroductionIn today's episode, Fall in Love with Native Plants, we go over why not to neglect the three season garden and the many native perennials and grasses you can incorporate for fall interest. We've dug into our archives and given new life to an old episode. Come for a refresh on some great native fall-blooming plants in case you need some ideas for some last-ditch fall projects.Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialog, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by:Lauritzen Gardenslaurtizengardens.orgListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentI've gleaned a lot of today's fun insect info from Heather Holm's book Pollinators of Native Plants: https://amzn.to/3ZyEK85Go find her podcast episode from last October for more seasonally-relevant info!Fall Plant FamiliesAsters&nbsp; New England asterCome one come all bees, butterflies, and moths!Host plant for pearl crescent butterflyCaters to specialist Andrea mining beeNectar source for small carpenter bees, leaf cutter bees, bumblebees, green sweat beesNectar source for arcigera flower mothNectar source for buckeye and crescent butterflies&nbsp;Nectar and pollen for syrphid flies, soldier beetlesBeautiful color, nice tall aster for a moist area of your gardenAlso: heath asterLooks like a snowy blanket in bloom ('snow flurry') or if using the straight native species, like snow covered branches reaching upGrowth habit from 1 foot to 3 feet, two completely different habits depending on if you use 'snow flurry cultivar' or the straight native species Other utility: long lived aster, suited for dry, tough areas silky asterLooks very delicate, grows around things, very wispy and ethereal&nbsp;Growth habit up to 1 foot and a half&nbsp; heartleaf asterLooks heart shaped leaves periwinkle flowersGrowth habit up to 3 feet, likes to show up everywhere and you will let it smooth blue asterLooks bluish purple with blue green leaves&nbsp;Growth habit shrubby but open&nbsp;Late season nectar forage YES!Host plant status crescent butterflies&nbsp; sky blue asterLooks another pale purple aster, very similar to smooth asterGrowth habit up to 3 feet&nbsp; aromatic asterTrue to its name another pale purple aster up to 2 feet, popular one the rabbits don’t seem to eat.&nbsp;bonesets tall bonesetLooks tall with tight clustered fireworks of white, stout, doesn’t need much support, dense&nbsp;Growth habit up to 5 feet&nbsp;sunflowers Maximilian sunflowerLarval host for the silvery checkerspot butterflyLate seasonal forage Nectar source for monarchsNectar for bumblebees, sweat bees, and long horned beesBee paradise&nbsp;Whip out your whiskey barrels people!Also: sawtooth sunflowerLooks tall majestic yellow sunflowers with large green leavesGrowth habit colony forming up to about 6 feetWe saw a great example of this at Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve near Lincoln in Raymond, NE. Indian grass, little bluestem, and sawtooth sunflower: heaven. western sunflowerLooks similar to false sunflower, delicate yellow daisy shaped bloomsGrowth habit up to 3 feetBlooms from July to September&nbsp; Jerusalem artichokeNative sunflower with edible tubers, aggressive but we talk about its usefulness and how to grow it in our native edible plant series, specifically our episode on vegetables, greens, and alliumsPetunias wild petunia Larval host plant for common buckeye butterflyPollen for green sweat bee, syrphid flies&nbsp;Nectar and pollen for leaf cutter beesNectar sweat bees and small carpenter bees&nbsp;This one is very delicate and blooms off and on in my front garden, works perfect as an understory plant underneath all your taller garden plants Ironweed common ironweed Larval host plant for parthenice tiger mothCaters to specialist long horned bees (melissodes denticulate and melissodes vernoniae) Nectar for green sweat bees, bumble bees, leaf cutter beesNectar for syrphid flies and soldier beetlesNectar for pecks skipper and eastern tiger swallowtail&nbsp;Beautiful vibrant purple blooms great for a moister area of the garden like the bottom of a hill or other depressionGoldenrods stiff&nbsp;goldenrod buffet for our diverse insect friends&nbsp;Larval host plant for the dart mothPlant that caters to the specialist insect Andrena mining beesNectar for long horned bees, sweat bees, bumblebees, leaf cutter bees, carpenter beesNectar for paper wasp, golden digger waspNectar for monarchs&nbsp;Nectar and pollen for syrphid fliesPollen for locust borer beetle zig zag goldenrod Feed your hordes of varied bugsLarval host for brown hooded owlet moth and twirler moth, yes there is a moth called a twirler moth and I want it to be my friendCaters to specialist Andrena mining beesNectar for sweat bees, yellow faced bees, green sweat bees, bumblebees&nbsp;Nectar for carrot wasps, mason wasps, paper wasps&nbsp;Nectar and pollen for syrphid fliesPollen for Andrena mining beesGreat goldenrod for dappled light areas, will tolerate light shadeAlso: canada&nbsp;goldenrodLooks like goldenrod!Growth habit stout goldenrod, aggressive spreader perfect for wild spaces or in an area you can let it grow into a nice patchLate season nectar forage YES!Can be a good rain garden addition, especially with obedient plant and swamp milkweed Missouri&nbsp;goldenrod Looks like goldenrod!Growth habit 3 feet or so, a little floppyEarly blooming! showy goldenrod Looks a nice gorgeous specimen true to its name, not too bad on floppingGrowth habit up to 5 feetLate season nectar forage YES!Also: look into goldenrod if you're interested in native plant dyes Disclaimer: I've introduced you to a rabbit hole...SneezeweedsHelenium autumnalecheerful yellow flowerslooks great in a rain gardenMilkweeds butterfly milkweed Diverse pollinator parfaitThat rare bright orange that looks amazing next to our purple, yellow,&nbsp; and light pink flowers&nbsp;Host plant for monarch, queen butterfly, and the milkweed tussock mothProvides nectar for great spangled fritillary, sulphur butterflies&nbsp;Nectar for paper wasps&nbsp;Nectar for ants and soldier beetles, so set your picnic up right next to some blooming butterfly weed and they’ll leave your sandwiches aloneNectar for leaf cutter bees, carpenter bees, and sweat bees&nbsp;Also: whorled&nbsp;milkweed Looks delicate white orchid shaped flowers,...

Rain Gardens for the Reluctant GardenerEpisode IntroductionIn today’s episode, Rain Gardens for the Reluctant Gardener, we chat with Steve Rodie about just how much water comes off your roof in a single rain, what the heck bioswales are, and some tried and true native plants to select for your rain garden projects. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Steve RodieSteve&nbsp;Rodie&nbsp;retired in 2020 from 26 years of teaching, research, and extension at the University of Nebraska. He is currently an Emeritus&nbsp;Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies&nbsp;at UNO.&nbsp;During his academic career, he focused his teaching and research on landscape plants, landscape and environmental appreciation and sustainability, sustainable landscape design, and green infrastructure stormwater management using rain gardens, bioretention gardens, and other best management practices.&nbsp;Steve is also a registered landscape architect&nbsp;and worked on environmental assessments&nbsp;and visual resources analyses&nbsp;for almost 10 years in Colorado and California. In 2012, he was elected as a&nbsp;Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by:Midwest Natives Nursery www.midwestnativesnursery.com/https://www.facebook.com/midwestnativeshttps://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nurseryLauritzen Gardenslaurtizengardens.orgListen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentTRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity. 625 GALLONS OF WATERThat's how much an 1000 square foot roof sheds with the average rain.In a moderate rainstorm, imagine how much water a 2500 square foot roof sheds! Food for thought. Why Filtering Stormwater Runoff is Important Fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus,) car lot oils, heavy metals pollute rivers and streams when the polluted water just rushes straight into the storm drains. So when we can help control the volume and the quality of the water that runs off, we can help keep our environment clean! How Can Homeowners Find Out if They Have Rain Garden Potential? Look around. When it rains, where is the water going and coming from? Downspouts are an obvious source of runoff, but maybe you have water rushing off of a slanted driveway, patio, or other pavement. A rain garden would be placed close to one of these sources but at least 10 feet away from your house and not under an existing tree. DO A DRAINAGE TEST!Find a spot where a rain garden seems appropriate and test the soil in the center of the area. Dig a hole a foot down and a foot wide, fill it to the top with water. Wait two hours (for it to settle) and fill it back up to the top. Stick an old ruler in the side and measure how much inches of water goes down (infiltrates) each hour. This seems like a slog but the lowest part of your rain garden is going to be anywhere from 6-12 inches deep depending on how fast the soil can absorb the water. If you want to skip the technical stuff start with the center of your rain garden at 3 inches deep and see if it drains in two hours. Video on this test here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEN0NtMsvsgYou can also find the section in this file: https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/2013/pdf/view/ec1262-2013.pdfRetained Water Helps Cool the Air Maybe this is a basic thing but whatever, we touch on it. Bioswales- What the Heck are They?A swale is something that channels water, could be as basic as a ditch. But a bioswale is an area where plant species are also incorporated to further channel and disperse water. Bioswales can be a standalone thing or attached to a rain garden. Different situations might call for one or both to be utilized.Inlets, Outlets, and Berms, Oh My!An inlet is simply enough where the water comes in to the rain garden. Outlets are likewise "micro-pathways" where emergency water is able to flow out, especially when we get exorbitant rainfall the rain garden couldn't possibly keep up with (over an inch of rain.) Outlets should always point away from buildings and structures and in a sense go with the natural flow of the water being directed into the garden. Berms are mounded ground on the perimeter of the rain garden so that water goes in and in a sense, is kept in. Ok, But, Seriously, How Deep Should A Rain Garden Be, How Big Should it Be?A rain garden with the center depression, think the bullseye in the donut hole, at a typical 6 inches deep should drain water within 12-24 hours. If it takes longer and you have sitting water in your rain garden, you risk damage to plants, not to mention, making ripe conditions for mosquitoes. If you want to know the methodology of determining your depth and rain garden size, consult these publications here. Choose between the web version OR interactive PDF : https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/rain-garden-design-site-and-selection-guideGET YOUR SOIL TESTED!https://midwestlabs.com/Traditional Garden Design TouchstonesConsider:Plant Selection- Steve encourages short plants (under 3-4 feet) for gardens under 100 sq ft.Plant Placement by Height (taller in the back or middle, shorter in the front or sides, etc. etc.)Repetition (good for aesthetic cohesion)Mixing Different Plants (mixing different colors, textures, and bloom times)Size and Shape of Bed- Curvilinear or Rectilinear, which ideally is matched to existing landscapingCurb Appeal and Cues to Care- thank you, Joan Nassauer Multi-Seasonal Interest (again, the different bloom times)Habitat ValuePlants Sorted by Sun Conditions Sun/Partial Sun&nbsp;goldenrods- showy and stiff goldenrod are good optionspurple coneflower&nbsp;little bluestem (higher levels)blue grama (higher levels)dense blazing starwild bergamot&nbsp;Virginia mountain mint&nbsp;common yarrowblue flag iris - regional native&nbsp;'Gateway' Joe pye&nbsp;weed- happy in the middleHelenium autumnalegreat blue Lobelia-likes it wet&nbsp;(disclaimer: will be short-lived)swamp milkweed&nbsp;butterfly weed (rim of rain garden, highest ground)side oats grama&nbsp;(higher/upper levels)Bicknell’s sedgeSprengel’s sedge&nbsp;brown fox sedgegray sedgeShade / Partial Shade&nbsp;**Reminder: Don't put a rain garden under an existing tree, the shade should be coming from a nearby structure, but again keep the rain garden at least 10 feet from a buildingLobelia- cardinal flower-happy...

Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's TurfgrassEpisode IntroductionIn today’s episode, Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's Turfgrass, we go over different options for replacing lawn, why you'll be happy to make the jump, and tried and true ways to replace and maintain your new landscape. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:laurtizengardens.orgListen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentRehash our first episode if you are new to the podcast or our wonderful edible plants series here!What are Native Plants Anyway?Native Edible Plants Series with Bob Henrickson: Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Books to Read Iwigara Native American EthnobotanyWhy Lawns Aren't Sustainable or HealthyPesticide and herbicide runoff pollutes groundwater, rivers, and streamsKids are exposed to pesticide and herbicide residues while playing&nbsp;Birds, pollinators, and other wildlife are exposed to residues while foraging and traveling which can result in disease, illness, and death . I mentioned there is plenty of research out there. Here are some of many, many articles discussing:Protect Pollinators at Home: Alternatives to HerbicidesThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://xerces.org › blog › protect-pollinators-at-home-alt...The Risks of Pesticides to PollinatorsThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://www.xerces.org › pesticides › risks-pesticides-poll...PesticidesPollinator.orghttps://www.pollinator.org › Learning CenterNearby plants can come in contact with spray drift which can cause stunted growth, disease, and deathHaving a monoculture lawn limits local wildlife from the diverse diet it needs to survive and thriveLawn takes up space we could grow our own food and medicine!&nbsp;Benefits of Ditching Your LawnYou are providing habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife!You are providing bee forage if you own a beehive, and ensuring better crop pollination if you grow a vegetable garden!You will encourage the storing of some carbon below ground by using these prairie plants with incredible root systems!You can participate in citizen science by submitting sightings and other observations to projects hosted by the Xerxes Society, Pollinator Pathway, and more!You will inevitably use less water to maintain the meadow/ alt lawn as opposed to traditional lawn and landscaping!You will reduce if not eliminate mowing which is great for the environment and also great for your spouse!You will have very little weeding time after your meadow garden/ alt lawn reaches its maturity!You will save money!&nbsp;You can forage your lawn for wild edibles.You can harvest plant material for natural dyes.&nbsp;You can grow medicine.You can use other parts of prairie plants in homemade crafts: basket weaving, bee houses, pressed flowers, etc.Alt Lawn Options Native Grass and Sedge Lawns: Superior to exotic grass because they typically have better root systems and are often host plants for skippers, moths, and butterfliesBlue Grama Lawn: Blue Grama is a warm-season grass. It is drought tolerant and thrives when other exotic grasses struggle.&nbsp; Height of 1-2 feet. Can seed or plug. Buffalo Grass Lawn: Buffalo grass is also warm-season grass that gets about 6 inches tall. It is very drought tolerant and long lived.Sideoats Grama Lawn: More of a meadow lawn since it does reach 2-3 feet in height Mixed Grass Lawn: You can find different mixes from different suppliers such as (50%) blue grama and (50%) buffalograss, (30%) blue grama, (30%) side oats grama, and (40%) buffalograss... There's also other formulations like habiturf which is (62%) buffalograss,(30%)blue grama, and curly mesquite (8%) Pennsylvania sedge lawn: Pennsylvania sedge forms dense mats of medium green and grows 6 to 8 inches.Plains oval sedge lawn Long-beaked sedge: Great shade lawn optionBee Lawns Let dandelions go and add in native common violet, self heal, purple poppy mallow, wild strawberry, and Micro-prairie/MeadowscapesShortgrass PrairieEclectic MeadowTallgrass PrairieGroundcover lawnsMix and match large swaths of ground covers: Plant en masse in groups of 5, 7, 9 Plants to use: BUTTERFLYWEED, PRAIRIE VIOLET, HEATH ASTER, WILD PETUNIA, WILD STRAWBERRY, PRAIRIE CLOVER, POPPY MALLOW, CAREX BREVIOR, GROUND PLUM (I'm not yelling, but lazily copying and pasting from my powerpoint...)More plants to use: Pearly everlasting, pussytoes, artemisia ludoviciana, 'snow flurry' heath aster cultivar, prairie dropseed, western yarrow Yardens: Layered mix of NATIVE shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennialsSome shrubs to use along with your choice of grasses and perennial plants: LEADPLANT, SILKY DOGWOOD, CHOKECHERRY, CORALBERRY, AMORPHA FRUCTICOSA, PRAIRIE ROSE, ELDERBERRY, PLAINS WILD INDIGO, BAPTISIA AUSTRALISLow-gro native shade gardens Use plants like wild ginger, dutchman’s breeches, heartleaf aster, mayapple, woodland phlox and others HardscapingDon’t be shy to add a crushed limestone, pea gravel, flagstone, or salvaged stone patio area to cut down on lawn space and create a relaxing place to view garden areasYou may use landscape fabric stapled underneath These patios can last ten years or more and can be installed DIYVegetable garden and other garden "rooms"An entire "room" could be made where lawn resides for a vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are often made in a square or rectangle design, fenced to protect crops from deer or wildlife, and given paths of mulch, brick, or other material to access plant beds A place of tranquility to hoard vintage finds and favorite plants How to Ditch Your LawnCheck ordinances and HOA policiesIf you are in an HOA, get clear rules detailed about what is allowed for gardenscape/lawnsCity of Omaha “all weeds, grass, and worthless vegetation cannot reach a height of 12 inches or more….” meaning occasionally mow, weed monthly, and use cues that this is a maintained garden. Note that...

Native Plant Horticulture in Nebraska Episode IntroductionIn today’s episode, Native Plant Horticulture in Nebraska, we chat with director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens, Jim Locklear, about the decision-making behind choosing plants for botanic gardens, the crossroads between aesthetic spaces and conservation, and why the preservation of native plant communities is still important. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Jim LocklearJim Locklear has been the director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens since 2010. He has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Central Missouri and a master's in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. He formerly served as director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Kansas and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. He recently published a new book titled, In the Country of the Kaw, about the midwestern watershed of the Kaw River and its history. Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:laurtizengardens.orgListen, Rate, and Subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentNative Plant Horticulture in Nebraska Native plant horticulture is characterized by using native plants in the region...but native gardens don't have to be prairie. There are many types of garden styles that can utilize native plants and there are many different ecosystems in Nebraska including wetlands, oak hickory forest, shortgrass tall grass and mixed grass prairies, and others that correspondingly have varied native plants native to those environments. Using non-natives is not forbidden, but native plants are emphasized for their habitat value. Some of the challenges being faced by the industry and horticulturalists are obtaining seed/stock, propagation issues, and appealing to traditional consumers. Mulhall's (https://mulhalls.com/) is helping to change the game on native plants in the mainstream and take it out of a strictly niche market. Studying Rare Ecosystems, Different Habitats, and Wildlife Activity at LauritzenOak trees support lots of caterpillars, and therefore, warblers, who love to eat their little juicy bodies. Morbid right?Butterfly deserts form around exotic chrysanthemum, but for some reason they seem to like yellow chrysanthemum, so if your mother-in-law insists on using them, buy her some yellow ones. Jim has studied sandsage prairie and one of his takeaways is that far-flung plant communities can be a hidden reserve of diversity and that diversity can affect overall diversity in the Great Plains region. Even the hyper-local can have a greater affect on the bigger picture, which is comforting to us with our little home gardens.Stewards of the Environment Lauritzen Gardens (www. lauritzen.org) has received an accreditation from Botanic Garden Conservation International for its conservation practices, which only 30ish botanic gardens in the WORLD have been awarded. On site, this may look like butterfly, bird, and bee and moth surveys; looking for diversity hotspots and deserts; and making changes that better support wildlife over its 100 acres(like switching out purple non-native mums for yellow ones...who knew?)Off site, this may be in-the-field conservation; conducting/ supporting studies of rare plants; publishing academic papers in scientific, peer-reviewed journals; seed- banking (as is the case with federally-endangered blowout penstemon;) and conducting plant surveys in the wild. Plants We Could See More Of...milkweedsasterssunflowersshowy goldenrodliatrismonardasmountain mintHope is a Four-Letter WordNative plant production has come a long way. For instance, Mulhall's transition to be more native plant-forward means a lot to the industry. People seem to be more interested as long as we don't scare them away... I'm looking at you, Barb-ar-ah. Jewels of the Prairie Claude Barr was a Black Hills cattle rancher and a historic supplier of native plants. He opened a mail-order nursery in the 30's. Read a little about Barr here. Jewels of the Prairie is Barr's life's work of observations. Romantic garden writing didn't just happen in Europe. Jim recently revised Jewels of the Prairie to update outdated scientific names. You can find a copy here.Fendler's Aster and Fremont's clematis and many other plants are in the trade due to Barr's writings YOU Can Get Involved Look into the Nature Conservancy Local plant society groups for example the Bellevue Native Plant Society and Nebraska Native Plant Society Jim's New Book: In the Country of the Kaw Jim's book describes plant communities both woodland and prairie types and their wildflowersIt also talks about restoration ecology and plant-insect interactions.You can find Jim's book, In the Country of the Kaw, here.Thoughts of ImportanceFight to preserve natural ecosystems. Work to prevent destruction of more natural areas. Connect with places like the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.Add native plants to your garden. Support native plant suppliers. Give Stephanie all your money. (Just kidding.)Be artful but also, be mindful. Respect plants, respect ecosystems, and respect people. Local Plant SuppliersMidwest Natives NurseryGreat Plains NurseryNebraska Statewide ArboretumPrairie Legacy NurseryMulhall'sOnline Plant SuppliersPrairie Moon NurseryPrairie NurseryStock Seed Thanks for listening! Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsocietyBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living Landscape Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the...

Lessons from the Prairie Episode IntroductionIn today’s episode, Lessons From the Prairie, we chat with Chris Helzer about invasive species, what makes a landscape ecologically resilient, and why we don't have to recreate the past for the present to be meaningful. Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Chris HelzerChris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. He also helps develop and test prairie management and restoration strategies. Chris is also dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through his photography, writing and presentations. He is the author of&nbsp;The Prairie Ecologist&nbsp;blog, and two books:&nbsp;The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter. He is also a frequent contributor to&nbsp;NEBRASKAland&nbsp;magazine and other publications.&nbsp;Episode SponsorsToday's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:laurtizengardens.orgToday's episode is also sponsored by Lucky Toad Restorative Gardens:https://www.luckytoadgardens.com/Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentI gleaned talking points from Chris's blog, The Prairie Ecologist, which you can and should read here! Insects and invertebrates are very important to ecosystem function: help soil fertility, insect biomass, ant engineers, species balance (predators and prey,) seed dispersal, bird food, pollination. A prairie is only as good as its ecological resilience: Habitat size/ connectivity to other habitats and biodiversity is important. A landscape needs to be malleable and able to deal with changes because nature isn't static. A large diverse community is best able to adapt to changes.Management can be an important tool in re-establishing native landscapes: Land management has been around since human beginnings and interestingly enough, some "natural" ecosystems have been shaped by human involvement. But, in our modern times, we can find a healthy balance between over-involvement and stewardship. We can guide nature in a good direction, manage competition, and encourage collaboration. Basically, we should aim for being responsible "parents" that want our kids to thrive...Life on earth is on a trajectory of change: The prairie of today is not the prairie of yesterday and won't be the prairie of tomorrow. Our generation is dealing with increased C02, nitrogen deposition, extreme weather, decomposition of natural habitats, rising temps. We can't get trapped in our own sense of nostalgia and avoid reality. We can grow with nature, we can be a good part of the change, we can even facilitate the change and help facilitate other species' resilience. "Conserve the stage, not the actors." Chris is making the case that humans can help conserve the stage. Invasive species hurt native populations, and yet, some non- native plants can benefit diversity: Goatsbeard (salsify) and dandelions are good examples Chris provides. I use zinnia, verbena bonariensis, and Mexican sunflowers in my garden for Monarch forage since it's in their range. We do need to think about what's additive vs. what is suppressive. Smooth brome is an example of an exotic plant that is suppressive, it's something that's moved in and really creates a monoculture. Plantings don't have to mirror what came before historically to be effective: We can't create something brand new that is a perfect replica of something in the past. My native plant cottage garden is not the habitat that was here 200 years ago. But, it is habitat. We can ask ourselves what we want to do with a landscape and we can look at our goals and we can think of the myriad of ways we can provide support. If we are planting close to 70% native plants or more, we are doing a great job at supporting wildlife species. Nature is crazy: Sometimes nature seems like a slapdash science experiment that magically works! Plant and animal species have developed some pretty bizarre ways of getting the job done. Read up on the truly freaky " series of unfortunate events" that allows milkweed pollination to happen on Chris's blog here: https://prairieecologist.com/2021/01/26/milkweed-pollination-a-series-of-fortunate-events/. I once heard a story of the woman who owned a local hamburger restaurant slapping the burger patties under her armpits to flatten them. I don't know if it's true, but it would be another example of a bizarre process that works. Experimentation is an opportunity to learn: How can we possibly learn what works if we don't learn what doesn't? Don't be too hard on yourself. Let yourself make some mistakes. In my opinion, the mistakes are the wins because without little failures, we don't develop the tools it takes to be successful.In the face of increasing challenges and opportunities for overwhelm, we can commit ourselves to staying optimistic, resilient, and momentous: We can impact good change. We don't need to resolve all of society's or the planets ills, but we can work to preserve, maintain, and facilitate landscapes into the future. We can leave our immediate surroundings better than we found them! Chris is always a good chat! Thanks for participating! Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living Landscape Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHMilkweed MattersNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! <a...

The Modern Botanist Episode IntroductionIn today’s episode, The Modern Botanist, we examine what modern gardening can look like within the native plants framework, different tools you can use to get “spec’d out” in your gardening abilities, and why it matters more than ever to bring back gardening as part of a healthy lifestyle.&nbsp;Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Episode SponsorsToday's episode sponsored by Midwest Natives Nursery:https://www.midwestnativesnursery.com/https://www.facebook.com/midwestnativeshttps://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery/ Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentGrowing&nbsp;Get nerdy and grow your own plants! Start with a good potting soil. This could be Pro-Mix or a Berger mix or another recommended potting soil. You can even google how to make your own potting soil and mix the components up in a wheelbarrow. It’s fun to experiment!Pre-moisten your soil in a tubtrug or wheelbarrow or 5 gal bucket.Get seed trays: one drain tray (example: 1020 seed starting tray), one cell tray(example 72 cell seed tray,) and humidity domes. Bootstrap Farmer has really good ones: https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/collections/plug-trays/products/extra-strength-72-cell-seedling-starter-trayshttps://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/collections/1020-trays-and-flats/products/1020-trays-multi-colorBottom water when your soil starts to get dry so your seedlings don't get washed out. Pack the cell trays with soil. Knead those puppies down.Plant seeds at right depth (per instructions on packet.) Plant two to three seeds in the middle of each cell for best germination. You can cull or up-pot extra seedlings. What I’ve been doing for labels is using my Brother label maker and taking one popsicle stick, place one label at the top for each row and then affix the label with clear packaging tape to the stick. I’m hoping this will help keep my labels more waterproof... we'll see how it goes. Keep those plants happy. Pot up to a 3 or 4 inch pot when you see true leaves. You can also start fertilizing once you pot up.&nbsp;Don’t forget to “harden off” your plants before planting out in the garden. Google, google, google, my friend.PLANTING&nbsp;The tale of three tools: the soil knife, the auger, and the drain spade. When you are planting, the soil level of the potted plant should sit about a half-inch below the surface of the ground. If the plant is pot bound, tease some of the roots with your fingertips or give it a good slice horizontally and vertically. Don’t forget to water the plants in and to tamp down with the heel of your foot or by putting firm pressure all around the perimeter with the palms of your hands. Cover with more soil until we’ve got an upright plant well-packed in the ground.&nbsp;Learn your plants. Plant taller plants in the middle or behind shorter ones. Line paths with very short plants- think 6-12 inches or less. Know and plant your ground covers. Strong shade groundcovers native to Nebraska: wild ginger, mayapple, and common violets. A good groundcover for partial sun could be Virginia waterleaf. For our sun gardens: pearly everlasting, common violets, prairie blue-eyed grass, wild strawberry, wild geranium, wild petunia, or nearly native early buttercup, hairy penstemon, or prairie smoke. I also like the ‘snow flurry’ cultivar of heath aster.You can also work in grass or sedge ground covers like Pennsylvania sedge, ivory sedge, long beaked sedge, blue grama, buffalo grass, purple love grass.&nbsp; Little bluestem also makes an excellent ground cover when planted en masse.&nbsp;LAWNING&nbsp;Let's lawn better! (For what we can't remove today)SAY YES TO:Setting your mower to the tallest setting and mowing once a month.Adding in low growing natives like self-heal, purple poppy mallow, common violets. Adding in plugs of sedges. Not spraying exotic dandelions, henbit, clover, oxalis, or creeping charlie. Aerating and overseeding your lawn with buffalo grass or blue grama instead of the usual turf seed If you have a really blotchy lawn in shady areas, you can even look into shade ground covers we mentioned before or try your hand at a moss lawn. There is a great bee lawn mix by Prairie Legacy that you can try to make a meadow lawn or in your hellstrip.&nbsp;YAY TO LESS LAWN!Reduce your lawn by planting garden borders. Start small and work as your free time and budget allows!WEEDING and MANAGING&nbsp;Get out and weed monthly. Know your weeds. Maybe let some go that don’t get over 6 inches or so. Just know that creeping charlie is allelopathic. Better Homes and Gardens common weeds article: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/types-of-weeds/ You can decide the ones you can live without and hand-pull them. Remember: perfection isn’t possible and pretty much every successful garden has its share of weeds here and there.&nbsp;You may choose to manage your plants that self-seed. This may involve culling some seedlings, transplanting plants to a different location, or cutting specific plants back after flowering to keep them from taking over a garden space. This may include agastaches, tall boneset, coneflower, asters, pitcher sage or sweet black- eyed susan.&nbsp;Know your truely invasive or undesirable exotic and weedy plants like callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, Canada thistle, brome, Japanese hops, foxtail, poison hemlock.&nbsp;OBSERVING&nbsp;Get out there and look around, girl! Get to know your garden. Pretend like you're a tourist and everything is interesting! EXPERIMENTINGSAY NO TO MIND TRAPS SOMETIMES TAUGHT BY GARDEN VETERANS:You must water constantly all yearYou must never ever use non-native species&nbsp;You must weed weekly to appease the aesthetic gods&nbsp;You must use foundation plants&nbsp;You must never use aggressive species&nbsp;You must not have a wild front garden&nbsp;You must keep lawns for negative space&nbsp;You must not let anything go to seedThe joys of life come from experimenting! Get out there and do weird stuff!ENGAGING and HARVESTINGWe don’t lose seasonal succession with natives, what seasonal succession looks like just changes.We become aware of local wildlife- birds, pollinating insects, small mammals, amphibians- so much wildlife that we can observe once we start reintroducing habitat.Think of incorporating edible and medicinal plant parts into your daily life. Make wildflower teas! There's no time to toil and suffer like the present...SHOWCASINGSignage, signage, signage.You can source signs from:Monarch Waystation Registry programPrairie Moon Nursery&nbsp;Nebraska Monarchs&nbsp;Midwest Natives NurseryPATH-Pollinator Alliance of the Heartland&nbsp;Xerces Society&nbsp;and many others!But importantly, give your neighbors something to look at by actually planting a wild, native garden on the streetfront. Some ‘plant people’ will tell you to save wildness for the back garden. But let’s put it all out there.&nbsp;If you're feeling especially brave, display your garden on a local garden walk.The two maps we...

The Prairie Herbalist Episode IntroductionIn today's episode, The Prairie Herbalist , we chat with Rachel Liester about food as medicine, the best herbal salve ever, and how you can grow a pharmacy in your garden.Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Rachel LiesterRachel Liester is an ethnobotanist, bioregional herbalist, educator, naturalist, writer and photographer. She specializes in prairie plants and has a five-acre herb farm and learning center in northeast Nebraska where she's been teaching about traditional uses of herbs as food and medicine for 30 years.&nbsp;Red Road Herbs Retreat &amp; Learning Center LLC&nbsp;is part of United Plants Saver's Botanical Sanctuary Network, a Certified Wildlife Habitat, a Monarch Waystation and a haven of peace and tranquility where Rachel hosts events, retreats, classes and wild herb walks&nbsp;and encourages visitors to experience Nature's healing touch.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentRed Road Retreat and Learning Center on the web: http://www.redroadherbs.com/ on Facebook: Red Road Herbs Retreat &amp; Learning Center LLCFacebook&nbsp;Prairie Herbalist Conference- classes and intensives designed to give you the expertise to be an herbalist- in Nebraska, by golly! Let's make it a glamping extravaganza this year. Dates in July. Check the site above!Home Herbalist Program- Growing, Harvesting, and Creating 101Rugel's plantain AKA Plantago rugelii : good for bug bites, eczema., inflammation, trapped thornsStinging nettle AKA Urtica dioica-full of vitamins, minerals, and antihistamines. Consider it a worthy weed and know it's stings are very effective for arthritis pain. Also know it's stinging sensation dissipates once cooked. Sick of hearing about Kay Young's Wild Seasons? If so, you're listening to the wrong podcast.Wild bergamot AKA Monarda fistulosa AKA aswego tea member of mint family mosquito repellant, digestive aid, diaphoretic, and yes ,you heard us right, love potion perfume...Elderberry AKA Sambucus canadensis contains thymol, a natural antiseptic, and carbicol, which has anti-cancer properties if you're worried about birds getting all your berries, just harvest the flowers instead used to be the sign of the medicine woman if planted outside in olden times instead of buying expensive medicines, make your own! just make sure to only consume berries that have been harvested when ripe and cooked!Chokecherry AKA Prunus virginiana Early bloomer, used historically for "granola bars" AKA pemmican good bitter for our diet, aids digestion, full of antioxidants Cattail AKA Typha latifolia- Yule Gibbons "cattails are the supermarket of the swamps," shoots, fluff, even pollen is edible. Not just a pretty damsel on the waterside. Sweet grass AKA Anthoxanthum nitens- fragrant, even more fragrant when dry; comb, and break off, do not pull grass out to harvest as it is a perennial; powerful for aromatherapy Prairie sage AKA Artemisia ludoviciana- another aromatherapy medicine, tied to healing not only due to its astringent and antiseptic properties but simply due to its aroma Western yarrow AKA Achillea millefolium:2024 Herb of the Year, https://www.iherb.org/herb-of-the-year/, blood medicine, an interesting example of the concept of "the doctrine of signatures," a polychrestic meaning a medicine that can treat a variety of ailments, also the star of a old-school Gaelic charm/ folk song "I will pluck the yarrow fair..."A great flower for cutting and drying Food is medicineEmpower yourself and help to supplement your health by planting these native herbs and berries! Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living Landscape Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHMilkweed MattersNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

Softer landingsEpisode IntroductionIn today's episode, Softer Landings, we chat with Heather Holm, pollinator conservationist and author, about leaf litter, the mighty oak, and what we can do to make more “habitable” habitats in often underutilized understory. Thanks for listening!&nbsp;Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialog, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Guest Heather HolmHeather Holm is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author of four books:&nbsp;Pollinators of Native Plants&nbsp;(2014),&nbsp;Bees&nbsp;(2017),&nbsp;Wasps&nbsp;(2021), and&nbsp;Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States&nbsp;(2022). Both&nbsp;Bees&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wasps&nbsp;have won multiple book awards including the American Horticultural Society Book Award. Heather’s expertise includes the interactions between native pollinators and native plants, and the natural history and biology of native bees and predatory wasps. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and many local publications. Heather is a National Honorary Director of&nbsp;Wild Ones and also serves on the boards of several non-profits:&nbsp;Friends of Cullen Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary&nbsp;and&nbsp;Friends of Minnetonka Parks.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode ContentVisit Heather’s site and get pollinator educated!Heather’s site: www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com you will find lots of amazing stuff and lose about 3 hours of your day! You’re welcome!Soft landings: https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/softlandings.html&nbsp;Keystone plants: what does that even mean?Heather’s free handout on keystone plants! https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/uploads/1/3/9/1/13913231/softlandingskeystonehandout.pdfSome native plants have significant interactions with the food web. In essence they are more significant than other species. Essentially, the not-Karens of the natural world.Plant native stuff! You can find many amazing databases and resources online. Try out nwf.org/nativeplantfinder and check out their ecoregion guides.Audubon also has a native plants database: https://www.audubon.org/native-plants The birds will thank you… or they will eat dinner and sneak away, much like my mother likes to do.&nbsp;Soft landings- nice, cushy spaces for our little insect friends.Leaf litter and diverse native plantings under native trees. A multi-season buffet for birds and a haven for all the sweet little caterpillar babe-ays. And fireflies, and bumblebees, and ladybugs… You get the idea.Yet another reason insecticides are bad&nbsp;Did you know systemic insecticides can persist in woody plant material for long periods of time-like years? I didn’t…Check out this Xerxes Society publication here.Tailored plant list for NEHere’s Heather’s full list for multiple regions. https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/uploads/1/3/9/1/13913231/softlandingshandout.pdfWe’ve narrowed the list down to NE here:&nbsp;WildflowersWild ColumbineWild gingerWild geraniumMay appleBloodrootShort’s asterCommon blue violetGrasses and sedgesCarex brevior&nbsp;Pennsylvania sedgeSprengel’s sedgeBottlebrush grassFernsLady fernMarginal fernMaidenhair fernAdditional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living LandscapeDouglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American EthnobotanyHeather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

Patience, Mistakes, and #gardengoalsEpisode IntroductionIn today's episode, Patience, Mistakes, and #gardengoals, we go over common mistakes beginner and even intermediate gardeners can make; the virtues of serenity, patience, and open-mindedness in the garden; and how your best-laid plans can come true.Host Stephanie BarelmanStephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.Listen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/Find us on FacebookVisit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fmGive us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraskaSupport My Work via PatreonThe Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.Episode Content#gardengoalsDon't be rigidDo have funDon't fall on the sword of perfectionismDon't worry about every little weedDo think about what your spaces to beDo be thoughtfulDo make a plan, but don't be afraid to deviate from itFailures are the star-stuff dreams are made ofYou know how we are all just leftover particles from dead stars?The very beginning of human knowledge is screwing up, or at the very least, understanding how things work. Failure= Understanding Success We can also acknowledge beautiful things unfolding from devastating realties. Waxing philosophical now...That being said there may be mistakes you'd like to avoid altogether:Mistake #1: All planning and no action. Don't plan stuff out and then not do it. Don't do that to yourself, it's not nice.Don't panic! We can help you think of ideas! https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant SocietyYou can take Monarch Gardens classes https://www.monarchgard.com/classes.htmlPrairie Moon has some layouts to get you started: https://www.prairiemoon.com/PDF/2020-Prairie-Moon-Nursery.Garden-Kit-Layout-Suggestion_WEB.pdfMistake #2: Ignoring the house front. The front of your house should be the first place you look to make a statement about natural spaces and it's likely the one you frequent the most. Just remember: Use cues to care https://www.humanegardener.com/wild-design-home-gardens/Mix up bloom times. Think: all seasonsKeep your space maintained. Weed once a month: at minimumMistake #3: Not prepping the space well before getting started.&nbsp; How to site prep: https://prairielegacyinc.com/planning-your-prairie/Think of garden shapes: https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/basic-design-principles-and-styles-garden-bedsMistake #4: Forgetting about ground covers. Sedges, baby.Popular ground covers for sun: heath aster, wild strawberry, Missouri evening primrose, silky aster, purple poppy mallow, pussytoes, purple prairie clover and more. Popular ground covers for shade include wild ginger, violets, wild geranium, zig zag goldenrod, mayapple, shade asters, Virginia waterleaf, and others. Mistake #5: Not taking sun requirements into account or planting something that likes it wet in dry soil or vice versa. Look up plant stats, but experimental skepticism is ok.Mistake #6: Not thinking of adding in paths to weed and access the garden. Paths can be stepping stones, turf grass, mulch, crushed limestone. The options are there. Just make it easy for yourself to get around. Make paths two to three feet wide.Mistake #7 Planting a ton of tall stuff by a sidewalk or path, or letting something go to seed and grow there so your paths disappear. Need a recipe for some potting soil for all the stuff you have to pot up because you psychotically can't bear to waste it??? Yeah???https://www.hortmag.com/smart-gardening/homemade-potting-mix-with-compostMistake #8 Planting several aggressive plants, when it’s more practical to control one or two. Aggressive things to keep an eye on: Root Spreaders: wild mint, silphiums, native sunflowers, prairie sage, western yarrow, obedient plant, native roses, elderberry, common milkweedProlific Seeders: hyssops, pitcher sage, tall boneset, verbena stricta, rudbeckiasWe are not saying "DO NOT USE" these plants. We are saying decide for yourself if you can handle the maintenance. Many of these are wonderful plants. You can always grow root spreaders in large containers. Mistake #9 Not planting most things in drifts.&nbsp;Drift philosophy: https://www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/fundamentals-of-natural-garden-designMistake #10 Trying to do too much all at the same time. Dream big but start small. Maintain what you finish. Impress your neighbors. Remember we want to win them over!Be patientGardens take time to be at their best. Some plants need years to even get started. Baptisia, leadplant, and shrubby St. John's wort are all plants that need years to really get going. Let yourself practice and play. Have fun and live a little!Thank you for listening!-StephanieAdditional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraskahttps://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Societynative (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)On the WebBONAP aforementionedBNPS aforementionedhttp://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on FacebookBooks &amp; AuthorsRick Darke- The Living LandscapeDouglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park". Enrique Salmon- Iwigara Daniel Moerman -Native American EthnobotanyHeather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.comNative Plants of the MidwestPlanting in a Post-Wild WorldJon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska Additional ResourcesNSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads&nbsp;Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health&nbsp;Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/Other Local OrganizationsGreen BellevuePATHNebraska Native Plant SocietyListen, rate, and subscribe!Get some merch! <a...