Environmentalists say the traditional lawn must go, but homeowners commonly love their turf. Organic lawn specialist Shay Lunseth outlines how we can “meet in the middle,” and explains why fall is the critical season for organic lawns
Back to the Future
A Natural Gardening Leader Speaks Out
Rethinking Lawns
For Peat’s Sake
Alex Critchley and
Sarah Johnson of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside describe the growing movement in Britain to ban the sale of peat and peat-based gardening products, and their organization’s efforts to preserve and restore peatlands, a key piece in the battle against global climate change
American Conservation Pioneer Evolves to Address Contemporary Challenges
Established in 1875, American Forests is a non-profit that was an enormously influential pioneer in addressing the over-exploitation and destruction of our nation’s forestlands.
Listen as Benita Hussain, chief program officer for tree equity, describes how the organization has pivoted to assisting communities across the country bolster urban forests and fight climate change in economically challenged neighborhoods.
The Coevolution Arms Race
Progress in the Battle Against Emerald Ash Borers
Making Room for Bats
A Rich Source of Native Lawn and Groundcover Plants
Carol Reese Explains Sex in the Garden
Lars Chittka and The Mind of a Bee
Creating a Meadow the Ecological, Easy Way
A Garden Icon’s Disastrous Impact on Our Native Flora
Although beloved by gardeners, earthworms are not native to the northern half of North America and can cause extreme changes in soil ecology there, with disastrous effects on native plants and animals. A recent study Dr. Jérome Mattieu of the Sorbonne and colleagues reveals routes by which 70 species of alien earthworms are spreading throughout the United States
Conversing with Plants
A Fresh Look at Garden Thugs
CowPots – Better for the Environment, Better for the Plants
Amanda Freund of the Freund Dairy Farm describes how her family’s ingenuity has transformed manure from an environmental liability into a source of renewable energy, a means of recycling waste paper and cardboard, and “Cowpots,” a horticulturally superior replacement for environmentally destructive peat pots.
Biopesticides: A Different Approach to Plant Pest Control
Foraging as an Education for Ecological Gardeners
Pinelands Nursery Leads in Adapted, Diverse Native Plant Production
Tom Knezick of Pinelands Nursery, one of the largest producers of native plants in the U.S., tells how his family’s business has mastered growing natives from locally collected seed, producing plants that are genetically diverse and regionally adapted. The nursery industry as a whole claims this is too difficult and labor intensive; Tom describes how Pinelands has succeeded.