Native Plant Spotlight

In order to help bees, butterflies, and other insects continue to visit our gardens, gardeners need to end the habit of cleaning up their gardens during the fall and early spring. Bagging leaves and cutting back stems kills many of the life forms we enjoy so much during the summer months.

During the fall, so many gardeners are seduced by the late blooms of mums and plant them to beautify their gardens. But there is something better you could be using to give your garden not only color, but make it more eco-friendly by providing food for pollinators.

This perennial provides food for the more than 180 species of caterpillars in North America and supports many varieties of native bees who would not survive without it. Goldenrod is especially important in the fall when it provides food for insects at a time when fewer flowers are in bloom.

As you stroll past the notice board towards the Knippenberg Center in August, a wonderful fragrance permeates the air. You might look around and wonder where it’s coming from or whether you are just imagining it.