Greetings!
Happy New Year. It has been a cold and snowy winter but spring is just around the corner. Lets talk plants.
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| Plant Communities
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 | | Prairie Garden |
A group of plants that grow together is known as a plant community. Plants in a community will all tolerate the same temperatures, the same soil, the same light and the same climate conditions.
Communities are always changing. As plants mature and grow some will shade others out, changing the light conditions. Plants die and add organic matter to the soil. Some plants absorb a lot of water and change the amount of soil moisture available to neighboring plants. People affect plant communities by planting or removing different species of plants. The plants you have growing on your property will determine what animals can use for shelter or food. Think of your land as a habitat; when you do this you realize how important plants are. Lawn and non-native plants provide little or no habitat for native insects. Native insects are what feed birds and other small animals. It may seem like a small thing but more plants that attract the right kind of insects can make a big difference in your garden.
As you travel around make note of what plants are going in on neighboring properties. Take a look at plants in local woodlots and fields. If norway maple, honeysuckle, buckthorn and autumn olive, garlic mustard and other invasive species are the norm then insect populations may be affected. Besides controlling these plants, planting natives can help.
Native plant communities are complex. As we loose native, indigenous plantings to building, farming, and crowding by invasive species it is important to remember what we plant becomes part of the community. Make your garden friendlier to native insects and make a big impact by planting native plants.
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 | Blue-stemmed Goldenrod
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 | | Blue-stemmed Goldenrod |
Blue-stemmed Goldenrod is a great plant for the fall woodland garden. It really brightens up the fall garden. The plant has thin, bright green lanceolate leaves. The stems are tinged a purplish blue as they age. The bright golden flowers are clustered along the stem in late summer into the fall.
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