Bumblebee on Coneflower. Photo from pixabay.com
This article was published on May 10, 2017 on the Chabad.org website. The author is a native plant gardening expert. She stopped by the Chabad in Wilmette, IL to talk with the rabbi about protecting the environment as an act of tikkun, the Torah law that requiers Jews to repair the world, both physically and spiritually. The Chabad community embraced the idea of designing a butterfly garden on the new grounds of the Wilmette Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning. The organization decided to replace some of the lawn with native grasses, sedges and shrubs to provide critical habitat for butterflies and other pollinators. Read more about their project at the link above.
-Cory
How to Choose the Best Plants for Pollinator Gardens
By Janeen Wright on greenhousegrower.com
This article was published on May 9, 2017 on the Greenhouse Grower website. The article looks at native plant gardening from the supply side. In the USA, people are becoming aware of the benefits of gardening for pollinators, and the demand for native plant material is growing. Native plants aren't easy to find, though. In the article, one nursery owner in Illinois says,
“The demand for milkweed species and other native plants has skyrocketed, and many consumers are having a hard time finding a full selection of native species in garden centers,” says Grace Koehler, Sales Manager and Green Roof Professional at Pizzo Native Plant Nursery in Leland, IL. “Market demand is rising; the supply is stagnant.”
The author admits that growers still lack understanding of the native plant needs of bees and butterflies. While the consumers want to grow pollinator gardens, the nurseries aren't sure yet which plants are the right plants. The article also discusses the difference between natives and cultivars, but the conclusion of the article is that in order to meet the demand for native plants, the nursery industry is going to have to get educated and get then get stocked.
-Cory
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