Nature planted this wild geranium and wild bee balm and I must say, I kind of dig it. #homegrownnationalpark #nativeplants #bloomscrolling

Signs of spring! And your cue in the northeast to plant some yarrow in your yard or lawn - #nativeplants #bloomscroll #homegrownnationalpark

Spring fever! Still a foot of snow in some places but signs of green and good native plant options if you want all year greenery #bloomscrolling #greenscaping #nativeplants #homegrownnationalpark

In the 30s but lots of snow so busy planning and dreaming of spring beauties #nativeplants #mentalhealth #bloomscroll

Another weekend to while away the hours with mundane tasks like laundry- and spring dreaming! I have happy packera aurea to move - but where? And a shade garden to reimagine. Grateful for the opportunity to rest and reset #mentalhealth #shadegarden #nativeplants #bloomscroll

Anyone else dreading being stuck in the house during a winter storm with the constant news sucking? At least there’s football, bunnies and spring planting planning! #gardening #nativeplants #bloomscroll

Someone posted don’t give cats/dogs) as Xmas presents. Maybe any living, breathing being that requires love, sacrifice and care is not a present. Lucy the bunny is 12 and probably cost us a house in vet bills. We are lucky to be her hoomins. And yes she is judging us #housebunny #adoptdon’tshop

Goldenrod is so beautiful in all its phases. Still blooming in November and some beautiful fluffy seed heads. #bloomscroll #nativeplants #homegrownnationalpark

Still blooming after a frost (or two). Actually saw a tiny pollinator on the asters. If you plant, they will grow! #bloomscrolling #homegrownnationalpark #nativeplants

Why are there so many goldenrods? So bees always have a place to nap #homegrownnationalpark #bloomscroll #nativeplants

Big bee and little flower - heart-leaved aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) This beautiful flower loves shade. It’s the first plant that showed up when I started removing lawn. #nativeplants #nativepollinators #bloomscroll

Hump day bloom scroll: New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis). Feel free to put this towering beauty everywhere #bloomscroll #monarchs #nativeplants

Friday rush hour #nativeplants #nativepollinators #everyplantmatters #homegrownnationalpark

Should you plant goldenrods? Yes! And be a hero to migrating monarchs. Here’s showy goldenrod putting on a show for monarch butterflies and other pollinators #nativeplants #nativepollinators #homegrownnationalpark #mentalhealth

Hmm…what looks good for dinner? #monarchs #nativeplants #nativepollinators #reducethelawn

Mentally I am struggling. My neighbors used to be awesome but they are now using rodenticides and pesticides - fighting feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. Focusing on what I CAN DO helps. These cats appreciate the safe space #nativeplants #nativepollinators #homegrownnationalpark

I spotted this tattered great spangled fritillary feeding on tall garden phlox today. She briefly stopped on iron weed before flying off- remarkably resilient and strong in spite of the damaged wings. The tales this butterfly could tell #mentalhealth #bloomscrolling #nativeplants #nativepollinators

My favorite pollinator! They are usually out earlier- it’s been a weird season. Great Golden Digger wasps are beautiful!! Shown on that amazing powerhouse pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint) #nativeplants #nativepollinators #bloomscrolling #homegrownnationalpark

For some reason, I put lots of milkweed (three types) in my garden and yet the monarchs prefer the random ones that sprout in my lawn. I am so glad no mow 2025 continues. #nativepollinators #nativeplants

Just another day, just another bee. Chelone lyonii ‘hot lips’ or pink turtlehead getting buzz pollinated #nativeplants #nativepollinators #homegrownnationalpark

After a day in the office, here’s a video of a bee trying to squeeze into a white turtlehead (chelone glabra) bloom. #nativeplants #bloomscrolling #homegrownnationalpark

Sunday afternoon bee butt-palooza. Native white turtlehead, ‘hot lips’ turtle head, blue lobelia and obedient plant are some favorites at this time of year. #nativeplants #nativepollinators #homegrownnationalpark

There were two monarchs in my yard this morning. One breezed off but the other stayed, resting on leaves and drinking nectar from favorites Joe Pye Weed (maculatum?) and rose milkweed. Keep planting- it made a difference to this tattered beauty #monarch #nativeplants

I was having a bad day and solicitors knocked on my door. I was going to send them away but then I noticed the younger of the two couldn’t keep his eyes off the bees on shrubby St. John’s wort. No siding was purchased but a great conversation. Every plant matters and makes a difference #nativeplants

Just bloom strolling on a lovely Saturday. Love these beauties. Every plant helps #nativeplants #homegrownnationalpark

Is there anything cuter than resting bumblebees? Here is a montage of these adorable and amazing pollinators seeking refuge during this extreme heat in the northeast: blunt mountain mint, butterfly weed and swamp Milkweed #reducethelawn #nativeplants

I’m definitely a chaos gardener living by a plant Hippocratic oath-first do no harm. This means plants grow where they can and I seldom move a happy plant just to keep the yard ‘tidy’. Here’s asclepias incarnata growing by the curb being enjoyed by bumblebees. There’s always room #nativeplants

Finally the monarchs have arrived- the good kind! As always they show a strong preference for the butterfly weed I let grow in my front yard. No mow 2025 continues 😀 #nomorelawn #nativeplants #monarch

Pollinators love Pycnanthemum virginianum (slender mountain mint) - it smells great if you place it along a path. #nativeplants

When it feels hopeless, I force myself to get up and out - out to the garden. These beautiful insects using my plants fuel my soul to keep going. Early sunflower, Shrubby St John’s Wort and Pearly Everlasting with American or Painted Lady caterpillar frass. #nativeplants #mentalhealth

The diversity in form and color of Asclepius Tuberosa (aka butterfly weed) is amazing. Plants understand diversity makes them stronger #nativeplants #plantdiversity

Today my heart is broken as mama and papa catbird are no longer singing to me. I will spare the details but I’m taking a deep breath and hoping that 2025 is done punching me in the face. Just breathe. #mentalhealth #homegrownnationalpark

Today while I roamed my garden the female catbird meowed at me. She has three nestlings (there could be more but she is an expert at building concealed nests). None of my pictures are clear and I happily blame her and her beautiful distractions. #nativeplants #nativeinsects

The best thing about our native cactus is the fact that it likes it hot and dry. If you have a hellscape spot that nothing wants to live in, this might be the plant! #nativeplants #fullsungardening

Sometimes it’s hard to focus on what I can do and ignore the rest. In my city yard yesterday I saw my second eastern garter snake - just chillin’ This sight that was so common in childhood fill me with peace. #justbreathe #nativeplants #reducethelawn

It’s a buzz-y Saturday afternoon at the Virginia Rose #nativeplants #pollinators

Metallic green sweat bees are what’s up in my garden this Friday morning! Enjoying both threadleaf and lanceleaf coreopsis with a possible preference for lanceleaf (video is lanceleaf ) #nativepollinators #nativeplants #yellowgardening

Love metallic green sweat bees! They are so pretty! The evening primrose is ok too #nativeplants #pollinators

Baby bunny nest! This is why I am hand cutting my lawn #gardeningforwildlife #reducethelawn

There’s something about watching a bee roll around in a flower that makes it impossible for me not to smile #nativeplants #nativepollinators

Bloom scrolling before work: blooms in my garden right now 😀 #nativeplants #bloomscroll

The blooms of Kalmia Latifolia aka mountain laurel, a native shrub. It enjoys shade making its blooms more like beacons in the dark. #nativeplants #shadegardening

Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) is an awesome phlox - it smells amazing and loves shade. Another beautiful spring bloomer in New England. #nativeplants #shadegarden

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) is such a beautiful spring blooming, shade loving plant! #nativeplants #shadegarden

Iris cristata is such a fun little native plant and it sees a lot of small pollinators. #spring #nativeplants

Spring has definitely sprung! Cheers to a beautiful Friday eve - I think this pollinator on prunus maritima might have started celebrating a little early #spring #nativeplants

It’s spring! Don’t sleep on our native edibles as ornamental and important pollinator plants. Here’s prunus maritima (aka beach plum) blooming away on my curb. It’s a great roadside plant in the northeast (being salt tolerant) and the plums are tiny but sooo delicious! #spring #nativeplants

I started cleaning up the garden yesterday and I disturbed a baby bunny. I backed away slowly and didn’t make eye contact. Shortly thereafter she was safely lost in the garden again (this my yard but not my photo). Clean up can wait - be safe out there.

The power company came through in November (I have an easement behind me) and mowed everything to the ground. As a result, more shrubs than ever damaged by rabbits. I will focus on the positive though - I see signs of spring in all but one and am reminded that my yard is their home.

Snow in the northeast yesterday so focusing my thoughts on spring. An epiphany for me was realizing I didn’t have to have a ‘food garden’ and a ‘flower garden’. Foraging in my yard has really helped my mental health. Native cranberries, wild plums, blueberries and wild strawberries are faves!