#HabitatGardening includes stumps & logs. As trees die, they become habitat for many species of insects, fungi, lichens, and mosses. These, in turn, serve as food for animals further up the food chain, which creates habitat. For details, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/08/snag...

#AMomentinNature was stopping to admire tonight's sunset colored cloud bands. They are outer bands of tropical storm, Imelda, now off the east coast of Florida.

#AMomentinNature was seeing this American Goldfinch feasting on the seeds of a dead coneflower. For a bird-friendly yard, don’t cut dead flowers in the fall. #HappyMonday! It’s a new week & I urge you to take breaks so you can find your own “Moments in Nature” to restore sanity to your soul.

Sue Reed & I did not debate climate change when we wrote our award-winning book, "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future," instead we said, “Let’s roll up our sleeves & change our communities to be more Earth-friendly." An excerpt: www.ecolandscaping.org/05/developin...

#SundayMorning's sunflower field in South Dakota was their #MomentinNature today. Nice!

#SundaySunrise in Florida where two pine trees are playing the parts of the "Pillars of Hercules."

Roselle pie with Greek yogurt for breakfast! Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), an African native, is also known as Florida’s cranberry. I adapted an old family recipe for Nantucket cranberry pie to use roselle instead of cranberries. For the recipe: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/rose...

Even in Nature there are thorny days, but brighter days are coming when these thistle flower buds open and pollinators will feast on the nectar there. #BreatheDeep!

#Spiders are predators in a sustainably managed yard. This wickedly beautiful green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) occupied the marigolds for a couple of months while she raised her family of 100s of babies. For more photos read my article: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2016/11/spid...

It was more trouble than it should have been to get the new Covid vaccine this morning. Here in Florida, you need a prescription, so I had to call my doctor's office first. This is totally unnecessary paperwork. Our politicians are not working for us, but for special interest groups. #VoteBlue!

For so many reasons, it’s time to rethink the “perfect” lawn. We can transform our yards, our communty properties, local school yards, & more into bird & pollinator-friendly habitat. For ideas to get started, read my article, "Our Freedom Lawn.” greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/05/our-...

Water is NOT free. It takes energy to extract it, treat it with purifiers, & to pump it to our taps with enough pressure that we can take showers. So saving water preserves our water supplies & it saves energy, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. A climate-wise landscape needs no irrigation.

#ThereisNoPlanetB, so I'm a tree hugger & I work to help others learn to be tree huggers, as well. I hugged this huge eastern poplar (Populus deltoides) next to the Mississippi. Read my article for Earth-friendly actions that anyone can take: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/12/its-...

The Barred Owls (Strix varia) are frequent visitors in our yard, but we hear them more often than we see them. This one was in our back yard forest. For ideas on how to attract owls & other predators, read my "Habitat Gardening" article: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/10/habi...

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is native to Africa, but is aka Florida’s cranberry. Harvesting only started last week, because it needs the long nights to bloom. I see a Nantucket “cranberry” pie in the near future! For this recipe & more, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/rose...

#ThereisNoPlanetB, but we are not helpless. We included 100s of ideas on how to make your property more earth-friendly & included the science behind recommended actions in our award-winning book, "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future." www.climatewiselandscaping.com

If it’s autumn, it’s blooming time for forked bluecurls (Trichostema dichotomum), an annual in the mint family that bears unique bluish-purple blooms. It reseeds & I have a nice population in my blueberry patch. It’s native to eastern North American from Canada to Texas & all of Florida.

Celebrate #AutumnEquinox by doing something positive for our only planet. - Donate time & $$ to your favorite environmental organizations. - Build habitat in your yard. - Cancel your lawn service. - Grow more food. For 100s of other ideas, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/p/green-reso...

#NationalParks are America’s BEST idea! #AMomentinNature was my holding a 15-minute conversation with this attentive pair of Ravens (Corvus corax) in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah in 2022. My husband & I called the Ravens our #SpiritGuides because they watched us on every hike on this trip.

As a sustainable gardener, I provide overwintering habitat for the birds and the pollinators by leaving logs and piles of sticks in place. To some it may not look like the orderly landscapes that we see in garden magazines or on garden TV, but at least my fungi are lined up in a nice row. :-)

#AMomentinNature was capturing this palm-framed sunrise from our front yard in North Florida. I am grateful for every sunrise.

#Photosynthesis, the basis for almost all of life* on Earth, was highlighted in today's Google Doodle. Organisms including plants, animals, fungi, & others take in the sugars created through photosynthesis. The digestion of the sugars is Respiration: the equal and opposite of photosynthesis.

Shrubs are versatile plants for our landscapes, but we need to rethink using shrubs as foundation plants. Our dwarf yaupon holly shrubs looked nice in 2005, but then, like most foundation shrubs, they outgrew their space. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/06/shru...

#AMomentinNature was appreciating this celestial eye candy this morning: A crescent moon next to Venus. Sorry for the lousy phone photo.

#AMomentinNature was appreciating this glorious sunrise in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. This photo is now the background on my computer's desktop to remind me to be grateful for each sunrise. Ahhh!

In The Lorax (1972), a young boy hears about the Once-ler—a man whose greed destroyed a thriving forest to mass-produce a pointless product: the Thneed. Despite the Lorax’s warnings, 🌲 Trees fell 🌫 Skies darkened 🐻 Animals vanished. When the last tree was gone, only one word remained: "UNLESS."

This is my cousin Hilary from Pittsburg. Yesterday, we met up in Jacksonville for a memorial service for her sister. I shared a few words: "Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so make the best of the time you have here and do something positive for yourself, your family, and our only planet each day."

These "pretty-on-the-shelf" flowers in garden shops are widely promoted, because if you buy a new plants 3 or 4 times a year, they make $$. But planting more natives is better for the butterflies & birds & more sustainable in the long run. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2016/09/just...

What is the bird's-eye view of your yard and your community? Bird-friendly landscapes have less lawn, more native habitat, & will have no landscape-wide applications of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. #BuildHabitat For guidelines, read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/10/habi...

#AMomentinNature was 10 years ago on the Ochlockonee River in Wakulla County, FL. Yes, I was the photo bomber. #NatureHeals!

#PlantMoreNatives! “Fall planting” applies to sowing seeds of native wildflowers and grasses, at least here in Florida. Order seeds now from the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative for spring wildflowers. Their website also has instructions for the best results. www.floridawildflowers.com

Sand spurs are back! 6 species of sand spurs or sandburs (Cenchrus spp.) are native to Florida. While native plants are highly recommended for sustainable landscapes, these have hard & very sharp prickles that cover their seeds--I pull them up. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/10/two-...

#AMomentinNature was taking a photo of a Red-shoulder Hawk (Buteo lineatus) at sunrise, but not noticing until later that a bare pine branch looks like antlers on the bird. My title for this photo is “Hawk-a-lope!”

#AMomentinNature was the first roselle blooms of the season—it needs long nights to bloom. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is native to Africa, but it’s known as Florida’s cranberry. Unlike most crops, the edible part is the calyx, not the fruit. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/rose...

By every measure, The High Line Park in New York City has been a success. I will talk about this project & others which have redefined what beautiful gardens should look like on Nov. 5th at the University of North Florida. For more info read: beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/06/nycs...

Take a break from the news by building un-poisoned habitat in your yard. The birds & the pollinators will thank you with their presence. This way you & your family can experience more "Moments in Nature." For some ideas to get started, read this: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/10/habi...

Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) are pinkish in the sunrise light in St. Augustine, FL. They are tough dune plants with extensive root systems that can withstand being covered & uncovered with sand or saltwater. We can learn from them: put together a good support system to withstand harsh conditions.

#GrowmoreFood Fall & winter are Florida's best vegetable seasons. Pine needles are the perfect mulch between your rows. Read my most read article on my blog: "Six reasons for using pine needle mulch in vegetable gardens." greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2014/07/6-re...

#AMomentinNature was moving this Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) from the road on my walk this morning. These moths do not have mouth parts & live for only a few days. Its torn wings indicate that it’s at the end of its life cycle, but it deserves a better end than being run over by a car.

While there are differences between butterflies & moths, sustainable gardeners can attract & protect them by not using landscape-wide pesticides (including those used for "lawn-care"), planting more natives, & not using night-time lighting. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/10/habi...

#NatureHeals May we all find peace in our lives and find positive energy to accomplish good deeds for our family, friends, and our only planet.

We are part of Nature not separated from it. During trying times, getting out in Nature where you are able to appreciate it in all her glory helps to calm us. Breathe deep! The Osprey is unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish & its ability to dive into water to catch them.

We need to elect representatives with the greenest agendas & who believe the scientists to ensure better lives for our grankids. It's abhorrent that those in power are relentlessly pushing fossil fuels & are doing what they can to stop clean, renewable energy sources. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/c...

Climate change is real! With slower-moving hurricanes, more droughts, more fires, & rising sea levels. While actions we take in our yards & communities may seem insignificant, many millions of homeowners are a powerful force. Let's get started: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/12/its-...

#PlantMoreNatives The beautiful swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) blooms in the late fall & attracts pollinators & birds. It’s native from NY to TX including most of FL. It thrives at the edges of meadows in damp soil. It should be planted more often to create beautiful habitat.

Save the Date: Nov. 5th I will be doing a presentation at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. My topic will be: “Public Gardens Take a Walk on the Wild Side.” See why traditional public gardens around the world are becoming wilder to benefit both people & nature.

Doug Tallamy wrote the Foreword for our award-winning book, "Climate-Wise Landscaping: Practical Actions for a Sustainable Future." Now it’s one of the recommended books on the Home Grown National Park website: homegrownnationalpark.org/native-plant...

#PlantMoreNatives so you can host wildlife. E.g., White peacock butterfly (Anartia jatrophae), in the brush-footed butterfly family, has several larval host plants including beggarticks (Bidens alba) as shown here. Read this on building habitat: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/10/habi...

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Florida's cranberry, is in the mallow family. It's unusual b/c the main crop is the calyx & epicalyx-not the fruit. They have an acidic taste & a burgundy color, which is surprisingly similar to cranberries. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2021/11/rose...

#AMomentinNature was noticing all the activity at the center of this sunflower.