Now that we know what a wildscape is, the question arises: why should we wildscape? That is, is there really good reason to change our landscaping habits?
This is a legitimate question that deserves a thorough answer (thus, the longer post!). Although my answer focuses on pollinators, much of what I say applies to insects generally, and thus to the wildlife that depends on them.
Read MoreWelcome to St. Julian’s Crossing Wildlife Habitat! Because some may not be familiar with the type of gardening I do, I thought that a short series explaining this gardening would be helpful. This is the first post in that series.
Read MoreThis is one of the most beautiful, resilient, low-maintenance, and pollinator-attracting prairie plants in our gardens. It is a composite flower, meaning that the flower’s center is actually comprised of many tiny flowers. Consequently, an insect can feed on the multiple nectar rewards from a single flower—kind of like shopping at a mall, rather than a freestanding store! The flower heads are also broad enough to support larger pollinators, like Monarch and Gulf Fritillary butterflies. Blanketflower is one of the most widely used nectar and pollen sources in our garden.
Read MoreI love Triepeolus bees! First, I find them adorable: at least some of the Triepeolus species have markings like a smiley face on their dorsal thorax (the body segment behind the head). Now how cute is that?
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