We’ve updated our wiki! It’s now identical to the reddit wiki. Both probably need more info and updating but, this is significantly better than before!

Great alternative to other non-native vines like wisteria or honeysuckle. Hoping to get some passionfruits as well this fall!

Edit: as a commenter pointed out that is in fact a carpenter bee not a bumblebee.

cross-posted from: slrpnk.net/post/40793217

Working with the support of Orkney Islands Council which maintains the verges, the NatureScot/RSPB multi-organisational Species on the Edge project, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, will create, where there was once only short cut grass, a transformation into a biodiverse environment with a range of wildflower plant species.

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“Species on the Edge is a collaboration of eight conservation organisations, working with communities across Scotland’s coasts and islands to save our rarest and most vulnerable species from extinction.”

Ok apparently Home Grown National Park has some cool resources. They have a Keystone Plant Directory that shows you an image of the plant, it’s common and technical name, and when you click on it it shows you the eco regions and more detailed information.

You can find your eco region by inputting your zip code and you can sort and filter by plant types such as trees, flowers, ground cover etc. as well as light needs, water needs, and height. I haven’t done much with it yet but, if you live in the US it seems like a decent tool to assist.

For those in the US, you can check out Home Grown National Park’s Resource Directory to see if they have lists of places to get plants in your area. It’s not an exhaustive list but, check it out.

Wild Ones Webinar

Native plants are the foundation of a healthy landscape, but plants alone are only part of the story. To truly support wildlife, we must think beyond plant lists and consider the full range of resources animals need to survive, reproduce, and thrive.

Join landscape ecologist, Certified Wildlife Biologist, and author Shaun McCoshum, PhD, for an exploration of how natural ecosystems function and how those same ecological principles can be applied in home landscapes. Drawing on more than 20 years of conservation, restoration, and research experience, Shaun will share practical, evidence-based strategies for creating habitat that works for pollinators, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife.

About the Webinar

The Ecology of Home: Creating Habitat That Works
Speaker: Shaun McCoshum, PhD
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern | 6 p.m. Central | 5 p.m. Mountain | 4 p.m. Pacific
Location: Online, join live to participate in the chat. A recording link will be shared after the premiere.
Register Here

A healthy landscape is more than a collection of plants.

Pollinators, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife depend on a range of resources that are often overlooked in conventional garden design. Bare soil may provide nesting habitat for native bees. Fallen leaves and plant stems may shelter insects through the winter. Water, dead wood, dense vegetation, and specialized soil conditions can each support different species and life stages.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in ecological restoration, habitat management, and conservation research, Shaun will explain how these pieces work together within an ecosystem. He will also share practical ways to incorporate them into residential landscapes.

Whether you care for a small suburban yard or a larger property, you will leave with a better understanding of how to create habitat that supports biodiversity throughout the year. What You’ll Learn

Participants will learn how to incorporate features such as nesting habitat, overwintering sites, shelter, water resources, and specialized soil conditions that many species require but are often overlooked in garden design. Whether you manage a small suburban yard or a larger landscape, you’ll discover simple ways to transform your outdoor space into a functioning ecosystem that supports biodiversity throughout the year.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify key habitat resources wildlife need beyond food plants.
• Understand how ecological processes shape healthy ecosystems. Incorporate nesting, shelter, overwintering, and breeding habitat into residential landscapes.
• Apply practical habitat-building strategies that complement native plantings and support greater biodiversity.

Register

Please note I’m not affiliated with Wild Ones and this is an outside of NoLawns Webinar

Hi folks. The hellstrip in front of my apartment is, well, a hellstrip for sure, it’s very sad looking with some patchy grass for dogs to pee on. Is there anything I could do to convert it into something nicer? I’ve been reading about guerilla planting but I don’t really have the physical ability to go downstairs and water it, weed it etc like a full garden with shrubs and stuff, but I could probably get my partner to throw some water on it occasionally when they come home from work.

Probably asking for a miracle here, but is there anything I can just sprinkle over the area that’ll take over and turn into something nice?

🌱 STEP 1 Support a healthy habitat. Plant native and skip sprays to create a healthy yard that supports dragonflies, birds, and bats that eat mosquitoes.

🪣 STEP 2 Make a Mosquito Bucket. Target larvae in a controlled spot before they become biting adults.

💧 STEP 3 Dump standing water. Empty containers, gutters, and saucers, anywhere stagnant water collects.

🦟 STEP 4 Treat standing water you can’t dump. Use mosquito dunks in birdbaths, rain barrels, and ponds.

🪭 STEP 5 Protect yourself when needed. Use screens, fans, repellents, and protective clothing to help reduce bites.

🏘️ STEP 6 Get your neighbors involved. Mosquito management works best when the whole community participates.

OPs original Reddit post text: ☘️TL;DR: clover is awesome. Mix with other lawn seed for sustainability and don’t ignore soil health.

Hello all! For context, I’m writing this post as a first time homeowner, permaculture newbie, and as a non-landscaping professional. This is simply my experience of trial, error, and perseverance, and wanting to share with anyone who may be in the spot I was 4 years ago.

Some background about our yard (zone 5b): previous owner was fined by the city due to noxious weeds throughout the yard. As a bandaid fix, sod was laid (likely without any soil prep). When we moved in, we discovered there was a pretty significant grub and mite infestation, and the dying sod could be pulled up like carpet.

Enter the conversion to a clover lawn.

Year 1: Establishing the clover was fairly straightforward and simply required a consistent amount of water to remain moist while germinating. We were starting from bare soil after all sod was removed. What I would’ve done differently: (1) instead of tilling, I would’ve over aerated. We tilled the compacted soil and were met with an abundance of purslane seedlings (remember the noxious weeds situation?). This meant hours of pulling purslane while the clover established. (2) I would’ve chosen a bio diverse mix of clover, grasses, and native ground cover (e.g. highcountrygardens.com/…/xeriscape-clover-lawn-se…) instead of just clover.

Results: see reference pictures!

**Years 2-3: **clover took off and came back in the spring. We had a lush, whimsical, cottage-core lawn that only needed to be mowed if we wanted to mow it for a more uniform and cohesive look. It required minimal work in terms of maintenance (low to no mowing, no fertilization required. Though beware, if you do mow, everything touching cut clover will be stained green).

Year 4 (current): here’s where hindsight comes in. Given our poor soil health, I wish I would’ve done some things to help prevent where we are now. Clover is a short lived perennial, typically lasting 2-5 years. Last year I did not reseed nor did I incorporate any soil amendments, and this year thanks to an incredibly dry winter we have a patchy lawn battling purslane again (purslane is winning).

My plan moving forward with the knowledge I have now: 2x per year (spring and fall) apply beneficial nematodes (like ones from Natures Good Guys or Arbico Organics). This will continue to decrease our lawn pest problems. In the fall (and every 1-2 years moving forward): aerate the lawn to help with our compacted soil and amend with compost. 1x per year (especially after aerating) Reseed a biodiverse mix of clover, grass, and native ground cover to prevent patchy areas when clover dies out and to choke out hiding weed seeds.

While has been a long and arduous process, I’ve learned so much and have found a love in learning about permaculture. Open to recommendations from others, and happy to answer any questions about lessons learned.

Reddit link to OC

OPs Description: Got rid of all the weeds, brambles, goose grass and so on late last year. I rotavated and raked, and picked out so many pebbles and old crocks. Then life got busy and I kept putting back the time I could sow the wildflower seeds I’d got. I sowed in May! Today the little meadow is in almost full bloom, and covered in bees and butterflies. I’m in love with this bit of the garden again :-)

June native plants news from WildOnes.org

Native plants can transform your yard into a backyard habitat – and Al Roker’s reaction on the TODAY Show says it all. “Wow. Wow. 9,000.”

That’s how many caterpillars a mama chickadee needs to raise one brood. Most American yards have zero. Not because you did anything wrong – the ornamental plants most of us grow (hostas, pachysandra, imported grasses) came from Asia and Europe. Native caterpillars can’t eat them. The chickadee flies past.

Wildr CEO Jo Hall and Chief Naturalist Murray Fisher joined Al for National Garden Week to show how native plants for birds and wildlife actually work – live on set, with live caterpillars. Big bluestem hosts 22 caterpillar species. Switchgrass hosts 15. One native oak supports 570. That’s the difference between a yard a chickadee ignores and one she nests in.

They also brought a live Cecropia moth caterpillar on set – the kind that becomes the largest flying insect in North America. All it needs is a cherry tree. Most people cut them down.

A bit of an older article but better late than never

About the Webinar

In this webinar, author and activist Lorraine Johnson gets into the how: how to talk to neighbors who don’t get it yet, how to respond to HOA complaints or bylaw challenges, and how to build support in your community for the kind of garden that actually does something for the ecosystem. With three decades of writing and advocacy behind her, Lorraine has seen these conversations play out in every direction – and she’s full of practical, grounded advice for navigating them well.

Date:  Wednesday, July 22 

Time: 7:00 PM Eastern Time / 6 PM CT / 5 PM MT / 4 PM PT

Location: Online! A link to watch will be emailed to registrants and Less Lawn More Life Challenge participants.
Join via YouTube and participate in the live community chat with Lorraine and partners from the Less Lawn More Life Challenge.

Whether you’re preparing for a formal HOA review or just want to know what to say when someone asks why your yard looks like that, this session is for you.

(I’m not affiliated with Wild Ones but one of the Reddit mods is).

Joey nailing it yet again. Landscaping industry is in shambles.

Join the Less Lawn More Life 2026 kickoff for a live conversation with Robin Wall Kimmerer to launch 12 weeks of turning your outdoor space into something wilder and more alive.

Sign up for the free challenge: lesslawnmorelife.com

(NE USA) How I feel every time I’m picking all the invasive Red Dead Nettle that’s choking out the sedges and such, lol…

I get there’s supposed to be a line between naturalized and invasive, but from where I’m standing Lamium purpureum definitely crosses that threshold. Also it doesn’t even taste good! And it spreads powdery mildew to my Monarda.

#invasiveweed #garden @nolawns@slrpnk.net #shitpost

The native plants in a region define that place. Our relationship with those plants gives us a sense of identity. How we treat those plants in turn reflects back on the way we think of ourselves. People need to stop trying to pretend that they live somewhere else. Stop trying to emulate corny Victorian to English gardens or Spanish colonial crap. You will drain your aquifers (and your financial reserves) doing so.