Environmentalism and Social Justice
Helen Keller believed that a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass was more welcoming than the most luxurious Persian rug. Her sensate world came alive in nature. The truth is, we all become more enlivened in a natural landscape. One way to bring nature closer is to plant a woodland garden. Woodland gardens …
Native Gardens A garden filled with native plants is the antithesis of the suburban lawn. Turf needs loads of chemicals, but natives grow with minimal intervention. Insects are the enemy of suburban lawns. Native plants welcome biodiversity and create shelter and food for our animal friends. Uniform green grass relies on costly (and wasteful) sprinkler …
The biggest challenge when gardening on the East Coast is making sure your plant friends can withstand everything from humid summers, to hard freezes, to late frosts. This is not a climate where tropical plants, cacti, or succulents grow with abandon. Forget Pinterest pages that feature gardens that are “hands-off” or plants that “survive anything.” …
Native plants provide a valuable resource to local pollinators, benefit the local ecosystem, and produce gorgeous blooms that make the garden shine. If you would like to see more bees, butterflies, and birds in the garden, plant for them, and you will be rewarded. Why a Native Garden? Besides providing food to the local wildlife, …
Different types of flora encourage healthy, diverse ecosystems that surround us. They are essential to the well-being of humans and other animals. Plants are smart —- they have evolved in their domains and environments for millions of years and are fantastic at what they do. However, not all plant species are created equal. Sometimes, either …
Using native plants for your garden is an ideal way to reduce maintenance and to be eco-friendly. Native plants, which grow wild in your climate, require minimal care, use few natural resources and provide food (and sometimes shelter) for pollinators. Some people may perceive that weeds can be cultivated and used in native plant gardening …
With the continuous changes in climatic conditions, all living organisms undergo adaptive processes to survive in their natural ecosystem. However, other organisms find it easy to migrate to a new ecosystem, which may favor their survival [1]. Invasive species can be termed organisms that cause both economic and ecological harm/effects in their new environment. As …
The tree-of-heaven, scientifically known as Ailanthus altissima, is a deciduous tree whose origin is northeast and central China and Taiwan (Jackson and Gover). The tree of heaven, sometimes going by the name ailanthus, is believed to get its way into the United States in Pennsylvania in 1784. Since then, it has spread increasingly in Pennsylvanian …
Characteristics, Effects, and Controls The Japanese Knotweed invasive species, scientifically known as Fallopia japonica, is an Asian plant with a reputable ethnobotanical value among the Japanese. However, outside Asia, F. japonica is an invasive plant that ranks among the 100 worst invasive species as per IUCN. Bashtanova et al. describe the plant as a perennial …
The United States has since the 1960s worked hard and made significant progress in environmental protection. Before the 1990s, the state and the federal government have concentrated on weed control with pesticides. More importantly, better management methods were adopted after chemical methods were found to endanger human health and the environment [1]. After the 1990s …