I don’t think I’ve ever spotted a peacock butterfly in our garden before, but they are very welcome!

(This was one of a pair who were fluttering about and sunbathing in our mostly wild flower patch)

#butterfly #wildgarden #GardeningForWildlife #PeacockButterfly

Save the date! May 27th! #PortlandME - Making #Habitat at Home

Rines Auditorium, #PortlandPublicLibrary
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
5:30pm–7:00pm
Free. Adults 19+.

"This presentation will describe the fundamentals of making habitat at home with #NativePlants. As #ExtremeWeather becomes more common, our spaces can serve as a vital habitat and climate refuge for #wildlife, providing much-needed relief from #HeatWaves, desiccating winds, and heavy downpours.

"#TylerRefsland, Manager of Applied Ecology at the Wild Seed Project (#WSP), has an extensive background in plant ecology, forest restoration, and climate change. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied how land management practices affect the drought resilience and carbon storing capacity of oak-hickory woodlands. Prior to his role at WSP, Tyler was a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University, working in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service and Wisconsin DNR to develop seed collection and planting strategies to promote climate resilient forests in the Great Lakes region. He lives in Portland with his partner, their two children, and dog Harriet

"Portland’s Sustainability Series is co-hosted by the Portland Public Library and #MomentumConservation, and is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank. The Portland Sustainability Series presents speakers who share aspects of the work needed to make Maine and our environment more sustainable. Please join us as we engage in these important topics and conversations!"

FMI:
https://portlandme.librarycalendar.com/event/sustainability-series-draft-7986

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #GardeningForWildlife #GardeningWithNativePlants #ClimateChange

Virtual Event - #NewEngland - Which #NativePlants Help #Wildlife? The Science Behind Informed Plant Selection

Thu Mar 12, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM EDT

"You’re ready to plant more native species in your garden to support wildlife. As you start to plan, you might have a few questions. Which plant species make the biggest difference? Does it matter if a plant is a cultivar? How important is local ecotype? Which plant traits attract which #pollinator?

In this talk, Desirée L. Narango, Ph.D., from the #Vermont Center for #Ecostudies, will share research that evaluates how different native plant species and characteristics influence interactions with pollinators and songbirds. Drawing from her research and that of other experts in the field, she will explore what we know (and still don’t know) about common questions in #EcologicalGardening. The talk will also highlight ways you can contribute data through community science and help improve the information available for wildlife-friendly planting decisions.

This event is co-hosted by #WildSeedProject and #MOFGA. The webinar will be recorded, and a recording will be shared with registrants within a few days of the event taking place.

Registration info: This event’s sliding scale registration is designed to keep the class as accessible as possible while also covering MOFGA’s and Wild Seed Project's costs. Recommended price for non-members is $15; recommended price for members is $10.

Scholarship funds are available to community members in order to increase program accessibility, and participants in MOFGA’s Journeyperson program are welcome to register at no-cost. You’re welcome to use the fund by checking “Scholarship/JP” at checkout. For any questions about scholarship funds, please email [email protected]."

To register:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/testorg8/2045541?trackingConsent=1

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForWildlife #NativePlantSpecies #NativePlantWorkshops

#GardeningForWildlife Habitat

#PrinceMemorialLibrary
Mar 29, 2023

"Explore #gardening and #landscaping with an eye toward creating and maintaining habitat for local #wildlife. Speaker: #AaronParker, Edgewood Nursery in Falmouth, Maine.

A #LawnsGoneWild series event. This presentation was recorded at Prince Memorial Library and was offered in partnership with the Town of Cumberland's Sustainability Committee and Chebeague and Cumberland #LandTrust."

https://youtu.be/cJnmS3fPPlA?si=MXlkTMdPOXL4frIg

#SolarPunkSunday #Gardening
#MaineGardens
#WildlifeCorridors #ChebagueLandTrust #CumberlandLandTrust #LibrariesRule #GardeningForWildlife #WildlifeCorridors #WildlifeHabitats #RewildYourGarden

Garden For Wildlife via @wellingboroughecogroup

Gardening for wildlife is probably the easiest way to garden, and is possibly the best thing that you can do for animals. It’s also something that we can all do in our gardens, and if you have one, in our allotments too.

Excerpt: "Making our gardens wildlife friendly doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to leave them to grow into wild jungles. Every space, whether it’s a huge estate or a busy family garden, can give a home to nature.

"There are lots of simple things we can do to help the animals we share a space with, from making sure that they have access to different habitats, to nurturing well stocked feeding grounds for them. With a little imagination, it’s easy to create a recipe in your garden that works for wildlife.

"Imagine that your garden is a hotel and that it has to offer:

- A friendly welcome for all creatures.
- A pool
- A Nectar Bar open all year round
- A Restaurant where all diets are catered for
- Is open to non residents
- Accommodates short breaks and long stay
- There’s no booking required.

"To create your garden hotel, the traditional recipe for gardening for wildlife needs a few more ingredients. The essentials to bear in mind are the same essentials that we all need; somewhere to live and something to eat and drink; but the secret to success is to consider what needs wildlife has and how to fulfill them."

Learn more:
https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/how-to/garden-for-wildlife/

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForWildlife #Wildlife #RewildYourGarden #GardenHotels #Nature #WildlifeCorridors #Gardening #GardeningForPollinators

Follow the recommendations in this article to create a pollinator garden friendly to bees, butterflies, and many other insects vital to the survival of plants.”

🔗 http://www.post-gazette.com/life/garden/2017/01/27/Help-for-the-honeybees/stories/201701290039

Hashtags:
#PollinatorGarden #SaveTheBees #ButterflyHabitat #EcoGardening #NativePlants #Biodiversity #SustainableLiving #BeeFriendly #NatureConservation #GardeningForWildlife

Moving some #WildStrawberries to a shadier spot (next to a small patch of raspberries). I'll be moving mint and sweet woodruff to the spot as well. Reclaiming the spot from an old woodpile and some invasive vines!

The Strawberry Variety That Can Grow In Your Shady Backyard

By Kate Nicholson, May 6, 2024

"The moniker "wild strawberry," sometimes also "alpine strawberry" or "wood strawberry," encompasses a bunch of varieties. Fragraria virginiana and Fragraria vesca are the most commonly available and are native to the continental United States, as is the less frequently grown beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis). Popular Fragraria vesca cultivars include Alexandra (also "Alexandria"), Semperflorens, Alpine, Baron Solemacher, and Ruegen, and there's also a French-developed wild strawberry called Fragaria Mara des Bois. No matter the cultivar, you can expect to see small, soft, bright pink, deep red, or cream-hued berries between May and July. Sometimes, if you're lucky and conditions are right, they fruit again in the fall! In the wild, these plants grow almost anywhere, from dry sites to damp, full sun to shade, usually at the border of forests or in clearings and meadows."

Read more:
https://www.housedigest.com/1575108/alpine-alexandria-strawberry-variety-grow-shady-backyard/

#Gardening #GardeningForWildlife #MiniFoodForest #FoodForest #BackyardGardening #ShadeGardening #SolarPunkSunday