Originally presented at the NPSNJ Annual Conference on March 6 2021
This workshop covers the steps involved in creating a native plant garden: preparing the site, choosing plants, rudiments of garden design, and maintenance. It also focuses on why it’s important to plant native.
Originally aired on February 15, 2021
Presented by the Southeast Chapter of NPSNJ
Conservationists and others have led most of us to treasure older forests more than other ecosystems. Open-field habitats and young forests, however, hold significantly more biodiversity than closed-canopy forests. Those younger forests are often under-valued and less protected. Dan will sketch some of the differences in these habitats, give us an overview of the conservation issues, and discuss ways that listeners can get involved in helping to create and maintain early successional forest and “edge” habitats.
Originally presented on January 27, 2021.
Winter is a fantastic time to study woody plants. When the camouflage of leaves disappears the true silhouette of a plant is revealed. If you enjoy winter hikes and wondered what you see along the way, then join us for the basics of winter botany. Through examination of some simple keys and field guides you can learn to appreciate and identify the bark, buds, shape, and habitat characteristics of many of the local trees and woody plant species.
Originally aired on November 18, 2020
Carolyn Summers will discuss native plants, many of which are under-utilized in the landscape industry, that make excellent substitutes for over-used invasive exotics. Emphasis will be on species that work well in common garden settings, including foundation plantings, hedges, and rain gardens.
Carolyn Summers is the author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East. Most recently, her photographs grace the pages of a new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden, by friend and colleague Kim Eierman.
After completing her BSLA (Landscape Architecture) degree at CCNY, she began an atypical career with the Trust for Public Land, producing an open space report for the Harbor Herons Project that has guided preservation efforts to create an urban wildlife refuge on Staten Island. Ms. Summers continued environmental work with New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection as the agency’s first Director of Natural Resources, including implementation of a new native plants policy for all agency construction/restoration projects.
Following her work with New York City, she came to the Natural Resources Defense Council, initiating a regional project to preserve and restore wildlife habitat and public access in the New York-New Jersey Bight.
Ms Summers is currently an adjunct professor for Go Native U, a joint project of Westchester Community College’s Continuing Ed Program and The Native Plant Center (based at Westchester Community College).
She and her husband have recently opened their country home, Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve (www.flyingtrillium.com), for public tours so that designers, gardeners and homeowners will be inspired by the beauty of native plants in both garden and natural settings to create more of the same.
Contact information: , https://www.flyingtrillium.com/.
It starts off with an introduction to the NPSNJ and then proceeds to the presentation followed by Q&A.
Originally aired on November 16, 2020
Presented by the Southeast Chapter of NPSNJ
The Southeast Chapter’s final webinar of falls 2020 features one of our Chapter’s most knowledgeable advocates for native plants. Joseph Russell, owner of Summersweet Native Plants Nursery in Mays Landing, will be sharing tips on how to match particular native plants to your landscape.
Joe holds degrees in biology and natural resources and has trained in landscape design, plant propagation, plant identification, and control of invasive plants through the Ecological Gardening Certificate program at the Mt. Cuba Center. He has published papers on native plants management and state wildlife management areas.
His nursery focuses on plants native to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions.
In this presentation, Joe will explore different environmental conditions that you may have in your yard. He will focus on plant communities, eco-regions, environmental factors affecting plant growth, and plant characteristics that make some plants better suited than others for your landscape.
Included here is a very nice summary in outline form of the concepts and plants mentioned in the webinar. Also included are books and other resources. webinar summary.
Of the plants mentioned, this website has some excellent Plant Profiles & Photos on: Spicebush, Common Milkweed, Cardinal Flower, Silky Dogwood.
The recording starts off with an introduction to the NPSNJ and then procedes to the presentation and followed by Q&A.
Contact information: , https://summersweetnativeplants.com/.
originally aired on October 20, 2020
Many think of native plant gardens as wild and untended landscapes which can buck the social norms of a neighborhood with manicured lawns. Ecological garden design has techniques, that if used in a mindful way, can cross the bridge between habitat-based gardening with the more controlled urban landscape. This presentation will review new perspectives of native plant gardening and how they can be successfully incorporated into the traditional standards of the gardening community.
David Hughes is a Registered Landscape Architect and owner of Weatherwood Design LLC that specializes in native plant-based garden design, ecology and natural habitat conservation. He has worked in the green industry for 30 years designing landscapes that focus on bringing back ecological functions to the site and its surrounding community. His designs improve the pathways in which water flows through a property with rainwater harvesting techniques like rain gardens, bioswales, ephemeral pools and natural ponds.
This recording and the slides and images contained therein are copyrighted work of David Hughes. It is available to you only for your personal viewing and is not to be copied, distributed, or sold in any manner. Please be respectful that the webinar recording is the property of the owner.
It starts off with an introduction to the NPSNJ and then proceeds to the presentation.
In 2020 COVID-19 prevented us from meeting in person so we initiated a series of Webinars. We intend to continue with these and have a large library of videos, listed below. You can also follow our YouTube channel here.
