Eileen M. Stark's Blog, page 4

Gardeners Can Help Combat Climate Change

The man with a pained expression said that he was worried about the birds. And all I could do was nod. During the Q&A following a presentation I recently gave in Portland, many attendees expressed concern about climate change. One mentioned the change in hardiness zones, while another mentioned driving north into Washington State and […]

Flip the Switch to Save the Dark!

If you live in or near a city, chances are you won’t see many twinkling little stars at night because light pollution—the fastest growing form of human-caused pollution—is making the night sky glow brighter each year. In fact, night skies across nearly half of the U.S. are polluted by artificial light. Excessive, poorly designed lighting […]

Pacific Northwest Native Plant Profile: Fairy bells (Prosartes spp.)

When you notice the enchanting, pendant springtime flowers of fairy bells, you can almost imagine a tiny fairy jingling their corollas to create a magical sound that only she can hear. An excellent choice for moist woodland gardens or shaded perennial beds, fairybells’ genus is a member of the lily family. It had previously been classified within the Asian genus […]

Pacific Northwest Native Plant Profile: Fairybells (Prosartes spp.)

When you notice the enchanting, pendant springtime flowers of fairybells, you can almost imagine a tiny fairy jingling their corollas to create a magical sound that only she can hear. An excellent choice for moist woodland gardens or shaded perennial beds, fairybells’ genus is a member of the lily family. It had previously been classified within the Asian genus Disporum, […]

The Best Mulch is Green

In an intact ecosystem, nature protects bare soil with native plants (or decaying plant matter) that offer a protective umbrella aboveground and keep soil in place with their roots. In disturbed areas, nature can’t count on the indigenous plants that fell under the plow 200 years ago or that were destroyed more recently, so it works with what’s left: Weedy plants brought in, intentionally […]

Ten New Year’s Resolutions For Your Eco-Garden

Conjuring up some New Year’s resolutions? Don’t forget about your yard and the ecosystem of which we are a part. Promise to do something positive in your yard this coming year to help dwindling wild species whose habitats have been—and continue to be—ravaged. You certainly don’t need to replace every plant in your yard or […]

Ten New Year’s Resolutions For Your Garden

Conjuring up some New Year’s resolutions? Don’t forget about your yard and the ecosystem of which we are a part. Promise to do something positive in your yard this coming year to help dwindling wild species whose habitats have been—and continue to be—ravaged. You certainly don’t need to replace every plant in your yard or […]

Pacific Northwest Plant Profile: Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

Though it looks exotic, Pacific madrone—a beautiful broadleaf evergreen tree with a captivating and distinctive presence that transforms with the seasons—is endemic to the Pacific coast. Its exquisite characteristics of fragrant flower clusters, brilliant berries, glossy leaves, twisting branches, rounded crown, and rich cinnamon-red bark that peels from a satin-smooth trunk, please all of our senses. And for the wild ones […]

Take Care During Fall (and Spring) Garden “Clean-ups”

The last of the warm, dry fall days are upon us and it seems like a great time to be puttering around the garden. But this time of year is actually not a good time to be “cleaning up”—that is, removing fallen leaves and woody debris from bare soil, pruning standing plants, and making your yard […]

Take Care During Fall (and Spring) “Clean-ups”

The last of the warm, dry fall days are upon us and it seems like a great time to be puttering around the garden. But this time of year is actually not a good time to be cleaning up—that is, removing fallen leaves and woody debris from bare soil, pruning standing plants, and making your yard […]