Share the joy      Google “pollinator plants,” and you’re likely to get a list that looks something like this:AgastacheAlliumBasilBeebalmBorageButterfly bushCatmintEchinaceaLantanaLavenderLiatrisLobeliaMilkweedOreganoRussian sageSalviaVerbenaZinnia Grow these plants, and you’re likely to see a lot of pollinator action. Look a little closer, though, and you may notice this pollinator garden isn’t all that it could be. First of all, these plants will attract a preponderance of… Read more →

Share the joy      Can humans and paper wasps live together in peace? Two years ago, a couple of paper wasp nests appeared under the roof of my covered patio, and I decided to leave them there and see we could coexist. This is the European paper wasp, Polistes dominula. It looks a lot like a yellowjacket, but with a narrower body… Read more →

Share the joy      When I began making my garden more wildlife-friendly a couple years ago, I never dreamt that wasps would be among my favorite visitors. I have since gotten a glimpse of the fantastic diversity of wasps that will appear when welcomed into the garden, and I’ve begun to appreciate how beautiful, interesting, and charming they can be. One endearing… Read more →

Share the joy       It’s mid-May, and I’m working in my garden when I hear voices coming from the direction of my neighbor’s apple tree. Peeking over the fence, I see two men with saws and pole pruners. I feel a flutter of apprehension. I’ve seen the carnage that untrained tree trimmers can inflict on a tree, and the lack of… Read more →