- Joined: January 2005
- Location: pennsylvania
- Post Count: 2,560
wow! i just came back from conference and a gentleman gave a talk about the necessity of natives....how simply by growing the native plant material, the natural flow of things (that has been horribly disrupted) will have a chance to come back. for example the oak, like white oak, supports over 500 types of insects which in turn support birds and so on and so on. .....with the massive planting of what he considers alien species, the insects will not eat the plant material and in so doing create a down fall of species. some to extinction. the birds and plants and even some animals on the list of endangered species are due to this very fact. it was fascinating. it has really rocked how i have thought about landscaping and the plant material used.
"It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living....or get busy dying."......The Shawshank Redemption.
- Joined: February 2006
- Location: Western Australia (southern)
- Post Count: 4,773
We are all very conscious of growing native plants here. Apart from anything
else, they tend to need less water - although most of them
welcome it at times. The problem with this was that until a few years ago we
were encouraged to grow native plants that soon became leggy and frankly ugly,
and it is only now that a better selection is suggested.
Birds love the bottlebrushes and callistemons and welcome little native bushes to
hide in, away from predators. Since my garden was demolished, I have
definitely noticed sun and hot winds from the desert are able to raise the
temperature quite noticeably.
Western Australia (Temperate or "Mediterranean" Climate).
Plant Hardiness Zone: 10 Plus
The Earth Laughs in Flowers- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Joined: September 2003
- Location: michigan
- Post Count: 3,417
On a geologic scale we are in the middle of the largest mass extinction period in the history of earth, even larger than the wipe out of the dinosaurs. I think if we can do anything at all, even as small as planting native plants instead of exotics its a good thing.
there is a principle, which is a bar, against all information. which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. that principle is, contempt prior to investigation. -herbert spencer
- Joined: September 2004
- Location: Altoona, Pa.
- Post Count: 9,818
That`s very interesting, Lynette. I wonder if this is what happened to the praying-mantis and the walking stick. We used to have loads of them down at the cottage, but anymore I only see them occasionally. I would`ve liked to have sit in on that conference!
http://www.blossomswap.com/images/sneezie.jpg
"May all your weeds be wildflowers..........Free weeds pick your own!"
SHARON zones 5+6
- Joined: August 2007
- Location: Australia
- Post Count: 286
It's all very true. Since I've planted my little rainforest down the back of my place and planted a lot of native trees and shrubs the local fauna and insects have come back to my yard in droves........I wish they'd learn to share though!
The marvellous thing about a joke with a double meaning is that it can only mean one thing......
- Joined: January 2005
- Location: pennsylvania
- Post Count: 2,560
what a little cutie! what is it?
"It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living....or get busy dying."......The Shawshank Redemption.
- Joined: August 2007
- Location: Australia
- Post Count: 286
It's a female possum who's already teaching her baby bad habits lol
The marvellous thing about a joke with a double meaning is that it can only mean one thing......
