Climate Challenges

 Shading the Earth is Important

Trees are key players in moderating the global climate. They reduce surface temperature by capturing the energy in sunlight and converting it to growth of biomass rather than heat. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their woody tissue and in return, give us oxygen to breathe. They capture rainwater and help it absorb into the soil, reducing flooding. Native trees are biodiversity magnets because they host a variety of fauna in their canopy, bark, and roots. For these reasons, we should all look for opportunities to plant trees and create more shade in our urban, commercial, and suburban landscapes. Shared with permission. To read the full article visit:

https://wildseedproject.net/blog/in-the-shade-gardening-with-native-plants-from-the-woodland-understory

Climate Smart Landscaping

To curb the consequences of climate change, the primary goal for landscaping is to increase plant density. However, to create ‘Climate Smart Landscapes’ we (should/must) choose native plants that will support a host of ecological services. Doug Tallamy, on his Homegrown National Park website lists four goals that will best meet the many challenges our planet is facing with global warming:

Four Landscape Ecological Goals

1.     They must support a diverse community of pollinators throughout the growing season.

2.     They must provide energy for the local food web.

3.     They must manage the watershed in which they lie.

4.     They must remove carbon from the atmosphere where it is wreaking havoc on the earth’s climate.

How do we increase plant density using native plants?

One way to pack more plants into smaller spaces is to plant in layers. (add link to layered doc) A layered landscape takes advantage of both the vertical and horizontal spaces under tree canopies. Our linked designs were developed with the goal of creating tree islands and borders using native plants that can be readily found at local garden centers.

Additional Title??

Garden Centers that carry or can order
native trees & shrubs: