Build a Pollinator Paradise

 

There was a time when every country lane, hayfield, and cottage garden hummed with life. Honeybees drifted lazily from blossom to blossom, butterflies floated through the summer air, and native bees disappeared into flowers before most people even noticed they were there. Today, many of those familiar visitors are less common, but every gardener has an opportunity to help.

The good news is that creating a pollinator paradise doesn't require acres of land or an elaborate landscape design. A sunny flower bed, a few containers on the porch, or even a small corner of the yard can become an oasis for the creatures that keep our gardens—and much of our food supply—growing.

Why Pollinators Matter

Nearly every gardener owes a debt of gratitude to pollinators. Bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, and even certain flies transfer pollen from flower to flower, making it possible for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and many ornamental plants to produce seeds and fruit.

Without these industrious visitors, tomato vines would set fewer tomatoes, squash plants would produce fewer squash, apple trees would bear smaller harvests, and countless wildflowers would gradually disappear.

A garden filled with pollinators is usually healthier, more productive, and far more interesting to spend time in.

Plant Flowers From Spring Through Fall

One of the greatest gifts you can give pollinators is a continuous supply of nectar and pollen.

Rather than having one spectacular flush of bloom followed by months of little color, choose plants that flower in succession throughout the growing season.

Early spring might feature:

• Columbine
• Salvia
• Penstemon
• Native phlox

Summer favorites include:

• Coneflowers
• Black-eyed Susans
• Bee balm
• Blanket flower
• Lavender
• Zinnias

Late-season bloomers become especially valuable as insects prepare for winter:

• Goldenrod
• Asters
• Joe-Pye weed
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

The result is a garden that remains colorful while providing dependable food for beneficial insects for months.

Plant in Groups

A single flower tucked here and there is difficult for pollinators to notice. Large drifts or clusters of the same plant create a colorful beacon visible from much farther away.

Instead of planting one coneflower between unrelated shrubs, consider planting seven or nine together. The visual impact is greater, maintenance becomes easier, and pollinators are far more likely to visit.

Nature often plants this way. We simply imitate her.

Include Native Plants

Native flowers evolved alongside native insects over thousands of years. Many specialist bees depend upon particular native plants to complete their life cycles.

That doesn't mean your garden must consist entirely of native species. Traditional cottage garden favorites, herbs, annuals, and flowering shrubs all have their place.

A balanced garden often combines the beauty of old-fashioned ornamentals with the ecological value of native plants.

Add Herbs

Some of the finest pollinator plants are already growing in kitchen gardens.

Allow a few herbs to flower rather than harvesting every stem.

Excellent choices include:

• Thyme
• Oregano
• Basil
• Mint
• Chives
• Dill
• Fennel

These flowers become magnets for bees and beneficial insects while adding fragrance and texture to the garden.

Avoid Broad-Spectrum Insecticides

Many insecticides don't distinguish between harmful insects and beneficial ones.

If treatment becomes necessary, use targeted products, apply them only when needed, and avoid spraying flowers while pollinators are actively feeding. Evening applications, after bees have returned to their nests, are generally less disruptive than spraying during the middle of the day.

Integrated pest management—combining healthy plants, careful observation, beneficial insects, and selective treatments—often produces better long-term results than routine spraying.

Provide Water

Pollinators need fresh water just as birds do.

A shallow dish filled with pebbles or small stones gives bees and butterflies a safe place to land while they drink. Refresh the water regularly to keep it clean and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Even this simple addition can greatly increase activity around your garden.

Leave a Little Wildness

Perfectly tidy gardens aren't always the most welcoming to wildlife.

Many native bees nest in bare patches of soil. Hollow stems provide winter shelter for beneficial insects. Fallen leaves protect butterflies and other overwintering species.

You don't have to abandon neatness altogether. Simply allow one quiet corner of the landscape to remain a little less manicured. Nature often rewards that small act of restraint.

Think Beyond Flowers

Pollinator gardens are beautiful because they become living communities.

Birds arrive to feed their young. Butterflies lay eggs that become caterpillars. Dragonflies patrol the air. Lady beetles help control aphids. Hummingbirds dart between blossoms like tiny emerald jewels.

Soon the garden becomes more than a collection of plants. It becomes a place where life flourishes.

The Garden Comes Alive

Building a pollinator paradise isn't about chasing perfection. It's about creating abundance.

Every flower planted, every herb allowed to bloom, every shallow water dish, and every patch of native wildflowers becomes an invitation to life. Before long, the quiet garden begins to hum again with bees, flutter with butterflies, and sparkle with hummingbirds.

In helping these remarkable creatures, we also enrich our own gardens. Their presence reminds us that the finest landscapes are not merely admired—they are alive.

Whether you have a sprawling country garden or a handful of pots on a sunny porch, you can help restore that ancient partnership between flowers and pollinators. One blossom at a time, your garden can become a refuge where great gardens—and thriving ecosystems—begin.

Return to GoGardenNow.com. Where Great Gardens Begin.

Planting Thyme from Seed: A Steady Herb for the Faithful Garden

  

Thyme does not clamor for attention. It hugs the soil, keeps its fragrance close, and asks only for sun and decent drainage. Yet from that modest posture comes one of the most dependable herbs a gardener can grow.

It has flavored kitchens and medicinal cabinets for centuries. It has crept between stepping stones and softened hard edges in formal gardens. And once established, it stays put like an old friend who knows his place.

If you want something showy, plant dahlias. If you want something faithful, plant thyme.

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Choosing the Right Thyme

Most gardeners begin with Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), the classic culinary variety. But there are others — lemon thyme, creeping thyme, woolly thyme — each with its own habit and use.

For cooking, stick with Thymus vulgaris. For groundcover between stones, creeping types serve well. The principles of growing from seed are largely the same.

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Starting Thyme from Seed

Thyme seeds are small. Very small. Treat them accordingly.

When to Start

• Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost

• Soil temperature: 65–75°F

• Germination: 14–21 days (patience required)

How to Sow

• Use a fine, well-draining seed-starting mix

• Press seeds lightly onto the surface

• Do not bury deeply — they require light to germinate

• Mist gently to avoid displacing them

Keep soil lightly moist but never soggy. Excess moisture is thyme’s enemy from the beginning.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual pots. Harden off before planting outdoors.

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Planting Outdoors

Wait until danger of frost has passed.

Thyme demands:

• Full sun (at least 6–8 hours daily)

• Excellent drainage

• Slightly alkaline to neutral soil (pH 6.5–8.0)

If your soil is heavy clay, amend generously with sand or gravel. Raised beds work beautifully. In fact, thyme thrives where other plants sulk.

Space plants 12–18 inches apart. They will fill in gradually.

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Watering and Feeding

Here is where many gardeners err.

Thyme prefers lean conditions. Overwatering and overfeeding produce floppy growth and weaker flavor.

• Water sparingly once established

• Allow soil to dry between waterings

• Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizers

If you must fertilize, do so lightly in early spring with compost.

Remember: herbs grown a little “hard” develop stronger essential oils. Comfort makes them soft.

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Pruning and Maintenance

• Pinch tips regularly to encourage bushy growth

• Harvest often once established

• Trim back lightly after flowering

In colder climates (Zones 5–6), mulch lightly for winter protection. In warmer regions, thyme often behaves as a small woody perennial shrub.

After 3–4 years, plants may become woody. Replace or divide to keep them vigorous.

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Growing Thyme in Containers

Thyme excels in pots:

• Use a gritty potting mix

• Ensure drainage holes

• Avoid overwatering

A clay or terracotta pot suits it well — dry roots, warm soil, full sun.

Placed near the kitchen door, it saves steps and elevates supper.

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Harvesting

Harvest once plants reach 6 inches tall.

• Cut sprigs in the morning after dew dries

• Avoid cutting more than one-third of the plant at a time

Thyme dries beautifully. Hang small bundles in a well-ventilated area, then strip leaves for storage.

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Why Grow Thyme?

• Drought tolerant

• Deer resistant

• Pollinator friendly

• Long-lived perennial

• Intensely aromatic and useful

It is the herb of stone paths and iron kettles. It belongs in old gardens and modern ones alike.

And once you have it established, you will wonder why you ever went without.

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Ready to Sow?

If you’re planning your herb garden this season, start with quality seed. Strong beginnings matter — even for humble plants.

Explore the selection of thyme seeds and plants at GoGardenNow.com, and plant an herb that will serve your kitchen and your garden faithfully for years to come.

Sow it once. Harvest it often.

Native Wildflower Seeds — Let the Land Remember Itself

 

There is a curious modern habit: we import plants from the ends of the earth, pamper them like porcelain, then wonder why they faint in July. Meanwhile, the plants that actually belong here — the ones that watched bison, burned with lightning fires, and survived Southern summers long before sprinklers were invented — are dismissed as “weeds.”

A native wildflower meadow is not landscaping in the suburban sense.
It is restoration. It is also, quite frankly, easier.

You are not forcing nature to behave. You are giving it permission.

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Why Plant Native Wildflowers?

1. They thrive where you live

Native plants evolved in your exact rainfall pattern, soil chemistry, and heat. Humidity does not alarm them. Clay soil does not offend them. A dry August is not a crisis — it is Tuesday.

They grow deeper roots than turfgrass — often 6 to 15 feet deep. That means:

• far less watering

• almost no fertilizing

• better drought survival

• improved soil structure

Your lawn survives by irrigation.
A native meadow survives by memory.

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2. They feed what the modern landscape starves

Butterflies, native bees, moths, and songbirds cannot live on ornamental imports. Many insects are host-specific. Monarch caterpillars, for example, can eat only milkweed. No milkweed — no monarchs. It’s that blunt.

A wildflower patch quickly becomes:

• pollinator habitat

• bird feeding ground

• beneficial insect nursery

• natural pest control

You will see goldfinches, swallowtails, skippers, bumblebees, and predatory wasps that quietly eliminate garden pests better than any chemical ever bottled.

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3. They are beautiful in the old sense

Not the rigid beauty of trimmed hedges and clipped spheres.

Native meadows are seasonal beauty — waves of bloom:

• spring: coreopsis and gaillardia

• early summer: blanketflower, lanceleaf tickseed

• high summer: black-eyed Susan, bee balm, coneflower

• fall: goldenrod and native asters — the grand finale

A lawn is a green carpet.
A meadow is a calendar.

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When to Sow Native Wildflower Seeds

Best Time: Fall (October–December in the Southeast and Deep South)

Here is the secret many seed packets never explain:

Most native wildflowers require winter.

They need cold and moisture — a natural process called stratification. If you sow in fall, nature performs the germination preparation for you. Spring planting works, but germination is often slower and patchier.

Think of fall sowing not as planting — but as setting the clock.

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Site Selection

Choose a place with:

• full sun (6–8+ hours daily)

• open soil

• minimal tree roots

Avoid rich garden beds. Wildflowers prefer lean soil. Fertile soil grows grass — and grass is their primary enemy.

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Soil Preparation (This Is the Most Important Step)

Wildflowers fail not because of bad seed, but because of competition.

You are not planting flowers.
You are removing lawn dominance.

Do this:

1. Kill existing grass and weeds

   • Smother with cardboard for 4–6 weeks

   • or solarize with clear plastic

   • or carefully strip sod

2. Loosen the top 1–2 inches of soil

3. Do not till deeply (you will wake a thousand weed seeds)

You want bare earth — not fluffy garden soil.

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How to Sow Native Wildflower Seeds

Wildflower seed is tiny — almost dustlike — and people bury it too deep. That is the chief mistake.

Steps:

1. Mix seed with sand (1 part seed to 10 parts sand)

2. Broadcast evenly by hand

3. Walk the area twice in different directions

4. Press seed into soil (step on it or roll it)

5. Do NOT cover with soil

Seeds need sunlight to germinate.
If you can’t see them, you planted them correctly.

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Watering

After sowing:

• Keep soil lightly moist for 2–3 weeks if rain is absent

After establishment:

• watering becomes largely unnecessary

By the second year, native meadows typically require no irrigation except in extreme drought.

Deep roots change everything.

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Fertilizing (Almost Never)

This surprises people:

Do not fertilize native wildflowers.

Fertilizer feeds grass and weeds far more than prairie flowers.
Rich soil creates tall floppy growth and fewer blooms.

Native plants are adapted to poor soil. Leave them hungry — they will reward you with flowers.

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Mowing — Yes, Mowing

A meadow is not abandonment. It is management.

First Year

Mow to 6–8 inches whenever growth reaches 12–15 inches.
This suppresses weeds while young wildflowers establish roots.

After Establishment (Year Two and Beyond)

Mow once annually:
Late winter (February–early March)

This:

• removes dead stems

• prevents woody invasion

• exposes soil to sun

• triggers germination

You are mimicking the natural prairie fire — with less drama and fewer insurance claims.

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What to Expect (Important)

Year one: mostly leaves
Year two: flowers
Year three: abundance

Native meadows are not instant. They are permanent.

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The Hidden Benefit: Soil Repair

Native plant roots:

• break hard clay

• add organic matter

• absorb runoff

• reduce erosion

A lawn sheds rainwater.
A meadow drinks it.

You are not just growing flowers — you are rebuilding land.

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Common Mistakes

• Planting into existing lawn
• Over-watering
• Adding fertilizer
• Burying seed
• Giving up after the first year

Patience is part of the method.

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Where to Use Native Wildflowers

• sunny front yard alternatives to turf

• orchard understory

• roadside edges

• around ponds

• pollinator gardens

• difficult slopes

• large open acreage

They also pair beautifully with fruit trees and vegetable gardens by increasing pollination and reducing pest outbreaks.

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Final Thought

The American landscape once ran on flowers — miles of them. Early travelers described spring fields so bright they looked painted. What we now call “natural areas” were once ordinary.

A native meadow does something a normal garden never quite manages:

It does not merely decorate your property.
It restores it.

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Call to Action

Ready to trade mowing for blooming?

Plant once. Watch for years.

Choose a regionally appropriate Native Wildflower Seed mix and let your land work with you instead of against you. Visit GoGardenNow.com and start a patch this season — even a small one. A corner becomes a bed, a bed becomes a meadow, and before long you will notice something unmistakable:

The birds find it first.

Coreopsis - The Cheerful, Easy-Care Plant for Summer Color!

 

 Return to GoGardenNow.com. 

Have you considered growing a pollinator garden?

Have you ever considered making a place in your landscape specifically for native pollinators? Doing so can help preserve those that are struggling to exist. You might not think of pollinators such as bees,  wasps and butterflies as being under threat, but many are. We usually blame overuse of insecticides as being the culprit, but there are others. Diseases, parasites and predators take their toll. By providing a pollinator-friendly habitat, you help them thrive, as well as enjoy their presence. You also gain a sense of pride in doing good for the environment.

You don't need much space to establish a pollinator garden. A few plants on your deck or patio can attract them. If you have a large area available, by all means, use it.

Pollinators have three basic needs, common even to you and me - food, water, and shelter for places to hide and begin their little families.

Food Sources - Host Plants

We picture bees and butterflies feeding on nectar from flowers, but juvenile pollinators don't do that. Young ones feed on stems and foliage, and not always of the same plants. Proper food supplies should include both.

To determine exactly which you'll need to plant may require a bit of study on your part. Good plants for pollinators include aromatic herbs, annuals, perennials, and even some weeds. GoGardenNow.com features plant collections for butterflies and other pollinators. Plant a wide variety. Select species that will provide blooms throughout the growing season. Research the species of pollinators commonly found in your area, then provide the foods they enjoy.

Remember that native pollinators often prefer native plants, so be sure to include some in or around your garden. It's not a good idea to gather plants from the wild. Some may be endangered and protected. Sow seed where possible. For mature plants, search for those nurseries that specialize in native species. There are a growing number of them. Native Plant societies can help you find sources.

Water

Pollinators need water. You'll often find bees gathered along the edges of bird baths. Butterflies will cluster around mud puddles, birdbaths, and even dung. Be sure to provide water sources for them. Still, shallow water is best. You needn't provide the dung.

Shelter, Nesting Sites and Materials

You'd be surprised at how resourceful little creatures can be when it comes to establishing homes.

That aside, pollinators will burrow in plant stems, hide in flower pots, small brush piles, and even nest in bundled drinking straws. Dryer lint, cotton balls, and the mud from puddles will be used for building materials.

After providing for your pollinators' needs, please be careful not to lure them to destruction. By that I mean, avoid using pesticides and herbicides in or around your pollinator garden. Both organic and synthetic pesticides can be harmful. Herbicides can kill the very plants you provided for pollinators' benefit.

Pollinator gardens fascinate young and old, but especially the young. Remember how enthralled you were as a child while watching butterflies and bees? Pass the feeling along to your own children, grandchildren, or even to kids in the neighborhood. You and they will be delighted that you did.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Life Stages of Butterflies, and Plants to Attract Them.

If there were beauty contests for insects, adult butterflies would win every time. But their time spent in glamorous array is incredibly short – usually for only a few weeks. The rest of their lives are spent in less dramatic forms: egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis.

“The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.”

― George Carlin

Butterfly eggs are laid by adult female butterflies on plants, but not just any plants. The plants, known as “host plants”, are chosen for their desirability as food for the caterpillars which eventually emerge from the eggs. Which are desirable? They choose those they are accustomed to by their very nature, usually the ones endemic or similar to those found in the caterpillars’ native habitats.

After the eggs hatch, the caterpillars eat, and eat, and eat a lot more. Gardeners who have had their cole crops decimated by cabbageworms know it well. They gorge themselves because they are preparing for the next stage of their lives sequestered in the chrysalis. The chrysalis looks sort of like a sarcophagus. It is within the chrysalis that the caterpillar changes into a butterfly. It’s for that reason, I think, that the butterfly’s emergence is compared to resurrection from the dead.

After the metamorphosis, the adult butterfly feeds on fruits or flower nectar. These may be the same as the host plant, or many others.

When planting a butterfly garden, be sure to include species that are native to your area. While non-native species might be visually appealing to you, your butterflies might turn up their proboscises at them.

To help you select plants for your butterflies, we at GoGardenNow.com have created a category of plants that attract butterflies. Some serve as host plants; some serve as food plants. You should include both in your garden. Not only that, but we’ve listed specific butterfly species known to be attracted to each of the plants in the category.

For example, if you go to the Lantana listing, you'll read, "Attracted species include Spicebush Swallowtail, Zebra Heliconian, American Lady, Cabbage White, Clouded Skipper, Fiery Skipper, Dun Skipper, Crossline Skipper, Eufala Skipper, Least Skipper, Ocola Skipper, Pecks Skipper, Zabulon Skipper, Tawny-edged Skipper, Silver-Spotted Skipper, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Pipevine Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Gray Hairstreak, Red-Banded Hairstreak, Great Southern White, Variegated Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Hayhurst’s Scallopwing, Horace’s Duskywing, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Little Glassywing, Monarch, Painted Lady, Pearl Crescent, Sachem, Silvery Checkerspot."

The lists are not exhaustive, but should be helpful.

If you have a certain butterfly in mind that you want to feed, simply go to the Home Page, enter your butterfly name, and Search. A list of particular plants will pop up. For example, enter the word “monarch”, and this list will appear.

When your garden is filled with your local butterflies’ favorite foods, you’ll have a lovely display of flowers and butterflies, too. But there could be an added bonus - birds! Yes, many of the same flowers attract birds, as well. Echinacea, for example, attracts a whole host of butterflies, and the flowers gone to seed feed the birds. So, let the seed-heads mature for the birds.

As your garden appeals to birds and butterflies, you’ll help support both, and enjoy your beautiful guests.

Return to GoGardenNow.com.

Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Increases

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

BREAKING NEWS

"The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released today, shows an increase of 144 percent from last year’s count and is the highest count since 2006", according to The Center for Biological Diversity. "That’s good news for a species whose numbers had fallen in recent years, but conservationists say the monarch continues to need Endangered Species Act protection", it continues.

"Today’s count of 6.05 hectares of occupied forest is up from 2.48 hectares last winter. The increase is attributable to favorable weather during the spring and summer breeding seasons and during the fall migration. Monarchs have lost an estimated 165 million acres of breeding habitat in the United States to herbicide spraying and development", the report, Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Rebounds, states.

“This reprieve from bad news on monarchs is a thank-you from the butterflies to all the people who planted native milkweeds and switched to organic corn and soy products,” said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center.

But let's not be lulled into complacency by the good news. They expect it's only temporary. The crisis must continue, and as Stanford economist Paul Romer said, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” Expanding on the principle, Rahm Emanual noted, "And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

So, if you never thought you could let your yard grow up in weeds, you can now. In my recent article, Got Milkweed? Feeding Hungry Monarch Butterflies, I recommended milkweed, in particular. Throw caution to the wind along with milkweed seeds and let them grow!

If you receive a threatening notice from your not-so-friendly HOA or local municipality, assume a more sanctimonious posture, and declare that you are saving the monarchs!

Got thoughts? Share them with us in the comment section.

Return to goGardenNow.com.

Got Milkweed? Feeding Hungry Monarch Butterflies.

Credit: Kenneth Dwain Harrelson under GNU Free Documentation License

It's winter. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) from the eastern U.S. are vacationing in Mexico, hanging around in trees and soaking up the sun. They've been doing this for a long time - no one knows how long - so it has become a family tradition with them. It won't be long, though, before the weather begins to warm and they'll head back north to feed and breed.

Aside from lepidopterophiles and passersby enjoying their beauty, few cared much about their habits. But that has changed. It is believed that Monarch populations are diminishing, so saving their species has become a cause célèbre. 

Everyone seems to be getting in on the act. Botanical gardens are establishing butterfly gardens with favored enticements, especially milkweed. "Enlightened" homeowners are letting their yards spring up with weeds, ostensibly to save the monarch. (Neighbors might think they're just lazy.)

Butterfly friendly landscape with milkweed

If you'd like to "save the monarchs", or just spend less time weeding, and mask your sloth with altruism, consider including milkweed in your landscape. There are several native species to choose from:

Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis) grows in dry, sandy soils and likes lots of sunshine. It can reach 3½ feet in height. Leaves are shaded with pink. The fragrant flowers are pink to purple, and bloom in early to mid-summer. In addition to monarchs, they also attract hummingbirds, bees and other species of butterflies.

Mountain or Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) grows on moist, shady areas in cooler climates. It grows to 6 feet in height. Flowers are white and green.

Eastern Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata var. pulchra) prefers wet areas such as bog gardens. Its stems are 2-6 feet in height. The pale to deep pink flowers open July through September. In addition to monarchs, it attracts other buttefly species and nectar loving critters. 

Fourleaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) likes full to partial sun and dry soils. Soil pH should be a bit on the high side, so add a little lime. Fragrant flowers are cream to lilac. It grows to 2.5 feet.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a common roadside flower. Clumps of branching stems reach 2.5 feet in height and bear large clusters of wildly brilliant orange blossoms that attract all sorts of nectar-lovers. It flowers mid- to late summer. Some cultivated varieties display mixed yellow and orange flowers.

Red-ring Milkweed (Asclepias variegata) likes sunny areas with dry to moist soils. It is an impressive plant, producing white, snowball-like flowers on purplish stems to 3 feet tall. The "red-ring" refers to a thin, colorful ring that surrounds the middle of the flower. It also attracts a host of nectar-loving creatures. Flowers appear May to June.

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) thrives in dry to moist soils in sun to partial shade. Note that soil pH should be near 7.0.  Slender, branched stems produce whorls of long, narrow leaves and loads of small flower clusters from June through September. The flowers are white to pale green, sometimes with a hint of purple.

For those of you who contend with pesky deer, you'll be pleased to know that deer hate milkweeds because of the irritating, milky latex which most produce. (Thus, the name, "milkweed".)

If you would like to learn more about monarch butterflies in your area, contact your state department of natural resources or one of the organizations linked below.

Do you have questions? Contact us at goGardenNow.

Comments? Please post in the comment section. We'd love to hear from you.

Here are the web links:

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources 
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
California Department of Fish and Game
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Butterfly Houses at goGardenNow.com
Butterfly Feeders at goGardenNow.com
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Monarch-Butterfly.com  

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Behind A Garden Wall: Edith J Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University

Edith J Carrier Arboretum entrance

In 1964, James Madison University Botany Professor, Dr. Norlyn Bodkin, began using a wooded area of the campus as a convenient place for faculty and students to do botanical field studies. Meanwhile, Dr. Bodkin conceived the idea of establishing an arboretum in the woods. After many years of planning and promoting, it was finally opened to the public in 1989. It was named the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum to honor the wife of then University President Ronald Carrier.

I recently visited for the first time. Follow me to see what grows behind the garden wall.

Upon entering, a trail to the right leads to a labyrinth on a hill. I gave it a miss.

The best place to begin your visit will be at the Frances Plecker Education Building. Maps, a library, exhibits are available. A fair portion of the arboretum is in view of the terrace.

View from the terrace

Visitors with limited time, small children in prams or having physical challenges will enjoy the accessible trails around the pond and to the pavilion.

Exhibits along the way include:

Monarch dinner menu

• Viette Perennial Garden - donated by André Viette, noted horticulturist, featuring daylilies (Hemerocallis), irises (Iris) and peonies (Paeonia) in seasonal bloom;
• Drury Planting - Includes weeping bald cypress (Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls'), bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood', redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'),  dogwood (Cornus florida 'Cherokee Sunset'), and spirea (Spiraea x bumalda 'Dolchica', flowering from April to June;
• Smith Shale Barren - "Perhaps the most unique of the arboretum’s gardens, this man-made shale barren is the only one of its kind in a public garden in Virginia and displays over a dozen strict endemic perennials that make their home in extreme conditions: harsh, direct and prolonged sunlight and high temperatures, in flower March to July";
• Wetlands Garden - featuring aquatic and bog plants typical to that environment;
• Hall Garden - featuring a large green ash tree (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), bluebells (Hyacinthoides spp.), Jack-in-the-pulpits (Arisaema triphyllum), ferns (Pteridophytes) and foamflowers (Tiarella cordifolia), yellow magnolia (Magnolia x 'Butterflies') and various native shrubs; 
• Monarch Waystation - "A pollinator garden providing habitat for a variety of insects, including butterflies like Monarchs, that require host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants that support the nutrient needs for their migration", including a handy menu for the hungry pilgrims to make their selections.

Those who have more time, or are not confined to a paved pathway, will enjoy other trails through the woods to visit:

• Fern Valley (which needs no explanation);
• Dale Hybrid Azalea Experimental Planting - best viewed from April to July;
• MacDonald Azalea and Rhododendron Garden - best viewed from March to July;
• Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society Native Azalea Garden - also best viewed from March to July;
• Wood Wildflower Garden - flowering April and May;
• Bodkin Oak-Hickory Forest;
• Herb Garden;
• Sycamore Flat - a wildflower meadow and swale with stream and native plants.

Swinging bridge over the stream

My favorite is the Children's Garden. I love to teach kids about plants and nature. This area in the oak-hickory forest features whimsical sculpture and novel exhibits to make the educational experience easy and fun.

Fun things to do in the Children's Garden

The Carrier Arboretum is easily accessible, only 3 minutes from Interstate Highway 81 at Exit 245 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Whether you live in the area, or are just passing by, I hope you'll visit throughout the year. Something interesting is always "in season".

Return to GoGardenNow.com, or see more photos from the Edith J Carrier Arboretum!

Sculpture (Some are for sale!)

Meandering stream

Woodland walk

Sculptures

Making good use of a rotting tree trunk

Sculptured benches

Educational station to explore tree roots

Entrance to Children's Garden

Whimisical sculpture from tree roots

Red twig dogwood

Carrier Arboretum banner

Edith J Carrier Arboretum entrance

Arum italicum

Fragrant Edgeworthia chrysantha