Did you know there is a group of native plants which can be highly adaptable, can serve multiple functions in our gardens, and perhaps even be a backbone component to our home landscapes, but which has historically been overlooked for those purposes? This group of native plants is the sedges, or more specifically, members of the genus Carex. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Sam Hoadley about sedges and their use in the home garden and landscape. Sam is the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. Recently, Mt. Cuba Center released their Car ..read more

Do you want to start growing native plants in your yard, but don’t know where to find them? Or maybe you aren’t even sure what a native plant is for your area. Or maybe you are in a situation where you can’t plant anything right now, but you still want to learn about native plants and enjoy them in the wild. Your state’s native plant society may be able to help you in all of these situations. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we’re joined by multiple guests representing native plant societies in different parts of the eastern U.S. Our guests are Randi Eckel from the Native Plant ..read more

Birding is a fun activity with many different ways you can do it. You can bird by ear and identify birds by their songs. You can look at the birds and identify them that way. You can watch the birds out your window or as you spend time in your yard. Or you can go on trips where birding can be either a side activity or the main purpose of the trip. It really is an activity that pretty much anyone can do in pretty much any location. In this episode, I am joined by James Wheat. James is the President of the Kentucky Ornithological Society. You may also remember him from our conversation a few mon ..read more

Do you enjoy having birds nest on your property? Would you like to learn more about what to look for in a nest box to make it the best it can be for your birds? Are you interested in finding out how you can safely monitor your nesting birds and help scientists study nesting birds? In this episode, I am joined by Holly Grant. Holly is the Project Assistant for NestWatch which is a community science program based out of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We discuss a wide range of topics related to nesting birds including: how to attract them to your property, different types of nest boxes or nest ..read more

Do you struggle with invasive species on your property? Or, have you ever wondered, what’s the big deal with invasive species? Why are they so bad? Or maybe you just wondered how our invasive species got here. After all, if they are so awful, then why would anyone bring them here? If so, then you aren’t alone. Invasive species are something that most of us struggle with. In this episode, I’m joined by my husband, Anthony Trimboli. Many of you may know Anthony from the Backyard Ecology videos he produces every week or from previous podcasts episodes which he has been on. In addition to creating ..read more

Lawn care probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you think about backyard ecology. Honestly, it isn’t for me either. But it is something that most of us have to deal with in one way or another whether we do it ourselves or hire someone to do it for us. And I don’t know about you, but lawn equipment in general, much less battery powered lawn equipment, is not my area of expertise. That’s why when I heard about a landscaping company which specializes in low impact lawn care and has transitioned to all battery powered equipment, I became intrigued. Anthony and I have some battery powere ..read more

You know how sometimes you’ll meet someone and things just “click?” You quickly discover that you have lots of shared interests and experiences and your conversation just flows as it goes down one path and then the next. Well, that’s exactly what happened in this episode as I talked with Dr. Randi Eckel. Randi is the owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm which is a mail-order native plant nursery. She is a life-long naturalist, lover of nature, entomologist, and confirmed plant and ecology nerd. Randi is also the president of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. Growing native plants and inter ..read more

Have you planted a meadow or pollinator planting on your property? Or, do you know someone or some place in your community that has one? If it’s on your property then part of the recommended management for it may have been to mow it periodically. Or if it’s not on your property then you may have driven by it only to see it being mowed or find that it had recently been mowed. If you’re initial reaction was something along the lines of “Wh…What?!” “Wait!” “Stop!” “No” “Why?” or included feelings of confusion, sadness, anger, or frustration, then you aren’t alone. In this episode of the Backyard ..read more

Do you want your yard to benefit nature, while also being a place that speaks to you and is somewhere you enjoy spending time? Would you love for your yard to also be a place your neighbors admire and that inspires them to create pollinator and wildlife friendly landscapes? In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Larry Weaner about how to achieve both those goals. Larry is a Landscape Designer and the founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates and its educational affiliate, New Directions in the American Landscape, or NDAL. He is also the author of the book, Garden Revo ..read more

Over the past year, we’ve had some amazing conversations with a variety of highly talented and passionate people. I am very grateful to them for sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge with us. What was your favorite episode of the year, and why? Please let us know in the comments. For today’s episode, I’m going to quickly review the 10 most popular Backyard Ecology episodes that were published between Thanksgiving 2021 and Thanksgiving 2022. 10) 5 Late Summer Blooming Native Plants I Love: https://www.backyardecology.net/5-late-summer-blooming-native-plants-i-love/ (1:42) 9) Light Pollution an ..read more