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By Stephanie Barelman
5
44 ratings
The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.
In today’s episode, Rain Gardens for the Reluctant Gardener, we chat with Steve Rodie about just how much water comes off your roof in a single rain, what the heck bioswales are, and some tried and true native plants to select for your rain garden projects.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Steve Rodie
Steve Rodie retired in 2020 from 26 years of teaching, research, and extension at the University of Nebraska. He is currently an Emeritus Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at UNO. During his academic career, he focused his teaching and research on landscape plants, landscape and environmental appreciation and sustainability, sustainable landscape design, and green infrastructure stormwater management using rain gardens, bioretention gardens, and other best management practices.
Steve is also a registered landscape architect and worked on environmental assessments and visual resources analyses for almost 10 years in Colorado and California. In 2012, he was elected as a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by:
Midwest Natives Nursery
www.midwestnativesnursery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives
https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery
Lauritzen Gardens
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentTRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity.
More content coming soon!
Interactive PDF we talked about here!
https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/rain-garden-design-site-and-selection-guide
https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/2013/pdf/view/ec1262-2013.pdf
GET YOUR SOIL TESTED!
https://midwestlabs.com/
Thank you all so much for listening and your continued support of the podcast and native plants!!!!!
Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, Nebraskan Trees and Shrubs for Bored Suburbanites, we chat with Heather Byers, owner of Great Plains Nursery, about keystone species, the best time of year to plant trees, and beautiful and native options for woody plants humans, pollinators, and yes, even squirrels can enjoy.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Heather Byers
Heather Byers is a native tree enthusiast and, along with her husband Brian, owner of Great Plains Nursery near Weston, NE. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Horticulture Production and shortly after started the business with a passion for growing and planting native trees and shrubs and sharing the importance of native plants for the ecosystem.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentTRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity.
Top Trees and Shrubs at Great Plains Nursery
Most of the plants we discuss can be found online at https://greatplainsnursery.com/
Although there are differences between Eastern and Western Nebraska, Heather stresses planting trees and shrubs with high ecological value.
Her recommendations for Eastern NE:
Oaks, baby!
Did you know that oaks support 500 species of caterpillars. And consequentially, oaks support a variety of birds such as bluejays (beautiful jerks) and species of warblers. Many different kinds of oaks to choose from such as:
Some recommendations for Western NE:
Recommendations also for Southeastern NE:
Looking to Build Bird Habitat?
Heather reminds us to not only provide plants with fresh nuts and berries for birds, but also focus on trees and shrubs that act as larval hosts.
96% of songbirds rear their young on caterpillars: big, fat juicy caterpillars full of protein. So help mama bird and also encourage a nice diversity of birds to your garden for your own viewing pleasure.
Some plants to focus on:
Fast Growing Trees for the Impatient Gardener
Windbreak Trees- Think Past Non-Native Evergreens
For the furthest boundary away from the house on the north-side you can plant:
The next layer could consist of:
The innermost layer of this windbreak could be:
Check out this book, “Woody Plants for the Central and Northern Prairies,” illustrated by my friend, Nancy Scott, here.
Underrated Tree That Should be Planted More
Kentucky Coffee Tree https://greatplainsnursery.com/product/kentucky-coffeetree-2/
Keystone Species
If you want to hear more about keystone species, go back and listening to our Soft Landings episode with guest Heather Holm:
https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm/episode/softerlandings
Plant families to consider:
Shade Garden- Don't Fear!
Still trees and shrubs you can plant for shadier areas. Try:
A lot of these plants are used to growing under dense tree canopy in their natural habitats.
Got Squirrels?
Do you get a queer sense of joy out of seeing them prance through the garden and hoarding more nuts than they can possibly ever find? Plant these and stop buying store bought corn cobs:
If You're Scared of Deer
For the love of Goldenrod, just cage your trees.
Bucks will rub their antlers on young tree branches in fall. You can cage your trees for the first few years with wire fencing, t-posts. Make a 5-ft diameter ring around the tree with 5-6 foot fencing wire.
Privacy Screens!
Goodbye, arborvitae! Hello native options!
Closing Tips from Heather
Thank you all so much for listening and your continued support of the podcast and native plants!!!!!
Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's Turfgrass, we go over different options for replacing lawn, why you'll be happy to make the jump, and tried and true ways to replace and maintain your new landscape.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentRehash our first episode if you are new to the podcast or our wonderful edible plants series here!
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Books to Read
Why Lawns Aren't Sustainable or Healthy
Protect Pollinators at Home: Alternatives to HerbicidesThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://xerces.org › blog › protect-pollinators-at-home-alt...
The Risks of Pesticides to PollinatorsThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://www.xerces.org › pesticides › risks-pesticides-poll...
PesticidesPollinator.orghttps://www.pollinator.org › Learning Center
Benefits of Ditching Your Lawn
Alt Lawn Options
Blue Grama Lawn: Blue Grama is a warm-season grass. It is drought tolerant and thrives when other exotic grasses struggle. Height of 1-2 feet. Can seed or plug.
Buffalo Grass Lawn: Buffalo grass is also warm-season grass that gets about 6 inches tall. It is very drought tolerant and long lived.
Sideoats Grama Lawn: More of a meadow lawn since it does reach 2-3 feet in height
Mixed Grass Lawn: You can find different mixes from different suppliers such as (50%) blue grama and (50%) buffalograss, (30%) blue grama, (30%) side oats grama, and (40%) buffalograss... There's also other formulations like habiturf which is (62%) buffalograss,(30%)blue grama, and curly mesquite (8%)
Pennsylvania sedge lawn: Pennsylvania sedge forms dense mats of medium green and grows 6 to 8 inches.
Plains oval sedge lawn
Long-beaked sedge: Great shade lawn option
Let dandelions go and add in native common violet, self heal, purple poppy mallow, wild strawberry, and
Shortgrass Prairie
Eclectic Meadow
Tallgrass Prairie
Mix and match large swaths of ground covers: Plant en masse in groups of 5, 7, 9
Plants to use: BUTTERFLYWEED, PRAIRIE VIOLET, HEATH ASTER, WILD PETUNIA, WILD STRAWBERRY, PRAIRIE CLOVER, POPPY MALLOW, CAREX BREVIOR, GROUND PLUM (I'm not yelling, but lazily copying and pasting from my powerpoint...)
More plants to use: Pearly everlasting, pussytoes, artemisia ludoviciana, 'snow flurry' heath aster cultivar, prairie dropseed, western yarrow
Some shrubs to use along with your choice of grasses and perennial plants: LEADPLANT, SILKY DOGWOOD, CHOKECHERRY, CORALBERRY, AMORPHA FRUCTICOSA, PRAIRIE ROSE, ELDERBERRY, PLAINS WILD INDIGO, BAPTISIA AUSTRALIS
Use plants like wild ginger, dutchman’s breeches, heartleaf aster, mayapple, woodland phlox and others
Don’t be shy to add a crushed limestone, pea gravel, flagstone, or salvaged stone patio area to cut down on lawn space and create a relaxing place to view garden areas
You may use landscape fabric stapled underneath
These patios can last ten years or more and can be installed DIY
An entire "room" could be made where lawn resides for a vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are often made in a square or rectangle design, fenced to protect crops from deer or wildlife, and given paths of mulch, brick, or other material to access plant beds
A place of tranquility to hoard vintage finds and favorite plants
How to Ditch Your Lawn
If you are in an HOA, get clear rules detailed about what is allowed for gardenscape/lawns
City of Omaha “all weeds, grass, and worthless vegetation cannot reach a height of 12 inches or more….” meaning occasionally mow, weed monthly, and use cues that this is a maintained garden.
Note that complaints with the city can be appealed but HOA rules are more iron-clad
Do not plant things that decrease visibility in your hellstrip. Opt for very low-growing 1-2 foot plants
You can hire a local property assessor for around $400. Or you can go googling your county's GIS and find your parcel by parcel number or last name. Google "[your county] GIS" to find your local data.
Pottawattamie county here
Douglas county here
Sarpy county here
Lancaster county here
If you are in a rental property, ask permission to make any changes
Call the hotline (811) to mark utilities for free before you dig
Google free "Prairie Moon garden designs, " "pollinator garden design," or consult a local garden designer.
Mechanical removal OPTION 1: rent a sod cutter or use a spade
Non-selective herbicide OPTION 2
Smother/ solarize OPTION 3 but also good followup to OPTION 1
Start with plugs: Grasses and sedges only
Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots versus an initial seeding
Space plants on half foot centers
Plant in May or September
Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.
You may overseed once or twice a year in April or August
You may mow 2-3 times a year with mower at highest setting (June, July, August)
Start with plugs: Meadows/ BEE LAWNS
Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots versus an initial seeding
Space plants on half foot centers
Plant in May or September
Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.
You may overseed once or twice a year in April or August
You may mow 2-3 times a year with mower at highest setting (June, July, August)
Start with plugs: Yardens
Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots
Utilize moderate growth rate shrubs like shrubby st. john’s wort, dwarf blue baptisia, and lead plant
Space plants on 1 foot centers
Plant in May or September
Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.
You may do an initial mulching or use weed suppression mat
You may cut back perennials to 1-2 inches in height each year in May
Future Commitments of Time and Care
Plan to maintain by weeding at least once a month per garden area
Weed once a week for new beds, once a month for established beds.
Keep watch for invasives moving in such as poison hemlock, Canada thistle, and creeping Charlie, among others!
Additional Resources
PRAIRIE MOON
PRAIRIE LEGACY
MIDWEST NATIVES NURSERY
BUMBLING BEE NATIVE WILDFLOWERS
PRAIRIE LEGACY
GREAT PLAINS NURSERY
MULHALL’S
SOME BOOKS
PRAIRIE UP- by BENJAMIN VOGT
PLANTING IN A POST WILD WORLD- by THOMAS RAINIER AND CLAUDIA WEST
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRASSES FOR LIVABLE LANDSCAPES- by RICK DARKE
PODCASTS
PLANT NATIVE NEBRASKA PODCAST( shameless plug)
BELLEVUE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
GREEN BELLEVUE
CITY SPROUTS- VEGETABLE GARDENING!
Hey, You Sweet Little Plant Nerds
Thanks for listening!!!!!
Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
We will be back on for new episodes bi-weekly from August 14th-December 4th! Until then...
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Bumbling Bee Native Wildflowers
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
What Makes a Plant Native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional Resources
Other Local Organizations
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, Native Plant Horticulture in Nebraska, we chat with director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens, Jim Locklear, about the decision-making behind choosing plants for botanic gardens, the crossroads between aesthetic spaces and conservation, and why the preservation of native plant communities is still important.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Jim Locklear
Jim Locklear has been the director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens since 2010. He has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Central Missouri and a master's in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. He formerly served as director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Kansas and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. He recently published a new book titled, In the Country of the Kaw, about the midwestern watershed of the Kaw River and its history.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentNative Plant Horticulture in Nebraska
Studying Rare Ecosystems, Different Habitats, and Wildlife Activity at Lauritzen
Stewards of the Environment
Plants We Could See More Of...
Hope is a Four-Letter Word
Jewels of the Prairie
YOU Can Get Involved
Jim's New Book: In the Country of the Kaw
Thoughts of Importance
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
Thanks for listening!
Additional Content Related to This EpisodeWhat Makes a Plant Native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, The Native Patio Garden, we go over why Native American plants are important for non-home dwellers to consider, how we can rework container garden philosophy using native plants, and which native plants can hack it in smaller square footage than the average garden. Dive deeper into today's episode by visiting our Patreon @patreon.com/PlantNativeNebraska .
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentYou do not need a yard to contribute to conservation!
More people are trying native plants in container gardens. Although a lot of prairie plants have taproots or extensive root systems, there are some shallower-rooting options to try. If you are trying out things or have experience at growing native plants in container gardens, please email us your stories and successes at [email protected].
DO: Get Large Pots
The larger the better. Get crafty and recycle old whiskey barrels, 5 gallon buckets, or just pick some up at your local plant rescue, thrift store, or off Facebook marketplace. Big box stores and nurseries are okay too.
Make good soil.
Potting mix tossed with a bit of compost will do just fine but look up some DIY potting soil compositions online. Some mix in sand or vermiculite. Many good ways to make a nice container mix.
Prepare to take care of your plants
Water thine plants and to thine own self be true.
HERE'S SOME LISTS!Thanks for listening!
Native Patio Pots For Shade!
Thrillers
Fillers
Spillers
Native Patio Pots For Partial Shade!
Thrillers
Fillers
Spillers
Native Patio Pots for Spring!
3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP
Thrillers
Fillers
Spillers
Native Patio Pots for Summer
3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP
Thrillers
Fillers
Spillers
Got Bigger Pots? Try These!
Native Patio Pots For Fall!
3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP
Thrillers
Filler
Spillers
Bigger Pots? Try these! (& pinch back in June)
What makes a plant native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
Local Plant Suppliers
Midwest Natives Nursery
Great Plains Nursery
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Prairie Legacy Nursery
Mulhall's
Online Plant Suppliers
Prairie Moon Nursery
Prairie Nursery
Stock Seed
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOrgs and Tools
Other Local Organizations
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, Lessons From the Prairie, we chat with Chris Helzer about invasive species, what makes a landscape ecologically resilient, and why we don't have to recreate the past for the present to be meaningful.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Chris Helzer
Chris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. He also helps develop and test prairie management and restoration strategies. Chris is also dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through his photography, writing and presentations. He is the author of The Prairie Ecologist blog, and two books: The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States and Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter. He is also a frequent contributor to NEBRASKAland magazine and other publications.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Today's episode is also sponsored by Lucky Toad Restorative Gardens:
https://www.luckytoadgardens.com/
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentI gleaned talking points from Chris's blog, The Prairie Ecologist, which you can and should read here!
Chris is always a good chat! Thanks for participating!
Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
BNPS aforementioned
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, The Very Real Importance of Pollinators, we chat with Jennifer Hopwood and Rae Powers from the Xerces Society about the importance of pollinators in what foods make it to our plate, why European honeybees can't do all of the work, and some ways you can help pollinators at home.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Jennifer Hopwood
Jennifer Hopwood is Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and is based in Omaha, Nebraska. She has a master's in entomology from the University of Kansas. She provides resources and training for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat management and restoration in a variety of landscapes. Jennifer is co-author of several books, including Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, Farming with Soil Life, 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, and a roadside revegetation manual.
Guest Rae Powers
Rae Powers is a Pollinator Conservation Specialist with The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Rae works with farmers, ranchers, and others to identify wildlife conservation opportunities and promote pollinator and beneficial insect habitat across landscapes through the Natural Resources Conservation Services. She has a master's in plant ecology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has worked in grassland restoration and management and native plant production.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode sponsored by Midwest Natives Nursery:
https://www.midwestnativesnursery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives
https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery/
Today's episode is also sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:
laurtizengardens.org
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentPollination 101
Big-Ag and The Little Guys
Honeybees
Ecosystem Support
-Especially young birds
-Think grasshoppers, ants, crickets, beetles
-Loggerhead shrike= 70 percent of their diet is insects
-Burrowing owls? They're like your messy sister with a penchant for dung beetles and who therefore also hoards poop with the rest of her trash.
Keystone insects?
Plants and Pollinator Interactions
Adult bugs are the pollinators, so help insects reach adulthood! Just do three simple things:
Plant native plants.
Embrace the untidy.
Limit pesticides and herbicides.
Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
BNPS aforementioned
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today’s episode, The Modern Botanist, we examine what modern gardening can look like within the native plants framework, different tools you can use to get “spec’d out” in your gardening abilities, and why it matters more than ever to bring back gardening as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode sponsored by Midwest Natives Nursery:
https://www.midwestnativesnursery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives
https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery/
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentGrowing
Get nerdy and grow your own plants!
Start with a good potting soil. This could be Pro-Mix or a Berger mix or another recommended potting soil. You can even google how to make your own potting soil and mix the components up in a wheelbarrow. It’s fun to experiment!
Pre-moisten your soil in a tubtrug or wheelbarrow or 5 gal bucket.
Get seed trays: one drain tray (example: 1020 seed starting tray), one cell tray(example 72 cell seed tray,) and humidity domes. Bootstrap Farmer has really good ones:
https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/collections/plug-trays/products/extra-strength-72-cell-seedling-starter-trays
https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/collections/1020-trays-and-flats/products/1020-trays-multi-color
Bottom water when your soil starts to get dry so your seedlings don't get washed out.
Pack the cell trays with soil. Knead those puppies down.
Plant seeds at right depth (per instructions on packet.) Plant two to three seeds in the middle of each cell for best germination. You can cull or up-pot extra seedlings.
What I’ve been doing for labels is using my Brother label maker and taking one popsicle stick, place one label at the top for each row and then affix the label with clear packaging tape to the stick. I’m hoping this will help keep my labels more waterproof... we'll see how it goes.
Keep those plants happy. Pot up to a 3 or 4 inch pot when you see true leaves. You can also start fertilizing once you pot up.
Don’t forget to “harden off” your plants before planting out in the garden. Google, google, google, my friend.
PLANTING
The tale of three tools: the soil knife, the auger, and the drain spade.
When you are planting, the soil level of the potted plant should sit about a half-inch below the surface of the ground. If the plant is pot bound, tease some of the roots with your fingertips or give it a good slice horizontally and vertically.
Don’t forget to water the plants in and to tamp down with the heel of your foot or by putting firm pressure all around the perimeter with the palms of your hands. Cover with more soil until we’ve got an upright plant well-packed in the ground.
Learn your plants. Plant taller plants in the middle or behind shorter ones. Line paths with very short plants- think 6-12 inches or less.
Know and plant your ground covers.
Strong shade groundcovers native to Nebraska: wild ginger, mayapple, and common violets.
A good groundcover for partial sun could be Virginia waterleaf.
For our sun gardens: pearly everlasting, common violets, prairie blue-eyed grass, wild strawberry, wild geranium, wild petunia, or nearly native early buttercup, hairy penstemon, or prairie smoke. I also like the ‘snow flurry’ cultivar of heath aster.
You can also work in grass or sedge ground covers like Pennsylvania sedge, ivory sedge, long beaked sedge, blue grama, buffalo grass, purple love grass. Little bluestem also makes an excellent ground cover when planted en masse.
LAWNING
Let's lawn better! (For what we can't remove today)
SAY YES TO:
If you have a really blotchy lawn in shady areas, you can even look into shade ground covers we mentioned before or try your hand at a moss lawn. There is a great bee lawn mix by Prairie Legacy that you can try to make a meadow lawn or in your hellstrip.
YAY TO LESS LAWN!
Reduce your lawn by planting garden borders. Start small and work as your free time and budget allows!
WEEDING and MANAGING
Get out and weed monthly. Know your weeds. Maybe let some go that don’t get over 6 inches or so. Just know that creeping charlie is allelopathic.
Better Homes and Gardens common weeds article: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/types-of-weeds/ You can decide the ones you can live without and hand-pull them.
Remember: perfection isn’t possible and pretty much every successful garden has its share of weeds here and there.
You may choose to manage your plants that self-seed. This may involve culling some seedlings, transplanting plants to a different location, or cutting specific plants back after flowering to keep them from taking over a garden space. This may include agastaches, tall boneset, coneflower, asters, pitcher sage or sweet black- eyed susan.
Know your truely invasive or undesirable exotic and weedy plants like callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, Canada thistle, brome, Japanese hops, foxtail, poison hemlock.
OBSERVING
Get out there and look around, girl!
Get to know your garden. Pretend like you're a tourist and everything is interesting!
EXPERIMENTING
SAY NO TO MIND TRAPS SOMETIMES TAUGHT BY GARDEN VETERANS:
The joys of life come from experimenting! Get out there and do weird stuff!
ENGAGING and HARVESTING
We don’t lose seasonal succession with natives, what seasonal succession looks like just changes.
We become aware of local wildlife- birds, pollinating insects, small mammals, amphibians- so much wildlife that we can observe once we start reintroducing habitat.
Think of incorporating edible and medicinal plant parts into your daily life. Make wildflower teas! There's no time to toil and suffer like the present...
SHOWCASING
Signage, signage, signage.
You can source signs from:
But importantly, give your neighbors something to look at by actually planting a wild, native garden on the streetfront. Some ‘plant people’ will tell you to save wildness for the back garden. But let’s put it all out there.
If you're feeling especially brave, display your garden on a local garden walk.
The two maps we discussed today:
RESEARCHING and COMPILING
Find out what’s native to your area and then plant what you like!
Tools:
Eco guide tools:
Bellevue Native Plant Society
Look at plant catalogs and gardening books for inspo, at the same time getting to know your local and online native plant suppliers:
Online (and some local also)
Local
What makes a plant native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
BNPS aforementioned
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
In today's episode, Native Edible Plants Part 4, we chat with Bob Henrickson about survival foods, how to make native Shirley Temples, and which native plant has been used as a spice for centuries. If you don't like rabbit holes, this episode will be a dangerous romp through Gardenland.
Host Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.
Guest Bob Henrickson
Bob attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology in the School of Natural Resources. Currently, Bob is the Horticulture Program Coordinator with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Inc., a private, non-profit organization and program of the Nebraska Forest Service. His responsibilities include assisting affiliated arboretum sites with plant collection development and to acquire, propagate and produce native and other resilient landscape plants for plant sales to our members and the public. Bob has hosted a live, call-in gardening talk show called How’s it Growin’ on a community radio station in Lincoln since 2000. He is passionate about native plants, herbs, dried flowers, vegetable gardening, wild mushrooms and wild edible plants.
Episode Sponsors
Today's episode sponsored by Midwest Natives Nursery:
https://www.midwestnativesnursery.com/
https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives
https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery/
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
Episode ContentWild strawberry- Fragaria virginiana
Wild strawberry is so very pretty, and I hear from people all the time they have this in their yard. But they are mistaking false strawberry for our native one. The leaves are larger than false strawberry and the small flowers are white and not yellow.
Makes a great edible ground cover. Plant with violets for more fun!
Early bloomer.
Maybe make a sedge meadow with strawberries.
Hackberry- one of the earliest plants eaten by humans
An understory tree, you see this everywhere at Lauritzen Gardens, Heron Haven, basically every other wooded area around here.
Sam Thayer-Nature's Garden: "For sheer survival value hackberry is unsurpassed..."
Bonkers idea for hackberry: make hackberry milk and use it as coffee creamer.
Great for songbirds and vegans!
Prunus family plants
American plum
Historical: Cherokee used fruit to make fruit juice, eaten fresh, or jelly. Cheyenne treated these as a delicacy and would even sun dry these at times. Tribes consistently described as highly valued.
Wild plum wine, cobbler. Highest carbs found in fruit. Get your plum on!
Suckers so plant isolated in lawn or plan for thicketing
Chokecherry
Chokecherry is one of those plants whose common name is so close to another one you get it mixed up. So we’re talking about prunus Virginiana not chokeberry which is in the aronia family.
Chokecherry makes an excellent jelly. If you’re a little bit country you might have had some before.
Chokecherry fizz AKA Native Shirley Temple, Chokecherry wine, drinks all around!
Another thicketing one but when planted in shade, doesn't spread as much. Early bloomer.
Ribes family of plants
RYE-BEES FTW
Black currant- Ribes americium
fruit dried, made into sauces, eaten fresh
likes part shade
Buffalo currant- Ribes aureum or odoratum (goes by both names)
likes growing in hot and dry conditions
easy to grow, makes tasty pie
Missouri gooseberry- Ribes missouriense
If you need a little Misourrah in your life...
Elderberry- Sambucus canadensis
Elderberries must be cooked before eating but makes a lovely jam, make sure to pick them when ripe can also use the elderflowers to make syrups, wines, and cordials
High iron content, songbird and pollinator favorite
Rejuvenation pruning may be your friend here every 3-4 years
Kay Young's Wild Seasons- I know, she's a popular gal with us...
Shake flowers into bucket and steep flowers in hot simple syrup.
Elderberry flower fritters and yes, you heard us right... Marbled Elderberry Cheesecake.
Can even make elderberry capers from the unripe fruits, but must prepare correctly to remove the toxins
Smooth sumac and staghorn sumac
Berries used to make drinks with sugar: sumacade or sumac tea
In the citrus family! Who knew?
Sumac (zatar) has been used to make spices for centuries.
Good source of Vitamin C.
May be used to make a sumac vinaigrette.
Spring Affair
Get affordable plants in Lincoln this year at the Spring Affair!
Additional content related to this episode:What makes a plant native?
http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska
https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society
native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)
On the Web
BONAP aforementioned
BNPS aforementioned
http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook
Books & Authors
Rick Darke- The Living Landscape
Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".
Enrique Salmon- Iwigara
Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany
Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com
Native Plants of the Midwest
Planting in a Post-Wild World
Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska
Additional ResourcesOther Local Organizations
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/
Find us on Facebook
Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm
Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska
Support My Work via Patreon
The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.
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