Christina Kobland-you're going to like this

[Gloria]

A video that will certainly ring bells. About gardens and native plants and creatures. She joined the township's environmental advisory board and helped changed the weed ordinaces to any non native weed. She grows a meadow. Just had to share.

Christina Kobland Presents: Building Biodiversity as a Best Practice in Landscape Management - YouTube

Christina Kobland Presents: Building Biodiversity as a Best Practice in Landscape Management - YouTube

[Gloria]

Awesomely pro wild garden CBS News video of Christina's garden style.

http://youtu.be/wVUtKTk_yNw

[recurve]

Very cool I'd like to see it in it's entirety. Love that she brought up the topic of cavity trees.

[Gloria]

There are three videos, one is more of her garden from when she won an award.


Christina Kobland wins North American Native Plant Society Restoration Award - YouTube

[dapjwy]

Excellent! Thank you so much, Gloria!

I'm home sick, and it is a wonderful way to feed my soul as I have little energy to do much else. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and am getting ready to watch the next link you provided.

I'm thinking about creating something on my blog to share links like these. (The blog started more as a journal for myself, but to my surprise some people follow it. So far, it seems most followers are already well into native plants and providing habitat. Perhaps, eventually those with an inkling of interest but little knowledge about it will find these videos helpful...and the word will spread.

[dapjwy]

I'm glad that she is getting the word out and that CBS had a positive story about her and her philosophy...I only wish they had shown more beautiful photos of her yard in each season to give a better idea of the beauty it provides. To the average person, they may not have recognized the beauty of what was shown on CBS video.

This video also made me realize that as much as I espouse native plants, I still envision a more "traditional" view of the landscape near the house. I'd like to plant native plants and groundcovers which allow passers-by to see the house and recognize that the look of my yard is intentional. I hope to seamlessly blend the "restoration" areas (more wild areas) to the somewhat more "designed" areas near the house--all the while using natives.

[Gloria]

dapjwy, I didn't realize you were the commentor until I recognized some of your pictures. Very nice.
With a small urban space I try and add as much as possible so my garden is not really traditional at all. So far that has not been a problem though. I like the look of her house behind all that growth. And I like the winter look as well. What I call the wild area behind the garage and out of sight of neighbors is where the brush piles and compost grow...lol, a favorite part of the garden for us but neighbors might disagree.
Right now the back gardens look very woodland edge-ish. Snow will be beautiful but not necessary for my own enjoyment. I love it wild.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Gloria

dapjwy, I didn't realize you were the commentor until I recognized some of your pictures. Very nice.

Gloria,

I'm just a little confused. Commenter where? Above on this thread?

...and where did you see my pictures? (If they were mine, thank you for the compliment.)

Originally Posted by Gloria

With a small urban space I try and add as much as possible so my garden is not really traditional at all. So far that has not been a problem though. I like the look of her house behind all that growth. And I like the winter look as well. What I call the wild area behind the garage and out of sight of neighbors is where the brush piles and compost grow...lol, a favorite part of the garden for us but neighbors might disagree.
Right now the back gardens look very woodland edge-ish. Snow will be beautiful but not necessary for my own enjoyment. I love it wild.

I liked that picture of her house as well. Maybe "traditional" was not the best choice of words.

I can imagine, especially with limited space, that one would fill every spot they can. I'm guessing that, once I get the property filled with natives (if that ever happens...what I plant still seems to get lost on the expanse)...I'll likely look for other areas to fill in and end up with something different than what I have now.

I guess I'm just thinking that some of the general public might very well disregard the whole idea of growing natives and providing habitat if they see something so far from their own expectations. I'd love to see something that could appeal to the masses as well as those of us who appreciate more wild areas.

Another thought comes to mind...I guess what I'm really saying is that I want to have areas for the eye to rest...and clearings for wildlife to take advantage of as well. Eventually, I hope to have "open clearings" comprised of a rocky outcropping with appropriate, low growing natives, meadow with a grove of quaking aspen to break up the expanse and provide some visual interest, and rocky beaches along my (future) stream and one side of my (future) pond...among other things.

[Gloria]

Sorry, I mean the comment at pollinators-welcome.

[Gloria]

Your garden sounds wonderful and I'm sure you are right that some may prefer natives to grow within their expections of a garden. But maybe gardens like ours will help expose more people to a different perspective and asthetic. It does grow on you, especially after a few seasons of growth and many exciting wildlife encounters.