The Frogs Are Gettin' Busy!

Skunk cabbages are pushing their way high up through the melting earth. The bluebirds, chickadees, robins, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, and Carolina wrens are starting their choir rehearsals. The wood frogs have dropped evidence of their love fests in the form of ever-growing egg masses in the pond.

Everyone's getting busy, including me. I had a great time talking recently with Margaret Roach about my essay, "Is Your Yard Undergrown?" (See more about our conversation below.) My events season kicked into high gear last week, starting with a virtual presentation for the Durham, NC, Garden Forum and then a trip to a lawn and garden show in Springfield, Missouri. As the featured speaker, I gave four separate talks and was delighted to hear from attendees who are now going to reconsider their antagonistic relationships with rabbits, stop mulching and start leaving bare soil for ground-nesting bees, and plant a diversity of natives throughout the season for all sorts of insects. I'm so grateful to the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and to the many people who took the time out on three sunny days to come and learn about all things wildscaping!

My spring schedule is packed; you can find my upcoming events below.

I was delighted last fall when American Gardener editor David Ellis asked me to write a wildlife column, a first for the membership magazine of the American Horticultural Society. AG has published stimulating content related to native plant gardening over the years, including one on habitat hedgerows that I found particularly helpful. But a dedicated space in every issue gives us an opportunity to explore many different topics related to welcoming wildlife while also humanely resolving conflicts with them.

In January-February's "Sharing Space with Wild Neighbors," I discussed the importance of going beyond resistance and even coexistence to a new paradigm of celebration and appreciation--for all the beauty, motion, and abundance that our wild neighbors bring to our world. The March-April column, "Creating a No-Hazard Zone," provided tips for preventing and mitigating unintended dangers in home landscapes, from garden netting that strangles birds and snakes to vertical-walled ponds that provide no escape routes for animals who fall in. With just a little bit of observation, planning, and ingenuity, we can make our spaces safer for all.

In Related News from the American Horticultural Society ...

Honor for Wildscape: My book Wildscape earned an Honorable Mention in AHS's national 2024 book awards. Congratulations to all the winners! Check out the results here.

Invitation to Speak: I'll be giving a virtual presentation in early April as part of AHS's Lifelong Learning Series. Hope to see you there!

What do people mean when they describe a landscape as "messy"? New York Times columnist Margaret Roach pondered this question during our recent conversation on her "A Way to Garden" podcast. "Do they mean kind of wildish or do they mean loose?" she asked. "Do they mean looser than formal? Do they mean naturalistic? Do they mean full, bountiful? ... Could we free-associate a little bit ...?"

Our conversation was triggered by my suggestion in a recent article on my website that we start referring to lawn-dominated barrenscapes as "undergrown." After Margaret invited listeners to share their thoughts on word choices, more than 400 chimed in.

Check out the conversation and the robust dialogue it inspired here: A Way to Garden: Is Your Landscape Undergrown? with Nancy Lawson

And in case you missed it, check out my original piece at HumaneGardener.com: "Is Your Yard Undergrown?"

Also be sure to tune in for Margaret's followup conversation about word choices with ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin: A Way to Garden: State of the Native Plant Movement with Rebecca McMackin

This baby squirrel was one of the few lucky ones: she was saved and reunited with her mama! But so many birds, squirrels and other animals fall victim to poorly timed tree trimming and removal during nesting season. You can prevent such calamities through mindful pruning and patience. Read more in my article, "Untimely Evictions: Dangers of Tree Trimming."

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I want everyone I know to watch this."

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Fascinating subject from such a different perspective!"

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"I think you are a mighty agent for radically changing how communities and the general population think about - and respect - the unique 'intelligences' of plants and animals."

About Humane Gardener

Images: rabbit graphic: angychan0982; squirrel: Lori Thiele; book signing: Kat Elicker; flowers and frogs: Nancy Lawson