Growing Garden Habitats

Mission

To provide botanical education, garden design, and consulting services
that increase awareness and action to sustain native plants and pollinators.

Pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos)

Habitat Garden Design and Consulting

I consult with homeowners on how to maintain yards in an ecologically productive way. By using habitat-oriented garden practices, we can make yards of any size enjoyable and beautiful for families, while also supporting birds, insects, and native plants. Specifically, I work with homeowners of all skill levels to envision what their yard could be and help them through the process of making it happen.

Botanic and Garden Talks

I provide talks, workshops, and webinars on creating gardens to support native plants and pollinators. I blend botanical science with practical application to help explain the fascinating and unique relationships between plants and other ecosystem components.

flower fly (Syrphidae) on Rudbeckia)

Resources

On-line and print resource links for continued learning.

Standards-aligned botanical education materials for formal and non-formal educators in Massachusetts.

Professional development workshops for teachers on basic botany and how best to teach it using an inquiry instructional approach.

"The knowledge that refuge is available, when and if needed, makes the silent inferno of the desert more easily bearable. Mountains complement desert as desert complements city, as wilderness complements and completes civilization."--Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire (1968)

Of the 3,514 plant species occurring in New England,
31% are not native, and
22% of our native plants are rare (threatened).
A high percentage of our declining species require insect pollination.
(Native Plant Trust)

Showy lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium reginae)

Contact Daphne growinggardenhabitats@gmail.com