People. Plants. Community.
ROR by Katie Bartling Backyard aquatic gardens and small pond structures are gardens where water is the dominant element and there is a strong focus on the emergent, submerged and floating plant community. These areas can provide many benefits within the landscape in terms of water quality improvement, wildlife habitat and stormwater management. Oftentimes, however, we … Read more
by Mark Eberhardt, MSE Landscape Associates Imagine a public space where borough residents venture to exercise, take a stroll with their family, friends, and loved ones or walk their dog. The space is set in a grassy public park, near the river that is the original origin of the community dating back to 1716. A … Read more
THE GOOD We’re always encouraging folks to create wildlife and pollinator habitat in their yards, but if you’re like most of us with a lawn and some smallish landscape beds by the front walkway, it might be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few steps you can take, doing all three or … Read more
After a cold snowy winter, we all look forward to the first signs of spring. For me they include the calls of spring peepers, the return of migratory birds and the first visible leaves of skunk cabbage. Spring ephemerals, as many of these plants are known, are celebrated widely and literally exude heart warming qualities … Read more
What are the Hershey Trees?We hear the term “Hershey Trees” tossed around a lot—by us, by others in related fields, and by local volunteers. But what exactly are they? Why do they matter? And do they actually have anything to do with chocolate? John Hershey, a Downingtown resident for 50 years and an early pioneer … Read more
You’re sitting inside staying warm, happy that you’re not out in the freezing cold. You look out the window and watch the birds happily gathering around the feeders that you just filled up this morning. (I swear they’re waiting for me when I go outside to do that.) Soon the squirrels use their unbelievable athleticism to … Read more
Written by ROR Member Mark Eberhardt, Principal, MSE Landscape Associates, LLC. Your personal naturalized landscape or any public garden space can not only be beautiful in winter, but also can be functional to the ecosystem. Gone are the days of cutting back our gardens around Thanksgiving and calling it a season. With ecologically sensitive plantings, … Read more
The New Zealand Mud snail(NZM), Potamopyrgus antipodarum, is an aquatic invasive species that has now been found in different parts of the Brandywine Creek watershed. Check out this recent article to learn more. This is not our first aquatic invasive, but it sure can cause some havoc to the ecosystem if it continues to spread, … Read more
Dr. Doug Tallamy is an entomologist from the University of Delaware and he’s also the co-founder of Homegrown National Park (HGNP) which is a national grass roots movement urging folks like us to create habitat in our yards. He recently spoke at Penn State Great Valley about biodiversity, caterpillars, native host plants, and shrinking our … Read more
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