PLANT RESOURCES

 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
 This is the latest USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. It's an interactive map in which you can put in your zip   code to find out your specific zone.

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - GOLD MEDAL PLANTS
This is a great site from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society that lists the Winning Gold Medal Plants that are chosen for pest and disease resistance, ease of growing, and beauty.

The Native Plant Society of New Jersey
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey.

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant/Butterfly Finder
Bring your garden to life! Enter your zip code to discover the best native plants, attract butterflies and moths, and support birds and other fauna. An indispensable tool, based on the research of Dr Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware and in partnership with the United States Forest Service.
Note: Never collect native plants from the wild, as it can diminish these populations and damage eco-systems.

UNIVERSITY OF CONN. PLANT DATABASE
The University of Connecticut plant database of trees, shrubs, and vines.

THE LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
Lady Bird Johnson, our former first lady, and actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, this special place exists to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant Finder Database
The Missouri Botanical Gardens has an extensive online plant database that lists plant characteristics.

Clemson Cooperative Extension - Viburnum Info
Viburnums - "This large group of plants consists of more than 150 species and numerous named cultivars. Viburnums include deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees, mostly native to North America or to Asia."

RUTGERS CARE & CLEAN-UP OF THE FALL GARDEN PDF
PDF Fact sheet by Rutgers for the "Care and Clean-up of the Fall Garden"

PIET OUDOLF
Piet Oudolf, from Holland EU, is one of my favorite Garden Designers who has designed many well known public and private gardens including the High Line in NYC. He is the leading figure of the "New Perennial" or "New Wave Planting" movement that uses bold drifts of herbaceous perennial plants and grasses that are chosen for their structure, form, texture, color, and four season interest. He who has published a number of books.

NOEL KINGSBURY
Noel Kingsbury is a British garden designer and writer on gardening, plant sciences and related topics. He is best known for his promotion of naturalistic planting design in gardens and designed landscapes and his collaboration with Dutch garden and landscape designer Piet Oudolf on books on planting design.

RICHARD BITNER - CONIFERS
Richard Bitner is an author, writer, and master of Conifers. His new book, "Designing with Conifers" is now available at amazon.

DAVID CULP - HELLEBORES
David Culp at Brandywine Cottage is a breeder of Hellebores, a great lecturer and author of the book "The Layered Garden."

EVA MONHEIM
Eva Monheim is a horticultural writer and educator.

HAPPY CAT FARM
Happy Cat Farm exists to teach people how to grow and forage their own food sustainably. Inspired tools for growing & foraging your own food. All the sustainable heirloom seeds, plants and products you need!

ED SNODGRASS
Ed Snodgrass of Emory Knoll Farms is an author, consultant, and supplier of Green Roof Plants.

PUBLIC GARDENS & ARBORETUMS

	LONGWOOD GARDENS Longwood Gardens, established by Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954), is a world-class Garden located in Kennett Square, PA.
	THE HIGH LINE The High Line is an amazing inner-city elevated train-track garden in New York City running through Chelsea. This is a very extensive site that includes a plant list for the seasonal blooms and plantings by Piet Oudolf. Google maps has added a virtual tour of the park. Go to http://maps.google.com/ and type in "High Line Elevated Park, New York, NY" and zoom in to view the entire length.
	BOWMAN'S HILL WILDFLOWER PRESERVE: Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve inspires the appreciation and use of native plants by serving as a sanctuary and an educational resource for conservation and stewardship.
	THE PHILADELPHIA RAIL PARK The Reading Viaduct Project in Philadelphia is an attempt to reclaim the old Reading elevated train trestle and turn it into an elevated park similar to the High Line in Manhattan NYC.
	CHANTICLEER GARDENS Chanticleer is one of the great gardens of the Philadelphia Region.
	MT. CUBA CENTER Mt. Cuba Center is dedicated to the study, conservation, and appreciation of plants native to the Appalachian Piedmont Region through garden display, education, and research.
	THE MORRIS ARBORETUM The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania is an interdisciplinary center that integrates art, science and the humanities.
	THE SCOTT ARBORETUM The Scott Arboretum is the Swarthmore College campus in Swarthmore PA.
	TAYLOR ARBORETUM Taylor Arboretum in Wallingford, PA is dedicated to promote the "health, enjoyment and education of the public in perpetuity"
	TYLER ARBORETUM Tyler Arboretum encompasses 650 acres of horticultural collections, rare plant specimens, ancient trees, historic buildings and extensive hiking trails.
	WINTERTHUR Winterthur's 1,000 acres encompass rolling hills, streams, meadows, and forests was founded by Henry Francis du Pont
	THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL ARBORETUM The United States National Arboretum is living museum that is used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for research and education.
	THE UNITED STATES BOTANIC GARDEN The United States Botanic Garden provides "living laboratories" for environmental, horticultural, and botanical education in a contemplative setting.
	BATTERY PARK CITY PARKS CONSERVANCY The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy is another amazing inner-city park system in New York City's Battery Park area.
	PHILADELPHIA MAGIC GARDENS The Philadelphia Magic Gardens is a wonderful and magical artistic garden created by the artist Isaiah Zagar at 10th and South Streets in Philadelphia.
	FERRET HOLLOW GARDENS A small Certified Wildlife Habitat and Certified Polllinator Habitat Garden located in Collingswood, NJ.  It is the demonstration garden for the Collingswood NJ Community Habitat Project.  It's open to the public once a year on the Sunday after Mother's Day and by appointment throughout the rest of the year. Please call 267.251.5855 or send an email to info@ferrethollow.com.

NATIVE PLANT INFORMATION 

	BRINGING NATURE HOME - by DOUG TALLAMY "Chances are, you have never thought of your garden - indeed, of all of the space on your property - as a wildlife preserve that represents the last chance we have for sustaining plants and animals that were once common throughout the U.S. But that is exactly the role our suburban landscapes are now playing and will play even more in the near future."
	NWF NATIVE PLANT/BUTTERFLY FINDER Bring your garden to life! Enter your zip code to discover the best native plants, attract butterflies and moths, and support birds and other fauna. An indispensable tool, based on the research of Dr Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware and in partnership with the United States Forest Service.
	THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - GARDEN WITH NATIVE PLANTS Native plants are adapted to native soils; they don’t need chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
	THE LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER Lady Bird Johnson, our former first lady, and actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, this special place exists to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants.
	THE FLORA PROJECT OF MORRIS ARBORETUM All plants, common or rare, have evolved in association with their physical and biological environment to form functioning ecosystems. Both the individual species and the ecosystems represent reservoirs of biological diversity.
	DELAWARE VALLEY FERN & WILDFLOWER SOCIETY The purpose of the DVFWS shall be to encourage the enjoyment of ferns and wildflowers by cultivating and propagating them in the home garden; by studying them in their wild habitats, gardens, and conservatories; by promoting their conservation and preservation, and by providing a forum for the exchange of information and expertise.
	GROW NATIVE Why Use Native Plants? Choosing native plants allows developed landscapes to coexist with nature, rather than compete with it. Increasingly, gardeners are choosing native plants. The benefits of native landscaping are fueling a gardening movement that says “no” to pesticides and fertilizers and “yes” to biodiversity and
	WILD ONES We promote establishment of communities of native plants around homes, schools and businesses, using ecological practices.
	PLANT NATIVE PlantNative is dedicated to moving native plants and naturescaping into mainstream landscaping practices.
	USDA - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.
	THE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY New Jersey's diversity of habitat, in concert with four distinct seasons, blesses our state with botanical variety. From the stirrings of spring ephemerals through the forest litter, to the abundance for summer pollinator plants, to the turning of deciduous leaves, and then to the berries of winter, each season adorns Jersey with a wonderful display of flora.

One problem that we face is that many species of invasive plants are being sold in garden centers and box stores across the country.  Before you buy a plant look to see if it is invasive.  One of the latest to be considered invasive is Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii). 

Below is a list of resources to find out about invasive species. 

	INVASIVE SPECIES DEFINED - THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL USDA - Invasive Species Definition Clarification and Guidance White Paper.  Submitted by the Definitions Subcommittee of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) and approved by ISAC on April 27, 2006.
	NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Invasive Species...What are they and why are they a problem? An invasive species is "a non-native species whose introduction does, or is likely to cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health."
	CORNELL UNIVERSITY ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE PLANTS PROGRAM The Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program conducts research to assess the ecological impacts of introduced plant species.
	THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - INVASIVE SPECIES - WHAT DOES A GARDENER NEED TO KNOW? When deciding what to plant in your yard or garden, it can sometimes be difficult to know if you're making a good choice. Trees and shrubs that look beautiful could prove to be harmful when they "escape" from your yard into nearby natural areas.
	THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - INVASIVE SPECIES: WHAT CAN YOU DO? The best way to fight invasive species is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
	NEW JERSEY INVASIVE SPECIES STRIKE TEAM The Strike Team is a statewide cooperative effort to prevent the spread of emerging invasive species across the state of New Jersey. Here they provide a library of information about the invasive species that threaten the Garden State.
	USDA - INTRODUCED, INVASIVE, & NOXIOUS PLANTS The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Introduced, Invasive, and Noxious Plants. You can choose your State or the Federal list of Noxious Weeds. Unfortunately NJ & NY are not listed but most States are, including PA and DE.
	USDA - FEDERAL LIST OF NOXIOUS WEEDS The USDA's Federal list of noxious weeds. This is for the entire country. Not all noxious plants are listed. There are new species of noxious weeds always being added to the list. Butterfly Bush is now considered invasive but is not yet listed but shortly will be. It is already listed in many State lists.

PLANT & ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION RESOURCES

DISCOVER LIFE - ALL LIVING THINGS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Discover Life is an online encyclopedia that is a portal to all living things -- the world's flora and fauna.

DRAGONFLY IDENTIFICATION KEY
A dragonfly identification key by Discover Life - all living things.

USGS BEE INVENTORY AND MONITORING LAB PHOTOGRAPHS:
Sam Droege of the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab has created a database of high resolution photographs of insects an other macro natural history objects.

BUTTERFLY IDENTIFICATION CHART PDF
This PDF file is a Butterfly Identification Chart that is put out by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County NJ.

BUTTERFLY & MOTH REGIONAL CHECK LIST
The Big Sky Institute at Montana State University Butterfly and Moths of North America Project identifies what Butterflies and Moths are found in your Region. It's a great site for information.

THE NEW JERSEY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
The New Jersey Beekeepers Association has great information regarding bees and beekeeping. Remember - According to a U.N. report, of the 100 crop species that supply 90 percent of the world's food, bees pollinate more than 70 percent.

RUTGERS BEEKEEPING COURSE
The Rutgers Beekeeping Course Listing. Check back to see updated dates if not scheduled yet.

WILDLIFE FIRST AID, RESCUE CENTERS, AND INFORMATION.  "Wildlife babies always do better with their own parents. It is very likely that his parents will welcome "them" back with open wings."

	FIRST AID FOR INJURED OR ORPHANED WILDLIFE The Schuylkill Center in Philadelphia has published instructions on what to do for emergency care with injured or orphaned wildlife.
	THE SCHULYKILL CENTER The Schuylkill Center off of Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia PA is a wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education center. They will take in and care for injured or orphaned wildlife.
	WOODFORD CEDAR RUN WILDLIFE REFUGE The Woodford Cedar Run WIldlife Refuge in Medford NJ is devoted to Pinelands preservation, environmental education and Wildlife Rehabilitation. They will take in and care for injured or orphaned wildlife.
	AARK WILDLIFE REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION CENTER The Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Chalfont PA provides temporary sanctuary for thousands of injured and orphaned birds and mammals annually.
	THE DELAWARE COUNCIL OF WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS AND EDUCATORS The DCWRE was established in 1995 to care for sick, injured and abandoned wildlife and then return them to the wild.
	TRI-STATE BIRD BIRD RESCUE & RESEARCH The mission of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is to achieve excellence in the rehabilitation of injured, orphaned, and oiled native wild birds, with the goal of returning healthy birds to their natural environment. We do this through compassionate care, humane research, and education.

	PHILADELPHIA METRO WILDLIFE CENTER The Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center preserves a future for Pennsylvania's wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and education

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Here is a list of a few of the books that I have in my library with links to where to buy them.

BRINGING NATURE HOME by DOUGLAS TALLAMY
“If you cut down the goldenrod, the wild black cherry, the milkweed and other natives, you eliminate the larvae, and starve the birds. This simple revelation about the food web—and it is an intricate web, not a chain—is the driving force in Bringing Nature Home.” —The New York Times

THE LIVING LANDSCAPE by RICK DARKE & DOUG TALLAMY
Many gardeners today want a home landscape that nourishes and fosters wildlife. But they also want beauty, a space for the kids to play, privacy, and maybe even a vegetable patch. Sure, it’s a tall order, but The Living Landscape shows how to do it.

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES
Protect and nurture the best-loved of garden guests: butterflies, nature’s kaleidoscopes with wings. The Xerces Society introduces you to a variety of butterflies who need our help, and provides suggestions for native plants to attract them, habitat designs to help them thrive, and garden practices to accommodate all their stages of life.

PLANTING: A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Planting: A New Perspective is an essential resource for designers and gardeners looking to create plant-rich, beautiful gardens that support biodiversity and nourish the human spirit. An intimate knowledge of plants is essential to the success of modern landscape design.

PLANTING IN A POST-WILD WORLD
Over time, with industrialization and urban sprawl, we have driven nature out of our neighborhoods and cities. But we can invite it back by designing landscapes that look and function more like they do in the wild: robust, diverse, and visually harmonious.

ATTRACTING NATIVE POLLINATORS
Attracting Native Pollinators provides dramatically expanded breadth and detail, reflecting the latest understanding about creating and managing pollinator habitat. Illustrated with hundreds of color photographs and dozens of specially created illustrations.

THE BEES IN YOUR BACKYARD
The Bees in Your Backyard provides an engaging introduction to the roughly 4,000 different bee species found in the United States and Canada, dispelling common myths about bees while offering essential tips for telling them apart in the field.

CATERPILLARS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
This lavishly illustrated guide will enable you to identify the caterpillars of nearly 700 butterflies and moths found east of the Mississippi. The more than 1,200 color photographs and two dozen line drawings include numerous exceptionally striking images.

THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS
This is my favorite Bird Identification book. Used by millions of birders from novices to the most expert, The Sibley Guide became the standard by which natural history guides are measured.

PLANTING THE NATURAL GARDEN
This updated edition of the book that started the "Dutch Wave," a movement that is now sweeping gardens from Europe to North America, shows how to plant a garden that can look wild but be tame at heart.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TREES & SHRUBS
With Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs and Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates, Michael Dirr set the gold standard for horticultural reference. This season, Timber Press is proud to publish his seminal work, Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs, the most comprehensive visual reference on this important subject.

A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDEN PLANTS
The AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants is the most comprehensive, detailed, and lavishly illustrated guide to garden plants ever published. With authoritative coverage of more than 15,000 ornamental plants.

GARDEN REVOLUTION
Garden Revolution shows how an ecological approach to planting can lead to beautiful gardens that buck much of conventional gardening’s counter-productive, time-consuming practices

THIS IS A SECTION ON ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES.

	The Xerces Society The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. For forty years, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.
	The Xerces Society Guidline PDF's The Xerces Society has published multiple guidelines for the conservancy of Native Invertebrate Pollinators.
	The National Wildlife Foundation The National Wildlife Federation is a voice for wildlife, dedicated to protecting wildlife and habitat and inspiring the future generation of conservationists.
	The Brandywine Conservancy Protecting the natural and cultural resources of the Brandywine watershed and other selected areas, the Environmental Management Center has been instrumental in permanently protecting more than 45,000 acres of land through services to landowners, farmers, municipalities, and developers.
	The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

INDOOR AMARYLLIS BULB CARE: 

I've been growing Amaryllis' for many years now and have learned a few things over the years about growing them.  First I start with finding a nice pot that is a bit larger than the bulb to allow for the growth of the roots.  Plant the Amaryllis bulb in the pot using potting soil with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bulb above the potting soil.  I always put them in a largish pot filled with potting soil and cover the exposed soil with some type of cover - mulch, moss, etc.  I've found that using a green dyed spanish moss works quite well and has a good look to it.  Use some kind of material to cover the drainage hole inside of the pot prior to filling - paper towel, screening, coffee filter, etc.  Do not use garden soil. After planting, water thoroughly until water runs out of the bottom hole in the pot.  (Only use a pot with a drainage hole on the bottom)  Keep in a bright cool area in your house to keep the stem short.  Keep soil moist but not wet. Let the water run out of the pot in the sink before putting back on the dish.  It should bloom in a number of weeks.  When it is about to bloom place in a favorite spot.  You might need to stake up the flower if it gets too tall.  Be aware that you may get  a second flowering stem and sometimes a third one will grow.  After flowering let the flower stem dry out so that the bulb reabsorbs the nutrients from the stem. When the stem is dry just cut it at the base just above the bulb.  Then allow the leaves to grow all spring and summer in the sun.  It’s best to start it in partial sun then move it into full sun to acclimatize and avoid sun burn on the leaves.   When the temperature gets to be steadily in the 70’s place it outside to get the best light and remember to water.  It's a good idea to fertilize it during this time.  When September comes around (maybe earlier in colder climates), and prior to any frost, bring the pot indoors, stop watering, and place in a dark area in the basement and allow the leaves to dry out.  After a couple of weeks place it on its side and rotate it every couple of weeks so that it does not gather any moisture on the bulb or surrounding soil that may rot the bulb.  When all of the leaves turn yellow/brown and dry out cut them off at the bulb about 1.5” above the bulb.  In early/mid December you may then repot it in new potting mix and start to water again.  It should bloom again for years to come if these steps are followed.

For my Garden Blog that I occasionally add post to when I have some time out of the gardens that I'm working on please click here:

STEPHEN COAN'S NATURE INSPIRED GARDENS BLOG

This is a photo of a Tiger Swallowtial that couldn't wait for me to install the plants into a client's habitat garden.  See Project "A" in the Project Gallery.