Blog
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An Exploration of Vines
Vines can have detrimental effects on native ecosystems, as invasive climbers have proven. But vines have such a bad reputation in the plant world that it's easy to forget that not all vines are bad. Some are, in fact, essential. In this article, we'll highlight a few of Virginia's native vines, species that are vital to this area's ecosystems. These plants are worthy and essential players in habitat corridors and can be either reintroduced or, if you're lucky, need only to be encouraged when they appear as volunteers. |
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A Habitat Corridor in the City: An interview with homeowners Becky Tippett and Michael Towne on their city property in Charlottesville, VA
Over the past two years, Becky Tippett and Michael Towne have worked to make their property into a better ecosystem. They removed non-native landscaping, pulled invasives, identified native volunteers, and planted a large variety of natives. Here, they discuss their project, tell us about the species they planted, and give advice for fellow property owners looking to create better ecosystems on their lands. |
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A Look at Native Plant Volunteers: Eight common species you may have volunteering on your property and why they matter
Do you have Pokeweed, Common Blue Violets, or American Plantain coming up on your property? Like many common natives that can be found around development and home sites, these species are opportunists. When ground is disturbed or left unmanaged, they don't take long to show themselves. But as they grow, they provide necessities that benefit the soil, wildlife, and future native plants to come into the area. This article provides information about why these early successional natives matter, gives tips for identifying them, and shares how specific species benefit wildlife. |
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Creating a Paradise on a Small Piece of Land
Anyone—whether you're on twenty acres or a small city lot —can start a habitat corridor. In this article, we share our journey of making a small habitat corridor from a spot of lawn twelve feet by twelve feet, hoping that this simplifies the process and allows us all to embark on the mission of creating a paradise for native plants and wildlife, no matter the size of our land. |
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Blooms, Stems, Foliage, Roots, Sap, Seeds: Exploring how native insects depend on native plants
When we see a native plant, the first thing we often think of is its bloom. Sometimes, we think of its foliage, seeing it as a host plant for butterfly and moth caterpillars. But how often do we think of its roots? How often do we think of its sap? Native insects depend on native plants in specific ways. Some, like bees and butterflies, use their blooms for nectar or pollen. Others, including caterpillars, depend on their foliage. Still others have formed unique relationships with parts of native plants beyond what we usually see, like their roots and sap. Here, we explore the different parts of a native plant, from the flowers to the root, and how various species of insects depend on each part for their survival. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Curious about our nursery, the plants we offer, and our process? In this article, we answer some frequently asked questions, including: -Do you offer your plants to homeowners? -What qualifies as a habitat corridor? -What are local genotype plants, and why do you offer these exclusively? -What areas of Virginia are Hummingbird Hill's plants suited for? |
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The Self Seeders: A Look at Annuals, Biennials, and Short-lived Perennials
Diversity is key: you may have heard this phrase in reference to planting natives. Perhaps you've read that it's important to have a mix of heights, different bloom times, and an assortment of colors in your planting, as well as a combination of trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and grasses. All of these things are absolutely true! To support wildlife and create a healthy habitat, a large amount of diversity is a necessity. To create more diversity within the planting, there is one more key element that is often overlooked: the life spans of the plants in the habitat should also vary. In this article, we explore annuals, biennials, and short-lived perennials, looking at their importance and how they make up for their short lifespan by self-seeding. |
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When the Seeds Disperse
When late fall rolls around, the growing season settles down, ready for dormancy. But one of your habitat corridor's largest impacts of the year has just begun: seeds are dispersing. For native plants—and for those of us trying to help them—this is the ultimate goal, and when our habitat corridors have reached their climax in late fall, one of their most important roles is in full swing. Here, we discuss the various ways that native plants disperse their seeds and the strategies they employ to ensure that the next generation of plants gets a fair fight in nature. |
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Restoring Habitat: An interview with local resident, Steve Phillips, on his re-vegetation project
After building a house on top of a hill, local resident Steve Phillips was faced with an erosion problem and turned to native plants for help. This, in turn, became a long term project to re-vegetate the one acre of land that was cleared during the construction of his house. In this article, he shares his experiences--the good and the bad--and how his perspective and understanding of native plants changed throughout the process. |
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Planting Natives in the Summer: Tips for adding natives during the warm months
The arrival of hot summer weather doesn't have to mean an end to planting. In fact, at the nursery, summertime is often when we finally find time to plant natives in our own habitat corridors. Here, we take a look at some frequently asked questions regarding summer planting and offer tips about how to grow and care for natives as the weather warms. |
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Native Plants & Eastern Box Turtles
Eastern Box Turtles are currently listed as a Tier III Species of Greatest Conservation Concern in Virginia, a title that means extinction is possible without high conservation efforts. Because they are slow to mature and have a low reproduction rate, these turtles are more susceptible to population declines that many other species of native wildlife. In this article, we'll discuss the unique connection that these turtles have to native plants, as well as ways that you can help Eastern Box Turtles on your land (and when you see one crossing the road). |
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Making a Habitat Corridor
What exactly is a habitat corridor? How does it differ from other types of plantings? Why plant a habitat corridor instead of a traditional garden? Here, we answer these questions and more as we explore habitat corridors in depth: how to design them, how to care for them initially and over the longterm, and how to observe them to learn more about the life that they bring to your property. |
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Growing Locally Native Plants
When we began running Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery, we came across a frustrating scenario again and again: the local indigenous native plants that we saw growing in quality habitat around us, especially in local parks, weren't available for sale in the nursery trade. It became clear to us that, within the plant trade, there was a very select group of species that were commonly propagated, widely advertised as natives and popularized by articles on planting for pollinators, and these plants were the only ones being sold by native plant nurseries. However, many of these plants did not occur in our area or were only native to specialized habitats that the vast majority of our clients didn't have on their properties. In this article, we explore our story: how we evolved to grow 100 percent local genotype native plant (and why!) and take a look at some local natives that we offer. |
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Exploring Asters
Asters are the quintessential flower of autumn, with their conspicuous daisy-like flowers that are prolific and highly attractive to native insects. But asters aren't one and the same: native asters are a varied bunch, with some species thriving in wet areas, while others live only on dry slopes. Here, we explore some of the many aster species native to our area, looking at the habitat where each thrives and the life that it supports. |
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Creating a Habitat Corridor in a Dry Location
One of the first steps to creating a habitat corridor is to develop a good understanding of the soil moisture on your property. Virginia receives around 40 inches of rain per year, but not all soils have the capability of holding this moisture in the same way. Loam, clay, and sandy soils each retain moisture differently, and the varying elevations, slopes, and depressions of the landscape also greatly affect the soil's water holding capacity. Here, we take a look at which native plant species thrive in the driest of sites |
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Getting to Know Native Grasses, Sedges, & Rushes
In fall and winter, the structure of native grasses, sedges, and rushes make a showy presence on the landscape. Many turn brilliant shades of golden and copper when the colder weather arrives, while some remain green in the cold months. Here, we take a look at what these grasses are doing for the wildlife around them. The transition of land from clump forming native grasses to dense swaths of non-native grasses has been the demise for many forms of wildlife. Bringing these natives back helps to improve the habitat and make a vibrant ecosystem for life! |