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| What is a Native Plant? Native plants (also called indigenous plants) are plants that have evolved over thousands of years in a particular region. They have adapted to the geography, hydrology, and climate of that region. Native plants occur in communities, that is, they have evolved together with other plants. As a result, a community of native plants provides habitat for a variety of native wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies. Why Should I Use Native Plants? Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintained landscape while benefiting the environment. Once these plants are established, they will save time and money by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and water. Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife by attracting a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife by providing diverse habitats and food sources. Closely mowed lawns are of little use to most wildlife. Wildlife does not just randomly appear in a given area. It is there because of a favorable habitat. To attract more wildlife, you need to apply specific wildlife management practices. When designing your backyard wildlife habitat keep in mind food, water, cover and space to raise their offspring. Natural landscaping is an opportunity to reestablish diverse native plants, thereby inviting the birds and butterflies back home.Order deadline is June 6th, 2022 Pickup date will be June 16th, from 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm Pickup Location: 9180 South Custer Road (M-50), Monroe (north side of road) You may find the order form by clicking the link above or by visiting monroecd.org Extra inventory will be sold during pickup hours. All pre-orders will receive postcards with pickup details. For more information, please call the Monroe Conservation District at 734-241-8540, extension 5.Rain Barrels Available!The Monroe Conservation District will once again be offering rain barrels for sale. The cost of each rain barrel is $82.68 and they are available in a variety of colors.Rain barrels help reduce household water usage; lawn and garden watering make up nearly 40% of total household water use during the summer. Collecting and storing rainwater in these 55-gallon barrels has many economical and sustainable benefits. The water collected contains no chlorine, lime, or calcium making it ideal for watering gardens, potted plants, as well as car and window washing. Utilizing a rain barrel can save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months. Collecting water helps protect the environment by diverting water from storm drains which decreases the impact of runoff to streams and rivers, but it also saves you money and energy. Consider purchasing your rain barrel while the garden season is still early. The rain barrels are made from recycled and reconditioned high-density polyethylene (HDPE), formerly used for food product shipping, such as a pickle and pepper barrels. They are modified with a spigot & overflow fitting to be repurposed as a rain barrel. The rain barrel top/lid is equipped with a metal mesh screen to filter out debris and prevent mosquitos from getting in. For more information, please call the Monroe Conservation District at 734-241-8540, extension 5, or go to the district’s website at www.monroecd.com/products.It’s spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) season! The invasive spongy moth, formerly referred to as gypsy moth, is a voracious leaf eater in its caterpillar life stage and populations were high last year across the Lower Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources conducted an egg mass survey in the fall of 2021 and based on the survey’s results found that many areas in lower Michigan should expect a collapse of the spongy moth activity. However, a few areas, including Jackson county and parts of southwest Lower Michigan, may have high density populations again this year based on the size and health of egg masses found during the survey. The State of Michigan’s NotMISpecies Webinar series recently shared a video with an expert panel that explored how the spongy moth became a naturalized resident in Michigan’s forests and what you can do to reduce the impacts of an outbreak. To view the press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, please click here, or visit Michigan.gov for more information.Hold off on pruning oaks! The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking those with oak trees to not prune between the dates of April 15th and July 15th. During this time, oak trees are at high risk for oak wilt infection, which is a serious fungal disease that can weaken white oaks and kill red oak trees within a matter of weeks. The disease is caused by flying beetles that can carry spores of the fungus from tree to tree, the fungus enters the tree through wounds that are often a result of pruning or storm damage. Once the tree is infected, the fungus can move to neighboring oaks through root grafts. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is advising anyone with a damaged oak tree (during the high-risk period between April 15th – July 15th) to immediately cover all wounds with tree-wound paint or latex-based paint. Please note, painting tree wounds for other tree species is not recommended, as it can reduce the effectiveness of the healing process. For more information, please visit Michigan.gov. To learn more about invasive species in Michigan, please visit Michigan.gov/invasives. If you would like help from an oak-wilt specialist, please click here; you may also report infections by using this interactive map. |
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Monroe County Master Gardener Association 
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