gardening

Fall has arrived, and the transition towards Michigan’s colder months is underway. Many property owners are already looking ahead and designing spring plans for the lawn. That would include Saline resident Edith Anderson. Edith goes beyond modern landscape design and is “Rebuilding Nature: Yard by Yard.” That’s the title of her recently published book. Edith joined WEMU's David Fair to share why more homeowners are trading sterile lawns for living landscapes that welcome back the birds, bees and butterflies.

The Ford STEAM Early Learning Center in Ypsilanti Township cut the ribbon Thursday morning on its new courtyard garden. As WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports, the garden will give students a hands-on learning experience.

The calendar is moving toward the fall. According to the Washtenaw County Conservation District, it’s a good time to plant certain native species before winter arrives. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

It is growing season, and deciding on how to landscape and decorate your gardens is part of the fun of spring and summer. Sometimes, we end up picking things that can have adverse environmental and ecological impacts. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the president of the Ann Arbor Area chapter of The Wild Ones, Marta Manildi, about how to pick safely and beautifully.

The Chelsea Senior Center has received a $1,350 grant from the Wildflower Association of Michigan to help build a native flower garden. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

Spring is approaching in Washtenaw County, and with food prices rising, now is the best time to prepare your food garden. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Earlier this year, Growing Hope announced the "Sprout Grants" program, which awards funds to organizations that promote self-reliance, self-determination, and food sovereignty through neighborhood gardening. This past September, seven Ypsilanti-area organizations received the inaugural grants, and among them was the Cross Street Village senior living facility. Cross Street community organizer Gwendolyn Copeland talks to Rylee Barnsdale about how they received the grant and their plans for the money.

Many area residents don't know that the tangle of shrubs, saplings, and wildflowers on the south side of Prospect Park in Ypsilanti once was the location of a showcase, crescent-shaped pond called Luna Lake. Decades later, it was home to a native plant garden. The garden suffered neglect, especially during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but area residents and neighborhood association leaders are hoping a public workday in October will provide needed rehabilitation. Rylee Barnsdale discussed the event and its goals with organizer, Rachel Blistein.

More businesses in Ypsilanti are working to become more sustainable in their practices. A Prospect Park business called "We Adore Flowers" is among them. It focuses on organically grown, local blooms and have gone to great lengths to institute sustainable practices in creating their fragrant offerings. Rylee Barnsdale talked all about the "We Adore Flowers" establishment with its founder/owner, Ginny Blades.

Gardening season is getting underway, and there will be plenty of work to do. Have you ever gone to tend to the garden or lawn and realized you don’t have the right tool? Frustrating, isn’t it? Well, Growing Hope in Ypsilanti is creating a tool-lending library, so you don’t have to run out and buy them. Growing Hope’s Christopher Hallett joined Rylee Barnsdale with a look at the new program aimed at boosting gardening and agriculture in Ypsilanti.