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We can't control the weather, but we can impact the climate for the better by increasing biodiversity, by restoring systems to balance, by adding native plants to every yard.
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In some cases, we just need to leave plants alone that are already there.
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Native violets are often treated like weeds when they show up in the lawn. If a weed is just a plant growing where you don't want it, and your main goal is a uniform turf lawn, then violets are weeds. If, on the other hand, you are trying to foster healthy habitat for native wildlife, leaving the violets is an easy action to take and a little beacon for fritillary butterflies, who need violet leaves for their caterpillars to eat.
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Other little treasures might show up in your yard, such as blue-eyed grass or pussytoes or common selfheal. Blue-eyed grass is actually a member of the iris family. It provides pollen and nectar, and it self seeds and spreads by rhizomes. We have blue-eyed grass (below, left and right), pussytoes, and common selfheal (below, middle) in the burial ground at Gwynedd Friends Meeting. The photos above were taken in the burial ground: pussytoes on the left and an American lady butterfly on the right who may find that patch of pussytoes to lay her eggs.
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May you enjoy the butterflies, bees, beetles, hummingbirds, and moths of summer!
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Visit a Blue Bell front yard meadow on 7/12
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Sara Weaner Cooper, Executive Director of New Directions in the American Landscape, converted her lawn to meadow with her husband and the help of her father, Larry Weaner. They have developed an exciting method for homeowners to try, without using herbicides or digging up sod. Read how they did this here, and email me, paige@journeywork.org, if you want to join Journeywork's tour of Sara's yard on Saturday, July 12 at 9:00am. Sara and Larry will be there to share their story and answer questions.
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June 7 was a little drizzly, but the rain did not dampen our enthusiasm for investigating the plants, animals, and fungi that inhabit the grounds of Gwynedd Friends Meeting.
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We made 145 observations on iNaturalist of 112 species, and we submitted a bird list to ebird with a total of 24 species. From this black swallowtail caterpillar on golden alexander (right) to fairy pins to margined calligrapher, we saw many cool organisms!
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Many thanks to all who explored with us and an extra thanks to our naturalist leaders: Andrew Conboy, Beth Teigen, Doug Wechsler, Grace McMackin, and Kristy Morley.
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Some planting here, some weeding there
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We installed a pollinator garden in a Lansdale yard at the beginning of June. It is in a sunny spot and includes dense blazingstar (Liatris spicata), aromatic aster (Symphiotrichum oblongifolium), two species of goldenrod, butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii). We are having a not-a-lawn party here on Saturday, August 16 from 4:00-6:00--come check out the garden!
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On June 16, Journeywork volunteers returned to the meadow we installed last year at Plymouth Meeting Friends School to do a little weeding. We focused on removing one plant, black medick (Medicago lupulina), which is an introduced annual plant that can quickly fill an area. We quickly cleared it out!
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And some sheet mulching in Whitemarsh
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The Whitemarsh Environmental Advisory Board teamed up with Journeywork on Friday, June 13 to demonstrate sheet mulching for residents interested in adding pollinator gardens to their yards. We will invite residents back in the fall to help us plant a Pollinator Palooza plant set in the mulched bed. Thank you, Whitemarsh EAB, for promoting less lawn and more native plants!
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more plant grants!
Dr. Megan Stotz, who teaches STEM at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, received plants to get a full sun pollinator garden started.
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York Avenue Elementary in Lansdale, the smallest school in North Penn School District, is working on several projects to enhance their grounds and outdoor education opportunities in advance of their 100th anniversary in 2026. Jennifer Svetlik, a parent volunteer working on these initiatives, picked up native flowers to incorporate into existing beds.
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We could not have asked for a lovelier Summer Solstice Evening. Jenny Rose Carey inspired us with her invitation to be still in the natural world and present in order to develop the appreciation to take action. Then we walked and talked about the plants we saw, took time to sniff the fragrant milkweed blossoms, enjoyed more delicious refreshments, and watched the bats and lightning bugs.
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Thanks again to our fantastic speaker and to all our sponsors and volunteers and to all those who donated and attended for making our first Summer Solstice evening such a success, raising $5,382 to support our work!
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A special shout out to our food sponsors: Trader Joes, Wegmans, Whole Foods, The Happy Mixer Gluten-Free Bakery, and The Night Kitchen Bakery.
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Three upcoming not-a-lawn parties
Come see a Journeywork yard in its second season and two yards that were planted this season! Our not-a-lawn parties are a chance for neighbors, friends, and newsletter readers to see what we have planted and ask questions. Join us for one, two, or three! Please email paige@journeywork.org if you would like to attend.
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Sunday, July 20 from 3:30-4:30 in Jamison
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Saturday, August 16 from 10:00-11:30 in Blue Bell
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Saturday, August 16 from 4:00-6:00 in Lansdale
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And finally, some scenes from Journeywork yards where there used to be mulch or turf
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If Journeywork inspires you to sheet mulch, start seeds, or plant some native plants in your yard, please send us a picture! Or a donation! Let's celebrate and support each other!
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