Learn about landscaping with native shrubs in this free Bringing Nature Home talk presented by Stefanie Verish of Cleveland Metroparks

This year, Friends of Lower Lake and Doan Brook Watershed Partnership will once again host a series of talks on native plants and sustainable gardening leading up to Ohio’s first ever Native Plant Month in April.

The Bringing Nature Home speaker series will journey from the tree canopy to the shrub layer to the ground layer for a holistic look at what makes up a healthy habitat in our public and private green spaces. Our tagline, “It’s About Time,” reflects the urgency of restoring our urban habitat to a healthy one as well as how the sequence of plant life supports insects and birds throughout the growing season

Native Shrubs for Your Yard – Presented by Stefanie Verish of Cleveland Metroparks

Most residential yards, businesses, and corporate campuses base landscape design on shrubs. The popular ones, such as burning bush, privet, and honeysuckle, were introduced from other continents by the horticultural trade. Many are unappealing to native insects and birds, or so appealing that seeds are spread into our natural areas and outcompete beneficial native shrubs. This talk will focus on how to identify invasive introduced species and how to replace them with beautiful and beneficial native shrubs.