Blog

Example image of a rabbit chewing on clover

5 Proven Ways to Keep Rabbits from Eating your Shrubs

Rabbits can cause a lot of damage in the garden, and have done in ours! Learn the tips and tricks we’ve tried that actually work to protect your shrubs.

Recommended Sustainable Gardening and Landscaping Books

A quick list of the books that have had the most influence and impact on Paddle Creek Garden’s design aesthetic and landscaping philosophy.
Red spruce tree growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Picea rubens (Red Spruce)

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES – Tall, stately conifer native to New England and the Appalachian Mountains. Deep green needles with pleasant scent, grows well in shade. Supports conservation efforts.
Cover image of raked pile of leaves

Think Twice Before Raking and Bagging Your Leaves This Fall

While fall cleanup has traditionally consisted mostly of raking leaves, there are plenty of advanages of leaving the leaves, or at very least shredding and composting them. Instead of spending hours cleaning up leaves, read this article for some of the benefits fall leaves have for your garden.
Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite') in bloom in October

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (Aromatic Aster)

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES – A free-flowering, late blooming aster with purple to sky blue flowers. Extends the garden bloom season, providing pollinators with critical nectar and pollen. Easy-to-grow and drought tolerant.
Table mountain pine main article image

Pinus pungens (Table Mountain Pine)

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES – Common pine from driest sites in the Appalachian Mountains. Extremely drought-tolerant, disease resistant native pine that makes a good replacement for disease-prone Austrian and Scots pines.

Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s Ladder)

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES – Easy-to-grow woodlander with light blue flowers. Attracts specialist pollinators. Perfect for a medium-moisture spot in shade to part shade.

Sedum ternatum (Woodland Stonecrop)

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES – Bulletproof groundcover for shade. White flowers in mid-Spring cover the plants. Drought-tolerant.
Image showing oak leaf marcescence

Why Don’t Young Oaks Lose Their Leaves in Winter?

Have you ever wondered why it is that some oak trees hold on to their dead leaves through the winter? Read on to dig into some of the possible reasons.
Example of bee nesting site

Where and How do Native Bees Nest?

In old plant stems, tunnels in wood, underground – Learn some of the unique nesting habits of these incredibly important pollinators.