Garden Coordinator
Ann E. Bueche. Greetings from my native plant garden in Royal Oak, Michigan. As far back as I remember I have had an appreciation for plants and gardens. From spilling some popcorn seeds outside when I was a child and enjoying the surprise seeing them grow into tall stalks, to having house plants in my college dorm room (not the norm), to enjoying botanic gardens, and maintaining home gardens rather than lawns – I have had a keen yet superficial interest in plants and gardens. My awakening regarding native plants and ecological restoration came in 2015 when I returned to Michigan from Colorado expecting to see more bees and butterflies. In Colorado, due to water shortages and living in a high mountain desert, I was aware of xeriscaping (low water gardening), appropriate plants for the climate, and eliminating chemicals. The limited number of insects, I thought, was due to the high altitude and climate. But, upon my return to Michigan I was astounded to see the lack of insects – a very visible decline in just 15 years. I was deeply relieved to see many insects in the native plant garden on Belle Isle near the Nature Center. Around that time, I read “Bringing Nature Home” by Tallamy (never would have thought a book about insects would be so important to me) and I saw various articles in Michigan Gardener by native plant specialist and artist Cheryl English. A visit to Cheryl’s garden – and soon after, learning about Wildtype Native Plant and Ecological Services – started me on my journey. The photo above is from my front garden in July 2022.
I am on the Planning Commission and Sustainability and Climate Action Task Force for the City of Royal Oak. And I am an independent consultant specializing in custom program design – listening, training, outreach, strategy. Learn more at BeKindreDesign.com
I have been sharing native plants and information with neighbors for a few years. I am happy to join with Adapt Community Supported Ecology to expand the network and get more people involved in ecological restoration, habitat gardening, and native plant literacy.