'Nativising' a historic Pennsylvania garden with Ethan Kaufmann

Ethan Kauffman is Director of Stoneleigh, a historic landscape garden, but which has been re-imagined using native plants. Owned since 2016 nby Natural Lands, a body that preserves wild spaces in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, the garden is being re-planted with regional natives often from wild collected seed. He talks about supporting local biodiversity, the importance of cultivars of natives for attracting the public interest, using dead trees for sculpture, the innovative and adventurous use of climbing plants and much more.
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[@JennJenn9]

Thank you for this really interesting presentation! I LOVE the before & after pics! I’m a native Pennsylvanian and was just at Stoneleigh a couple weeks ago 😊 - can’t wait to go back! Thank you to the gardeners for showcasing our wonderful native plants!

[@melanienorstrom5121]

I can't wait to come visit. This looks amazing. I'm really intrigued by the idea of diverse native hedges.

[@bjrockensock]

Why is the word "defrost" a synonym with both thaw and unthaw? Why is inflammable not nonflammable but rather easily inflamed?

[@katiekane5247]

"What is it with you Americans and your natives?" It's the difference between growing things strictly for yourself and actually having your space support something greater, like the planet. I've worked in the horticulture industry and seen how it's actually contributed to the decline of nature. We as humans can either support our only home or contribute to it's demise. Which is more important; a magazine spread or leaving something for future generations?

[@jamespark1997]

Get off your high horse. This is a cultural thing. In the UK we have very few invasive species despite bringing in thousands of plants from all over the world partly because of our climate and also partly because our native species are better adapted to human activity, so very few things can outcompete them. This is why so many European species become invasive in the US, because they are better suited to living alongside humans and our activities than your natives. So in the UK we tend not to be preoccupied with this native vs non-native debate because our natives almost always win without our help, and your natives can't deal with ours.

[@lizingersoll6878]

100% agree. Any INDUSTRY's sole focus is to grab profit and perpetuate it's continuation. It is a bad system that needs to change if we are to improve life in general for the whole planet. Using migrant labor to churn out easy to propagate plants that thrive on neglect is not sustainable (from a wildlife perspective) and created massive seed banks of invasives.

[@lizingersoll6878]

Customer demand and traditional 'money makers' determine what you can find at a garden center. A UK customer would be appalled at the meger offerings and lack of diversity available in US stores. The Industry creates repeat sales by offering non hardy seasonal (disposable) items.

[@lizingersoll6878]

Recently the trend is to Hype TM cultivars with Pretty Names that it is illegal to propagate and share with friends & family. I understand they should be compensated for their R&D but this will lead to less diversity, less natives and will destroy the soul of the gardening as a lifestyle. No one paid attention in the late 80's when Big Ag started copywriting seeds aggressively.

[@lizingersoll6878]

A huge Thanks to everyone working to save native species everywhere! Sorry to keep commenting here. Comments are turned off on the main post for some reason.