Wise gardening choices in residential and commercial landscapes help ensure the health and survival of local wildlife as well as ourselves.  Recent research and in-depth observations demonstrate the value of native plants as the backbone for urban and suburban green space to attract and support the diversity of life needed for a truly functional (and beautiful) landscape.  We’ll explore the findings of various authors and researchers and discuss their recommendations for creating gardens that offer a sustainable lifeline for everyone — insects to humans.

Margie Hunter is a naturalist, writer and author of Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee: The Spirit of Place. She gives presentations on native plants and natural history, is a member of Tennessee Native Plant Society and Tennessee Invasive Plant Council, and volunteers with the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Margie is a founding board member of the Tennessee Naturalist Program, an adult education natural history course, and serves as an instructor for several classes.