Make Your Garden Wildly Beautiful—Webinar Recap
Over 50 community members joined our Wildly Beautiful Gardens webinar on March 25th, where Bedford 2030’s Rooted Solutions coaches and neighbors explored how to cultivate vibrant, resilient, and better-for-the-planet gardens.
We dug into what truly makes a “wildly beautiful” garden—prioritizing native plants, providing habitat for pollinators and wildlife, removing invasive species, building healthy soil, and adopting climate-friendly practices that support long-term sustainability.
The conversation was lively and practical, with attendees asking thoughtful questions about managing weeds, retaining soil moisture when planting natives, and best practices for removing invasive species and replacing them with beneficial native plants. Participants left with fresh ideas and actionable strategies for creating outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and ecologically supportive.
Want to make your garden wildly beautiful? Sign up to connect with our Rooted Solutions coaches for free personalized guidance on making your property healthier and more climate-friendly.
Timestamps:
0:00: Midge Iorio, Program Director, introduction and welcome
0:25: Bedford 2030 mission
1:47: Panelist introductions: Rooted Solutions Coaches Andrea Good, Caroline Saxton, Fiona Mitchell, and Missy Fabel
3:55-20:22: Presentation from Missy Fabel: how to beautify your property with native plants, how to support native pollinators, why monocrop lawns should be a thing of the past, how to build healthy soil, how to get to know your land, resources for further exploration
20:45-23:26: Clare Aldrich, Lewisboro homeowner and gardener, shares her experience with Rooted Solutions Coaching and climate-friendly landscaping
Q&A:
23:47-27:00: Q: What is the difference between “organic” and “natural”?
27:01-28:22: Q: We shouldn’t add compost to natives. Should we add some other kind of mulch to minimize weeds and retain soil moisture?
28:23-30:40: Q: How do I test my soil?
30:42-32:14: Q: Is mulching leaves the same thing as “leaving the leaves”?
32:15-34:24: Q: What are your favorite replacements to common boxwoods? I’m looking for something that will grow fairly tightly, whether evergreen or deciduous, any that are not native but nonetheless not ecologically harmful.
34:26-36:14: Q: How do I retain soil moisture?
36:15-37:17: Q: Which plants prefer acidic soil and which prefer basic?
37:19-42:14: Q: Any recommendations for when and how to remove invasive buckthorn and what plants to replace it with?
42:15-48:55: Q: How can I control ticks? My understanding is that invasive barberry harbors them, but using the right plants will naturally keep them at bay.
48:56-57:00: Q: What are some of the most effective ways to get started on reducing your grass lawn and turning it into a native meadow?
Have further questions? Email us at info@bedford2030.org, and we’ll connect you with an expert. Happy planting season!