Crucial pollinators like bees and butterflies are disappearing but John helps restore them — with his native plant nursery, neighbors’ yards, and inspiring know-how.

Hearing the wakeup call that our conventional approach to lawns and gardens is decimating native plants and pollinators John fully transformed his Mt Airy property into a haven for native plants, attracting abundant wildlife in the process. He even added a pond, now spontaneously home to toads, frogs, and dragonflies — and no mosquitoes!

After transforming neighbors’ yards as well but frustrated by the one-hour drive to the nearest native plant nursery John took the plunge and started his own — Good Host Plants, now supplying Philly with native plants and enthusiastic coaching.

Enjoy fascinating stories along the way, like how 250 native mason bees do the work of 40,000 European honeybees, how a caterpillar is like a steak to a bird raising its young, and how popular yard plants like pachysandra and English ivy have a dark side as they spread through the woods and out-compete native wildflowers.

And we take a twilight walk around John’s yard, hearing frogs calling in the pond as he tells “plant it and they will come” stories about his plants and the wildlife they attracted.

Podcast website: https://nwphillypodcast.net

More about John Janick and Good Host Plants:

• Good Host Plants — Website, Instagram, and Facebook
• Creating native outdoor space for Pollywog Pond daycare center
• Grace Jeschke’s blog post about John’s talk to the Philadelphia Botanical Club