In conversation with The Monarch Gardner.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Katie Banks Hone (aka, The Monarch Gardener) at her shop and nursery at Nutter Farm at 180 Ipswich Rd, Topsfield. I was deeply saddened by the death of Jane Goodall and asked Katie if she had been inspired by Dr Goodall and I shared a quote by her“Small actions by individuals can make the world a better place,” to begin our conversation. Katie then brought me into her shop and showed me a quote from Dr Goodall that she featured on her wall! I knew I had come to the right place. Both Jane Goodall and Katie are optimists.
Katie is an ecologist who worked as an educator at The New England Aquarium and completely converted her Ipswich property to a native garden hosting 90 native plant species on 1/3 acre. Soon after, she began growing milkweed (to feed Monarch butterflies) and selling plants at farmer’s markets. I asked her why milkweed and Monarchs and she explained that Monarch butterflies are a gateway pollinator because they are charismatic and everyone loves butterflies. Today, Katie grows and sells an extraordinary collection of native plants that sustain pollinators.
Her website offers a lengthy list of native plants for sale including trees, shrubs, vines, annuals, grasses and over 100 perennials. In addition to plants, Katie sells books, signs, tee shirts, rabbit manure and seed balls. Her business has grown over the last 11 years and she works every day, seven months out of the year. She believes in acting locally and some of her merchandise is locally produced. She is committed to sustainability and organic plant production. She uses Coast of Maine Soil and collects and uses only rainwater and solar pumps. She donates a portion of all sales to Monarch and conservation groups. Although the Monarch population is below the viable level, the population did increase last year.
Katie shared some useful information and suggestions for better understanding native plants for pollinators. You do not need to only include plants from your town. Select from Ecoregion 59 which is a vast area. Dr Robert Gegear’s recommended plant list provides plants for pollinators at risk from the Gegears Lab at Umass-Dartmouth and the spreadsheet of plants on her website links to The Biota of North America (BONA) simply by clicking on the plant name. (BONA is a comprehensive plant database.)
Please explore her website for information and hours of operation:
https://www.themonarchgardener.com
The Jane Goodall quote that Katie features in her shop is:
“Know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that’s what will give you hope.”
– Dr Jane Goodall, 1934 – 2025
I’d like to thank Katie for making time for me to visit her shop and nursery. Please support local growers and add some native plants to your home gardens. You may want to try using some of Katie’s seed balls. Many of the seeds are collected locally and the seed balls can be tossed into a field or pressed into garden soil. An ideal time to do this is Autumn. ♦
Ida Wye is the principal of Ida Wye Designs, offering landscape design, consultation, implementation, and restoration. Ida was green long before it was fashionable. She is committed to creating gardens that heal our planet, one landscape at a time. Ida graduated from U. Mass. Amherst with a B. S. in Plant and Soil Sciences before working for the U.S. D. A. and teaching Horticulture. After studying Landscape Design at Radcliffe, she began working independently. She later studied Urban Forestry and Wetland Science. www.idawyelandscapes.com
