It Starts With a Leaf | Vanessa Bittermann | Substack
It Starts With a Leaf
Plants are the answer. A newsletter about ecological gardening, the benefits of native plants, attracting and supporting wildlife in your landscape, and garden travel inspiration.
By Vanessa Bittermann
· Launched a year ago
What Actually Works, Part 2: Native Plants for Part Shade With Deer Pressure
Jun 12•Vanessa Bittermann
21
4
7
It's All Too Mulch: How to Make Use of Groundcovers
Sep 7, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
41
11
8
What Actually Works, Part 1: Native Plants for Suburban Dry Shade With Deer Pressure
May 16•Vanessa Bittermann
45
5
11
Make This Year Your Caterpillar Year
Mar 24•Vanessa Bittermann
29
12
5
Embrace the Shrub!
Jul 20, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
21
4
7
Is it Really Native? How to use BONAP to research native plants
Mar 29, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
17
9
6
Plein Air Planting: Designing Your Native Plant Garden
May 3, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
18
5
5
How to Find the Best Native Plants Series
Think Like a Plant: Understanding Plant Behavior and Why It Matters
Step 6 in How to choose the best native plants for your garden
Apr 26, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
8
2
Let Your Garden Be the Guide: Learning Your Site Conditions
Step 5 in How to choose the best native plants for your garden
Apr 13, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
4
1
Straight to the Source: Where to find Native Plants
Step 4 in How to find the best native plants for your garden
Apr 5, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
6
2
1
Finding What Fits: Your Native Plant Community
Step 2 in How to find the best native plants for your garden
Mar 22, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
10
2
1
Right Place, Right Plant: What’s Your Ecoregion?
Step 1 in How to find the best native plants for your garden
Mar 15, 2025•Vanessa Bittermann
5
3
1