Those of you who’ve been reading along for a while now know that the abundance of invasive Norway Maples in my neighbor’s yard have been causing some issues for me in my wildlife garden for quite some time now. About the only good thing I have to say about the invasive Norway Maples is that they have hosted many different woodpecker nests over the years, including Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. And we’ve even had Pileated Woodpeckers stop by to feast on the bugs under the loose bark! Over the…
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Most Topular Stories
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The Demise of the Norway Maples
Ecosystem Gardening17 Jun 2013 | 3:45 pm -
Tree Massacre in the Wildlife Garden
Beautiful Wildlife Garden19 Jun 2013 | 10:05 amEarl Ross Tree Butcher It was a massacre. The neighborhood watched in horror as a butcher with a chain saw started hacking down the 150 year old trees with no safety ropes and no turf protectors in the most dangerous way possible. Giant tree limbs were allowed to freefall on our houses, in our gardens, and on our cable and electric wires with a stunning lack of concern for any of our property. See for yourself: The days following our introduction to the dangerous tree removal practices of Earl V. Ross of Goodman and Ross Trucking in Philadelphia were frightening to all of us, and the cable… -
Pollination of Dutchman's Breeches ~ A Royal Affair
Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants12 Jun 2013 | 9:21 amDutchman's Breeches ~ Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman’s breeches flowers very early in the spring typically at the end of April but this year closer to mid-May. The bright white 'pants' look like they are hanging on a clothes line to dry. Small plants take a few years to establish and flower but it’s worth the wait; plant in small masses for better effect in a woodland garden. The foliage yellows and dies back by mid-June so it's a good idea to inter-plant with later flowering woodland species such as false solomon’s seal to cover the void left after dormancy. The timing of flowering of… -
Who Needs a Garden?
Lifescapes16 Jun 2013 | 7:22 amWho needs a garden? I can see these sunny coreopsis blossoms from the window of my writing studio. They brighten... -
A Swallowtail Stopped By
clay and limestone10 Jun 2013 | 3:34 amTo nectar on the Butterflyweed.Forewing with diagonal band of yellow spots. Tails are edged with black and filled with yellowI waited patiently for it to stop flitting and pose prettily with wings fully spread, but, it was feasting madly.It superficially resembled an Eastern Swallowtail while gliding about, but once it settled on the Asclepias tuberosa, it was clear that it was not one of my regular garden visitors. The coloring was wrong and it had an unusually large wing span. I was pretty sure it was a Giant Swallowtailand just as I've read, that first sighting was dazzling! (go here for…
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Ecosystem Gardening
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The Demise of the Norway Maples
17 Jun 2013 | 3:45 pmThose of you who’ve been reading along for a while now know that the abundance of invasive Norway Maples in my neighbor’s yard have been causing some issues for me in my wildlife garden for quite some time now. About the only good thing I have to say about the invasive Norway Maples is that they have hosted many different woodpecker nests over the years, including Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. And we’ve even had Pileated Woodpeckers stop by to feast on the bugs under the loose bark! Over the… -
What I Would Do in Five Days in Queensland
13 Jun 2013 | 10:12 pmFrom Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland As you know, I’ve been doing a bit of traveling lately to see some exciting wildlife with my trip to Trinidad and Tobago and then my trip to Guatemala just five days later. So this post is a “daydream” post about what I would do with 6 days/5 nights in Queensland, Australia because I’m hoping to win a trip there. Day One Explore the Cairns Botanic Garden. What a great way to begin my visit–by getting to learn about the representative plant communities and the birds and other wildlife they support. Hopefully I… -
Butterfly House at Albuquerque Botanic Garden
9 Jun 2013 | 12:28 pmAtlas Moth Earlier this week I was in Albuquerque, NM to speak at the BeeSWeek 2013: Scientific and Community Panel. When I travel to speak at conferences, I love to build in extra time so that I can see the birds and maybe some wildlife gardens in every new place I visit. Common Buckeye While there I got to visit the Rio Grande Nature Center, which has a delightful native plant demonstration garden. Emerald Swallowtail, se asia And I also had the extreme pleasure of meeting an online friend in person. I’ve known Linda Rockwell for over 5 years now, and she took me birding to Sandia… -
Taking The Flower Show Home
9 May 2013 | 10:31 amA very different kind of project for me, but so very exciting! I was asked to do some studio photographs for the How-To section of a really beautiful book by my friends Bill Schaffer and Kris Kratt, the husband and wife powerhouse floral design team who head up Schaffer Designs. Taking the Flower Show Home: Award Winning Designs From Concept to Completion is a behind the scenes history covering 6 years of award-winning design by the Schaffer Designs team at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Publisher Schiffer Books describes it this way: Cutting-edge floral artists Bill Schaffer and Kristine… -
Dave Hunter on Attracting Native Bees
7 May 2013 | 10:12 amBumble Bee © Beatriz Moisset Dave Hunter is the owner of Crown Bees, whose vision is simple: to ensure that we have food on our plates in 10 years. He’s accomplishing this goal by teaching people how to raise Mason Bees, and showing that you, the backyard gardener has a vital role to play in protecting our pollination services. I recently met Dave Hunter when he invited me to participate in a live webinar about the launch of his BeeGAP program, teaching people how they can attract and support native bees in their landscapes. [You can watch that webinar at The Ultimate Guide to Attracting…
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Beautiful Wildlife Garden
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Tree Massacre in the Wildlife Garden
19 Jun 2013 | 10:05 amEarl Ross Tree Butcher It was a massacre. The neighborhood watched in horror as a butcher with a chain saw started hacking down the 150 year old trees with no safety ropes and no turf protectors in the most dangerous way possible. Giant tree limbs were allowed to freefall on our houses, in our gardens, and on our cable and electric wires with a stunning lack of concern for any of our property. See for yourself: The days following our introduction to the dangerous tree removal practices of Earl V. Ross of Goodman and Ross Trucking in Philadelphia were frightening to all of us, and the cable… -
Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly
17 Jun 2013 | 8:16 amPipevine Swallowtail butterfly My beautiful wildlife garden is a bit behind this year, but I can always count on having a healthy population of Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies. The only host plants for this lovely creature are various species of Aristolochia. Dutchman’s Pipevine – Aristolochia macrophylla Pipevine flower Dutchman’s Pipevine (A. macrophylla) is native to the Eastern United States and is a fast-growing perennial vine that looks wonderful covering a fence. Pipevine Swallowtail laying her eggs Pipevine butterfly eggs After planting my first pipevine… -
Reptile Roundup
14 Jun 2013 | 5:19 amA new visitor Once again Mother Nature provides. I was back at the pond the other evening to observe if the Alligator was indeed gone, as I hadn’t seen him for days. I watched for a while and then noticed obvious movement of the lily pads, a sign of something larger than a tadpole or a small fish. Now, I do have bass in there and saw a whopper (for a backyard pond) this week approaching 10-12 inches, which may cause movement of the lily pads, but not to the extent that I was seeing. I felt for sure that Albert was still in the building. I monitored for a while and then I saw them. … -
Native Plant Garden for Gavin’s Cabin
13 Jun 2013 | 4:31 amOenothera hookeri, Hooker’s Evening Primrose, Oceano, CA photo by Kathy Vilim It was a typical June afternoon on the California Central Coast when I visited the Oceano Campground’s Nature Center, with sun trying to burn off the morning’s coastal fog. I wanted to see what new things were blooming for June. I was not disappointed. Almost immediately, I saw a whole border of the Hooker’s Evening Primrose (Oenothera hookeri) with their large, soft yellow flowers attended by black Bumble Bees. The bumbles hardly noticed my presence, so busy were they with the pollen-rich… -
Buffalo Gourd for Wildlife
12 Jun 2013 | 7:16 amDuring my recent visit to Albuquerque to speak at a conference, I got the opportunity to visit the Rio Grande Nature Center, which has a wonderful native plant demonstration garden managed by a dedicated group of volunteers. Earlier that morning, I had gone to the Albuquerque Botanic Garden because I was hoping to see some representative native plants of New Mexico, but those were in short supply. Fortunately, the Butterfly House provided the opportunity to get some good butterfly photos, and is a wonderful place to visit. I discovered the Rio Grande Nature Center on my way to have lunch…
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Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants
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Pollination of Dutchman's Breeches ~ A Royal Affair
12 Jun 2013 | 9:21 amDutchman's Breeches ~ Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman’s breeches flowers very early in the spring typically at the end of April but this year closer to mid-May. The bright white 'pants' look like they are hanging on a clothes line to dry. Small plants take a few years to establish and flower but it’s worth the wait; plant in small masses for better effect in a woodland garden. The foliage yellows and dies back by mid-June so it's a good idea to inter-plant with later flowering woodland species such as false solomon’s seal to cover the void left after dormancy. The timing of flowering of… -
Pollination of Downy Yellow Violets ~ An Upside Down Approach
29 May 2013 | 3:06 pmDowny Yellow Violets ~ Viola pubescens Downy yellow violets are one of my favorite woodland violets. The heart-shaped leaves set off the bright yellow flowers in early spring. Because of its short stature (6-12"), I use this violet on woodland borders, intermixed with Pennsylvania sedge, rue anemone and virginia waterleaf. The flowers are attractive to pollinators, especially small bees. The lower petal acts as a nice landing platform and the bold black stripes guide the visitors to the nectar. Nectar is secreted from a gland-like spur on the bottom anthers which are shortened and form a… -
Pollinator Handouts
13 May 2013 | 10:22 amYou can now download some of the recent handouts I created for pollinators and native plants from the right sidebar of my blog homepage. More to come, stay tuned! © Heather Holm, 2013. -
American Pasqueflower ~ A Welcome Sign of Spring
28 Apr 2013 | 3:27 pmAmerican pasqueflower ~ Anemone patens American pasqueflower is a wonderful native alternative to tulips or daffodils, flowering in early spring. It can be found on sunny, prairie slopes with poor, dry soils. This year, it's flowering before any of the woodland ephemerals such as bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis. The leaves are held tight to the stem during flowering, looking like a prop holding the flower upwards. These palmately-divided leaves relax away from the stem and open after flowering. American pasqueflower provides an abundant amount of pollen to pollinators, an important,… -
Emerald Ash Borer Treatment- Toxic To Bees?
22 Mar 2013 | 2:14 pmImage Source: Wikipedia The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis a beetle native to China, Japan and Korea was introduced into North America in the Great Lakes area in the early 1990's and populations were identified in 2002. It is suspected that this beetle was introduced from ash shipping crates. Emerald ash borer beetle larva burrow through the outer bark of ash trees, Fraxinus spp. and into the living cambium tissue. As the larvae feed on the cambium, they create 'S'-shaped galleries in the wood. The galleries created from a large infestation weaken the ash trees causing canopy thinning…
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Lifescapes
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Who Needs a Garden?
16 Jun 2013 | 7:22 amWho needs a garden? I can see these sunny coreopsis blossoms from the window of my writing studio. They brighten... -
Writing A Woman's Life Part 1
10 Jun 2013 | 7:16 amI'm guest-posting over at the Story Circle blog, HerStories, this week. The topic: How I came to write about Rose... -
Guest blogging today: Blood Red Pencil
3 Jun 2013 | 5:26 amI'm guest-blogging today over at Blood-Red Pencil. The topic: getting your author-published book into libraries. Something to think about, if... -
Texas Prairie Parsley & A New Book
2 Jun 2013 | 8:24 amThe Texas Prairie parsley (Polytaenia texana) put on a big show along our creek this spring, in the Back of... -
In Bloom This Week: Zepherine Druhin
26 May 2013 | 8:15 amMy favorite antique rose, Zepherine Druhin, goes back to 1868. Like other Bourbons, it is delightfully fragrant, and this one...
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clay and limestone
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A Swallowtail Stopped By
10 Jun 2013 | 3:34 amTo nectar on the Butterflyweed.Forewing with diagonal band of yellow spots. Tails are edged with black and filled with yellowI waited patiently for it to stop flitting and pose prettily with wings fully spread, but, it was feasting madly.It superficially resembled an Eastern Swallowtail while gliding about, but once it settled on the Asclepias tuberosa, it was clear that it was not one of my regular garden visitors. The coloring was wrong and it had an unusually large wing span. I was pretty sure it was a Giant Swallowtailand just as I've read, that first sighting was dazzling! (go here for… -
A Few Good Reasons To Plant For Pollinators
7 Jun 2013 | 3:00 amOneAsclepias tuberosaTwoAgastache 'Bolero' with BumbleThreeOenothera fruticosawith small carpenter beeFourEchinacea pallida 'Hula Dance'FiveAronia melanocarpa with native beeSixSleeping bee Seven Carpenter Bee on PenstemonI appreciate all the pollinators at Clay and Limestone, but, my favorite has always been the Bumble.Bumbles won my heart dozens of years ago when I noticed how hard they worked in the garden. They were the first pollinators up and about each morning and the last to leave each night.I found them sleeping on flowers on cool mornings and watched them nectaring and… -
Spotlight on Spigelia
31 May 2013 | 3:00 amSpigelia marilandica is another one of those wonderful native plants* that you won't find in your local big box store or even in most independent garden centers. Which is a gosh darn shame, it's a fantastic plant that would be an asset in most gardens.Glossy green, ovate to lance-shaped leaves (to 4" long)Indian Pink, as it is commonly known, is a clump-forming (boy oh boy, do I wish it colonized) perennial which naturally occurs in moist woods and along stream banks. The attractive upward facing trumpet shaped red flowers, flare at the top to form a five pointed yellow star. The colorful and… -
Bottoms Up: An Almost Wordless Wednesday
29 May 2013 | 4:00 amAhh... Bumbles!The Bumbles are out and about...They took forever to show themselves in the garden and bottoms up is what we'll see from now on! I am one happy gardener. xoxogailGail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission. Subscribe in a reader -
Wildflower Wednesday: Scentless Mock-Orange
21 May 2013 | 11:00 pmThe Scentless Mock Orange caught me by surprise, I hadn't noticed it was blooming. It's lovely white flowers were draped over the garden gate and waving at me to pay attention. Small bees buzzed around the 4 petaled flowers. It lit up the shady spot behind the patio gate. But, even out of bloom, it has a lot to recommend it. William Cullina says this about them: "In a favorable spot, the whole plant is wreathed in white and it is quite lovely in a loose and delicate way"They were here when we bought this house nearly 28 years ago. They are not the straight speciesbut are most likely…
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North Coast Gardening
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Edible Landscaping for Industrial Settings: Benefits and Drawbacks
20 Jun 2013 | 12:15 amDoes edible landscaping belong in the public sphere, which is to say in the landscapes owned by cities, businesses, and in multifamily housing like apartment buildings? It sounds like a great idea, and if asked, I think most people would give an unqualified and enthusiastic “yes”! However, there are a lot of considerations with edible landscaping that actually make it really challenging to do well under industrial circumstances, and edible landscaping has the potential to cause problems in these types of settings if it isn’t implemented thoughtfully, particularly for businesses. Some of… -
Review of Kiss My Aster by Amanda Thomsen (With Giveaway!)
13 Jun 2013 | 12:25 am***Giveaway! Leave a comment to win your very own copy of Kiss My Aster!*** Every so often, a book comes along which challenges the limits of the media and shows how much is still possible with old-fashioned paper and ink. Amanda Thomsen’s new book Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You, is just such a book. If you are in your 30s or 40s, you may remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books which let you personalize the story by skipping to a certain page if you wanted the protagonists to do X, or a different page if you wanted them to do… -
Cat Stuck in a Tree? Call These Tree-Climbing Heroes
6 Jun 2013 | 12:17 amCat stuck in a tree? We all have a friendly mental picture in our minds of a firefighter rescuing a stranded cat from the topmost branches of a tree, but the reality is that most fire departments won’t even attempt to rescue a cat due to liability issues, and the concern that a call involving human lives might come in during a cat rescue. And police officers aren’t trained to climb trees and don’t have the right equipment to attempt a rescue. I didn’t know any of that this past weekend, when I saw an online article in my local newspaper entitled, “Situation Catical for Tree-Stranded… -
Low-Maintenance Planting Design: More Than Just Plant Selection
1 Jun 2013 | 12:46 amThere are a lot of misunderstandings about low-maintenance planting design. A lot of people think that in order to have a low-maintenance landscape, you just need to choose low-maintenance plants. But the way you design your planting beds is as important as the plants you select – maybe even more so. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind when planning for low-maintenance planting beds. Openly-spaced vs. lush Openly-spaced garden of Margaret Majua; lush garden by Patricia Wells. As plants in the landscape fill in, at some point they grow together and start to infringe on one… -
Monday Miscellany: Prince Harry’s Chelsea Garden, Fine Foliage, Modernica Giveaway and a New Blog to Follow
27 May 2013 | 12:02 amKicking things off, the UK’s Daily Mail reports on the Chelsea garden show display that was codesigned by Prince Harry in honor of his charity work with AIDS orphans. While I hardly think of the partying royal ginger as a landscape designer, and would give most of the credit to the garden’s creator Jinny Blom, the fact remains that it’s a rather gorgeous and exciting display. A lot of times, people confuse a naturalistic theme with one that is random and lacking in shape. This garden is a beautiful example of how simple geometric shapes can frame and bring polish to a planting scheme…
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Mr. McGregor's Daughter
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June '13 Bloom Day
15 Jun 2013 | 5:14 pmPaeonia lactiflora 'Vivid Rose'This June has been a delight with rain and cooler than average temperatures. The weather has delayed the blooming of some plants, but has made for a glorious show... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
The Year of Blooming Trees & Shrubs
11 Jun 2013 | 8:41 amCladrastis kentukea blooming over Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' and Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' Well, I couldn't proclaim it "The Year of Blooming Woodies." That would give people the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Photo of the Week: Arisaema triphyllum
11 May 2013 | 5:08 pmThe stripes on the unfurling jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) grabbed my attention. Even though I've seen Arisaema thousands of times, this was the first time I really paid attention to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Mmmm...Magnolia
7 May 2013 | 1:48 pmHow I love my Magnolia stellata* in the spring, there's nothing else quite like it. Big, multi-petalled fragrant blooms, white with pink at the base create an extravagant display... except when they... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
What Wildflowers Want
27 Apr 2013 | 6:47 pmHepatica nobilis var. acutaIt sounds like a no-brainer, grow wildflowers, all you have to do is plant them and stand back. If only it were that easy. But just because a plant is indigenous to your... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Thanks for today.
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Bluebird Fledgling's First Bath
2 Jun 2013 | 8:15 amYesterday I was treated to a mother and father bluebird bringing their young fledglings to my birdbath to test out the waters! The first couple of photos are the disheveled parents...their feathers are all ruffled and they are probably exhausted from taking care of these babies! Mother and father bluebird, mom watching while dad takes a bath The juveniles don't have the same thickness of feathers and are not as brightly colored as the adults. There is one fledgling that sat on the deck and wouldn't go near the water for the longest time...but then he finally flew over to check it out. -
17-Year Cicadas...Enough Already!
23 May 2013 | 3:46 pmAbout a week ago, when the Brood II Cicadas began showing up around here, it was exciting to see their transformations from nymph to adult.I was snapping photos and was actually hoping I'd be able to find one in the process of 'being born' (aka 'exiting it's exoskeleton). I had captured holes in the ground with nymphs crawling out and up trees. A couple of days later, I was able to capture a 'birth', and I marveled at the whole process--using adjectives like fascinating, marvelous, miraculous. Skip ahead a few days until today. I've had it! They are everywhere, literally everywhere in my yard… -
Cercis canadensis - Eastern Redbud
24 Apr 2013 | 6:13 pmI had seen the colors often in earlier springs...driving along, every now and then, a brilliant pop of purple would catch my attention. What is that tree, I would find myself thinking? I have drooled over the Eastern Redbud for years. Every spring, it makes itself known by brilliant purple buds, highlighted by reddish heart-shaped leaves, left over from the preceding fall and winter. Below, it is nothing but a bare stick-like twig. On the lower right (below) is my smallest Redbud. I planted it in March (before the snow made the landscape white). I got it at a native plant nursery, and… -
Can You Identify These Animal Tracks?
7 Mar 2013 | 7:58 amBecause I have been having a problem with some unidentified animal chomping on my treasured Hellebores (see Devastation in the Garden) I need some help figuring out which critter it might be. We just had some snow...and when I took pictures this morning, I discovered some tracks that I'm not familiar with. I don't think they are squirrel tracks...because they are not all over the yard. There are lots of other tracks all over the yard, which are probably squirrels...because I DO have LOTS of squirrels here. But these tracks are only in a few areas and they stand out. What could they be? -
More New Natives For My Gardens
4 Mar 2013 | 4:39 pmI drove up to Alexandria on Saturday to visit a native plant nursery. Since they weren't just yet open for the season, I had made an appointment in advance. I was the only customer and had the undivided attention of Randee, the manager of Nature-By-Design. I had spoken with him a few days earlier asking if he had any Spigelia. I have just one plant that I got from Carolyn's Shade Gardens during a visit a couple of years ago. I liked it so much that I wanted to add a few more. When Randee said he had what I was looking for, I asked about Claytonia. He said yes. Then I asked about Cercis...I've…
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Sharing Nature's Garden
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The camera lens is a great garden tool...
30 May 2013 | 2:12 pmLast week I was taking pictures of all the lovely flowers that popped up after our wonderful rains. I thought the cutting garden looked particularly nice with the clematis blooming.But when I downloaded the pictures into iPhoto, this one looked odd. That's when I realized that I needed another element in that hole between the jackmanii clematis and the pitcheri clematis. Funny how I never saw that before with my naked eye. That area used to be home to a zillion larkspur in the spring, but this year they simply didn't come back. So I made a mental shopping… -
Kids love beautiful gardens, too...
24 May 2013 | 6:34 amI just came from morning assembly at Kallie's elementary school where they honored me for designing their front garden -- donating all the plants and creating the bed at cost. It was so special - they gave me this GIANT card and beautiful sunflowers and are putting up a sign recognizing the work. We planted tough, xeric plants in the school colors - gold and purple -- lantana, damianita, Indigo spires, grasses, blackfoot daisies and a lovely tree. I love working with such a great school. -
Summer comes early to Central Texas gardens...
21 May 2013 | 8:16 amAlthough it's technically still spring, we've already had our first 100-degree day here in Central Texas. That means our tough-as-nails perennials are being asked to show their stuff. Many of them are answering the call in my garden this week. Thryallis, euonymous, salvia greggii, Mexican oregano, lamb's ears, dianella, indigo spires salvia and Mexican feathergrass surround this agave franzosini with soft, billowing blooms.This pineapple guava is full of stunning blooms that will soon turn into a yummy snack for us (if the dogs don't get them before we do!)Pops of yellow and blue fill this… -
Blow me away bottle brush blooms ...
10 Apr 2013 | 5:56 amAs I was making the rounds through the garden this evening, I was struck by the uplighting into the bottle brush tree, Callistemon rigidus. I have been overwhelmed by the healthy, growth and year-round blooms on this tree. With a growth habit of 10-12 feet, it is drought-tolerant and attracts bees, butterflies and birds.This is the freeze replacement tree from Bottlebrush tree #1. Then the next bad freeze came and wiped this one out. Or so I thought. It came back from the roots after last winter and I let it grow like that for a little while to determine what the… -
Garden fest delights...
8 Apr 2013 | 6:14 amA gaggle of garden geeks took over the Zilker Botanical Gardens on Saturday and Sunday for the annual Zilker Garden Fest.Mom and Dad and I were there bright and early when they opened at 10 a.m. Saturday. Two wagons in tow, we were prepared to fill them to the brim.The festival includes everything garden, not just plants. These gourd planters were among the most creative things I saw.Love these little birds -- I keep thinking I want one hanging in my garden and wish I'd gotten one now that I see my picture!And then there are the beautiful gardens -- being surrounded by all the…
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This Grandmother's Garden
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Peonies!
7 Jun 2013 | 8:04 amI wait all year for these beauties to bloom... but oh-h-h... they're so worth the wait! Paeonia lactiflora 'Krinkled White' This is my favorite. The blooms are large... 5 to 6 inches across in the sunlight. Then at night, they gently close. When I sleep, they sleep. But as soon as the morning sun caresses their lovely petals they open up wide with delight. The whole idea just tickles me. Paeonia lactiflora 'Karl Rosenfeld' This is the same peony that grew in my Mother's garden... that grew in my Grandmother's garden... that now grows in my garden. It… -
We've Got the Blues...
30 May 2013 | 9:56 amAnd they're dancin' in our gardens. Salvia 'May Night' Full Sun Attracts Butterflies and Hummingbirds Lobelia 'Techno Heat Electric Blue' Low Growing Mounds of Delicious Blue Blooms. Keep them moist and they'll dance all Summer long. Lobelia 'Hot Springs Sky Blue' Trailing Habit Invites Butterflies Very Heat Tolerant... (perfect for our hot Summer) Just can't get enough Lobelia. Blooms all Summer long... always a star in our gardens. And so lovely mixed with white. Lupine Tall elegant blooms tower over delicate foliage. Scabiosa Columbaria… -
Our Parade of Annuals...
23 May 2013 | 12:03 pmThere's no better way to add color to your gardens than with annuals. That's especially true in my Zone 5 gardens where the Summer's are HOT and the Winter's are FREEZING. I've been on a planting frenzy... Just a "Few" of our Empty Pots Our gardens are getting ready for a SWEET CELEBRATION and we've been planting for weeks. Our EMPTY POTS tell the story I've counted 213. That's a lot of time on my knees. As promised... here's a sneak peek at some of the ANNUALS we've planted in preparation for the big day. Enjoy the…
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Natural Gardening
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Native azaleas
19 Jun 2013 | 8:13 pmMost of our deciduous native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) in the mountains and piedmont of the Carolinas have already flowered (there are just one or two species yet to come).This natural hybrid (from Gregory Bald in the Southern Appalachians) has been in flower the last week and a half on the slope below our small house in the mountains-- beautiful. Gregory Bald hybrid native azaleaNot surprisingly, local native plant nursery folks collected the hybrids! Gregory Bald is a mecca for hikers and plant lovers. -
Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink)
9 Jun 2013 | 5:04 pmAlong with Silene virginica (Fire Pink), Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink) is one of my favorite "red" flowers of late spring.The striking tubular flowers are remarkable -- I'd imagine ruby-throated hummingbirds would visit them, although I've not seen that. This plant was at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville - a robust specimen!Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink) -
Swiss chard
9 Jun 2013 | 4:55 pmI've grown what I thought was OK Swiss chard in the past. Certainly, I've managed to enjoy the harvest enough to post about it.But this year's cool spring and abundant rain has produced leafy robust red chard that's been amazing. Now maybe the extra mushroom compost (the real thing) along with fresh doses of organic fertilizer have helped, too.But, transplants from seeds this winter that I moved around to various spots in my raised beds have been remarkably productive.This was just a quick cutting for tonight's dinner!Swiss chard -
Spiderwort and carolina rose
1 Jun 2013 | 2:13 pmI've been busy doing other things, aside from gardening, but have been enjoying the lush green of spring, without the hot dryness that summer will bring. My gardening companion and I had an opportunity to talk about wildflowers and gardening with native plants last week on Your Day (listen to the archived show), aired statewide on SCETV radio -- lots of fun! It's always great to encourage people to learn more about our Southeastern natives.I'm still in the midst of harvesting the last of the cool-season greens and sowing warm season squash, amaranth, and cucumbers, and still am… -
An almost full moon
23 May 2013 | 6:16 pmAn sojourn outside this evening as it was becoming dark surprised me with an almost full moon. It was high in the sky as dusk descended, so was easily visible. I remembered that the April full moon hike was on the 25th -- the full moon date for May is also the 25th, although tonight's moon looms large!an almost full moon (May 23, 2013)
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Steve Creek Outdoors
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Copperhead Or Cottonmouth?
18 Jun 2013 | 3:21 amSteve Creek Outdoors - Wildlife And Nature Photography By Steve CreekI got an education on the ID of this Juvenile Cottonmouth by several people. The color I think is what made me think that this was a Copperhead. Thanks to everyone that took the time to explain the difference between the two on Facebook and here on my blog. I spotted this Cottonmouth crossing the road at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Instead of slithering away it froze which allowed me to take a few photos. Common names include variants on water moccasin, swamp moccasin or black moccasin; also… -
Happy Father’s Day – House Finch
16 Jun 2013 | 3:20 amSteve Creek Outdoors - Wildlife And Nature Photography By Steve CreekFather’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. This male House Finch was working hard keeping the fledglings fed here in my yard. During courtship, the male will touch bills with the female. He may then present the female with choice bits of food, and if she mimics the behavior of a hungry chick, he may actually feed her. The male also feeds the female during the breeding and incubation of both eggs and young, and the male is the… -
Late Morning Coyote
14 Jun 2013 | 3:57 amSteve Creek Outdoors - Wildlife And Nature Photography By Steve CreekIn the spring I see a lot of Coyotes staying out later at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. This is a great time of year to photograph them. This one was hunting the edge of a plowed field. Coyotes are primarily nocturnal, but can often be seen during daylight hours. They were once essentially diurnal, but have adapted to more nocturnal behavior with pressure from humans. Despite being extensively hunted, the coyote is one of the few medium- to large-sized animals that has enlarged its range since human… -
A Single Whitetail Doe
12 Jun 2013 | 3:30 amSteve Creek Outdoors - Wildlife And Nature Photography By Steve CreekDuring the spring, Whitetail Does will give birth. Studies have shown that a doe has some control over when she will give birth. This selectivity allows the doe to insure that she has selected an area that is safe and free of predators. Just before a fawn is to be born, the pregnant doe will isolate herself from the other does in order to seek a suitable area to give birth. A doe will usually birth between 1 and 4 fawns with approximately 15 to 20 minutes separating each newborn. The average death rate for a single doe’s… -
Video Of A Pair Of Barred Owls
11 Jun 2013 | 2:40 amSteve Creek Outdoors - Wildlife And Nature Photography By Steve CreekI hope everyone enjoyed the photos of the Barred Owls Making Out I posted yesterday. I got to spend a little time with these two owls without disturbing them. These owls were at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. This is a video I took with the Canon Powershot SX50 HS. I am also getting emails in reference to questions about this little camera so I am also posting a photo I took of the owls with the camera. A Pair of Barred Owls that I photographed with the Canon Powershot SX50 HS The post Video Of A Pair Of…
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Raising Them Green
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Merging RTG into Mutterings of a Mindless Mommy
29 May 2013 | 9:30 amI’ve spread myself a bit thin in the blogging arena and so I’ve made the decision to merge Raising Them Green into my Mutterings of a Mindless Mommy (aka M3) blog. Mindless Mommy Dot Com was here first but I decided to create a blog dedicated to raising eco-conscious children. The result – two neglected blogs. So, instead of nursing along the two I’ve decided that one parenting blog is all I need; there’s no reason why I can’t share eco-conscious parenting tips over on M3 and now today I bid adieu to RTG Please join me at M3 – Subscribe to Mutterings of a Mindless Mommy. -
5 Ways to Reduce Waste This Summer
10 May 2013 | 9:56 amSummer is almost here! Before your summer schedule gets busy with vacations, summer sports and other warm weather activities, I encourage you to think about ways you can reduce your waste this summer. Below are five easy ways to help you get started! 1. Reduce fuel use: From my son’s swim team to my daughter’s ballet class, it seems like we’re always in in the car traveling to and from events. The fuel budget quickly begins to grow and the constant driving only increases air pollution. Read more: 5 Ways to Reduce Waste This Summer Note: I receive compensation from SCJ for my blog posts… -
Ways to Help Teach Your Kids About Money
3 May 2013 | 8:00 amIn my house, we stress the importance of teaching our kids about budgeting their money. My husband and I want to make sure they understand the basics without burdening them with the financial-stressors adults face. As with all things parenting, I approach the topic with play. If you’re unsure how to talk to your children about budgeting, try one of these fun tactics below! Read More: Ways to Help Teach Your Kids About Money Note: I receive compensation from SCJ for my blog posts however my statements are truthful and based on my personal experiences. -
How Much Energy Do Home Electronics Use?
1 May 2013 | 8:00 amOver the past few months I’ve written a series of posts that have examined how much energy home electronics use. I started off with countertop kitchen appliances in January and followed-up with a look at the energy needs of personal care appliances in March. Today, I’m turning my attention towards home electronics. My goal is to take a closer look at how much energy my family and I use on a daily basis. Read More: How Much Energy Do Home Electronics Use? Note: I receive compensation from SCJ for my blog posts however my statements are truthful and based on my personal experiences. -
3 Easy “Feed Your Freezer” Ideas
24 Apr 2013 | 7:21 pmI love the concept of “Feeding my Freezer,” which is essentially spending a day preparing several meals I can store in my freezer. On a busy weeknight, I simply go “shopping” in my freezer for a quick meal instead of ordering from a local restaurant. While I will branch out and try new recipes from time-to-time, these three “Feed your Freezer” ideas are my staples. Visit the SCJohnson.com Green Choices blog for more: 3 Easy “Feed Your Freezer” Ideas. Note: I receive compensation from SCJ for my blog posts however my statements are truthful and based on my personal…
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Our Little Acre
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Divine Appointment With a Daylily
17 Jun 2013 | 1:03 pmOnce upon a time, I bought a daylily seedling from local hybridizer Lana Wolfe. Mom and I had visited her daylily gardens in Ft. Wayne - Hidden Acres - back in 2006. We both bought several other daylilies and mine have all done very well for me. July 28, 2007 Last summer, I contacted Lana to see if she ever named and registered the seedling she sold to me. I'd labeled it 'Lovely Lana' in the meantime, but I wondered if it ever got an official name. It turns out that Lana, who has 22 registered daylilies to her name, had sold me the only seedling she had of this particular… -
How Do You Preserve Your Wood Items?
17 Jun 2013 | 3:30 amRecently, I purchased a new twig chair for the garden, because the one I bought five years ago deteriorated so much that it was rotting and breaking. We had to burn it, but I wanted another one like it. Freshly sealed with Olympic Wood Protector Thanks to the recommendation of one of my Facebook readers, I was able to find one near Toledo (East Swanton), at Oak Park Garden Center (and a matching side table, too). I wanted to do something to help preserve them, so I coated them with a wood sealer. I recently did the same to a wooden trellis and when I went to Lowe's to… -
A Good Year for Roses
16 Jun 2013 | 7:03 amJune is National Rose Month and we're celebrating in style here at Our Little Acre. As anyone who grows roses knows, some years are better than others and more times that not, the good years are when we get plenty of spring rain. This year was like that. Last year wasn't good at all and I wondered how the roses would fare through a summer of drought, but they seem to have survived and look none the worse for wear. In fact, they're outdoing themselves in their first flush of blooms. 'Nearly Wild' 'Memorial Day' 'Princess Anne' (David Austin Rose) 'Ebb Tide' 'Glamis Castle'… -
The Garden Appreciation Society: Week 5
14 Jun 2013 | 12:18 pmI haven't kept up with each week of cutting selections from the garden to enjoy inside, mainly because I haven't spent much time inside in the last few weeks! We were preparing for a garden club's visit to Our Little Acre (more on that later) and if anyone was going to appreciate the flowers, the garden was the best place to do it. But I promised Erin when it was over I would share something. Here it is - an unlikely bouquet of: Rosa 'Lavaglut' (a.k.a. 'Intrigue' and 'Lava Glow'), which is a bouquet on a stem all by itself! Introduced by Kordes in 1978, this florabunda rose… -
How to Prepare For a Derecho (or Other Such Storms)
12 Jun 2013 | 11:19 amHere we go again. If you were a reader of this blog a year ago, you know that we were smack in the middle of a weird storm in which we temporarily lost our patio table and a few other things and we were without power for six long, very hot days. Seconds before the derecho hit. It was a Friday, June 29th, mid-afternoon and a wall of wind seemingly came out of nowhere and wreaked havoc over the upper Midwest all the way to the east coast. They told us this was a relatively unusual type of storm and up to that point, most of us had never even heard of a derecho. June 29, 2012 Derecho, when…
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Holy Kaw!
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Appreciate cicadas as never before with “Return of the Cicadas” [video]
19 Jun 2013 | 5:27 pmIf you only have six weeks of a seventeen year life to live above ground, there’s no better way to go out than on a high note — or at least a very, very loud one. That’s only a tiny segment of this stunning short film about the life of the cicada by Samuel Orr, [...] -
How intellectual is your property? [infographic]
19 Jun 2013 | 5:07 pmIf your looking to invest in property, it appears intellectual property is the place to be considering that an incredible forty percent of the U.S.’s economic gain is in this area. So, how much is your brainchild worth and how does one go about protecting it…or finding out if it’s even yours in the first [...] -
A literal map of the United States
19 Jun 2013 | 5:00 pmTell someone that you hail from the Land of the Flowland People and you’re bound to get a few strange looks, whereas identifying yourself as a Hoosier doesn’t leave a question in anyone’s mind (that you’re a huge basketball fan, right?). Turns out, all those names for places between Navel of the Moon (Mexico) and [...] -
Steve Jobs’ pessimistic view of his legacy from 1994 [video]
19 Jun 2013 | 2:38 pmIt’s hard to imagine a world where Steve Jobs wasn’t a much-loved and much-missed innovation star, but his own prediction of his legacy wasn’t so rosy back in 1994. During his time at NeXT, with his bright return to Apple still in the future, he explains that technological innovations have nothing on the Renaissance masters [...] -
After lung transplant, diabetes ups death risk
19 Jun 2013 | 12:37 pmLung transplant patients without diabetes live twice as long as those with the disease, according to new research. “Only 30 percent of lung transplant recipients survive beyond ten years. It was thought that the effects of diabetes, which manifest in the longer term, would not be significant to the health of these patients. However, our [...]
