The other day I received a call regarding an invasive species coming up in someone's perennial bed among some plants she had received from a friend. But as it often goes, along with the plants we want in our gardens, come plants we don't want. In this case, the plant she was calling about was … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2017
Powdery Mildew
Over the weekend, I noticed powdery mildew on my zuchinni plants. Darn, I had that problem last year, too, but didn't realize what it was until it had become quite persistent. Seems like it was a constant battle no matter what I did. The most effective combatant was a 1/1 solution of milk and … [Read more...]
Fireflies are Glowing
Fireflies, or lighting bugs as my dad used to call them, are a glowing. We usually see them from the middle of June into July in our backyard. Fireflies, however, are actually not flies at all; they are beetles. There are over 170 species of this awesome insect found in North America with … [Read more...]
Bats — the forgotten pollinators
Everyone talks about bees and monarchs as pollinators, but few people mention one of our most unique pollinators -- the bat. I was surprised to learn that bats provide pollination for over 500 different types of tropical plants along with many other non-tropical plants such as corn and the agave … [Read more...]
Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)
My husband and I recently traveled to Duluth, Minnesota to participate in the maiden voyage of the newly re-certified Duluth and Northeastern Steam Engine 28. This was one of the earliest seasonal trips we've made to this area, so I was surprised to see the lupines blooming along the roadside … [Read more...]
June 20 is National American Eagle Day
National American Eagle Day is observed each year on June 20th. It was this day in 1782, that our founding fathers declared the American Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to be our national symbol and to be placed at the center of the Great Seal of the United States. Since that … [Read more...]