Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

My Prairie

The overall dryness of my prairie has dealt a blow to the most brilliance I have ever seen. The uprooted and removed trees have done wonders for my prairie. I have never seen it so high before! Explore the prairie. Click a single photo. Then click the photo again to enlarge it. … [Read more...]

Two of My Favorite Train Vacations

Saint Joseph, Michigan My friend Karen Syverson introduced me to this lovely place when we were returning from a meeting of the Wild Ones board in Midland, Michigan, hosted by the Flint River Chapter in 2008. Saint Joseph is on the east side of Lake Michigan, and we were there in May, before the … [Read more...]

Cinco de Mayo – Hominy

Tomorrow, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, is a day many schools and communities celebrate here in the U.S., as well as in Mexico. Often mistaken as Mexico’s celebration of independence, it actually is intended to celebrate the Battle of Puebla. It has, however, become more of a fun holiday that celebrates … [Read more...]

Hummingbird nectaring on Jewelweed

To lighten the doldrums from the cool, rainy days we've been experiencing, I thought I'd share this short video with you just to cheer your day. September 19, 2019 was (we thought) the last day we saw the hummingbird. He visited with us as we ate lunch. I took this video through the kitchen window … [Read more...]

Eastern Candlewax Lichen (Ahtiana aurescens)

My most recent wildflower adventure took me to our hunting property for the first time this year. Between the rains which sometimes make the lane in impassable; the horrible storms which have caused so much damage in my own landscape; and my volunteer commitments, there just wasn't an appropriate … [Read more...]

Remembering

This week is the fifteenth anniversary of my oldest brother Dave's passing. Dave was my turkey hunting partner. We shared the joy of being at our hunting property -- hiking and exploring, learning about all the different plants, watching how the hydrology changed what we saw from one year to the … [Read more...]