A few years ago I received milkweed seed from a plant nursery giving it away for free. I spread some of the seed in various areas of my yard with no luck. But a year later – up pops one where none were spread in a place outside any garden bed. Nature is funny that… Continue reading Monarch nursery in my garden
Category: Butterly Host Plant
Colorado Monarchs and IMMP Pilot 2021
Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program 2021 This year I’m volunteering for a cooperative science program aimed at identifying the habitats monarchs use the most. Previous studies have not included the aspects of resource availability, site vegetation inventories, and the resources used. We all know that monarchs use milkweed for larval stages, but adults have needs for… Continue reading Colorado Monarchs and IMMP Pilot 2021
Give nature a blanket in winter
and you’ll see habitat everywhere you look Dried leaves as blankets I freely admit I’m not neat or tidy, or organized. But I like beauty and that usually requires some tidiness or organization. For most suburbanites the fall tidy up means a clearing of dead leaves. But imagine if we treated our bodies the same… Continue reading Give nature a blanket in winter
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa- common butterflyweed is an essential part of the Colorado Garden. So lovely and bright, it also is a workhorse for providing to our natural food web. I am planting this in both a sandy site and a heavy clay – two different varieties. I have seeds from Plants from Prairie Nursery
Bouteloua curtipendula – Sideoats grama
Bouteloua curtipendula – Sideoats Grama (Su,DM,A,N) 12-36″ Tall x 12″ Spread, light green spiky leaves. Purple-red spikes form on one side of the stem from late June to early August. When blooming, orange stamens and feathery stigmas form from the spikelets. host plant for a number of butterflies and moths; seeds for birds Blooms: Mid… Continue reading Bouteloua curtipendula – Sideoats grama
2021 Plant planning homestead
Silo Garden and Entry Lane Imagine a place to hang out under the shade of the trees, a silo bar offering up cold beverages while people play cornhole. This is the silo garden. To its north end lies a patio with benches and bar stools. To its south a rounded garden of wildflowers and path… Continue reading 2021 Plant planning homestead
Anaphalis margaritacea – Pearly everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea – Pearly Everlasting (Su,D,S,N) 24″ tall x 12 – 36″ spread, mounded with bright leaves and white summer blooms from June to October. host plant Blooms: Summer (Su) Moisture: Medium to Dry (M-D) Soil Type: Sand (S) – being tested in clay (2021) check back! Range: Native (N) Started as: Seed Deer resistant… Continue reading Anaphalis margaritacea – Pearly everlasting
Sandy Soil Natives
This is my first foray into sandy / loose soils. Up until this year, most of my gardening has taken place in mature suburban yards. Places with some pretty ugly clay when you dig down. Thank goodness for the class I’m taking. I have learned about sand as a soil and how to work with… Continue reading Sandy Soil Natives
Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi
Kinnikinnick or Bearberry arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Sp,DM,D,N) 6″ – 1′ H Native Mountain Groundcover with Late spring flowers in white and Pink in mats created by rhizomes. Full Sun – Part Sun Requires Acidic Soils Light soils, Sand, Loam, Gravel Moisture: Dry Host Plant to butterflies Attracts hummingbirds Kinnikinnick is a pine forest staple. In the… Continue reading Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi
Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks
Though not a book with hefty covers, Xerces Societies’ downloadable pamphlet, Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks is a MUST have reference for the neighbor of habitat. It gives as much information as any on what to plant to be a part of the new garden phenomenon. The booklet also describes how… Continue reading Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks