Nadia’s Backyard- Two-Marked Treehoppers: It’s Complex December 21, 2023
- Birds of a Feather? October 3, 2023
- The Promise of Disorder in a Winter Yard February 11, 2022
- Rerun: Men of Rice December 7, 2016
- Where the Words Live November 30, 2016
- Going Native October 16, 2016
- Backyard Gooseberries are Saucy Little Things June 17, 2015
- Spring Rerun: Kimchi from your backyard to you April 27, 2015
- A Seagull Named Emma January 27, 2015
- The Long Travelers: Leaf-cutter Bees, Part II September 29, 2014
Category Archives: Gardening
Where have all the berries gone?
This is what the fruiting head of Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) often looks like after the berries have matured. What berries, you say? Ask the birds that ate them all, especially the robins that love to gorge on them and leave … Continue reading
Posted in Edible Native Plants, Gardening, Native Plants, Photography, Wildlife
Tagged Birds, Food for wildlife, Gardening, Native edibles, Native Plants, nature, Plants, Reproduction, Wildflowers
Leave a comment
No Free Lunch: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Have you got milkweeds around? If not, why not? Have you ever noticed how many insects they attract? Finally, have you ever noticed some of these insects dangling lifelessly from the milkweed’s flowers? Ever wonder why? (I hadn’t, until recently….) … Continue reading
Posted in Edible Native Plants, Foraging, Gardening, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants
Tagged Asclepias, Butterflies, Food, Gardening, Insects, Milkweeds, Missouri, Native edibles, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Plants, Pollinators, Pollinia, Reproduction, Wildflowers, Zebra Swallowtails
2 Comments
Ants in Your Plants? The Magic of Myrmecochory.
Let us again consider the Bloodroot, one of spring’s most lovely and ephemeral visitors. Having emerged in March, the little herd in our yard is just now finishing with its crop of seeds, and here they are. Almost, but not … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Insects, Native Plants, Seasons
Tagged Ants, Bloodroots, Insects, Missouri, Mutualism, Myrmecochory, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Plants, Reproduction, Sanguinaria canadensis, Seeds, Wildflowers
6 Comments
Bloodroot Update (At Last)
I finally added the Bloodroot article to our Native Plants section here. These days our annual crop of Sanguinaria has long ago dropped its blossoms and has settled into respectable child-rearing mode. Looks like a good crop of seeds this … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping, Native Plants, Photography, Seasons
Tagged Gardening, Missouri, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Plants, Pollinators, Spring, Wildflowers
2 Comments
An Eerie, Early Spring (but at least the Bloodroot’s up!)
Stuff is popping out all over, almost too fast to keep up with. So far we have over twenty Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) blossoms either open or coming up in our yard. I am now inspired to add this handsome citizen … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping, Native Plants, Seasons
Tagged Gardening, Medicinal, Medicinal Plants, Missouri, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Plants, Spring, Wildflowers
Leave a comment
February Flora!
February 23, and we have non-native crocuses blooming and native wild leeks peeking up in our backyard. Talk about your winter wonderland… Note: the leeks link has a couple recipes. It’s Nadia’s article in the newsletter of the Hawthorn Chapter … Continue reading
Posted in Edible Native Plants, Foraging, Gardening, Native Plants, Seasons
Tagged Crocuses, Gardening, Global Warming, Missouri, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Plants, Wild leeks, Winter
Leave a comment
You can’t keep a good Goddess down
Despite yesterday’s snow and the 15-degree reading on our outside thermometer this morning, our Sky Blue Aster still held onto a few bedraggled blossoms. I mean, you really have to admire the persistence of this late-season bloomer! It’s over for … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants, Seasons
Tagged Asters, Butterflies, Gardening, Insects, Native Plants, nature, Plants, Pollinators
Leave a comment
Specially and diversely unique. Or something…
It was waaay past time to turn the compost in our backyard. One of those jobs that seem much worse in anticipation than they actually are, turning compost is something I can put off for a very long time. Now, … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Musings, Natural Areas, Prairies
Tagged Agriculture, bootheel, conservation areas, deserts, Gardening, Insects, Missouri, Musings, Natural areas, nature, Plants, sand prairies, Wildlife
Leave a comment
Late Boneset
We just added a new page under Our Native Plants for the under-appreciated Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum). A humble, but worthy addition to anybody’s backyard, which literally buzzes with activity!
Posted in Gardening, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants
Tagged Butterflies, Gardening, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants, nature, Plants, Pollinators, Wildflowers
Leave a comment
New Native Plant Pages
I have posted the first two of a collection of pages dedicated to the native plants Nadia has identified in our yard. You can find them in the Our Native Plants pull-down menu. I hope to add about one per … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Edible Native Plants, Foraging, Gardening, Native Plants, Recipes
Tagged Native edibles, Native Plants, Plants, Pokeweed, Recipes
Leave a comment