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
Tag Archives: Native Plants
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
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A Lotta Damn Gall(s)
(NOTE: Full confession—I goofed! The following article is partially incorrect. The apple-like galls are NOT caused by one of the generations of a cynipid wasp, but rather by Polystepha pilulae, a midge, a mere dipteran, not a noble hymenopteran. … Continue reading
Posted in Insect pests, Insects, Landscaping, Native Plants
Tagged Climbing trees, Insects, Native Plants, Oak galls, Parasitic insects, Pest control, Pests, Pin Oaks, Trees, Wasps
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Beans and Butterflies
My Dad stopped and stared at some plants in our yard, then turned to stare at me. “Did you just forget to pull these things?” he asked. “Because if you did, I can do it for you now.” “No”, I … Continue reading
Posted in Edible Native Plants, Farming, Musings, Native Plants
Tagged Agriculature, Butterflies, Farming, Insects, Iowa, Milkweeds, Native Plants, Nostalgia, Summer
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The Golden Invasion
Koganemushi froze, senses alert for danger as it detected motion. It raised its tiny oars in defense, then tucked and rolled, releasing its devastated leaf in a desperate bid to disappear beyond my sight. Too late. Before it could turn … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Insects
Tagged Coleoptera, Gardening, Insects, Japenese beetles, Native Plants, Pest control, Pests
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Courtship and Cookies: A Dubious Guide
There are cookies, and then then there are cookies. These were cookies. Handsome, dark, subtly sweet, not overpowering, but able to make you want another, and then maybe another after that. Bad for diets. Good for indulgence. So, of course, … Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Edible Native Plants, Native Plants, Recipes
Tagged Cakes, Cookies, Cooking, Food, Marriage, Missouri, Musings, Native edibles, Native Plants, Persimmons, Plants, Recipes, Trees
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