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: Pollinators
Going Native
Our yard—front and back—is a curious place, located at a cultural and environmental crossroads. Depending on one’s point of view, our yard is a treasure, an eyesore, an oasis of biological diversity, a blight on the neighborhood, something to be … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping, Musings, Native Plants, Society, Uncategorized, Wildlife
Tagged Birds, Gardening, Insects, Landscapes, Missouri, Musings, Native Plants, nature, Plants, Pollinators, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Yard work
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A Seagull Named Emma
We have never had a seagull in our backyard, at least to my knowledge. So let me be clear up front that if you are expecting a heartwarming tale of an errant seabird squawking its way into Nadia’s heart or … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Musings, Wildlife
Tagged Bees, Hymenoptera, Insects, Leaf-cutter Bees, Musings, Pollinators
2 Comments
The Long Travelers: Leaf-cutter Bees, Part II
Life travels, and a lot of it has made the journey to our backyard. That includes Nadia and me–a few hundred miles from my point of origin for me and considerably more for Nadia. Some of this life travels north … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Musings, Photography
Tagged Evolution, Hymenoptera, Insects, Leaf-cutter Bees, Missouri, Musings, Photography, Pollinators, Reproduction
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Cutting-up in Columbia: Leaf-cutter Bees in the Yard
One of the joys of yard-watching in our urban wilderness is that you never know what you might find and where curiosity might take you. One fine summer day as I patrolled our domain, camera in hand, I came across … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Musings, Photography, Wildlife
Tagged Bees, Hymenoptera, Insects, Leaf-cutter Bees, Megachile brevis, Missouri, Musings, Photography, Pollinators, Reproduction
6 Comments
Columbine Time (Aquilegia canadensis)
When the spring columbines began popping up and blossoming in our backyard, we know it’s time to keep our eyes open for the arrival of the hummingbirds. Sure enough, after several days of gorgeous blooms, we have now spotted at … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping, Native Plants, Photography, Seasons
Tagged Aquilegia canadensis, Columbines, Gardening, Hummingbirds, Native Plants, Photography, Pollinators, Spring, Wildflowers
4 Comments
Looking Ahead: Plant Your Peas
I know it’s unseasonal, but it’s way past time to start catching up on our Native Plants pages. The latest entry is here. It’s in our yard. It should be in yours!
Posted in Gardening, Landscaping, Native Plants
Tagged Gardening, Insects, Landscapes, Missouri, Native Plants, Partridge Pea, Photography, Pollinators, Wildflowers
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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
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
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
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Halloween Party!
We’ve had a couple light freezes already, but that didn’t stop the Halloween festivities in our yard, as some sturdy late bloomers attracted a few trick-or-treaters. This is just a sample of what we saw. Soon to come is a … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Native Plants, Seasons
Tagged Autumn, Butterflies, Insects, Native Plants, nature, Photography, Pollinators, Wildlife
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