habitat

22 Apr
2013
large monarch caterpillar

Earth Day, monarchs and the little things

Two years ago, I planted butterfly weed — aka. milkweed — in my garden for the very first time. That summer, I saw monarchs in my garden for the very first time as well. They found the milkweed (and the purple-flowering liatris, another native), laid their eggs, and moved on. ...

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26 Feb
2013
first peas of the spring

Here comes spring!

I know. I know. It’s still February. Some of you are digging out from yet another snowstorm, while others are already enjoying homegrown harvests from your year-round gardens. And then, of course, it’s high summer for you Southern Hemisphere types. But, here in the United States, in USDA Zone 7a, ...

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3 Feb
2013
birdhouse in the snow

It’s time to plant some … birdhouses!?

It’s a perfect wintry morning. Snow flurries are drifting past the window, I’ve got a warm cup of coffee and hand, and there’s the promise of a hot bowl of Superbowl chili later today. Not bad, as far as lazy wintertime Sundays go. But, I’m not thinking about snow or ...

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23 Jul
2012
baby blue jay

Water for birds

For nearly two-thirds of the United States, this has been a painfully dry summer. As of last week, 64% of the continental United States was covered by drought. If recent trends continue, that number will be higher this week. Drought isn’t good for anyone. It’s bad for gardens and gardeners, ...

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24 May
2012
baby praying mantis

Adorable baby praying mantis is adorable

Oh. Hello there, baby praying mantis. Am I the only one who thinks bugs can be cute? Because, really, this little guy is adorable. Found this mantis on the parsley plant. He’s clearly just shed his skin. Growing fast! Won’t be long before this guy is big enough to snag ...

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22 May
2012
feature

Please don’t tease the parsley worm

Parsley worms (aka. black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars) grow quickly, and the one living in my parsley plant is no exception. This caterpillar is packing on the grams at an impressive pace. You saw the photo I posted a few days ago. Now, check out how this guy has grown: I’m ...

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18 May
2012
black swallowtail caterpillar on a parsley plant

Black swallowtail caterpillar in the parsley plant

There are many reasons to let your parsley go to seed, but this may be my favorite: black swallowtail caterpillars. Adult black swallowtails are large black butterflies with brilliant patches of blue and yellow and red near the ends of their wings. The adults lay their eggs on parsley, as ...

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10 May
2012
05-10-butterfly-feature

The butterflies are returning!

I know, I know, I promised a post about sweet potatoes today. What can I say? I’m going to miss my own deadline. The post is already half-written, so I’ll have it for you tomorrow. Really. For now, can I appease you with a photo of a cute little butterfly? ...

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9 May
2012
Please Help Save Stadium Woods at Virginia Tech

Help save Stadium Woods

We’re taking a little departure from gardening today. I hope you’ll forgive me. In fact, I hope you’ll do more than forgive me. I hope you’ll join me. Here’s the deal. There’s this forest. It’s filled with oaks. Really old oaks. And, this forest — Stadium Woods — sits smack ...

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10 Jan
2012
redtwig-in-snow

Snow on the redtwig dogwood

We finally got some snow yesterday (about an inch or so, I’d guess) and it stuck around long enough to shine in today’s bright sunlight. The whole garden looks like it’s wearing some fancy new outfit, but the redtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea) is definitely the star of the show. Although ...

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