native

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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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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25 Jan
2013
Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem artichokes

Sunchokes from store-bought tubers? Hopefully!

Have you ever grown sunchokes? Perhaps I should step back and ask: Have you ever tasted sunchokes? Oh man. Wow. Delicious. If you never noshed on this particular tuber, you really should do something about that. Sunchokes — aka Jerusaleum artichokes — are a fantastic, delicious and remarkably healthy starch. ...

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18 Jun
2012
Artichoke flowers are absolutely stunning.

Monday morning garden stroll #7

It’s drizzly and gray and a touch chilly in the garden this morning. In other words: perfect. The garden is packed with recent transplants and just-started seeds and seedlings. Everything could do with a little drink. Even if today’s precipitation doesn’t amount to much, it’ll at least moisten the soil ...

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13 Jun
2012
gaura blooming profusely

Monday morning garden stroll #6

Well, we’re moving in the right direction. This week’s Monday morning update is coming out on Wednesday, not Thursday. Progress! The garden along the front path is bursting right now. It’s an incredible change from this time last year, when I had just finished installing the brick path and had ...

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7 Jun
2012
'Sunny Border Blue' speedwell (Veronica spicata) along the garden path.

Monday morning garden stroll: #5

It’s Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday morning again. Yes, the weekly garden stroll is late again. This is apparently what happens when a whole bunch of deadlines bunch up on the first half of a week. How about we just skip past the part where I promise (again) to do better next week, ...

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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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17 Aug
2011
I watched this monarch lay a half dozen eggs, but wasn't able to get a photo until she slowed down for a sip of nectar.

Monarchs!

Yesterday, I wrote about how vegetable gardens are more than just vegetable gardens — they are habitats. Today, I walked out the front door to find a monarch laying eggs on one of my butterflyweed plants. Never — not once in all my years of gardening in Virginia — have ...

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16 Aug
2011
Carolina wrens are frequent visitors to the garden, where they forage for all manner of insects.

It’s not a garden. It’s a habitat.

Yesterday, I saw a hummingbird in the garden. It’s the first one I’ve seen since moving into the house last October. She helped herself to some nectar from the native butterflyweed plants before buzzing off to her next stop. Pretty excellent way to start the week. She wasn’t alone either. ...

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