We use iNaturalist to identify and record our observations of biodiversity on our property. To get a good sense of biodiversity here, visit the “Catchfly Commons” project page in iNaturalist. You do not need to be an iNaturalist user to view it. On the page you will find all of our observations over the years…
Category: Resources
Catchfly Commons on Facebook
We are beginning to post items and tidbits smaller than blog entries on our Catchfly Commons Facebook page. To date, we have mainly used that page just to push out links to blog entries when they are published on our website. On Facebook, you will start seeing more photos of occasional finds in our gardens,…
Time to Get Buzzing!
The emergence of spring wildflowers is getting a lot of attention now, but insects are getting active too. I’ve seen several butterflies and moths flitting around (unfortunately I was not able to get IDs). When we see spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), we also notice bees on them. Likely these are spring beauty mining bees (Andrena…
Spring Wildflowers and our State Nature Preserves
Not only are most native plants pushing their way up, the spring ephemerals are starting to bloom! Every Friday from March through mid-May, ODNR publishes the Wildflower Bloom Report. The report is an open invitation to visit a state nature preserve and see some of these fleeting blooms in their forest homes. While the trees…
Things Seem Early This Year – Phenology
People routinely speculate about whether plants are leafing out and blooming earlier or later than usual. When leaves and blooms emerge varies a lot relative to our human calendar. However, plants and insects mark time differently than we do. To understand this, we need to consider “phenology” and “growing degree days” (GDD). Phenology The USA…
Planning Winter Seed Sowing
It’s time to think through and do some initial preparation for winter sowing. “Winter sowing” most commonly refers to starting seeds in a one-gallon plastic container such as a milk jug or water jug. Once seeds are planted in the prepared jug, the jug stays outside through the winter with very little to no intervention…
Being Out Front with Natives
The idea for this contribution emerged after seeing a post on the Sustainable Delaware Ohio Facebook page in mid-July 2023. It recounted a very painful encounter between a home-owner who created a pollinator garden and the city’s enforcement of ordinances. We have not faced this situation ourselves because our native landscape is mostly in the…
Catchfly Commons 