The transition to fall is underway in October, but it seems a bit slower this year with the warmer temperatures. The attention of pollinators shifted from goldenrods to asters, particularly our latest bloomers… the aromatic asters (Raydon’s Favorite, October Skies, and straight species). There is still some butterfly and caterpillar activity. We are on the…
Tag: Plants
Video Series on Asters, Goldenrods and Coneflowers
Terri and I have done presentations about asters, goldenrods, and coneflowers to several groups. We heard they were helpful, so we took sections of the presentation and created a series of videos. The series includes: Part 1: Overview, Classification, the Asteraceae Family (Length ~ 6:16) Part 2: Asters (Length ~ 10:25) Part 3: Goldenrods (Length…
Starting Seeds in Winter Using Totes and Seedling Flats
Winter Sowing in milk jugs has been enjoyable and successful here for the past several years. Having a seed-starting project in January is akin to browsing the seed catalogs – an opportunity to plan for, and dream about, the next growing season, with the added benefit of actually working with seeds and planting mix. While…
Big Moths: Saturniids and Their Hosts
Four years ago, we were thrilled to find both Cecropia Moth and Polyphemus Moth caterpillars in our yard. Unfortunately, the Polyphemus caterpillar died from parasites (eaten from inside out) and we lost track of the Cecropia caterpillar before its final instar. Since then, I am always checking for these species of caterpillars to show again……
Host Plants for Caterpillars
There’s a good reason to choose keystone plants for the landscape – they are crucial to the foodweb in an ecosystem. The foliage (for caterpillars) or pollen (for bees) support the largest number of these insect species, creating the best chance of high biodiversity in our gardens. Keystone Plants The top keystone genera (closely related…
A Tangled Tale: Vines
There is a group of plants that is often neglected… vines. These plants can fulfill several functions in a landscape design as well as provide ecological function. There are a number of native vines that can be used in place of invasive or potentially invasive vine species. Vines need to be used wisely because even…
April is Ohio Native Plant Month…
… and this serves as an annual reminder of the importance of native plants. Perhaps even more important, April 2024 is National Native Plant Month! This designation allows us to renew our commitment to the removal of non-native invasive plant species, and the planting of beneficial native species. And it provides a platform for the…
It’s Spring! Oh No… Weeds and Invasives!
Like everyone else, we’re excited about the coming of spring! Terri recently posted about the early shoots of perennials and the season of spring wildflowers emerging. Bluebirds and other birds are busy and spring peepers are raising their voices. Seeing everything greening up feels so good! Then we see them… weeds and invasive plants! Early…
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…
Catchfly Commons 