Helleborus x hybridus A flower that begins to bloom in February and lasts until May? That’s the Lenten Rose. Though the flowers point downward the leaves stay green throughout the winter and it’s not a favorite meal of deer!. Actually what we call flowers are the plants sepals and the flower is almost invisible but the sepals are beautiful! The plant faithfully comes back for years and the blossoms are beautiful floating in a bowl of water on your table…
Lobelia siphilitica If you’ve got a wet spot Great Blue Lobelia (also called the Blue Cardinal Flower) is the plant for you. A native of Pennsylvania Great Blue Lobelia attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and is an exceptional plant for bumble bees and other pollinators we count on. It’s happy in sun or part shade, grows 2′ to 3′ tall and provides blue blooms for late Spring. It’s been around a long time. Iroquois used it for a cough medicine. The Meskwaki…
We have Monarch Caterpillars on our milkweed! This is the generation that will fly to Mexico for the winter. More information about the life cycle of the Monarchs can be found at Monarch Watch Paula Ziegler is a local resident who has a concern for the fate of bees, butterflies and all wildlife which inspires her to find solutions to creating wildlife habitat gardens that fit into the look of the neighborhood. Her hope is that you enjoy her blogs…
I was startled to see this sight on our fence. A friend is known for keeping odd facts in his head and immediately identified the sight as a Cicada Killer Wasp killing a Cicada. Within a few moments the wasp flew off with the cicada! Amazing! Here is a website called “Cicada Mania” if you are interested in learning more Paula Ziegler is a local resident who has a concern for the fate of bees, butterflies and all wildlife…
Book Review: “Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants” Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guides For a Greener Planet I received this book as a gift and I recommend it for anyone who wants to start adding native plants to their yard or landscape. It shows the top invasive plants which are commonly sold at nurseries and then gives a few native alternatives for each. The photographs are well done and most importantly the size and planting requirements are given in an “at a…