gardens and gardening
(Check! Did it, w/ both homes)…Goal: I want to be certified by the NWF, as a sustainable and safe garden to attract butterflies, bees, birds, all good insects and in order to do so, one simply goes to the website, and establish it so it meets their four criteria, and some additional helpful suggestions.
It’s a simple, sensible plan actually, that many of us do without really thinking that there is any other way to create our yards/gardens/farmlands.
Naturally a required portion of the list is of course, FOOD! Include flowering plants and those who can, please plant milkweed if at all possible for our Monarch Butterflies, as they only begin life on that particular plant. I cannot bear the thought that we are losing an entire species , our Monarch Butterflies! Truth. Our other butterflies also often have specific plants as well, and you can find the information easily online. The N. C. State Butterfly is a beauty and it is the Swallowtail Butterfly, who has preferences. Also plant any native, and environmentally friendly that are normally locally raised, and provide shade and sun plants that may bear nuts/berries or supply them with nectar. One can use of course place out containers of nuts and berries. WATER: Birdbaths, and separate ones for butterflies…SHELTER: where they may rest, birds and hummingbirds/butterflies alike, and this provides them also with possible places TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG. It must be PESTICIDE/CHEMICAL free, yet allowances are made as often if it is necessary. I am already learning a lot about things to do, as also one can use past gardening experience/draw on your common sense. If one must use a commercial fertilizer, for example, I am encouraged to start with the use of a slow-growing fertilizer. As gardeners know, soil and how it is built over the course of time makes a huge difference in it’s health resulting in the planting’s health as well. I have a great mix I always have around, by creating the “recipe” from a friend to use: it works well in containers, (first use containers with drainage holes in the bottom unless using pots that you love but they have no opening, which calls for perhaps extra amounts of drainage area on the bottom before soil is added); the bottom is always first lined anyway, with broken-pieces of plain terracotta, always keep those broken pots, and/or rock pieces, above but protectively, which allows drainage through the hole, a couple of inches or more for larger ones. I mix it in a wheelbarrow or a large container that fits in a garden-wagon. also add something like humus for good drainage): RECIPE: note, of course it can vary, but I found it to be very flexible and still try to stick to it : it’s 1/3 topsoil(preferably organic), 1/3 black cow bagged manure; 1/3 composted mushrooms avail. in garden centers. Don’t hold back on making this extend a bit by using soil from your pots that had disease-free,former live plants that are gone.
Another required feature for NWF: is simple,and benefits Monarch Butterflies. Monarchs need a FLAT STONE on which to warm themselves when newly hatched. Place one, even a stepping stone or slate works, in the garden area. HOUSING like bird houses, in addition to the shrubs/trees especially if like me, your yard/courtyard is limited in brush within which they may nest. Don’t forget the hummingbird feeders, use 1/3 part sugar to 2/3 of clear boiling or hot water to dissolve the sugar before cooling and filling them. NO RED DYE, not NEEDED! Also no yellow parts, it attracts other things. Clean them every 3-4 days with boiling hot water and keeo several going! I have to mention, my fairy garden like yes, from my love of them in mt childhood days, may also qualify if all 4 elements are within! This is a good way to involve children if you are a parent or caretaker or teacher! If our local elementary school becomes certified, one I know of is already “there” technically I believe but no signs are indicating they purposely did the playground and grounds areas to be certified by the NWF. They are very environmentally conscious I imagine, and children are present to enjoy all of the benefits of their work in a raised bed garden and plantings throughout the grounds; we live on an island, where runoff is a huge issue as we have drains along streets and yards that dump directly into our marsh and channel areas. Imagine what a better and cleaner neighborhood and family yards, as well as our estuaries and near-by ocean waters, could result!
For hardwood flooring in master bedroom and closet, use pre-finished wood
Expert insight on Japanese Maple Trees, which are non-invasive, can grow close to structures and are a diverse group meaning some are taller while others spread out....read!
Perennial garden on the N. side, near the back patio- encouraging growth of the purple-flowering dark green periwinkle vines for ground cover, containers w/ Columbine that spreads below and around everywhere, with large lantern-like coral flowers- feeders for birds hang above from the evergreen tree
NWF has been inspirational as we grow spaces for all birds, and wildlife through plantings,flowering plants that are perennial for butterflies and bees ( we all must do it even small yards...big gov't owns farms and spray pesticides that kill ALL insects so it's up to us even locally be inspired that we have the bees coming early this year! Birds returned, Monarchs will have found milkweed to live, grow, feed upon to migrate
LOVE overhead structure- a pergola covering w/ vines and welcoming containers would be ideal for our back door at the farm
Beach house front entrance, lots of perennials here including hosta, evergreen plantings, line the courtyard, where the black bamboo is to the left in tall lime-colored ceramic containers
The Purple Sage as usual has taken over this sunny space along w/ Yellow Lantana- both are perennials here on the coast
Late summer plants like Purple Shield, sweet potato vine w/ it's glorious lime green color, purple Lantana, in dappled sun/shade & cooler temperatures are not effecting growth yet along the walkway , almost time to trim back the canopy of the Crepe Myrtle and by mid Oct. plant more Snapdragons and new pansies
Post-rain showers, the Hibiscus tropical "shrubs" are hiding their colors 'til sunshine . They , 4, are spectacular along the evergreen and spring Iris , first year we tried them and like the results in '16, beach house
Zinnias never fail if you plant them as seeds- wow green is always fun, a tradition at the farm, as well as others, where all insects are at home
The Lotus pond is above on my patio , colors & nature bring a source of energy and beauty-a 4' round filled with now tiny baby goldfish with fancy tails, bred by a pro I know- we have created a space with containers as last year, attracting bees to birds and anoles, cooling to see, build around what you love
First water lily opened this morning, purple, with more beneath my small patio pond- an anole was spotted upstairs, I love it!
Beach house roses , Today, April 14-'16
Recommended reading
Like this- shot I found, of Hardscape
My vintage '50's coffee table near our upstairs bedroom patio window loves my succulents in turquoise pots I've had for years
go big or stay home,ha! BEAUTIFUL, love it
Water feature on back entrance patio
The Lotus pod with seeds
I cannot ID this guy yet- anyone?
Beach house and the raised garden
2 different colors in the one rose bush- it is fragrant
At the beach house garden
On our surrounding wall
Vining yellow Lantana is going wild! Good for butterflies
Beach house perennial and wildly spreading, purple Mexican Sage- flowers butterflies love them; along side gate and by the cobblestone walkway surround
Anoles share space with us living around the cool/sunny wall behind our raised garden bed
The master bedroom patio water feature has a pink that turns yellow, 3rd day, Lotus this blooms all summer; water lilies in deep indigo color in bloom past summer into early fall; Mosaic lilies whose leaves form that shape and floats through fall , grasses- here is a Lotus in wood- like stage post- blooming holding seeds the color of blueberries in holes throughout the circular dried form as they are intended to fall back into the place from where the Lotus has rooted
The "good guys" to buy without association w/ Monsanto which has bought seed companies and add insecticides
this is beautiful and done within a structured walled space
AMAZING lighting
up-lighting beneath trees at corners of our garden is great- need more
up-lighting for garden walls for visual attractiveness and safer walkways
Here she is! Kids love to be creatively involved in gardening, just send them for local plants, let them help you select more, find mosses, design water sources like little shells that are fill- able also for nuts and berries, or perhaps a hollow log to plant atop for a little family to raise their babies in??
Year-round,hosta/fern/CoralBells,more~
I so love this for my garden! Containers keep our doggies from killing plantings in our backyard section-CreepingJenny,geranium,wavepetunias(?)/spikeycenterpiece
I just found the lime/reddish coleus, and wave petunias are out in N. C. now also; try creeping jenny in any container, and watch it even survive the coldest of winters underground and emerge in spring
Draping/CreepingJenny/pansies
following are photos of containers that work beautifully, as I am designing a garden hopefully to be certified by the National Wildlife Fed. If this little girl with her fairy garden, which I already love to design!, did it within a large community doing the same certification, why not me?
Yellow/red/purple/orange...impt.colors,desired&attract
Beach garden
I have these returning this year, '17, in a larger quantity- cool looking, not sure of the name
Lantana is loved by all
Butterflies
A patio garden
Place to store and work w/ garden things w/ a covered outside space all of which works on our farm
Q