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Updated on June 23, 2020

Celebrating Pollinators – Bees, Butterflies, Birds and More

Bumblebee feeding on nectar from a purple salvia

National Pollinator Week occurs in mid- to late-June each year. The goal of this Week is to celebrate the beneficial insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate the flowers of plants that produce much of our food, maintain our ecosystems, stabilize soils, and provide wildlife habitat. It also serves to educate people about what they can do to help pollinators. Why are pollinators important? According to the Pollinator Partnership, … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife / bees, birds, butterflies, insects, pollinators

Updated on June 16, 2020

You Won’t Believe Your Eyes When You See This Giant Caterpillar

Frangipani hornworm moth caterpillars on a Plumeria tree

This is the frangipani hornworm moth also known as the giant gray sphinx moth (Pseudosphinx tetrio). It is the biggest caterpillar I have ever seen. We were walking along the streets of old San Juan in Puerto Rico when we came across a small park. I noticed the Plumeria were looking rather ragged, so I took a closer look only to find not one, but many, of these caterpillars ranging in size. The biggest one we saw was almost as long as … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife

Updated on May 20, 2020

What is that Smell? Stinkhorn Mushrooms in the Garden

Group of stinkhorn mushrooms growing from wood chips

If you step outside one day to find a powerful stink in your freshly-laid mulch or new plants and you don't have a dog, a stinkhorn mushroom might be to blame. This unobtrusive fungi can pop up in wood chips, grass, or soil and they produce a very strong odor. Just like their name implies, stinkhorns produce a stink not unlike fresh manure. Stinkhorns are particularly prone to show up after heavy rains. Just like most fungi, they like … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Fungi / compost, fungi, mulch, mushrooms

Updated on May 20, 2020

Aerobin Review: Compost Kitchen Scraps and Yard Waste in Your Backyard

Aerobin 400 Composter

If you're looking for a large, sturdy, insulated composter, the Aerobin 400 Composter fits the bill. It is 47 inches tall by 29 inches wide and can hold up to 113 gallons of compost! Why Compost? Composting kitchen scraps with leaves and other yard waste creates great mulch for your garden. Compost adds nutrients back into the soil and also helps the soil retain water. When you compost yard waste and kitchen scraps, it also reduces the amount … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Reviews / reviews, vegetables

Updated on May 1, 2020

Belham Living Cedar Raised Garden Bed Review

Tomato seedlings planted in the Belham Living Raised Garden Bed

Living in Georgia, our soil has a lot of clay in it. Our yard in particular has a lot of stones and broken up concrete from the activities of the previous owner. Last year, I was desperate to grow tomatoes but I didn't have the time to put in the work to install a proper vegetable bed, so I used very large planters. It worked pretty well, but it was hard to keep everything watered. This year, I installed three raised garden beds just for … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Reviews

Updated on April 22, 2020

This amazing native plant actually moves when you touch it

sensitive briar, a low growing trailing plant with bright small pink pompom type flowers

If you haven’t been introduced to this tiny plant with fuzzy little pink flowers, you are missing out. It might not be much to look at, but sensitive briar does something pretty amazing. It moves. By itself. No, really. Sensitive briar – Mimosa spp. There are several species in the genus Mimosa that share the common name sensitive briar or sensitive plant. There are nearly 20 species in the central and southern U.S. alone. I saw one when … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Flowers & Plants / full sun, native plants, spring flowers

Updated on April 17, 2020

The Puerto Rican Semi-Slug

Puerto Rican Semi-Slug on a leaf

On our vacation to Puerto Rico this past February, we had the pleasure of hiking up to the cloud forest in the El Yunque National Forest. We came across this cute little guy about halfway through our climb. I love seeing new critters and looking them up when I get home. Especially when they are as cool as this one. While it isn't found in the continental U.S., I still wanted to share it with you. This is Gaeotis flavolineata, the Puerto … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Wildlife

Updated on April 13, 2020

What are all these trees dropping on the ground in Spring?

Sweetgum leaves, flowers, and gumballs

It’s springtime! The sun is shining, the flowers are starting to bloom, and pollen is coating everything, including our cars. Even the trees are getting in on the action. We have been finding all sort of tree seeds and tree reproductive parts laying on the ground around our neighborhood. From the brown stringy stuff to the tiny helicopters and funny little worm-shaped things, spring tree droppings are clogging the gutters of our streets. The … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Trees / native plants, spring, trees

Updated on March 31, 2020

5 Fun Things to Do in Your Backyard During Social Distancing

Our daily lives are very different than they were just a few weeks ago. We have added new terms like “social distancing“ and “flatten the curve” into our daily lexicon. For many of us, it has been two weeks or more since we left our homes. As a result, you might feel like the walls are starting to close in just a little. Getting outdoors to enjoy some fresh air, to get a little exercise, and to find something beautiful in nature that makes … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Butterflies, Projects and Ideas, Tips

Updated on February 21, 2020

Take a Peek Inside the San Juan Botanical Garden of Puerto Rico

Orange heliconia flowers surrounded by green leaves

The San Juan Botanical Garden covers nearly 290 acres and includes 30,000 plants. The garden features an orchid house, an aquatic garden, lowland moist forest, a heliconia garden, a Monet garden, a palm tree section, a Taíno garden, a bamboo chapel, and an herbarium. The garden includes two Sculpture Gardens with large sculptures. Our Visit to the Jardín Botánico of the Universidad de Puerto Rico After a day of solid rain in the mountains, … [Read more...]

Article by Garden Experiments / Garden Tours / botanical gardens, tropical

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About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Mississippi Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With over 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

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