Portulaca is the easiest genus of plants to propagate. You can start with just one plant and end up with four more with just a bit of extra care. It's so simple! Portulaca is also known as purslane or moss rose. It grows in full sun, can handle high heat, and is drought tolerant. It grows quickly and produces many bright, colorful flowers. The flowers come in yellow, red, orange, pink, red, and even white. It will bloom all summer and even … [Read more...]
The Dramatic Baby Bird Rescue
Generally I have a policy of leaving nature to take its course. I am unable to care for baby critters - so if I see one that is by itself or looks a little in need, I may provide it some food or water, but I refuse to bring them indoors or try to 'save' them. This may sound a bit harsh, but you would be surprised how many wildlife babies are actually doing just fine and are separated from their parents by well-intentioned humans. Read the … [Read more...]
Backyard Wildlife Summer 2016
This summer has been full of weird and wonderful backyard wildlife. From a nest of barred owls to frogs to snakes and turtles, I've seen a lot in my garden and backyard. Watching wildlife is one of the things I enjoy so much about my garden and yard. It's why I work hard to create suitable habitat for wildlife. This spring started out unseasonably warm and this summer has only gotten hotter. This week in particular, my state of Mississippi has … [Read more...]
Stokes Aster – Beautiful and Blue
A few years ago, I acquired a new plant that has quickly become one of my favorites - Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis). These stunning purple-blue flowers simply captured my heart. I really like incorporating native plants and flowers into my garden. They are easy to grow and very hardy AND they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. [Read my top five benefits of gardening with native plants] Additional, some native plants are very interesting … [Read more...]
Scentless Mock Orange – When a Dogwood isn’t a Dogwood at All
The yard of the house I lived in two years ago was lined at the edge with these beautiful flowering shrubs. I had never seen them before and the neighbors told me they were English dogwoods. The flowers certainly resembled the bracts that make up the showy white part the dogwood tree, but something was a little off. After doing some online research, I discovered that this lovely woody shrub is none other than the scentless mock orange … [Read more...]
Spotted Jewelweed: Touch-me-not plant
If you've got soil that stays wet most of the time, then this is the plant for you. It's native to most of the lower 48 states and it prefers shade to part-shade - even better! In its native habitat, you'll find it alongside roads in ditches that stay wet most of the time, alongside a river or stream, in wetlands or boggy places, and in other moist soil areas. It prefers shady areas, though it can take some morning sun. Wildlife Uses The … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes
Warm weather is here and the mosquitoes are already biting! With diseases like West Nile virus and Zika that are transmitted by mosquitoes, you’re going to need some protection. Mosquito Protection The first step is to avoid getting bitten -- wearing long sleeve shirts and pants are a great idea towards avoiding contact with mosquitoes. There are even clothes that are specifically created to protect you from mosquitoes. However, sometimes … [Read more...]
Beautiful, Large Blooms of the Oakleaf Hydrangea Shrub
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a favorite of native plant gardeners for many reasons. If you're looking for a shrub that is hardy, produces beautiful flowers, can grow in the shade, and has lovely fall colors, look no further. Here are just a few of the reasons why I love this shrub: #1 The large white flowers (in the shade!!) These flowers are quite simply gorgeous! They can get 6-10 inches long and have clusters of small … [Read more...]
Yellow Slime Mold – The Dog Vomit Fungus
So you are walking around your yard one day and see a spot of bright yellow in your mulch. What in the world is that? It's a slime mold! This mold is Fuligo septica the vomit slime mold and it shows up in warm, humid conditions and spreads across the top of the material - usually wood mulch. It starts out rather beautiful (at least this one did), with bright colors and a feathery appearance, but in a few days it can really resemble dog vomit … [Read more...]
The Stunning Beauty of a Moth – Moths from My Backyard
Have you ever heard of mothing? Really, it's a thing. If you are familiar with birding, mothing is quite similar, though apparently a lot easier. With birding, you have to go out and seek the birds but with mothing, well, you turn on a light at night and wait for the moths to come to you. There are some absolutely stunning moths out there. I've had a few show up in my house and garden over the years. National Moth Week is in July each … [Read more...]
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