With our purple passionflower vine planted on the trellis at the front of our house, we get to see many hungry caterpillars first fill their bellies and then find a comfy place to create their chrysalises. What Does a Gulf Fritillary Chrysalis Look Like? These chrysalises are strange-looking. They are twisty, kind of bumpy, and …
Backyard Wildlife
Gardening with wildlife and creating wildlife habitat in your backyard or garden can bring you a lot of joy. I love to watch the birds, butterflies, frogs, lizards, bees, and small mammals visit my garden, even if it means I sometimes lose a few plants. These articles talk about how to create backyard habitat, what plants can help wildlife in your garden, and even talks about some of the critters you might see in your garden.
How to Attract and Feed Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterflies
One of the greatest joys I get out of my garden is watching the insects and wildlife that is attracted to the flowers and plants. I know that some of my plants will be consumed by these critters, but I’m willing to share. This week, I stumbled across this little black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) munching in my carrot patch. These …
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Partridge Pea: Butterfly Host Plant & Pollinator Plant
Summer is the time of the year that you’ll see the bright yellow flowers of partridge pea blooming along the side of the road or along streams and ditches. They will continue to flower from late summer to early fall. Creates Food for Pollinators & Wildlife This little plant packs a mighty punch when it comes to benefiting …
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Why Keep a Dead Tree In Your Yard?
As I was heading out to work this morning, I looked up at the large pecan tree in the backyard and saw both the male and female wood duck who have been hanging around our yard for a few weeks. The male was flying off and the female was flying into a cavity in one of the large branches of the tree. This large branch has a nice cavity in it, perfect …
When Do You Put Out Your Hummingbird Feeders in Spring
The first hummingbirds start showing up in southern Texas, Louisiana, and northern Florida in late February and the first week of March. Hummingbirds will arrive in my garden around mid to late March - at the same time as the red buckeyes are in full bloom. This is when I’ll hang my hummingbird feeders in my garden. How to Know When to Hang …
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Warm December Temps Bring Out the Bees
Winter in Mississippi is notoriously interesting. Some days we have really cold weather and then 24 hours later, the temperature changes by 20 degrees. This was the case this year. In the previous weeks, we had lows in the 20's and highs in the 30's. It was downright cold for us southerners. Then Christmas week rolls around and our temperatures …
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