Earth Sky Time

  Earth Sky Time Back in October 2023 everything came to a standstill. A technical fluke locked us out of WordPress and nothing could be done to regain access. At the same time, seven acres around us were deforested due to the unregulated and insatiable greed of real estate developers. It was catastrophic for 200- and 300-year-old trees and long established gardens so magnificent that they were…

Aster × frikartii and Jewelweed Fall is coming faster, so take time to enjoy the aster. Earlier this month I wrote about wood asters. Asters are in the same family as yarrow, sunflowers and chrysanthemums. This beautiful blue aster is an escapee from someone’s garden and a happy companion for jewelweed, another plant that is very benefical for wildlife. You can learn more about jewelweed at…

Eurybia divaricata In Zone 6B this is the time of wood asters, late summer to fall-flowering herbaceous perennials that many mistake for weeds. They thrive in dry shade and are more widespread than usual this year due to frequent and much appreciated rainfall, which has been beneficial for a variety of insects and wildlife. The pollinator friendly flowers support bees and butterflies, the seeds…

  There is Earth, Time and Sky. Look to the skies for insects and you will be amazed at what you discover. We love insects and view them as a sign of ecological health. The little brown bats that live here devour thousands of mosquitos on their nightly rounds. Mosquito control companies deprive them of their food and are unnecessary; bats work for free. We let spiders live in the house, they do…

for Avocado (Persea americana) High humidity is typical for July in New England, but the levels we’re experiencing now are more typical of Mississippi. It’s time for cool and refreshing smoothies, iced teas, salsa and chips, cold cucumber soup and guacamole. Did you know that the avocado is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae)? The nutrient density and extremely high…

Fragrant witch hazel flowers bloom in late winter While visiting estate gardens in England, I was dazzled by a series of garden rooms filled with boxwood topiaries and herbaceous perennial borders. When I stopped to admire several mature witch hazel trees in full and fragrant bloom, I piqued the curiosity of the estate manager who approached me to ask, “Do you know what these are?” “Hamamelis,” I…

Salvia ColorSpires ‘Azure Snow’ In these days of climate change, and after last summer’s drought in New England, plants that thrive in sun and need less watering are in demand. And flowering plants that benefit hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators are gaining in popularity. A perennial that ticks off all of these boxes is Salvia ColorSpires ‘Azure Snow.’ Drought and heat tolerant,…

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ Black-Eyed Susan ‘American Gold Rush’ has been chosen as the 2023 perennial plant of the year for many reasons: Rudbeckias are native to much of North America, pollinator-friendly, very easy to grow, and there are many other varieties to choose from. Chosen by the National Garden Bureau, Perennial Plant Association and All-America Selections, making it a triple…

Cardinal Flower (top) and Geranium (bottom)  Deep in the dead of winter I am thinking about spring. Plant and seed catalogues are arriving in the mail and last summer’s drought threw a lot of gardeners for a loop. This is a good time to think about growing pollinator-friendly plants, which are food plants for insects, birds, bats, other animals, and us! These are just a sampling of VIP plants or…

More on Lemon Verbena

Dried lemon verbena leaves have lasting fragrance I wrote about lemon verbena in my December post, and these are the reasons why I grow it: The plant produces delicate pale lavender flowers that are highly attractive to a wide range of pollinators as they make their nectaring rounds. The true lemon scent is clean and refreshing, calming and uplifting. Dried leaves retain their scent for up to…

Lemon Verbena is fragrant herb native to South America I have been growing this deciduous, woody, shrub-like herb for decades. I usually treat it as a tender annual because it can be difficult to overwinter indoors. But this fall, I decided to give it a go. I brought the plant inside in the pot of sandy, well-drained soil it was growing in and placed it in brightly lit north-east location away…

Where are all the acorns?

Wildlife depend on acorns and will struggle to survive this winter. Oak trees are a keystone species and the acorns they produce are packed with nutrition. They are an important food source for: deer; bears; squirrels; woodpeckers, crows, and other birds; chipmunks; opossums; and many other wild creatures. The acorns that remain uneaten can grow into new oak trees and after reading “The Nature of…

‘Ballerina’ Rose Hips When you don’t remove the spent blossoms and stop pruning certain roses in late summer, such as Rugosa and Hybrid Musk cultivars, you encourage the plant to produce rose hips. Fruits that are high in vitamin C and natural sugars, rose hips provide a nutritious food source for wildlife such as birds, squirrels, turkeys, and chipmunks. Rose hips and other berries are…

It’s time to bring house plants back inside If you haven’t moved your house plants back inside, this is the week to do it. October is just a few days away and the nights are getting colder in Zone 6B. These five tips will help keep house plants happy indoors: 1. Stop fertilizing. 2. Before moving them inside, water plants thoroughly and spray the leaves with a gentle shower of water to remove…

Mowing less often benefits bees Many lawns went dormant during the drought and will recover as we head into the fall season. When it is time to begin mowing again, think: less is more. Did you know that lawns can provide good habitat for native bees as long as they’re not mowed too often? According to a study published in Biological Conservation, ecologists from the U.S. Forest Service found that…

Squirrels and other animals are suffering in drought A planter provides cool relief Drought in the Northeast is worsening – moving into what regional meteorologists call “severe” and the U.S. Drought Monitor calls “extreme.” Wildlife continues to suffer but we do all we can to help. In addition to feeding and watering, we have been letting squirrels “surf.” All summer long they have been leaping…

During Drought Help Them Out

A tough start for Cardinals and other fledglings Many areas of the country are experiencing severe drought, making this a difficult summer for wildlife. For the very young, surviving their first few weeks is a challenge even under the best conditions, but having to contend with drought increases the odds against them. Click here to check the drought monitor for your area. We do what we can to put…