Scotch broom is wrapping up its bloom and starting to produce seeds. I’ll never forget my first June here, we had just moved to a fresh piece of land three weeks earlier. One day as it warmed I noticed a …
I’ve discovered a nice little native groundcover with some good benefits. Two years ago I moved into a new place. When I first looked at it, I saw a big, sunny, almost empty space that would be perfect for a …
The colorful, early bloom always attracts attention Redbud has swung into full bloom over these past few weeks. I hope you’ve been able get out and see it. It’s easy to notice the brilliant, magenta-pink flowers every spring. It’s one …
Do You Know About This Wild, Native Fruit? There’s a wild fruit tree around here. It’s one of the earliest trees to bloom, usually starting in mid-February, and it’s a cheerful harbinger of spring. It grows in the more open, …
If you’re looking for flowering shrubs to add to your landscape that don’t take much water, won’t get eaten by deer, will feed the birds and the pollinators and is an attractive asset to your landscape…here’s one to get. This …
Violets are the only food of the fritillary butterfly caterpillar The fritillary butterfly lives its larval stage dining only on violets. The best food for the fritillary in our neck of the woods is the violets that evolved in our …
The largest butterfly reserve in America…and it’s plight The largest butterfly reserve in America is in Texas, at edge of the Rio Grande at the southern border. It’s an area that’s said to be one of the most biodiverse areas …
I first learned about incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) long ago while working with Tree People, a tree planting environmental organization in southern California. One of our missions was to plant smog tolerant trees in the surrounding mountains. Among the list …
Have you been hearing the birds lately? If you’re older than a millenial you may have notice that the birdsong’s just not what it used to be. You’d be right. A few years ago on a long drive home I …
We read and learn much about bees and other pollinators and their decline. Pollinators have their mission from Mother Nature to pollinate between 75 and 90% of all the plants on Earth, and about one third of our food comes …