These are our biggest enemies at our house in Western Massachusetts. I wrote this up to share with my family: The reason we care about these in particular is that they do the most damage to the native plants that feed the birds, primarily because insects will eat native species […]
Author: Jennifer
How to identify Trilliums versus Jack-in-the-Pulpit
The easiest thing to remember is: hey, don’t worry, because this will never come up. Trilliums are well dormant before Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) becomes interesting, and most people don’t go around dividing trilliums (you totally can though* – do it when you can find them, when they are in flower. […]
New York Ferns v. Hay-scented ferns (Fern identification Part 3)
I don’t know why I struggled with these two for so many years. Magical and soothing as they are, I think a lot of us mainly see ferns as different from flowers or trees–best viewed as an indistinct group. Oaks and maples and pine trees and birches are so distinct […]
Meet the locals: New England Ferns (Fern Identification Part 2)
Continuing to dive into the topic of fern and fern identification, since we are surrounded by them here. Knowing them better would help me know how best to use them, what circumstances they like or don’t like. Often that’s just observation – you see a fern growing near wild geraniums […]
Fern identification Part 1
Time for a sloppy dive into What’s That Fern? First, some terms that might be helpful: Frond: full structure from the ground up. Stipe: the “stem” or “stalk” on the frond that stretches from the ground to the “leaves” or pinnae (below). Petiole is sometimes used, as it is in […]
Mr. Handsy
All I want is a life-sized thingy like this to stand in the yard and hold hoses. I am even willing to give up the magnifying glass that has nearly set fire to my desk on several occasions if I fail to move it out of the morning sunlight. I […]
Gaywings
When we were looking at this house and walking through the 4.4 acres of “eclectic” conditions (wetland, dry infertile areas, clay soil, sandy soil, full sun in some areas, surrounded by woodland, bunch of boulders pushed around by glacial force and the whims of the builders) we walked along […]
The Return of Fountain Frog
He’s baaaaaack. Fountain Frog knows a good thing when he sees one.
Water feature: new draft
Up to now I’ve mainly used whiskey barrels for water features for aquatics but the past couple of years it has not worked for the water lilies which apparently need annual dividing and plenty of room to roam (also fertilizer) so I am experimenting with a larger set up with […]