We’ll assume this story is apocryphal because I can’t source it beyond Jeff and I talking about it. If it’s not apocryphal I’m likely mangling details so we’ll just consider it an illustrative ‘maybe’: When architects were designing sidewalks at UC Berkeley, they observed the natural paths made by students […]
Fountain Frog appears to be a green frog (Lithobates clamitans). I’m unsure whether our original Fountain Frog is male or female, but I’ve referred to him as He up to now which is rude, maybe, I do not want to misgender anyone. Original Fountain Frog is significantly bigger than New […]
Two unnamed hibiscus in their second season and doing well. They had a bit of a tangle with spider mites over the winter but otherwise did okay, and probably would have bloomed longer if I had kept them under grow lights instead of an east-facing window. They have achieved the […]
Fountain frog doesn’t want to talk about it.
Seen today on a black eyed susan. If I’m correct about the ID, it’s a female (the red legs are the tell apparently.) From the link: “Females of some species of Thynnid wasps are wingless. Males find them on the ground and carry them into the air on a nuptial […]
I love culinary rue* and use a lot of it around fruit trees (supposedly it repels Japanese beetles but I have a plum tree with some thoughts to share on that point.) The smokey blue color is astounding, the shape of the leaves is weird and elegant and unlike anything […]
I love when you can touch plants with your eyes alone. When changed to black and white, texture is still enchanting. Stripping away the distraction of color lets us fully see the forms and understand why those unrelated shapes work together to make each one stand out more. (I’m not […]
One of the front pollinator beds was added in April 2020. At roughly 4′ x 15′, it contains twelve Golden Alexanders (host plants for black swallowtails and food source for a lot of the little solitary bees) and twelve Bottle Gentians, both from Prairie Nursery. There’s a birdhouse at the […]
