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midwest2-bug-edition · 2 months ago

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Hey! Wanna attract pollinators?

Do you live in Ohio (particularly northeast Ohio)? Here's a list of wildflowers you can plant that bring in pollinators, some color combination ideas for those flowers, a small list of reasons why you should plant wildflowers for pollinators, other ways you can increase local pollinattors, and some resources you can utilize.

Disclaimer: Please only use this guide if you live in Ohio! Some of the plant species listed are invasive in some states, but are fine in Ohio. Please also consider, many plants on this list are toxic to animals! Please be mindful of the wildlife around you that also needs supporting. Keep your wildflowers and pollinator areas to select parts of your yard or property and do not spread these seeds in the wild. Ex. Milkweed is toxic to most animals and will kill them.

Here is a list of plants that pollinators love by color:

Butterfly Milkweed

Lanceleaf Tickseed

Cup Plant

Showy Goldenrod

New England Aster

Purple Prairie Clover

Field Thistle

Purple Coneflower

Here are some color combos for garden inspo:

Photos of the plants included (and the sources for said photos, none of which were snapped by me, in order at the bottom of the post)

Orange and yellow (all full sun) - Butterfly milkweed, Cup Plant, Showy Goldenrod

Yellow and purple (all full sun) - Cup Plant, Lanceleaf Tickseed, New England Aster

Yellow and pink (all full sun) - Cup Plant, Showy Goldenrod, Purple Coneflower

Purple and pink (all full sun) - Purple Coneflower, Purple Prarie Clover, New England Aster

Orange and pink (all full sun) - Butterfly Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Field Thistle

Why you should plant wildflowers:

(Reasons included but not limited to)

Wild flowers can provide necessary elements to wildlife that keep your local ecosystem functioning. These are things that directly effect everyone.

Wildflowers typically require far less maintenance than non-native, as they are more suited to the areas weather, living conditions, etc.

Wildflower populations are low and need help!

Wildflowers can improve air and soil quality.

Why you should target pollinators:

(Reasons included but not limited to)

Pollinator populations are declining and this can help them survive.

Without pollinators many of our crops would not live.

Our air is cleaner with pollinators.

Other ways you can help:

Buy local honey!

If you do not focus on insects, focus on birds! Put out hummingbird feeders.

Avoid pesticide.

Gardening Resources:

Why you should plant wildflowers and help pollinators:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/importance#:~:text=It%20is%20an%20essential%20ecological,80%25%20require%20pollination%20by%20animals.

Things you can do to help pollinators:

The folks behind the photos:

Butterfly milkweed photo: Adrienne Legault

Cup plant photo: Stephanie Brundage

Showy goldenrod photo: Kerry Woods

Lanceleaf Tickseed photo: Richard Spellenberg

New England Aster photo: Drew Avery

Purple Coneflower photo: Jeff Franklin

Field Thistle photo: George Mayfield

Purple Prairie Clover photo: Joshue Mayer

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elminx · 2 years ago

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How did it become the end of August already? (It will likely be the beginning of September before I publish this…) It seems like only last week that I was writing about the tiny bulbs bursting out of the ground in my spring garden.

We are still most of a month out for the equinox but here in Southern New England, we have definitely entered harvest season. The energy shift is palpable. Suddenly there are long shadows in my sun-loving garden and my locust tree has begun the slow process of dropping her leaves. Just last night we experienced our first truly chilly night in months. As a witch, I feel a natural call to honor these seasonal shifts – not as some sort of ritual born from the pages of a book – but as it happens in front of me.

I have a complicated relationship with the Wheel of the Year. As an astrologer, the equinoxes and solstices will always be days of celebration as they mark the quarters of the year. The rest becomes murkier where it does not always align with my environment. There is no spring in sight around Brigid’s Day which is always one of the coldest and most bleak moments in the deep of winter. Likewise, we do not have a grain harvest where I live. Our first real harvest comes in early July with the sweet corn but I am not a farmer and a corn holiday would mean nothing to me.

I’m sure that harvest means something different for every one of us and that is part of the beautiful abundance of the harvest season. My secret to celebrating the harvest in my household and my coven: we celebrate OUR harvests.

For me, the first harvest is always tomato season. For nearly 10 years now, I have been a member of a local CSA Farm Share; every year, I buy a full share from them in the fall and then we get our percentage of their harvest every week throughout the following growing season. The best part of this experience is their Pick-Your-Own fields full of fresh flowers and – come August – tomatoes! Once the tomatoes start to ripen it’s a mad dash to eat, can, and preserve as many of them as possible. I truly cannot think of anything more abundant than that!

Indeed, Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs lists the magical properties of tomato as Prosperity, Protection, and Love. For me, both Prosperity and Protection make good additions to the idea of the harvest celebration in general. Make use of the abundance when you have it and protect your present and future “crop”, so to speak. As such, I tend to include basil, thyme, and oregano from my garden as they correspond well with these intentions but of course, add the herbs that you most work with or are drawn to.

Creating Sacred Space

As I mentioned above, the Harvest season doesn’t really begin in my life until the tomatoes at my CSA Farmshare have ripened. This means that it’s go-time in my household. The first thing that I do is clean my kitchen altar.

Though a number of years ago, I started with using my kitchen table as a kitchen altar, I have upgraded since to a large multi-tiered plant stand that lives in my kitchen window. This is my most seasonal altar. Though a few of my plants are permanent residents, most of the rest of the items on the altar reflects the natural cyclical changes of my magic as I shift and flow with the energy of the year. After packing up the seashells and giving the surfaces a good clean, I add in pinecones and other Autumnal items. I also bring up the spooky which is always low-key present in my household but doubles during the season of the witch.

Once my altar has been updated, I turn to making my first dish out of my tomato harvest. This is almost always Farmshare Tomato Soup. Tomato soup is a staple in my household – we’re OG fanatics of the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo and always need to keep some in the house. But we make it ourselves – we even can a large quantity of it for late-Winter consumption. The following recipe cannot be canned though – please do your research on pressure or water canning – it can be really dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing!

Farmshare Tomato Soup

4 cups tomato* – prosperity and protection 1 red bell pepper – sweetness 2-3 carrots – abundance 1 fresh onion – protection 2 stalks celery – optional 3-5 garlic cloves – protection Parsley – Protection Ginger – money/success Turmeric – Purification Oregano – luck Red Pepper Flakes – also optional 3 cups Broth or Water Salt – Cleanses Black Pepper – banishes unwanted energies Oil – dealers choice here, I use butter

Making this tomato soup is so simple. Heat your oil with the red pepper flakes if using, add in your aromatic vegetables and cook on low until they are very tender/translucent. Add in your tomatoes and whatever spice you’re using – salt and pepper to taste. Once the tomatoes have released their liquid, add in up to 3 cups of broth. This is sort of dealer’s choice as well, the more liquid you add, the longer your soup may take to cook but the better it will taste. Add enough to make sure all of your food is submerged. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 20 minutes or more. Check your cauldron regularly to make sure there’s enough liquid that the bottom is not burning.

From there, you can eat as-is or blend with either a blender or immersion blender. (Take it off the heat for a couple of minutes before you blend for your own safety!)

This soup is great with grilled cheese, cheese biscuits, or served on its own. You can add a dollop of sour cream, yogurt, or coconut milk before serving for richness which can be really fabulous as well. It’s also great with traditional Italian spices instead of turmeric and ginger and then topped with basil pesto.

Sharing the Harvest with Others

Do you ever have so much abundance that you feel like you could not possibly contain it? That’s how I feel at the height of the tomato season when my entire table is filled with six varietals of tomato, tomatillos, and hot peppers. The next step in my multi-pronged approach to the first harvest is to share this bounty with those that I love. My favorite meal for that is my Farmshare Lasagna.

My farmshare lasagna shares a lot of the same ingredients as my Farmshare Tomato Soup for a very good reason: I am using my harvest (what I get from my farm share) in each recipe. Use what you have is never more suited to the height of August! It’s full of peppers, onion, carrot, garlic, and tomatoes with the edition of Swiss Chard and chevre. I always use sun gold tomatoes for this recipe here – the sweetness of the sun golds is a perfect foil for the sharpness of the cheese and the bitter chard. Everything else in this recipe is negotiable (especially the spices! or add in zucchini or eggplant!) but for me, the chard, goat cheese, and sun golds are a “must”.

Farmshare Lasagna

4 cups Sun Gold or other Yellow or Orange Tomatoes* – protection and prosperity 3-4 Carrots – abundance 1 Bell Pepper – sweetness 1 Fresh Onion – protection 3-5 bulbs Garlic – protection Red Pepper Flakes – protection, optional Parsley – Protection Basil – money/luck Oregano – luck Thyme – money Salt – cleanse Black Pepper – banish unwanted energy Oil – dealer’s choice, I use olive oil here 1 Medium Bunch Swiss Chard – regular or rainbow works here Chevre – 4-8 oz – this really just depends on how much you want to add Lasagna noodles Shredded Cheese for topping, optional

Note: I’m not going to give you the exact amounts here because this depends on the size of your lasagna dish. I measure my dish by the number of noodles I know that I will need for ~3 layers for this recipe since the sauce is chunky and takes up space. I just put them dry into the dish so that I know exactly how much I need.

Making Farmshare lasagna is incredibly simple. You want to precook your lasagna noodles until they are aldente so start your water at the same time as you heat the pan for your sauce. Cook your aromatic vegetables (onion, carrot, garlic, pepper) low and slow until they wilt and become transparent. Add in your sun gold tomatoes and the spices – cook for 10 minutes adding water if necessary. Add swiss chard and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes or so until the chard is cooked. From here you just make a lasagna layering noodles, sauce, and spoonfuls of chevre cheese until you have filled your baking dish. You can top with shredded cheese if you like. Cook at 400 f for 35-40 minutes until the top gets a nice golden coating.

I find lasagna to be a very indulgent meal which makes it perfect for honoring the harvest season. You can share it with family over a bottle of red wine, or add in a fresh salad appetizer, or an apple crisp for a sugary nightcap. It’s great to serve with vegetarian guests since it’s hearty in spite of its lack of meat. (You could also through any number of ground meats into this but I assure you it isn’t necessary).

Revering the Sacredness of the Moment

It sounds so corny to say that every part of life is sacred but for me, the middle of harvest season makes me incredibly aware that every part of life is sacred. I see that as a part of my privilege – having access to farms, being able to trace back to its exact source where my food comes from, all of it allows a connection point to the life cycle pulse of the earth. It is a joy to get to pick my own tomatoes, and strawberries, and apples.

Life can feel so rushed. The harvest is a reminder to slow down for a second and savor this moment of abundance. There are so many ways that you can do this. You can take up jam or salsa making, or learn to pressure or water can. You could throw a party centered entirely around the food that you have an abundance of – how self-indulgent and wonderful! Spend the afternoon in an apple orchard and then ride the hayride back at dusk – dig deep into the moment. Revel in all that has come to pass since it was spring and a time to sew new seeds.

As a kitchen witch, I love to have at least one sinfully delicious meal. For me, that is Tomato Confit. Here we take cherry tomatoes (again, I prefer sun golds here but other varieties would do), cover them in olive oil in a baking pan, add some garlic and herbs and then cook low and slow for hours. 275f for 3 hours or more. Here, again, we get to be self-indulgent – the smell that will slowly overtake your residence is absolutely divine. The goal is to cook it until all of the water has left the tomato and you have beautifully roasted tomatoes in tomato-flavored olive oil. Once cooled, it will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Cherry Tomato Confit 4 cups cherry tomatoes* 1 bulb garlic Spices – dealer’s choice Olive oil to cover

Tomato confit is glorious and can be served in so many ways. It is divine on cracks or bread and pairs well with sharp cheeses. It works great as the basis for a simple sauce for vegetables or pasta. We used it as a pizza topping with chevre and sausage with great success. The tomato flavored oil is great as well – it makes a great olive oil drizzle or base for a salad dressing.

How do you celebrate your harvests? I’d truly like to know.

* I prefer Sun Gold cherry tomatoes for these recipes because they are sweeter but also because I think that their golden orange color goes well with the themes of abundance and prosperity

Do you like my work? You can support me by tipping me here on Tumblr or on Kofi.

#witchblr #words #mine #kitchen witch #kitchen witch recipes #harvest season #harvest season recipes #plant allies #tomato

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digicomm-timecapsule-20009 · 1 year ago

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Week 5 pt 2 - Reality TV Ranking

I’ll be honest, I watch a lot of reality tv. And I mean A LOT.

I, together with my dad who secretly loves drama and scandals as much as I do, have more or less exhausted Netflix’s reality competition section. And we’re versatile too, watching shows on topics like glass blowing to wilderness survival to even drag queens.

With that in mind, I’ll be dissecting the 10 most recent reality tv shows I’ve watched including what I liked/disliked about them, what the most outrageous moment was (in my opinion) as well as how I’d rate the show out of ten. You know what, and just for fun I’ll put down my dad’s ratings too.

Oh, and this goes without saying but there will be spoilers in this post so you’ve been warned. I’ll try my best to stay spoiler free but no promises. Let’s go!

Blown Away

Starting our list we have Blown Away, a Canadian competition show that centres around glassblowing. Running since 2019 with their 4th season airing on Netflix on the 4th of March 2024, the show follows 10 talented glassblowers as they tackle weekly challenges that put their skills and artistry to the test.

What I Liked: The glassworks themselves. Each and every episode produced masterful glass pieces that absolutely blew me away (pun intended). Some of my favourite pieces thus far include an egg with chicken legs, a grotesque looking flower and a strikingly realistic looking syringe and gumdrop combo.

Image credits: https://www.instagram.com/blownawayseries/

What I Didn’t Like: It can get a little stale after a while. Despite how nerve-wracking each episode can get with how fragile the glassworks are, after four seasons of this you start to get used to it. The episode starts, a bunch of people drop their glassworks mid-creation, there’s a panic with some tears shed, somehow everyone pulls through with a half decent creation by the end of it.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): Nothing per se

My Overall Rating: 6/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 6/10

The Mole

Right from the get-go the premise had my dad and I hooked. Originally from the early 2000’s, the American reality game show moved from ABC to Netflix in 2022 with its reboot. The show follows 12 contestants working together for a cash prize that they can add on to with each challenge the group wins. However, one of them is actually a secret plant by the producers whose only goal is sabotage, a Mole.

What I Liked: The premise itself. You see, neither the contestants nor the audience know who the Mole is right until the very last episode. And the Mole will do whatever it takes to sabotage the group, decrease the prize pot and avoid getting caught by any means necessary. Each week there’s an elimination where the contestants have a chance to vote on who they think the Mole is, and countless shady challenges set to cause distrust and disunity between the remaining contestants.

What I Didn’t Like: How wrong my guesses were. This one’s purely personal, I have nothing against the show at all I just couldn’t believe how continuously wrong my dad and I were in our guesses. I mean we even bet money on it!

Most Outrageous Moment(s): The amount of sabotages and downright shady behaviour between the other contestants. Like in hindsight I get why the Mole is sabotaging things, but the rest of you? Purely to throw each other off the scent of the Mole and get one another eliminated.

My Overall Rating: 8/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 6/10

Rupaul’s Drag Race

A trailblazer in its own right, Rupaul’s Drag Race is a show about drag queens that first aired in 2009 and has been going ever since. The premise itself is simple: groups of drag queens compete against each other in various challenges to win the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” as well as a cash prize of a hundred thousand dollars. Whilst the show is originally from America the show has since launched multiple spin-offs and sister series in a variety of countries across the globe.

What I Liked: The lip syncs. Not only have they introduced (or rather re-introduced) me to countless new and old songs, but the performances by the drag queens fighting to stay on the show are truly something spectacular. You can feel the raw emotion being conveyed by the queens as they embody every last word of the song and these lip syncs have resulted in moments that the fandom still bring up til today.

What I Didn’t Like: The judging can be...questionable at times. But then again, after 16 seasons, 9 all-star seasons, franchises in 14 different countries and a partridge in a pear tree there’s bound to be questionable judging moments on who “should’ve won” or “should’ve gone home”

Most Outrageous Moment(s): The entire show is outrageous in its own special way. As someone who's seen almost every season of this, there isn’t one single moment from a particular season that stands out or trumps over another. Though if I’m really being honest, picking someone up mid-lip sync is kinda insane.

My Overall Rating: 8/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 6/10

Outlast

Outlast is a reality show centred around wilderness survival in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. 16 contestants compete against the extreme cold, potentially dangerous animals and worst of all; each other in order to win a prize of one million dollars.

What I Liked: The indomitable human spirit is real. Watching the 16 contestants fight tooth and nail to survive in the Alaskan wilderness with little outside help was a feat in and of itself. And then there’s just how innovative people can be when push comes to shove. From crafting weapons from their surroundings, I mean one guy made an entire ghillie suit from scratch. In case you’re wondering what that looks like…

What I Didn’t Like: As much as I hate to admit it, the show reeks of overproduction. Some of the “dramatic moments” that they showcased were just too good to be true but then again it’s hard to say whether they were true or not given how insane human beings can be.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): The contestants themselves are NUTS. Neither my dad nor I remember how we ended up watching this in the first place but we’re both pretty sure it’s because we ran out of reality shows to watch on Netflix…Regardless, neither of us can get this show out of our heads after what we saw. From people needing to be airlifted back to the mainland because they haven’t had a bowel movement in weeks to teams purposely setting other teams shelters on fire, every now and then my dad and I question who greenlit this whole thing

My Overall Rating: 5/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 7/10

Next in Fashion

Running for two seasons between 2020 and 2023, Next in fashion follows aspiring fashion designers competing in weekly challenges for-okay I think you guys get the point; all of these shows are a bunch of people competing for a cash prize. In this case, its two hundred fifty thousand dollars as well as their own clothing line with Net-A-Porter.

What I Liked: The sheer creativity of the contestants when it comes to their clothes is worth noting, and that’s just what they’re wearing during the episode. Watching this has really helped me find my own fashion sense and understand clothes on a deeper level, as did the next show.

What I Didn’t Like: NIL

Most Outrageous Moment(s): Nothing actually. In comparison to pretty much everything else on this list this one’s pretty tame.

My Overall Rating: 8/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 8/10

Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star

From fashion we now move on to makeup. Glow-Up is a British reality show that’s been airing on BBC since 2019 with its sixth season premiering on the 10th of April 2024. We haven’t seen the sixth season yet, but if it’s anything like the previous five seasons we’re in for a treat.

What I Liked: Once again, watching the contestants interpret the various challenges to the highest creative degree has been thoroughly enjoyable. Furthermore, given how the challenges touch upon different aspects and areas of makeup it’s taught me a couple things that even I can apply to my daily makeup routine. That and all the horror makeup, love horror makeup.

What I Didn’t Like: Again, there’s not much to dislike about this. The contestants, while quirky in their own right and occasionally emotional, aren’t that bad of people.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): In an “Outrageous in a good way” moment that goes beyond words, here’s my favourite look from every season

Image credits: https://www.instagram.com/glowupbbc/

My Overall Rating: 9/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 9/10

Squid Game: The Challenge

Remember back in 2021 when Squid Game first premiered and everyone was like “Oh I could win this no sweat”? Yeah well this show said “Prove it”. Obviously the stakes here aren’t as high as the fictional show I mean nobody actually dies here, but the cash prize and other premises stay about the same as the original.

What I Liked: You can’t fault the set design here. Aside from looking near identical to the original, the atmosphere itself really lends a hand to making it feel like the real thing. I also found the “death” sequences kinda funky with hidden ink packs exploding beneath the eliminated contestants clothes.

What I Didn’t Like: The show itself had nothing wrong with it, like I said earlier the set design is near perfect and extremely well done. It’s just…doesn’t this feel like we’re missing the entire point of the original Squid Game series? There’s an entire debate about capitalism that belongs somewhere in here, but unfortunately that’s not the aim of this post. Regardless, something about watching this show left a sour taste in my mouth and I still feel kinda icky for finishing the entire thing.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): The whole show itself is outrageous just from a moral standpoint. Aside from that, the twists and turns the show takes along its course coupled with the sheer drama of it all kept us on the edge of our seats throughout with multiple instances of my dad and I turning to each other in confusion? Shock? Horror?

My Overall Rating: 5/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 5/10

The Apprentice: One Championship

My dad insisted I add this one in. Across two seasons 10 challengers compete in a series of high stakes business and physical challenges all for a chance to win what is possibly the most valuable prize in this entire post: Getting hired by ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

What I Liked: The show is full of strong female representation, with many of the challenge wins being spearheaded by the female contestants. Aside from that the show is chocked full of business acumen and gave me quite a good insight into what my future might be if I choose to go into advertising and marketing in the future. I’d highly recommend anyone interested in business or advertising to watch this.

What I Didn’t Like: Dad’s gonna have my head for this but despite the show teaching me a lot about business acumen and how to hold my own in the cutthroat advertising world, the show can get a little…boring…at times…Sorry dad.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): I still don’t know whether this was a purposeful move on the producers part but “somehow” the challenge schedule was left out in the open and one of the contestants used that to cheat. They were caught rather swiftly however, as they tried to recruit more people into their scheme and got ratted out instead.

My Overall Rating: 8/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 9/10

Is It Cake? (Make bigger later)

Running for three seasons since 2022, Is It Cake follows cake artists challenged to make hyper-realistic cakes to fool a panel of judges.The contestants also have a chance to win additional money each episode if they are voted the most realistic cake.

What I Liked: You can’t deny the pure artistry that this show contains. As an avid baker myself, being able to turn a simple chocolate cake into a hyper-realistic rubber duckie is nothing short of impressive.

Image Credits: Netflix

What I Didn’t Like: The host and his constant bad jokes really makes the show hard to watch after a while. That and the whole premise can get a little boring after a while.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): Episode 1 we’re introduced to a cake artist who does such a good job that we’re sure they’re gonna win the whole thing. Episode 2 and they get eliminated. WHAT?!

My Overall Rating: 5/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 5/10

Physical:100

Set in Korea, Physical:100 follows 100 contestants from various professions ranging from athletes to actors to arborists that all have one thing in common: peak physical condition and prowess. Over the course of the show they will compete against one another and slowly the numbers get culled til there’s just one last person standing.

What I Liked: Now hear me out.

Alright all jokes aside, I really liked watching the challenges especially in the second season. Seeing the different strategies the contestants employed within their teams to tackle the brutal physical challenges coupled with the genuinely quite wholesome sportsmanship shown was really refreshing to see.

What I Didn’t Like: For a show centred around finding the “perfect physique” by challenging its contestants physical attributes such as balance, agility, or even endurance, many of the challenges seem to be centred solely around strength and only strength. It’s impossible to compare the strength of a bodybuilder versus that of a gymnast, just as it would be impossible to compare their agility.

Most Outrageous Moment(s): It happens every single time, you think someone has an easy journey to the finals and then they overestimate their competitors and end up losing big. This entire show is like a constant reminder not to get too cocky

My Overall Rating: 9/10

My Dad’s Overall Rating: 8/10

And that concludes my ranking! Hopefully this post has given some of you out there an idea on what to watch next hehe

#mda20009 #reality tv #competition #blown away #the mole #rupaul's drag race #outlast #next in fashion #glow up #squid game the challenge #the apprentice one championship #is it cake #physical 100

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tameblog · 2 months ago

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Hi GPODers! Gardeners tend their landscapes for a wide variety of reasons, but one reason is the most prolific and historic: To produce food. While this might conjure images of huge farms with expansive fields of crop, or simple raised beds full of fluffy greens, the healthiest vegetable gardens are often also filled with flowers. Mark Montgelas has shared photos of his small but spectacular vegetable patch in Vermont, and shows that growing food can be a gorgeous endeavor. Greetings, the following pictures are from my garden in Ludlow, Vermont. My tiered garden is located on Okemo Mountain where we summer. I thought you might like a little change featuring a mostly vegetable garden that includes many companion flowers and flowering veggies. The garden includes many flowering pole beans, gorgeous cucumbers, tomatoes and winter squash. Some of the companion flowers include Valkyrie aster (Callistephus chinensis ‘Valkyrie’, annual), Cactus zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Cactus’, annual), calendula, marigold and nasturtium. So much fun to grow and rewarding for my delicious seasonal treats. To begin, a wide view of Mark’s garden shows that the companion flowers aren’t the only plants adding beauty to the space. Climbing vines from pole beans and squash create vertical interest along every trellis and structure. Companion plantings, of course, are not just there to make the vegetable garden a little prettier. These beneficial blooms attract a variety of pollinators that help pollinate Mark’s plants and hopefully lead to a more abundant harvest. One of these pollinators is a pearl crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos) enjoying a bright orange nasturtium. Though we often associate pollinating with bumblebees and butterflies, some less-loved insects play this vital role as well. Wasps also rely on nectar for energy, as this one is collecting from a purple Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum, Zones 3–8), and will disperse pollen as it travels from flower to flower. Some plants, like tropical figs, are completely reliant on wasps for pollination. Read more on wasps from the U.S. Forest Service: Wasp Pollination. Lastly, an Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) enjoying a sweet sip from some pink and yellow calibrachoa blooms. Thank you so much for sharing your mighty and marvelous veggie garden with us, Mark! I’m gearing up for seed starting soon and you’re inspiring me to add more companion plants to my list this year. And a lovely reminder that we enjoy seeing gardens of all shapes, sizes, and purposes on Garden Photo of the Day! Whether you grow strictly for beauty, for the delicious fruit you produce, or the food and shelter you’re able to provide for crucial insects and wildlife, follow the directions below to show us how and why you garden. Have a garden you’d like to share? Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening! Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here. Fine Gardening Recommended Products Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical. Corona E-Grip Trowel Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Handle Material: Aluminum. Handle Length: 14-1/2 in. Overall Length: 14.5 in. Head Material: Aluminum. Handle Color: Red. Organo Republic 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix for Indoor & Outdoors Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs. Premium 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix - Special Garden Flower Seeds Blend designed for planting indoor & outdoors across North America. With over 16 varieties and 100,000 wildflower seeds, this mix is the best solution to attract pollinators - bees, butterflies & birds are essential for garden plants health. Our Special Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix Includes White Yarrow, Columbine, New England Aster, Siberian Wallflower, Shasta Daisy, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sweet William, Purple Coneflower, Blanketflower, Gayfeather, Blue Flax, Lupine, Dwarf Evening, Primrose, Mexican Hat, Prairie Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan. Easy & Fun Growing Experience with our online guides - Don’t plant disappointment - Add more colors to your wildflower garden! We send only super hearty heirloom flower seeds with the highest germination rate and fast sprout. Our detailed growing guide helps you grow seeds the garden of your dream like a PRO. Colorful Wildflower Garden from Seeds - Grow wildflowers everywhere - Indoor in window garden or Outdoors Flower garden Garden make a beautiful design for your garden borders, pathways, field or meadow and attract pollinators. Made in the USA by Small Family-Owned Business - Quality You Can Trust - Our wildflower bulk seeds variety pack are tested at the highest germination rates before being sealed to last for up to 3 years before you need to plant. Each packet of our flower seeds variety pack is resealable to make it easy to store and has its own label with a QR code for the growing instructions. Source link

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ramestoryworld · 2 months ago

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angusstory · 2 months ago

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philodendronplants · 8 months ago

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Tropical Lilies Combo

Get this beautiful tropical lilies combo from our online plant shopping. The combo offers perennial lilies, with a tuft of outward-spreading grassy foliage growing from tunicate bulbs. Make your garden area colorful with these beautiful lily bulbous plants.

List of Lily Bulbs in this combo includes

Rain Lily Yellow bulb * 3

Rain Lily Orange bulb * 3

Rain Lily White bulb * 3

Rain Lily Pink bulb * 3