Thoughtful musings on various topics by interesting people at Blithewold

Pollinator Heaven

I have been drawn to the Pollinator Garden lately. I can’t pass by this area without walking over to get a closer look. We established this garden in the meadow five years ago. It allowed … Read more.

Monarch Update

About a month ago I wrote about how to make your garden more pollinator-friendly (you can find that here). We had just found approximately 15 monarch caterpillars on the swamp milkweed in the North Garden. … Read more.

Pollinator-friendly

Every garden can be a pollinator garden. It does not need to look “messy” or wild or be composed completely of native plants. (I personally love a slightly wild look to a garden.) I want … Read more.

Where are all the butterflies?

The airspace over and through the gardens should be all aflutter right now. The garden is alive to be sure — it buzzes and hums; it zings and whooshes and pips (we still have hummingbirds), … Read more.

Migrations

Whole days go by now between hummingbird sightings and I just stood in the Display Garden with my camera poised for a good 15 minutes waiting to catch a glimpse of a monarch. They’re few … Read more.

The awesomeness of agastache

I am as fickle as any gardener. I’ll pick a new favorite color, fragrance, leaf, flower, and plant habit every other week (or day) and reserve the right to change my mind over the slightest … Read more.

More attractive plants

I’ll use the excuse of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (generously hosted as always by Carol at May Dreams Gardens) to show off a few more of the attractive plants in and around our pollinator’s garden. … Read more.

The most attractive plants

I’d say it’s easy to plant a garden full of attractive plants except that it isn’t so easy. There’s way too much to choose from and what qualifies as attractive changes, for me at least, … Read more.

Focusing on fall

I have gotten out of the habit of getting here extra early every morning to walk the property in search of interesting things. Lately, I have really only had eyes and time for the gardens. … Read more.

Reading the future

Positive visualization is a skill we gardeners get a lot of practice in. I think for any of us, whether we’re planting one or two things or designing beds, visualization goes way beyond garden-variety optimism … Read more.