The Science Behind Nature - in Layperson Speak
I recently attended an all-day workshop on Habitat Gardening that covered our birds and butterflies and pollinators. It also focused on how to welcome beneficial insects to combat pests, therefore avoiding the use of pesticides. Led by Frederique Lavoipierre, Director of Education at the Santa …
Continue Reading about Habitat Gardening (Part 1) – Insects are Good!
Add plant diversity to your gardens. Also make sure you have flowering plants year-round. Those are key recommendations of ecologists for enlisting natural predators to combat pests in our garden and orchards. These tips can even help ward off pests such as the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), which …
A rattlesnake, numerous species of butterflies, cliff swallows bathing....... I'm so glad I went, even though I had only an hour for a quick walk while my husband was at an art class. I chose Wildwood Canyon State Park in Yucaipa CA, which I wrote about in this March hike to Hunt Ranch. Great …
Continue Reading about Wildlife Aplenty on an Hour Walk at Wildwood Canyon State Park
Here in Southern California in January, despite some temps dipping into the 20s, I'm still seeing monarch butterflies in our yard, helped by some of our milkweed that manages to stay alive. I posted an article in October about how our tropical milkweed finally attracted monarch caterpillars. I'm …
This is a follow-up to my post on Attracting Butterflies and Pollinators to our Yards - more takeaways from San Diego area speakers Moe Magoski and Michael Klein, plus photos of pollinators, important butterfly plants we might consider weeds, and some resources. First, Klein shared stats about …
Continue Reading about “Good” Weeds for Butterflies and More on our Native Pollinators
Who doesn’t want more butterflies in their yards? You need nectar plants of course. But if you want to watch all the butterfly stages -- which means your plant’s leaves will get eaten by the growing caterpillars -- you need to include specific host plants, such as milkweed for monarchs, or thistle …
Continue Reading about Attracting Pollinators and Butterflies to our Yards
