September 2023

As soon as I hit the send button last week, I realized that there was more to think about in our look at native plants.  We need to discuss invasive plants vs. non-native, or introduced, plants. It seems there's confusion about which plants are safe to use in the landscape and which aren’t. 

Our library system periodically hosts adult Ed programs for the community. The other night there was one about turning your turf lawn into a - and I quote the presenter here - a native paradise for pollinators. Figuring he knew more than I did (ours is three years old and far from a paradise), I settled in to learn. 

We just spent a week in Michigan, where the landscape seemed to be at its peak. The grass was emerald green, the orchards were bursting with fruit and the flower beds were exquisite. I was awed by the masses of dark purple coneflower surrounded by dazzling yellow black eyed Susan’s and Cranesbill geraniums in full bloom everywhere. Hydrangeas and Hibiscus were everywhere, with blooms as big as dinner plates. It was absolutely inspiring.

Tuesday, September 2nd was National Hummingbird Day.

Since they are one of my favorite bird visitors, I celebrated the day by hanging a brand new feeder with freshly-made nectar in it. They were overjoyed!  Well, in reality I just replaced a feeder that had cracked open and watered the pentas with sticky syrup. Ever since, the birds had been circling the empty space looking for food, so I replaced it, even though I knew they were getting ready to depart.