Aphids in the Spirea

Everyone around here plants Spirea japonica The typical one has bright pink flowers. It thrives upon neglect and as such is a perfect landscaping plant for gas stations and parking lots. My house came with three, one two three in a row on the right hand side of my house. It is north facing - …

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What’s new in the garden?

I see buds on the blue-eyed grass, lovely little plant. The Asclepius verticillata is spreading nicely, so hopefully I will have lots of blooms this year. Asclepius incarnata has multiple stems this year, so ditto there. The Chinese long bean have begun to germinate - it is the last of my seed, so I hope …

May 27, 2023 Six on Saturday

It has been dry - usually one of our wetter months, but nothing is normal anymore. I need new tubing to hook up my rain barrels, as the second barrel didn't fill last rainfall due to leaking around the tubing. A trip to the hardware store is on tap for today so I can refill …

Finally, a Hummingbird!

I have had my feeder out since mid April, changing the sugar solution religiously. So far, until today, I only saw a finch trying to bathe in the ant moat. Today when I got home, I went out to check out the garden progress, and saw a hummingbird on my electrical service wire. She flew …

May 20, 2023 Six on Saturday

I got started early, as I will be on the road on Saturday. I just got back from Radiological Emergency Preparedness training, to get ready for the drill and exercise later this summer. We were in Lacrosse, WI (well, Onalaska) staying at a hotel with rustic decor and a nice view out my window of …

May 13, 2023 Six on Saturday

It is a grey day with rain in the forecast, but I finally finished my class yesterday, so I am definitely planting and getting my second rain barrel up today. Outside, things are slowly growing. The crab apple is giving up its petals in a flurry of pink snow. What can I eat out of …

More native plants on the move!

Yesterday I started distributing compost and manure, prepping beds for vegetable crops and checked the dry sticks that remain of last year's Asclepias. I see the first tiny shoots pushing forth from both A. tuberosa and A.verticillata. Nothing yet from A incarnata, but soon, I think. The overwintered kale is budding and will be most …

May 6, 2023 Six on Saturday

We are finally into spring with not much chance of frost from here on out. Still, two years ago my tomatoes were damaged by frost the last week of May. I still have not gotten to planting my veg - busy finishing up a class. Things are slowly moving along. Still, not a lot to …

Spring Cannot be Held Back!

This time of year, I feel the need to get up close and personal with my garden to see what is happening. Super excited - the Verbena hastata was the last to start growing when I planted my bare root natives last spring. See it in flower above with a Spring Azure nectaring. Today, I …

4/22/23 Six on Saturday

Ahh, Spring in Wisconsin! We still have not returned to what I think of as proper Spring (65-70 F). Since last week, we have had rain, snow, hail, sub freezing temperatures, thunder, lightning and tornado warnings. Weather aside, Spring is marching forward. If you like to watch the seasons unfold, no better place than Six …