Flower Arranging Workshop for Kelton and Bridesmaids

A lovely family to work with. Here's some photos of our 1st workshop of the year. Kelton ordered 10 buckets of flowers. We had time to make the bouquets, boutonnieres, all the mason jars and a few larger arrangements with the help of all these women.

beginning

Kelton chooses flowers for Maids bouquets 

finishing the bouquets

Early May Bouquet

Rebekha's wildflower plus succulents bouquet. May 12th.

Greenhouse is up!

We finally have the greenhouse up. Just in time for hot weather.

We got the plastic on the 'long term' project of the hoop house. You can see in the last photos they are just beginning to lace it with rope which holds it all together. On our windy, rocky, site Brent had to dig out all 48 legs and concrete they into place. We are almost there, so we expect to have sunflowers and dahlias late into the year.

March 31 Wedding Photos

Just a few photos of the bouquets for a very sweet family. It's alittle hard to see in my non-professional photos but I used double and single varieties of yellow and white daffodils.

Bird and Butterfly Plants

Stay Tuned for photos and plants for Birds list. 


Moth and Butterfly Food Plants: Insects will generally not eat non-native plants, they will however use a few for nectar sources.

I've listed 1st the Host plant (needed for egg laying and caterpillars) and 2nd the nectar plants for the adult butterfly. You'll want to plant both wherever possible.

Walnut, Hickory, Sweet Gum - Luna Moth

Box Elder, Cherry Willow - Cecropia Moth

Oak, Birch - Polyphemus Moth

Sassafras, Spicebush, Buttonbush- Promethia Moth

Cherry, Magnolia- Tiger Swallowtail- adult- Phlox sp. Red Clover, Boneset

Pawpaw - Zebra Swallowtail- adult- Milkweeds

Spicebush, Sassafras - Spicebush Swallowtail- adult- Milkweeds

Parsley, Dill and other Umbeliferae - Black Swallowtail - adult Red Clover

Milkweeds, Asclepias tuberosa and A. incarnata - Monarch- adult Milkweed and Goldenrods Solidago sp.

Willows, Apple, Poplars, Cherry - Viceroy & Red Spotted Purple - adult- Milkweeds, Goldenrod, Thistle

Thistles - Painted Lady

Violets- True Fritillaries- adults -Thistle and Rudbeckia sp.

Passion Flowers - Gulf Fritillary

Chelone alba - Baltimore Checkerspot - adult -Milkweeds

Willows, Roses - Morning Cloak -adults-Lilac

Pinevine -Pipevine Swallowtail- adult- Phlox sp., Milkweeds

Links:

National Wildlife Federation

Brooklyn Botanical Garden - Natives

Wild Ones organization

http://www.ncwildflower.org/

Va. native plant conservation, restoration and landscaping

http://www.restoringthelandscape.com/2012/01/design-and-construction-of-thriving.html

http://www.restoringthelandscape.com/2012/02/dear-lawn-im-breaking-up-with-you.html

How-to attract-butterflies

Other Natives for Butterfly Gardens:

Monarda sp.

Liatris sp.

Heliopsis sp. 

Eupatorium sp.

Eryngium sp.

Echinacea sp.

Coreopsis sp.

Campanula americana

Frost Asters

New England Aster

Smooth Aster - Aster laevis

Asclepias sp.

Allium canadense, Allium cernuum, Allium stellatum

Phlox sp. 

Native Roses

Rudbeckia sp.

Solidago sp.

Verbena sp.

Viola sp.

Zizia sp.

Panicum sp.

Canada Wild Rye
Little Blue Stem

Brush Piles:

• Brush piles are a very important habitat element for many different kinds of wildlife. They provide cover from predators and places for nests, escape routes, and dens. Many insects are attracted to this pile of decomposing wood, which provides a bounty of food for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
  And the best part is, brush piles are very easy to build, and they keep a lot of yard waste out of landfills:
  • Start with the largest branches and logs and loosely stack them log cabin style.
  • Do not use pressure treated lumber, creosoted railroad ties, tires, or lead-painted lumber as these materials contain toxic chemicals which leech into the soil and pollute our waterways.
  • Rocks and stones can also be used in this base section to provide additional hiding spaces for wildlife.
  • Cover the top of this base with smaller branches until you have a tall pile that resembles an igloo.
  • The pile will shrink every year as the wood decomposes and you can just keep adding new materials to the top.
  • Plant native vines such as Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), or American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) around the base to provide more shelter and to hide the pile. Do NOT plant Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) because it is extremely invasive and difficult to eradicate.
  • Border the pile with locally native wildflowers, which provide nectar for native pollinators.
  • Or screen the pile with fruiting native shrubs which provide much needed food for wildlife, especially migrating birds. www.ecosystemgardening.com
  Food & Nectar plants

Spring Cut Flowers now Available!

Wow, in-spite of the ups and downs of hail, frosts and freezes we now have cut flowers for sale, earlier than ever. A few photos below to get you excited.
The lilac and daffodil season will be short this year, but we expect to have tulips and ranunculus through Mother's Day.

Now available: Lilac, mixed tulips either pastel or bright color mix, ranunculus and white, yellow and double daffodils.