Bluebird Gardens Blog: Missouri Gardening Archives

Do You Know Your Butterflies?

By Charlotte on March 13, 2011 9:45 PM | No Comments

One of the wonderful things about having a chemical-free Missouri hillside garden is all the wildlife that literally moves in, including Missouri butterflies like these charming Pearl Crescent butterflies dancing on Black-eyed Susans.

Last year, I found Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies, Black Swallowtail Butterflies, Buckeye Butterflies, Pearl Crescent Butterflies and Comma Butterflies throughout my garden, including on recently-planted Butterfly bushes.

I find a lot of inspiration for my custom quilts in my wildlife garden. Between studying nature's way with color and watching Missouri butterflies against vibrant flower colors, it's hard not to pick up on wonderful color combinations.

I've had this wonderful illustrated summary of common Midwest garden butterflies by Amy Bartlett Wright since 1996. The caterpillars at the bottom are a handy reference.

Charlotte

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Trade Plants for Wonderful Personalized Gifts

By Charlotte on November 21, 2010 1:04 PM | No Comments

Fall is a great time of the year to have gardening friends.

Especially in mid-Missouri, fall is when we settle plants in the garden for winter or bring them inside, which means extra plants without an inside space are usually looking for new homes.

About mid-September, I start getting asked by gardening friends if I want some of this or that plant. I never know when they may show up so I always say yes.

A few weeks later, a pot or box of plants may show up unannouced, like this blue container of plants - not unexpected, just a nice surprise sitting in my office or on my door step, and that's when I start thinking about what I can do with them for the holidays.

If you get plants in mid-November, there's still time to get them sprayed and settled into cleaned pots before giving them as gifts during the holidays.

A nice potted plant makes wonderful hostess gifts and party favors, especially if you add a card with plant care instructions.

If the plant is from a mutual friend, add that information to the card so the new plant owner will have someone else to call should there be problems caring for the plant.

We periodically get notes from customers who pair a plant with a book and quilted throw for a special occasion gift - it turns out to be a favorite combination every time!

One of my favorite spots for book shopping is Reader's Corner in Rolla, Missouri, a wonderful used book store where you can find more than 79,,000 books, all gently read, which means you're not paying retail.

In the photo, a bromeliad gift plant getting ready to bloom. It's my first time growing a bromeliad so I'm excited to see it in bloom!

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George O. White Nursery great source for MO seedlings

By Charlotte on March 28, 2010 10:10 AM | No Comments

My 25 smooth sumac seedlings, a favorite bluebird food (photo), will be in next month, courtesy of George O. White Nursery in Texas County, MO, near Licking.

The plant nursery has been providing MO landowners with native seedlings since early 1930s, when the nursery was first opened by US Forest Service to grow shortleaf pine trees to restore Missouri's overcut forests.

The nursery is named after a Forest Service employee who became Missouri's first State Forester, George O. White, when he retired in 1960.

From mid-November to the end of April each year, George O. White Nursery ships more than 50,000 bundles of more than 50 tree, bush and berry species to Missouri gardeners and landowners for soil retention, land restoration and wildlife habitat restoration.

You can check the online order form to see what's being offered from year to year. First come, first serve so order early.

Price is hard to beat: $8 for a bundle of 25 each of native sumac, dogwoods and blackberries.

You can also designate when you want your order shipped so you can better plan what to do with ALL those seedlings. Blackberries, yummmm....

Have you ordered from George O. White Nursery?

Charlotte
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Yellow Crocus Bulb Starts Bluebird Gardens Spring Season

By Charlotte on March 3, 2010 5:32 PM | No Comments

It was sunny but bitterly cold this weekend when I went on garden rounds, checking birdhouses, picking up limbs and just enjoying being in sunshine.

Although it was cold even birds and frogs were out in force; I laughed walking back to my house because of the noise spring peeper frogs were making - they masked nearby highway sounds!

Chickadees, usually the first birds to sing after new year, were hopping between bird feeders and Tufted Titmice cracking open sunflower seeds sitting on nearby tree branches. Everyone seems to get along in early spring.

Several red male cardinals, and four deer also showed up at sunset, although spring peepers stopped their courting sounds when I got close; guess even frogs like to keep their courtship private.

It's too early to be doing much work in the garden but I was reminded why I plant crocus bulbs in fall; I found a lovely yellow crocus bulb (photo) blooming among fall leaves, the first of the year.

Spring really IS just around the corner! Anything blooming yet in your yard and garden?

Charlotte
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Master Gardener classes sure warm up cold winter nights

By Charlotte on February 16, 2010 8:05 AM | No Comments

It's something I've wanted to do for years.

Phelps County Master Gardener classes were offered in spring and summer, bad times for me until this year, when University of Missouri Extension scheduled classes starting in January.

I wasn't sure how well this would work; we're usually covered in ice and snow, and after a full day of Monday work the last thing I usually want to do is add another 3 hrs....(Well, it IS a Monday.)

The first delicious surprise was Phelps County Master Gardeners have a home-cooked meal waiting every session.

Then guest lecturers are knowledgeable, open and engaging, some old friends and colleagues now retired who I miss - and classmates have so much to offer themselves, from talking bees with a long time goat farmer to rain gardens with former Michigan residents trying to appreciate the charm of gardening with a pick ax.

Master Gardener classes are offered through University Missouri Extension throughout the state. If you're interested in becoming a Master Gardener, or just learning how better to garden, contact your local Extension Office for course dates. They usually also have a number of free and low fee gardening information pamphlets.

Now I find myself trying to get to class early, and it's not just because of dinner. It's fun to talk gardening in the middle of winter!

Charlotte
Gardening to Distraction

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Bird Poop-Looking Caterpillars??

By Charlotte on August 22, 2009 10:26 PM | No Comments

Well, I didn't know how else to describe them.

I had exhausted my options of what to call these very odd-looking caterpillars hanging onto the trunk and leaves of my potted orange tree on the deck as I was trying to identify them with an online search.

I was about to brush them off orange tree leaves on my deck, thinking some bird had settled in the tree for the morning, when one of them moved his head and stuck out little red antenna.

After several searches for brown caterpillars and caterpillars with red antenna, turns out these 7 interesting-looking caterpillars, ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches, are know as bird-poop caterpillars and will soon become swallowtail butterflies!

Another good reason not to use pesticides in the garden.

I make my own homemade bug spray but I won't be using them on these little guys, they're very welcome to my orange tree leaves!

Now I need to make sure I have enough good flowers in the garden they like to munch....