tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30704883765053034452024-03-13T10:11:03.165-04:00Our Little AcreKylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.comBlogger1625125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-4650632732738213802019-09-27T13:07:00.001-04:002019-09-27T13:49:23.154-04:00The Monarch: Long-Distance Pupation<br />
The migration of the monarch butterfly is a well-known natural annual occurrence in North America. In the fall, hundreds of thousands of monarchs wing their way from Canada to Mexico to escape the cold winters of the north.<br />
<br />
But they often make a relatively long journey even before they embark on their winged flights.<br />
<br />
The monarch life cycle is this: an egg is laid, then 3-5 days later, a tiny caterpillar eats its way out of the egg. For the next two weeks, it eats copious amounts of milkweed, sheds it skin five times as it grows, until it eventually pupates, taking on the familiar green chrysalis form, dotted with golden jewel-like spots. After spending roughly two weeks in chrysalis, it emerges as an adult butterfly.<br />
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When it's time to become that chrysalis, the fat caterpillar most often wanders from the milkweed it's been eating, to find a safe place to hang out for a couple of weeks. If you've read my book - <a href="https://amzn.to/2npPdEM" target="_blank"><b><i>THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></b></a> - or others, you've read that they can crawl up to 30 feet or more away from their food source to make their chrysalis.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MaZkHR8u_cY/XYxun6o5JxI/AAAAAAAAozo/DixI7blCosgEIL689H6eK_xW8hQ8Ki0TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/tree%2Bwith%2Bbluebird%2Bhouse%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MaZkHR8u_cY/XYxun6o5JxI/AAAAAAAAozo/DixI7blCosgEIL689H6eK_xW8hQ8Ki0TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tree%2Bwith%2Bbluebird%2Bhouse%2Bb.JPG" width="245" /></a></div>
Several years ago in late winter, I was cleaning out the bluebird box on our shagbark hickory tree, when I noticed an empty chrysalis case hanging from the bottom of the box. It looked like the eclosure was successful from what I could tell and it made me smile. And then I realized just how far it was from the closest milkweed.<br />
<br />
I stepped it off and it was 70 feet from the nearest milkweed. Such a long walk for a caterpillar!<br />
<br />
Last weekend, daughter Kara and I were at Point Pelee, Ontario, Canada, hoping to see hoards of monarchs at the tip (we did not). We made the trip mostly to hear a presentation by Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Professor of Environmental Studies at Cornell University, and author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2mPnqx9" target="_blank"><i>Monarchs and Milkweed</i></a>.<br />
<br />
While we were there, I got a text from my husband, with a photo attached. It was a picture of an empty monarch chrysalis, attached to a headstone down at the cemetery near our house.<br />
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It's not the easiest thing in the world to find a chrysalis in the wild, occupied or not, because they're usually well-hidden, especially when they're in the garden. It was a great find.<br />
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When I got home, I wanted to see it for myself, so we walked to the cemetery and he showed me. There it was, attached to one arm of a stone cross carved into the headstone. He had been looking at something else on the stone and then noticed the chrysalis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3D3s_ZVrlA/XY5Ay5lu33I/AAAAAAAAo0g/L0v6AFwdNWUBZOnaJAXrRIwygJNMumD2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cemetery%2Bchrysalis%2B9%2B23%2B19%2Bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3D3s_ZVrlA/XY5Ay5lu33I/AAAAAAAAo0g/L0v6AFwdNWUBZOnaJAXrRIwygJNMumD2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cemetery%2Bchrysalis%2B9%2B23%2B19%2Bd.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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It was likely a recent eclosure, because the area below the chrysalis was still stained by the reddish-brown meconium that the butterfly expresses shortly after it ecloses. It was a unique location, to be sure, but it was not in the part of the cemetery where I'd assumed it would be.<br />
<br />
There is some milkweed on the south border of the cemetery, where the
land falls away into a field. It would be more expected to find a
chrysalis there. But this one was far from that, out in the open. Where
was the milkweed?<br />
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We looked around and Romie spotted it growing between two tall shrubs, but those shrubs were not close. I stepped it off and it was 85 feet from the headstone. There were other headstones that were closer that had equally appropriate niches for chrysalis-hanging.<br />
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Oh, what I would give to be inside the head of that caterpillar as it inched its way to its place of pupation. 1,020 inches, give or take, through the grass and 22 more up the stone. Eighty-five feet for a caterpillar is the rough equivalent of 1.2 miles for a human.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>85 FEET!!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">*** When I asked for mathematical help in computing the human equivalent of this, Rob Wood provided this answer:</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
</div>
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Depends on the length of the 5th
instar, but just in terms of plain arithmetic, one way to
calculate it for a 2" long caterpillar would be in terms of
stride. A 6' tall human covers roughly 3 feet,
or half of its length, in one normal stride. 86 feet (bumping it
by a foot just for ease of calculation) = 43 strides, or 43 times
the "length" of a 6' tall human. If we define the "stride" of a 2" long
caterpillar in the same way, i.e., 1/2 of its length, then a 2"
caterpillar covers one foot in 24 strides. 86 feet would require
86 feet x 24 = 2,064 strides. In human terms, a 6' tall person would
cover 6,192 feet in 2,064 strides, or 1.17 miles.</span></div>
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
</div>
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanks, Rob! </span></div>
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_6250624185970286810moz-cite-prefix">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-30680368599307156382019-08-02T12:38:00.000-04:002019-08-02T12:57:14.003-04:00Green Envy™ - An Exceptional Echinacea for Your Epidermis<br />
For years, I've grown coneflowers (<i>Echinacea </i>sp.) in my
garden, including one called Green Envy™. I love how its pink petals are tinged with
green, as if designer Lilly Pulitzer had a hand in its creation. It
gives coneflowers a special look, but it's also unique in its botanical
qualities.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyAfrAG9VFw/XUJV81fLmCI/AAAAAAAAoYo/bew8X4iZnRMEH3N8wZ8CAKWlGZdYh7HEACLcBGAs/s1600/echinacea%2Bgreen%2Benvy%2B7%2B16%2B15%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyAfrAG9VFw/XUJV81fLmCI/AAAAAAAAoYo/bew8X4iZnRMEH3N8wZ8CAKWlGZdYh7HEACLcBGAs/s400/echinacea%2Bgreen%2Benvy%2B7%2B16%2B15%2Ba.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Echinacea </i>has been used for centuries as a homeopathic way of boosting the immune system against colds. It can be found on many an ingredient list and many people swear by it when it comes to warding off disease.<br />
<br />
Green Envy™ is notable because this particular cultivar, discovered by New York gardener Mark Veeder, contains considerably more of the phytochemical cichoric acid. An antioxidant, cichoric acid improves the condition of skin by inhibiting the enzymes that break down collagen. All echinaceas have it, but Green Envy™ has a higher concentration of it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shrsl.com/1qf53" target="_blank">Farmacy</a>, a skin care company in New York, bases its products on Green Envy™ and its pharmaceutical properties as related to the skin. They are partnered with Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Pennsylvania and Patent Wall Organic Farm in the Catskills, who grow the plants used in their products.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gNlS6JwJ6eE/XUL2CxyeS6I/AAAAAAAAoY8/JyC4fsPBC7UxQjlmMNG949iEdOcAqE75QCLcBGAs/s1600/farmacy%2Bsleep%2Btight%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="420" height="155" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gNlS6JwJ6eE/XUL2CxyeS6I/AAAAAAAAoY8/JyC4fsPBC7UxQjlmMNG949iEdOcAqE75QCLcBGAs/s200/farmacy%2Bsleep%2Btight%2Bb.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I've been using their <b><a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811388" target="_blank">Sleep Tight</a></b> ointment for a couple of years now and have to say its my favorite skin treatment of the many I've used. It's not the sole product I currently use, but it's the one I reach for most often.<br />
<br />
At first glance, it looks like petroleum jelly, but it's not as thick. You don't need to use a large amount at a time, and the skin absorbs it much like a serum.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xFO-C7Omexg/XUL2NknFQGI/AAAAAAAAoZA/IauxMGG49pAqqX13LYHFdGxiCol9GLXLQCLcBGAs/s1600/farmacy%2Bsleep%2Btight%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xFO-C7Omexg/XUL2NknFQGI/AAAAAAAAoZA/IauxMGG49pAqqX13LYHFdGxiCol9GLXLQCLcBGAs/s1600/farmacy%2Bsleep%2Btight%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811408" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="420" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLIUqXSGLkA/XUL2wkGoJCI/AAAAAAAAoZM/THM4xcG7GOQPwOJU-TuSH3dnPtRgLH-1gCLcBGAs/s200/farmacy%2Bhoney%2Bpotion%2B2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><div>
<a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811408" target="_blank">Honey Potion</a> comes with a metal </div>
spatula, which stores on top of the lid<br />
because the lid is magnetic!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also use their <b><a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811408" target="_blank">Honey Potion</a></b> on occasion and love how soft it makes my skin feel. This is a mask, though I've left it on longer than the typical mask time, even as long as overnight. When I do that, I use a smaller amount.<br />
<br />
I'm often told I look younger than my nearly 62 years. I don't know if I do or not, and I don't know if <b><a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811388" target="_blank">Sleep Tight</a></b> is part of the reason. But I do believe the research that has shown that the active ingredient in it is helpful for improving skin quality. I also like using a product that includes beneficial plant elements.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><br /></b>
<i><b><a href="http://shrsl.com/1qf53" target="_blank">Farmacy Beauty</a></b> products are paraben and pthalate free, mineral oil free, formaldehyde donor free, synthetic fragrance free, and cruelty free. They also offer free shipping on orders over $40 and a flat rate of $5 on those under $40. They have free returns on all orders and <a href="https://www.rakuten.com/r/865656?eeid=29041&utm_source=extension&utm_medium=raf_link" target="_blank">Rakuten</a> currently offers a 7% rebate on <a href="http://shrsl.com/1qf53" target="_blank">Farmacy Beauty</a> orders.</i><br />
<br />
____________________<br />
* <span style="font-size: x-small;">Because I like their products so much, <a href="https://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=70626&userID=1899563&productID=729811388" target="_blank">Sleep Tight</a> in particular, I decided to participate in <a href="http://shrsl.com/1qf53" target="_blank">Farmacy</a>'s affiliate program. If you click on the links to products in this blog post and then make a purchase, I will receive a small amount of compensation. I was not asked nor paid to write this post and my opinion of this product is honest and genuinely my own.</span>Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-30666473608663199022019-06-25T12:43:00.000-04:002019-06-25T22:15:42.050-04:00That Article About Raising Monarchs<br />
Here we go again. Another sensationalist headline of sorts has the monarch world in an uproar. There's a study - a very limited study - that says that raising monarchs in captivity is detrimental to their navigational abilities. Because of this news release, I've been bombarded with questions as to what I think about it.<br />
<br />
First of all, let me state my personal disclaimer. Though I try to keep up on the latest research and am constantly learning, I am not a biologist, entomologist, etc. I have a Science degree, but it's in Dental Hygiene. Do I use some of what I learned in my microbiology, anatomy, chemistry, and other related classes when it comes to my experience with monarchs? Certainly. Do I use principles from studies I was a part of when I worked for a dental research company? Of course. But I come at this issue from a limited perspective with respect to my focused formal secondary education.<br />
<br />
Now, to the issue. Here is one version of the article that's causing so much buzz:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/06/hand-reared-monarch-butterflies-dont-migrate/592423/"><img alt="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/06/hand-reared-monarch-butterflies-dont-migrate/592423/" border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1343" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BA9OcmBdRBA/XRIqHG-awRI/AAAAAAAAoN4/KSu4h3RRijQKdYTWxRU0eCZCBn6IZ26QwCLcBGAs/s400/monarch%2Barticle%2Bin%2Bthe%2Batlantic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Here's a link to the study: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/06/18/1904690116<br />
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And here are some of my thoughts on the information in the articles being circulated in mainstream media:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2i8S3VB-dys/XRIoCNIb16I/AAAAAAAAoNo/2HxH4fbIOCA7uDzYxrivtdPtZACABbusACLcBGAs/s1600/monarch%2Bspined%2Bsoldier%2Bbug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2i8S3VB-dys/XRIoCNIb16I/AAAAAAAAoNo/2HxH4fbIOCA7uDzYxrivtdPtZACABbusACLcBGAs/s320/monarch%2Bspined%2Bsoldier%2Bbug.JPG" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spined soldier bug takes a monarch <br />
caterpillar as its lunch in my garden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">We know that in
the wild, less than 5% of monarchs will survive from egg to adult. (This is fairly typical in the insect world.) Logic tells me
that saving just one female saves not just her, but the 400+ eggs she
will lay. Play that out exponentially and it's definitely worth considering that the population will increase, given the number of people who now raise them.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">I have never advocated the mass raising of monarchs, for a number of reasons, but w</span></span><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">hat
do botanists do when they're trying to bring back a plant that's in
danger of extinction? They enlist the help of others in growing it in
various hospitable locations. Case in point: <i>Solidago shortii</i>. I
personally took part in this effort through the Cincinnati Zoo's CREW
program. (<a data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcincinnatizoo.org%2Fconservation%2Fcrew%2Fwhat-is-crew%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0yiBEEVRVsBet6w5UhL2gmR5EegjsEFMBm0pBFsQDDVGi4i1wvWm9jFBo&h=AT33kQyXAMyq6pFE_TzMxIPAPphx7aGhhW8ljli-kgIIb2Cevb6npkZFt5aM1cJSJ7UroeGlbwC51a_5KsDhAkBt_Xkqw1uisj-WRzVjPbmL_F47VJf1U9gCG4z_8-XDIg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/crew/what-is-crew</a>)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkfRuOVWjFI/XRImBwvUOQI/AAAAAAAAoNY/L9g7ebVB54gUBrNvb-Mldev96EMLUlFPgCLcBGAs/s1600/soldagoshortiisolarcascade91113a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkfRuOVWjFI/XRImBwvUOQI/AAAAAAAAoNY/L9g7ebVB54gUBrNvb-Mldev96EMLUlFPgCLcBGAs/s1600/soldagoshortiisolarcascade91113a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Solidago shortii</i> 'Solar Cascade' was once endangered, but thanks to the CREW<br />
program at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, it is now available commercially.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">I'm
not saying that because it worked in the plant world, it will work in
the insect world, but there is food for thought there. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">I have several issues with the study as well as the article itself (including the headlines that the media puts out there with it), not all of which I'm willing to state publicly. If we were having
this
discussion in person, I would be more inclined to say them. But one of
my reservations with it is already proving to be true. People are
reading the widely spread articles, coming to their own conclusions, and
spreading those conclusions, even if they aren't necessarily true. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Another thought I had - and at this point, it's just a thought - how does this study affect all the studies of monarchs being raised in captivity in universities for research? Does this mean that the results there are not entirely valid because the monarchs aren't being raised in their natural environment? (Some are, but some are not, even though they try to mimic it.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">People
are reading the widely spread articles, coming to their own conclusions from them,
and spreading those conclusions, even if they aren't necessarily true. </span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">The
article has some good information and raises some questions, mostly about commercial breeding, but
it's premature to be putting it out there in the media as if
it were absolutely proven. The article states that the limited study isn't conclusive, but
that fact will get lost in the noise and won't always be included in the message that will be the takeaway. *sigh*</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuKuem7niv4/XRJGD94QnJI/AAAAAAAAoOQ/fjWjM5eJU04l2embPmBR88ZTI9TUxo6KgCLcBGAs/s1600/monarchs%2B6%2B22%2B18%2Bc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuKuem7niv4/XRJGD94QnJI/AAAAAAAAoOQ/fjWjM5eJU04l2embPmBR88ZTI9TUxo6KgCLcBGAs/s1600/monarchs%2B6%2B22%2B18%2Bc.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">I think two important points need to be made:</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">If raising monarchs is how we have to "save" them, we aren't really
saving them. This model isn't sustainable. However, it may help get them over
the hump until such a time that their population has increased enough
that their numbers are plentiful and self-sustaining.</span></span><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /> </span></span></li>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Just as their
lower numbers are a result of numerous factors that have caused it, a
number of things can be done to reverse it. This is a good thing, since
not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something. The
results are cumulative. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Personally, I think the most important things we can do is to increase habitat and reduce the use of chemicals. And just as important is increasing awareness by speaking up about the problems that pollinators face and how we can help them. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">"Each one teach one" can be our mantra. We all have a mouth, so let's put it to good use by spreading the word about strategies we know that help and not harm. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-VGpP7-RJA/XRJHDISDShI/AAAAAAAAoOc/U4QknYORldIYhWnkVK5ESQmi_py6ih2EgCLcBGAs/s1600/swamp%2Bmilkweed%2B8%2B24%2B16%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-VGpP7-RJA/XRJHDISDShI/AAAAAAAAoOc/U4QknYORldIYhWnkVK5ESQmi_py6ih2EgCLcBGAs/s1600/swamp%2Bmilkweed%2B8%2B24%2B16%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">EDITED TO ADD THIS COMMENTARY ON THE ARTICLE AND THE STUDY:</span></span></b><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Later today, after I published this blog post, Angie Babbit, of <a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>, so beautifully said what many of us feel in regard to rearing monarchs at home:</span></span><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"></span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /><i>We
need to focus on keeping people connected to the monarchs in a positive
way that lends itself toward conservation. I got a letter from
a woman today that said she has been rearing fewer than 100 monarchs a
year for a while, and her entire neighborhood has started turning green
spaces into habitat because she announces how many she's successfully
released each year. Now she's read this news and wants to know if she's
doing more harm than good. <br /><br />Are we really going to
tell her that her efforts to rally her neighborhood are misguided? Are
we really going to tell people to stop bringing in caterpillars to show
their grandchildren the miracle of metamorphosis? This is a
sociological phenomenon that's tied to a biological phenomenon that's
tied to conservation. A hands-off approach to conservation is going to
kill conservation and send thousands of school kids into programs of
virtual dissection kits and online atrophy-based education.<br /><br />“In
the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we
understand and we will understand only what we are taught.” ― Baba Dioum<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Angie Babbit<br />Communications Coordinator<br />Monarch Watch<br />The University of Kansas</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">AND</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">In reponse to an organization writing to Dr. Karen Oberhauser, who was quoted in the news article:</span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span><i><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">I talked to
the reporter about the inside rearing a fair amount, but he didn’t
include that information in the article. It is important to note that
the inside rearing in the experiment was done in incubators in which the
experimenters could control temperature and light exactly. As a result,
the monarchs were not exposed to any natural light or temperature
fluctuations; the lights went on and off, and they were kept at a
constant temperature. In your exhibit hall, there are windows and
diurnal temperature fluctuations which provide exposure to more
environmental cues. I’m actually not surprised that they didn’t migrate
after being in an incubator. There are plenty of examples of monarchs
collected at different stages of development, being reared inside, and
successfully migrating. <br /><br />While I think that the
study was really interesting, I’m sorry that this feature of the rearing
conditions was not included in the paper itself or in the media
reviews.<br /><br />In my opinion, what you are doing is great. We’re doing the same thing at the UW-Madison Arboretum.<br /><br />All my best, <br />Karen</span></span></span></span></i><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
<b><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">AND</span></span></b><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">From Dr. Orley "Chip" Taylor of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/monarch-watch/a-response-to-the-pnas-paper-regarding-captive-reared-monarchs-by-dr-chip-taylor/10157174303523796/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>:</span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="_39k2">
<div class="_4lmk _2vxa autofocus _5s6c" id="js_i27" tabindex="-1">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A response to the PNAS paper regarding captive-reared monarchs, by Dr. Chip Taylor</b></span></div>
<div class="_2yud clearfix">
<div class="">
<div class="_42ef _8u">
<div class="_3uhg">
<a class="_2yug" href="https://www.facebook.com/monarchwatch/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a><span class="_4_mg">·</span><a class="uiLinkSubtle" href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/monarch-watch/a-response-to-the-pnas-paper-regarding-captive-reared-monarchs-by-dr-chip-taylor/10157174303523796/">Tuesday, June 25, 2019</a><br />
</div>
<div class="_3uhg">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="_39k5 _5s6c">
<div>
<div class="_2cuy _3dgx _2vxa">
<i>Yes, induction of a non-reproductive condition and migration is fragile. That is known. No one to my knowledge has been able to completely replicate the conditions that result in reproductive diapause and migration in the laboratory. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The system is resilient, complicated and still full of unexplained attributes – as well as unexplainable outcomes – e.g. indoor raised monarchs in FL that were tagged and released in San Antonio with 9 (not 5 as stated in the paper) recovered at the overwintering sites in Mexico. Those rearing conditions (12h day/night, 80F constant temps, with dim light through a small window in the door of the rearing room) fit none of the parameters suggested by experimentation or observation that are thought to lead to either diapause induction or migration.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>One might get the impression from the paper that few reared, tagged and released monarchs reach the overwintering sites in Mexico. That is not the case, 33.5% of the recoveries in Mexico from 2004-2015 were of reared, tagged and released monarchs. Wild caught and tagged monarchs have a higher recovery rate 0.9% - vs – 0.5%. There are probably many reasons for this difference.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>1. Reared butterflies tend to average smaller – putting them at a glide ratio disadvantage, etc.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2. Taggers tend to tag all monarchs they rear including some that obviously have a low probability of reaching Mexico due to size or condition.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>3. The reared monarchs experience a wide range of conditions prior to maturity that may determine whether they are able to become non-reproductive or migrate.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>4. Reared monarchs are often released late in the season which reduces the chance of reaching MX </i><i><i> [Mexico] </i>and many are reared in the east at latitudes and longitudes with low recovery rates by virtue of distance alone.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>5. On the other hand wild caught individuals are in effect a pre-selected group having been on the wing for days or weeks before they were caught and tagged.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The bottom line here is that wild caught and reared monarchs are populations with different morphological and physiological characteristics and therefore different outcomes.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Some who rear/tag and release have figured this out and have increased their recovery rates by rearing monarchs outdoors on living plants with the intention of tagging only the largest and earliest of the monarchs to emerge in late August and early September.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The article gives the impression that many of those who rear, tag and release get their stock from breeders. That’s not the case.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A lot of the rearing appears to be inspired by what could be called “monarch rescue”. It is known and widely reported that 98-99% of all monarch eggs and larvae fail to become adults due to predation, parasitism and other causes. This observation has led many to “save” monarchs by collecting eggs and larvae and rearing them indoors, etc. Aside from enjoying the experience of rearing these interesting butterflies, many justify the practice with the supposition that their efforts are contributing to the population. While there is evidence that some of their efforts result in monarchs reaching MX, the idea that rearing, tagging and releasing monarch will lead to a significant increase in monarch numbers is misguided.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This paper will likely be used to denigrate commercial breeders, However, only one breeder is represented in this study – one who evidently maintains a continuous stock that is quite unique due to origins or inbreeding. There are only a few breeders who maintain monarchs throughout the year. Most start new stocks as early as possible each spring.</i></div>
</div>
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<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><br /></span></span>Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-68244291635425446472018-10-17T13:13:00.001-04:002018-10-17T13:13:18.169-04:00Wednesday Vignette: Coleus ColorBlaze® Torchlight™<br />
This is my first time participating in the Wednesday Vignette meme, hosted by Anna at <a href="https://flutterandhum.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Flutter & Hum</a>. I've watched my friend, Loree Bohl (<a href="http://www.thedangergarden.com/" target="_blank">Danger Garden</a>), participate for a long time, and I always enjoy it.<br />
<br />
When I walked around the corner of the pool house last week and saw this trial plant from <a href="https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/solenostemon/colorblaze-torchlight-coleus-solenostemon-scutellarioides" target="_blank">Proven Winners</a>® cozying up to my small cat statue, I knew I had to jump in myself.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F9OfEg8tWmQ/W8dP8mYSmsI/AAAAAAAAmSE/h2yLoTEStm0pd8PoSMokXs41S75g8ngLACLcBGAs/s1600/cat%2Bsculpture%2Bwith%2Bcoleus%2B10%2B11%2B18%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F9OfEg8tWmQ/W8dP8mYSmsI/AAAAAAAAmSE/h2yLoTEStm0pd8PoSMokXs41S75g8ngLACLcBGAs/s1600/cat%2Bsculpture%2Bwith%2Bcoleus%2B10%2B11%2B18%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Coleus ColorBlaze® Torchlight™</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When I received Coleus ColorBlaze® Torchlight™ (<i>Solenostemon scutellarioides</i>) as a small plant this spring, I placed it on the north side of our pool house. That little flower bed spends most of the summer as shades of green and often is neglected, both in terms of care and observation. I thought by placing this colorful coleus there, it might add a little spark to an otherwise ho-hum scenario.<br />
<br />
Mission accomplished.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Coleus ColorBlaze® Torchlight™</b></span><br /><i>Solenostemon scutellarioides</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Zones</u>: 10-11 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Light</u>: Sun or Shade<br /><u>Mature Size</u>: 24-36 inches<br /><u>Water Needs</u>: Average</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />This new coleus will be available in garden centers in Spring of 2019.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br />My end-of-season evaluation</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm a lazy gardener. When trialing plants, I usually don't give them any special treatment and in most cases, I "set it and forget it." I try to make sure new plants get the water they need, but that's about it. This coleus was planted in spring and to be honest, I completely ignored it, not even watering it as much as I should have. It also wasn't planted in the best soil - unamended heavy clay. (Shame on me.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It has never bloomed, which I consider to be an asset for a coleus, as I remove their flowers anyway. It still looks good, this late in the season, but if I grow it again I'll pinch out the growth tips to encourage additional branching. I would also be sure to underplant it with a low grower like the <i>Heuchera</i> shown here, to hide its skinny ankles. Amended soil would be a good thing, too.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It'a beautiful coleus that adds color to monochromatic spaces with little to no effort required on the part of the gardener. And that' why it's a "proven winner" in my Zone 5b Northwest Ohio garden.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
___________________</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I was provided with this plant free of charge to trial in my garden. Though it's not a requirement to participate in the trialing program, I'm sharing my experience and honest thoughts on growing it.</span></i></div>
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-57928872851055410732018-10-02T23:30:00.000-04:002018-10-03T02:30:40.313-04:00Tithonia Baby Steps<br />
As any die hard monarch mama knows, monarch butterflies love <i>Tithonia</i>, a.k.a. Mexican sunflower. And anyone who is serious about attracting them will have this growing tall and proud in their garden.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9zSVj1Mgzs/W7RcLY73dFI/AAAAAAAAmNk/oW-xZYzMnSUnCpKYH2y752udfRZaiK2EQCLcBGAs/s1600/tithonia%2Band%2Bmonarch%2Bflickr%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="676" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9zSVj1Mgzs/W7RcLY73dFI/AAAAAAAAmNk/oW-xZYzMnSUnCpKYH2y752udfRZaiK2EQCLcBGAs/s400/tithonia%2Band%2Bmonarch%2Bflickr%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by TJ Gehling/CC license 2.0</span></td></tr>
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<br />
I was no exception. When offered some free seeds from a wonderful seed company* a couple of years ago, I immediately chose <i>Tithonia rotundifolia</i> 'Torch', and I had visions of a glorious photo shoot in the latter half of summer. The monarchs were going to flock to them by the numbers. Bees and hummingbirds, too!<br />
<br />
I couldn't wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Year One</i></b></span> <br />
<br />
So, I planted those seeds that spring. "They're <i>easy</i>!" everyone told me. "You're going to <i>love</i> them!" they said.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvOYOVmI_9w/W7Rd9o66FKI/AAAAAAAAmNw/4XUyWcCD_mASiFaS18T2egRnz9W5T4uYgCLcBGAs/s1600/tithonia%2Bf.d.%2Brichards%2Bflickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QvOYOVmI_9w/W7Rd9o66FKI/AAAAAAAAmNw/4XUyWcCD_mASiFaS18T2egRnz9W5T4uYgCLcBGAs/s1600/tithonia%2Bf.d.%2Brichards%2Bflickr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by F.D. Richards/CC license 2.0</span></td></tr>
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<br />
It was true, the packet and the website (and every other website on the vast world of the internet), claimed they didn't have any special needs, would grow in poor soil, and tolerated drought and neglect. Since they are native to Mexico and I know what harsh growing conditions there can be in much of the landscape there, I just knew that success was a sure thing.<br />
<br />
But summer came and went, and nary a <i>Tithonia </i>appeared.<br />
<br />
This is not the first time that I've had bad luck with seeds. I've made many mistakes over the years, such as planting seeds too early. And being The Queen of Procrastination, I've planted them too late. I suppose that's not bad luck, that's just bad gardening. In any case, I was no stranger to failure.<br />
<br />
The next time I spoke with the seed company's owner at a trade show, I related my experience to her. She was puzzled and repeated what I'd heard over and over, "But those are so <i>easy</i>. I wonder what happened. Here, take another packet and try again."<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Year Two </i></b></span><br />
<br />
The next year just happened to be one in which I exercised my queenly duties and I got the seeds in the ground late. Not <i>too </i>late, I didn't think, but perhaps I thought wrongly. I kept waiting to see little green seedlings popping up from that "poor" soil, but summer was half over before I even saw them. I got three. And they didn't grow very fast.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My tithonias gave the term "slow flowers" <br />a whole new meaning.</b></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Before I knew it, frost reared its ugly head and I only had plants barely a foot tall, if that. No blooms, of course. But, HEY! This time I got PLANTS! And I'm pretty sure they weren't weeds. Things were looking up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Year Three</i></b></span> <br />
<br />
They say the third time's a charm, and I'm a believer. This year, I got those seeds in the ground at the perfect time. I was determined to make my monarchs happy campers. Though it did take a little while before I saw little green sprouts start peeking out of the ground, things looked very promising.<br />
<br />
While others were showing their four-feet tall Mexican sunflowers loaded with blooms (and monarch butterflies perched atop, of course) on Facebook, my half a dozen plants were doing the best they could, which was the best <i>I'd</i> ever seen here at Our Little Acre. By the first of September, they were over three feet tall, and <i>I saw flower buds</i>!!!<br />
<br />
By September 13th, I had one glorious vibrant bloom that nearly made me weep. FINALLY, I had grown a <i>Tithonia </i>from seed and it actually bloomed. I can't tell you how happy this made me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2cbuSQ89EY/W7RfPPRIERI/AAAAAAAAmN8/4Wf3eG-mdE4mcGozOmxSNvOicmMPl5AbQCLcBGAs/s1600/tithonia%2B9%2B24%2B2018%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2cbuSQ89EY/W7RfPPRIERI/AAAAAAAAmN8/4Wf3eG-mdE4mcGozOmxSNvOicmMPl5AbQCLcBGAs/s1600/tithonia%2B9%2B24%2B2018%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">MY TITHONIA!!!</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<br />
Then it got cold, like in the low 40s at night cold, and the other blooms stayed closed up tight.<br />
<br />
It has gotten warm again in the last few days, so I'm waiting for some more blooms to open. But if I only get that one <i>Tithonia </i>bloom, I have done better than my past efforts. As every gardener knows, there's always next year, and I'm on a roll.<br />
<br />
<br />
*<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm not naming the seed company to protect the innocent. It wasn't the seeds' fault. It was the gardener's. I can't grow Johnny jump-ups either.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i> <br />
<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-11411700184761962482018-09-27T14:45:00.000-04:002018-09-27T14:45:41.336-04:00Fall Clean-Up? It's Not What You Think<br />
It's that time of year again. The garden is winding down, things are turning brown, and it's really tempting to just get rid of things that are looking less than pretty. I feel it, too. But in the last several years, I've gotten a different perspective on this fall clean-up thing, from hearing other people share their views on it, but also from being observant in my own garden.<br />
<br />
First, I heard, "Leave your grasses and perennials for winter interest." No problem with the grasses, because yeah, they do look beautiful when they catch the snow and it's more fun to look out there and see something taller than my knees.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iOOZZzFFgM/W60fqguWa9I/AAAAAAAAmLo/0Jcyaai7ogEXb8OYuco6lph5uVOzhw5wgCLcBGAs/s1600/blue%2Bjay%2B2%2B4%2B15%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" height="246" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2iOOZZzFFgM/W60fqguWa9I/AAAAAAAAmLo/0Jcyaai7ogEXb8OYuco6lph5uVOzhw5wgCLcBGAs/s320/blue%2Bjay%2B2%2B4%2B15%2Ba.JPG" width="320" /></a>I heard them mention how seed heads, like those on coneflowers, feed birds and other wildlife, so I started to leave those kinds of things, because winters can be cruel. Heavy snows and frigid temperatures make it difficult for birds and animals to find food, which can be in short supply in the first place.<br />
<br />
And then there are the leaves. We've got 100+ trees on Our Little Acre, with several of them being over 200 years old. That means we have a lot of leaves on the ground every fall and even into winter, since the largest trees are oaks. As anyone who has oaks knows, they lose leaves all winter long.<br />
<br />
Even though we can't leave all those leaves all winter long, we started leaving a layer of them for both plant insulation and for the insects and other critters that use the leaf litter for winter protection.<br />
<br />
These are all good reasons to not do a "scorched earth" method of fall clean-up. I do understand that it means more work in the spring, but from a human standpoint, it's a do it now or do it later kind of thing, not really adding any work to the grand scheme of things. We choose to do it later in an effort to help wildlife.<br />
<br />
But the purpose of my post today is to focus on insects, specifically those that we love to see in our gardens in the summer. Did you know that a large number of them spend their winters right here and <i>need </i>the very things that gardeners may remove in the fall?<br />
<br />
NEED.<br />
<br />
Planting to attract butterflies and pollinators to our gardens is a thing. It's a really hot trend that I hope becomes commonplace, not just for environmentalists. <br /><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPBdCHOgXY8/W60hHpxFFcI/AAAAAAAAmL0/9PGdKjdracAPagqZApLoJTP0QzQuRtuywCLcBGAs/s1600/garden%2B7%2B27%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="305" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPBdCHOgXY8/W60hHpxFFcI/AAAAAAAAmL0/9PGdKjdracAPagqZApLoJTP0QzQuRtuywCLcBGAs/s400/garden%2B7%2B27%2B17%2Ba.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But it isn't enough to plant what they need during their breeding season. That's commendable, but what about the off season? <b> </b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Is it fair to attract them to our gardens and then sabotage our efforts - and their lives - by destroying what they need to complete their life cycle?</b></blockquote>
<br />
Not every insect or arthropod migrates. Many have the ability to lower the freezing point of their bodies and go into a state of diapause. Some can't survive, but they lay eggs that can. Some spend the winter in a pupal stage.<br />
<br />
Let's look at these:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiIFUsXjmHA/W60M1KmfEyI/AAAAAAAAmKw/3BvGus99peUu-xeISGAkHVSYHKVzBZBVQCLcBGAs/s1600/ladybugs%2B3%2B10%2B18%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" height="307" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiIFUsXjmHA/W60M1KmfEyI/AAAAAAAAmKw/3BvGus99peUu-xeISGAkHVSYHKVzBZBVQCLcBGAs/s400/ladybugs%2B3%2B10%2B18%2Ba.jpg" width="400" /><br /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Lady beetles (ladybugs) </b>- We have elevated ladybugs to their rightful place in the world of environmental sustainability. These small beetles overwinter as adults clustered together under leaf litter. I personally have encountered large numbers of them in spring. In fact, I try not to clear leaves away until I see them moving around and emerging on their own.<br /><br /><br /><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibj_qpE4lRQ/W60OWqoUuxI/AAAAAAAAmLE/nvuhc6wxUE0zQy4pzqFiIralUxMHbydMwCLcBGAs/s1600/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bfemale%2Bsupertunia%2B8%2B12%2B16%2Be.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibj_qpE4lRQ/W60OWqoUuxI/AAAAAAAAmLE/nvuhc6wxUE0zQy4pzqFiIralUxMHbydMwCLcBGAs/s400/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bfemale%2Bsupertunia%2B8%2B12%2B16%2Be.JPG" width="306" /><br /></a></div>
</li>
<li><b>Swallowtails</b> - These butterflies overwinter in their chrysalides and just because you've never seen them doesn't mean they aren't there. Camouflage is an important factor in their survival. Do you think the Eastern black swallowtails you've attracted to your garden in summer all leave your garden in winter? <br /><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2l5p6h9S8/W60NUd-RzDI/AAAAAAAAmK4/NoDzoI51yVwm4Nyb6Q5Zenc22lMVWPq1wCLcBGAs/s1600/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bchrysalis%2B7%2B29%2B16%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz2l5p6h9S8/W60NUd-RzDI/AAAAAAAAmK4/NoDzoI51yVwm4Nyb6Q5Zenc22lMVWPq1wCLcBGAs/s320/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bchrysalis%2B7%2B29%2B16%2Ba.JPG" width="251" /></a></div>
<br />They lay their eggs on your dill, fennel, parsley, rue, and carrot tops. They eat those until they form their chrysalides nearby - in your garden, likely on stiff stems of plants.<br /><br /><br /></li>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oVMIFO0mDEs/W60cxOKLqtI/AAAAAAAAmLQ/QG6CoaojjgwNNJIWzFWHdFJgiwhHTFrQQCLcBGAs/s1600/leaf%2Bcutter%2Bbee%2Bdisneyland%2B7%2B6%2B12%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oVMIFO0mDEs/W60cxOKLqtI/AAAAAAAAmLQ/QG6CoaojjgwNNJIWzFWHdFJgiwhHTFrQQCLcBGAs/s400/leaf%2Bcutter%2Bbee%2Bdisneyland%2B7%2B6%2B12%2Ba.JPG" width="306" /><br /></a></div>
<li><b>Leafcutter bees</b> - I personally love these guys. They're the ones that make the round circles in the leaves of some of your garden plants. I smile when I see that, because I know that my garden is helping a native pollinator. They take those leaf rounds back to line their nests, which are often in the hollow stems of plants. They often return to those nests to spend the winter.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Remember too, that even some of the insects that might be undesirable to you are food for those you do want. The food chain is real. The more you clean your gardens of healthy dead material, the more you're disrupting the natural life cycle of the ecosystem.<br />
<br />
I'm not discouraging the removal of diseased plants and excessive leaf cover. I just want you to be aware of how many insects and other living things that are loved and important to us in summer, need your garden in winter, too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-48703638633322476442018-09-18T17:52:00.004-04:002018-09-18T20:39:00.169-04:00Monarch Watch Speaks Out About Raising Monarchs at Home<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://monarchwatch.org/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://monarchwatch.org/" border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="360" height="101" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bINBEqI1baM/W6Fxn9xfZwI/AAAAAAAAmHs/BbOyEque9bArDa1WB_bbmVjP6pHV2VRBACLcBGAs/s200/monarch%2Bwatch%2Blogo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: small;">The discussion regarding raising monarchs in the home continues, with <a href="http://www.monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a> weighing in today about their position on the practice. Dr. Orley "Chip" Taylor, founder of Monarch Watch, and one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet in regard to monarchs, felt compelled to release this statement, which should be of comfort to those who choose to raise monarchs:</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2018 16:51:02<br />
From: "Taylor Jr, Orley R" <br />Subject: Rethinking captive rearing</b></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />
<i>Greetings:</i> I wasn't going to comment publicly on the captive rearing
issue. However, since some of you rear monarchs, and Emma Pelton has
chosen to post the Xerces [Society] position on our Monarch Watch discussion list,
I feel compelled to articulate our position at Monarch Watch along with
the reasoning we use to justify our position. For those of you that
don't know, the position adopted by Xerces and MJV [Monarch Joint Venture] has created quite a
stir on various Facebook sites and more than one Blog.<br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;">
Our position at Monarch Watch is that we neither encourage or discourage
rearing. As I will try to make clear, this is a low priority issue.
Further, the concerns are exaggerated and unsupported by data. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Facts, Observations, Questions, Tagging and Priorities</span><br />
<br />
<b>Facts</b> <br />
Monarch numbers have been declining since the mid 2000s coincident with
the adoption of herbicide tolerant crop lines that facilitated the use
of glyphosate that all but eliminated milkweed from these row crops. <br />
<br />
Habitat loss has been invoked, and supported by data, as the most likely
cause of the decline. The alternative hypothesis that the decline is
due to an increase in mortality during the migration is unsupported by
data. <br />
<br />
Habitat loss continues. Estimates are that we are losing 1 million acres
of grassland each year and are likely losing at least another million
acres due to development and other forms of land conversion. <br />
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;">
There is no credible data suggesting that we are restoring habitat for
monarchs and pollinators at a rate that matches these losses. In other
words, monarchs are losing habitat as we argue about the merits of one
detail or another. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSpFtg2Lro/W6FtZ_qAduI/AAAAAAAAmHg/aIqSe2UVII4dDZRyONOBtTnCW1NAV2jMgCLcBGAs/s1600/cerro%2Bpelon%2B2%2B20%2B18%2Bi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSpFtg2Lro/W6FtZ_qAduI/AAAAAAAAmHg/aIqSe2UVII4dDZRyONOBtTnCW1NAV2jMgCLcBGAs/s1600/cerro%2Bpelon%2B2%2B20%2B18%2Bi.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cerro Pelón monarch sanctuary in the state of Mexico, in Central Mexico</b><br />
February 20, 2018</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If my predictions come true, the overwintering population in Mexico will
be approximately 5 hectares - maybe more. That translates to at least
60 million monarchs. This will be the largest population since 2008 and
may be the last big population for another decade and maybe ever due to
changing spring conditions in Texas and higher temperature in May and
early June. If you remember the conditions during 2012, those are in our
future and it's those conditions that were the precursor to the low
monarch return in the spring of 2013 and the alarmingly low population
(.67 hectares) that winter. <br />
<br />
Monarch larval monitoring and other studies show that 98% of all eggs and larvae succumb to predators or other conditions. <br />
<br />
<b>Observation</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Most of those advocating the reduction and even the cessation
of all rearing are not engaged in monarch rearing. Those doing the
rearing are being told that what they are doing will have negative
consequences for the population. These admonitions are supported by
strongly worded opinions and references to conditions that do not apply
to the average person rearing monarchs, e.g. the argument about
inbreeding and genetic declines. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">While there are lots of data that show
that LONG TERM cultures of various species often lose fitness, this
argument DOES NOT apply to those who simply collect eggs and
caterpillars in their gardens or along roadsides or even those who breed
monarchs for 1-2 generations. In fact, it's not even clear that it
applies to monarchs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">How many breeders maintain long term inbreed
cultures? We don't know. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">How often do breeders refresh their stocks?
We don't know but have been told that "refreshing" stocks is common,
mostly from northern states. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">How many breeders rear more than two of three generations per year? We don't know. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">What
does any of that have to do with those who harvest monarch eggs and
larvae in their gardens and natural areas for rearing and release? Zero.
While many are dismayed by commercial releases of monarchs, it's not
prohibited. These "do not rear" directives will not impact commercial
releases but they have raised concerns by many lay persons who enjoy
rearing monarchs.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JzmBs0q8aM/W6FqObHcioI/AAAAAAAAmHQ/loswRJhy6ZouDMJ1OWkWgo2gH08ugqQXgCLcBGAs/s1600/monarch%2BOe%252B%2B9%2B14%2B18%2Ba.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="800" height="303" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JzmBs0q8aM/W6FqObHcioI/AAAAAAAAmHQ/loswRJhy6ZouDMJ1OWkWgo2gH08ugqQXgCLcBGAs/s400/monarch%2BOe%252B%2B9%2B14%2B18%2Ba.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Under magnification, <i>Oe</i> spores can be seen as tiny football-<br />shaped particles among the larger monarch scales that <br />cover a monarch's body.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The fact that 98% of the monarch immatures are consumed by
predators and parasites inspires people to engage in "monarch rescue,"
that is, harvesting monarch eggs and larvae and rearing them both
indoors and outdoors to "save" them from their usual fate. So, is it
really a bad thing to do this? What are the risks? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Yes, the spread of
<i>O.e. </i>(<a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/ophry.htm" target="_blank"><i>Ophryocystis elektroscirrha</i></a>) could be a risk but that is easy to avoid if the foliage is
sanitized before being fed to the larvae. Monarchs to be released could
also be checked for <i>O.e. </i>spores and some people do that. Interestingly,
we have found that, if you collect all the 5th instar larvae and rear
them through indoors, you can suppress the tachinid fly population.<br />
<br />
As to whether monarchs should be reared with the goal of increasing the
population, the reality is that such efforts are likely to have little
or no impact on the overall population. To have a real impact on
population growth, monarchs would have to be released in the RIGHT
places at the RIGHT times early in the season rather than during the
migration. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Questions</span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>How many monarchs are reared and released by amateurs relative
to the total monarchs in the migration - 40,000 or maybe 60,000?</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />We
don't know. <br />
<b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />Where and when are these monarchs released? Does it make a difference?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't have time to elaborate, but the tagging data, as well as the
seasonal dynamics, show that the impact associated with the when and
where of releases varies greatly across the continent. In short, the
outcomes of a thousand monarchs released at three widely (MN, ME, FL)
different locations on the same day during the migration are likely to
be very different. There are seasonal differences in outcomes as well. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">What happens if <i>O.e.</i> infested adult monarchs are released into the population?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dangers of <i>O.e. </i>are reasonably clear and infested monarchs should
NOT be released at any time. Most of the heavily infested monarchs have a
reduced fitness and a low probability of getting to Mexico, let alone
returning in the spring. Given that scenario, it's likely that most of
the <i>O.e.</i> spores that persist in the population through the winter have
been acquired by healthy monarchs through horizontal transfer - that is,
the proximity of healthy monarchs to those infested with spores while
clustered during the winter or even through contact at roosts through
the fall migration. The clear message in these directives is that
rearing needs to be conducted in a way that eliminates the release of
<i>O.e.</i> infested butterflies. </span>
</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Do tagged monarchs have a reduced chance of making it to Mexico?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tagging may or may not have an impact on whether monarchs get to
Mexico. There has never been a fair test. If tagged and wild monarchs
of the same age, sex and size distributions were released at the same
date and same place, we could determine whether tagging impacted the
ability to get to Mexico. (Assuming also that the monarchs were tagged
according to our instructions).</span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-63donl9dcn8/W6FpD5tVMdI/AAAAAAAAmHE/dnAfEvabbT0kslUPQUgTejyWR5a1wGH7ACLcBGAs/s1600/tropical%2Bmilkweed%2B6%2B19%2B18%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-63donl9dcn8/W6FpD5tVMdI/AAAAAAAAmHE/dnAfEvabbT0kslUPQUgTejyWR5a1wGH7ACLcBGAs/s200/tropical%2Bmilkweed%2B6%2B19%2B18%2Ba.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tropical milkweed</b><br />
<i>Asclepias curassavica</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">What we do know is that lots of reared
and tagged monarchs make it to Mexico some having fed on non-native
milkweeds such as <i>Calotropis procera</i> and <i>C. gigantea</i> (both species of giant milkweed) and the much maligned
<i>Asclepias curassavica</i> (tropical milkweed).<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Irrespective of the potential impact of tagging, the data from
reared monarchs is quite valuable. Like the data from wild tagged
monarchs, it tells us a great deal about the migration - the timing, the
pace and the probability of reaching Mexico based on sex, geographic
origins and date of tagging. <br /><b><br /></b>Further, the recovery of reared monarchs
can be used as a control for isotope studies. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Given the habitat losses due to agricultural practices and the
continuing loss of habitat, what should our priorities be if our goal is to sustain the monarch migration?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Habitat restoration has to be the number 1 priority. The "All
hands on Deck" analysis indicated that we need to re-establish at least 1
BILLION milkweed stems mostly in the Upper Midwest to return the
monarch numbers to an average of close to 6 hectares at the
overwintering sites. That figure is based on an extinction analysis -
that is, the probability of losing the migration due to a series of
catastrophic events such as the winter storm of 2002 and 2004. That
analysis was conservative in that the projections could only be made
using past data and inferences based on those conditions. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately,
conditions are changing and if the projections based on climate models
come true, and that seems likely, the need to restore habitat is even
greater than estimated. </span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We have work to do and we need all hands on deck
and that means that we need everyone who can to pitch in in any way
they can. </span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We need people to pass on their enthusiasm for monarchs and
their concern for maintaining the migration.</span>
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Should rearing be conducted with the goal of increasing the wild population?</b><br />
<br />
Again, to be clear, at Monarch Watch we neither encourage nor discourage
monarch rearing. Looking a the monarch population holistically - and
from the standpoint of the year-to-year dynamics of a population that is
governed largely by both temperatures, and other weather-related
phenomena, as well as habitat limitations, rearing is a minor issue. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">_______________________________________ </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vb6cxj4_Pcs/W6Fm4Hx6yGI/AAAAAAAAmG4/Qf-0XgNscSQhk8EaDjQXpQv419RjBTRgwCLcBGAs/s1600/Chip%2BTaylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vb6cxj4_Pcs/W6Fm4Hx6yGI/AAAAAAAAmG4/Qf-0XgNscSQhk8EaDjQXpQv419RjBTRgwCLcBGAs/s1600/Chip%2BTaylor.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Orley R. "Chip" Taylor</b> [<a href="mailto:chip@ku.edu">chip@ku.edu</a>]<br />
<i>Founder and Director of Monarch Watch; Professor Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.</i><br />
Trained as an insect ecologist, Chip Taylor has published papers on
species assemblages, hybridization, reproductive biology, population
dynamics and plant demographics and pollination. Starting in 1974, Chip
Taylor established research sites and directed students studying
Neotropical African honey bees (killer bees) in French Guiana,
Venezuela, and Mexico.<br /><br />
In 1992, Taylor founded <a href="https://monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>, an outreach program focused on
education, research and conservation relative to monarch butterflies.
Since then, Monarch Watch has enlisted the help of volunteers to tag
monarchs during the fall migration. This program has produced many new
insights into the dynamics of the monarch migration. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In 2005 Monarch
Watch created the <a href="https://monarchwatch.org/waystations/" target="_blank">Monarch Waystation</a> program, in recognition that
habitats for monarchs are declining at a rate of 6,000 acres a day in
the United States. The goal of this program is to inspire the public,
schools and others to create habitats for monarch butterflies and to
assist Monarch Watch in educating the public about the decline in
resources for monarchs, pollinators and all wildlife that share the same
habitats.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> __________________</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">***I have formatted the information provided by Monarch Watch to make it easier to read and have provided some emphasis to some words and phrases. The text provided here is accurate, and is what Monarch Watch issued, with no other changes.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i>
Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-25370297028027055402018-09-15T13:11:00.001-04:002018-09-15T18:25:34.548-04:00To Be or Not to Be? A Monarch Raiser, That Is.<br />
Nothing like a good controversy to get your butt in gear and finally start blogging again. I never intended to stop, but life just kept getting in the way, and Facebook has made it easy to microblog. But now something has caused such an uproar in the monarch community and beyond, that... well... here we are.<br />
<br />
A <a href="https://xerces.org/2018/09/11/keep-monarchs-wild/" target="_blank">recent blog post</a> written by someone from The Xerces Society has been making the rounds in the last few days. It's one that has a lot of people really upset and threatens to divide those of us who love the monarch and are doing our darnedest to help them have the population explosion they need.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S9u-jepfi90/W50krF2hhrI/AAAAAAAAmFA/W4gR63qYHEcCPM0xjD-wr9PTO8y6YgYsgCLcBGAs/s1600/monarch%2Beclosure%2B8%2B31%2B15%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S9u-jepfi90/W50krF2hhrI/AAAAAAAAmFA/W4gR63qYHEcCPM0xjD-wr9PTO8y6YgYsgCLcBGAs/s400/monarch%2Beclosure%2B8%2B31%2B15%2Ba.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lots of people raise monarch butterflies in their homes, and teachers do it in their classrooms. This practice has gone on for decades, but never more than the present, in an effort to bolster the monarch population. But now, in light of this article published just four days ago, lots of people have vowed that they will quit raising monarchs.<br />
<br />
Take a deep breath, friends.<br />
<br />
Whenever an alarmist article like this appears, I'm skeptical until I can find other information supporting it. I don't care who writes it - scientist or not. If there's one thing I've discovered in the 12 years I've been studying the monarch, even the major players in the scientific community can't agree on some things. The fact is, there are a LOT of things we all have yet to learn about this iconic butterfly we love.<br />
<br />
I could probably add another chapter to my book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2QywmRP" target="_blank"><i>THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></a>, on this subject, and certainly more than you want to read in a blog post. But here are some thoughts of mine to consider. It would be best if you read the <a href="https://xerces.org/2018/09/11/keep-monarchs-wild/" target="_blank">Xerces Society blog post</a> first, so that you understand what all the hubbub is about and why I say what I do here.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>First of all, we can't "save" the monarch by raising them inside our homes. There are good reasons to do so, but that alone should not be the rationale behind doing it. It's not sustainable over the long run, not at the levels we're collectively doing it now, and it's not natural. We haven't really saved anything if this is how we have to do it. <br /></li>
<li>Secondly, one of the biologists who co-authored the paper cited in the Xerces Society blog post, has come forth with a rebuttal and clarification of the talking points that have monarch lovers so upset. <b><a href="http://www.butterfly-ridge.com/bloggerfly/2018/9/12/xerces-society-says-my-monarchs-are-doomed#commenting" target="_blank">PLEASE read what Christopher Kline has to say about this</a>. </b>I can't stress this enough. Just read it.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b6oPxyBDPLY/W50mBc2GH2I/AAAAAAAAmFM/GgDTEmrPJS0_1fLAeE7Ep6j1K7jYVG_PQCLcBGAs/s1600/monarch%2Bstink%2Bbug%2B8%2B30%2B15%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b6oPxyBDPLY/W50mBc2GH2I/AAAAAAAAmFM/GgDTEmrPJS0_1fLAeE7Ep6j1K7jYVG_PQCLcBGAs/s320/monarch%2Bstink%2Bbug%2B8%2B30%2B15%2Ba.JPG" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This monarch caterpillar fell victim to <br />
a spined soldier bug - a type of stink bug.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We raise monarchs in our homes mainly to protect them from predators. If you've observed monarchs for any length of time, you know firsthand how dismal their mortality rate is. That's not uncommon in the "eat or be eaten" world of insects. But monarch numbers are drastically down compared to just 20 years ago, for many reasons, mainly irresponsible behaviors by us humans.<br />
<br />
So there may be something positive in humans taking it upon themselves to attempt to right a wrong that they committed in the first place. Is it natural or ideal to raise monarchs inside? No, but neither are pesticides, herbicides, urbanization, logging, mowing, and other practices that humans have done that have contributed to the monarch's decline. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>An important thing to note when reading articles like the one from The Xerces Society</b></span><br />
<br />
The Xerces Society raises some important points and things to think
about. But their blog post is, for the most part, an opinion piece. So is mine.<br />
<br />
Remember too, that The Xerces Society is one of the original writers of the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/pdfs/Monarch_ESA_Petition.pdf" target="_blank">petition</a> to have the monarch added to the Threatened Species List under the Endangered Species Act. That decision is due to be announced in 2019, and the raising of monarchs will be greatly changed and curtailed if they are listed. The society certainly has a vested interest in the topic and this article may be speaking with that bias. <br />
<br />
Also, keep in mind that <i>raising </i>monarchs and <i>breeding </i>monarchs are two very distinctively
different things. I have never bred monarchs and I don't advocate doing
so. There are businesses that do this - some responsibly and some not -
and I'm not talking about them here.<br />
<br />
I also don't advocate raising huge numbers of them. Doing that requires an extraordinary amount of time, energy, space, and dedication. Not many of us are willing to do this in a way that avoids inherent problems.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bottom line . . . </b></span><br />
<br />
Please don't let yourself have a knee-jerk reaction to what the writer of The Xerces Society blog post has said. It might make sense to you right from the get-go, or it might cast doubts on what you've been doing in an effort to help the monarchs. In an ideal world, we wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. But people smarter than a lot of us (me included) have made some grave mistakes in the past and our wildlife has suffered and is suffering for it.<br />
<br />
Personally, <a href="http://www.butterfly-ridge.com/bloggerfly/2018/9/12/xerces-society-says-my-monarchs-are-doomed#commenting" target="_blank">I'm of the same mind as Chris Kline</a>, who is qualified to speak on the situation, and I'm perfectly comfortable in continuing to raise small numbers of monarchs in my home. You may not be, and I respect that.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRXvZWlOhok/W505IQMawZI/AAAAAAAAmF0/-5ZgYfBYIXcZS3jv8MQh1f-axMWVT2DEwCLcBGAs/s1600/egg%2Blaying%2Bfrom%2Bholli%2Bhearn%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="374" height="270" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gRXvZWlOhok/W505IQMawZI/AAAAAAAAmF0/-5ZgYfBYIXcZS3jv8MQh1f-axMWVT2DEwCLcBGAs/s320/egg%2Blaying%2Bfrom%2Bholli%2Bhearn%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you <a href="http://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/2015/08/of-starfish-and-monarchs.html" target="_blank">save just one</a>
female who has the potential to lay <br />
400+ eggs, you may or may not be
making a positive difference. <br />
Think about that exponentially for just a
little bit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Lastly, <b>thank you</b> to those of you who are doing your part to help the monarchs and other pollinators, whether it be by growing a little milkweed (or a lot), growing more nectar plants, using fewer pesticides and herbicides, contributing financially to those who are working on the monarch's behalf, or even by just keeping the conversation going.<br />
<br />
The monarchs have had a banner year here in the Midwest (yay!), which may or may not have had anything to do with our efforts, but keep up the good work. Maybe 20 years from now, we can look back and see that we're making a difference. I believe that we are.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuzVvEBkiF0/W50w4nk_F8I/AAAAAAAAmFY/gli7hAf3dPIqFX5UWLsSj0l90wddTydJwCLcBGAs/s1600/margaret%2Bmead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1127" data-original-width="1502" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuzVvEBkiF0/W50w4nk_F8I/AAAAAAAAmFY/gli7hAf3dPIqFX5UWLsSj0l90wddTydJwCLcBGAs/s400/margaret%2Bmead.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2QywmRP" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://amzn.to/2QywmRP" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBo0AueGk4k/W5013SmG8sI/AAAAAAAAmFo/MaZMA_Lp870mRmLjux0BTxCM2ZeEEzAYgCLcBGAs/s200/monarch%2Bcover%2Bbordered%2B420.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Kylee Baumle is the author of two books, the latest of which is </i><a href="https://amzn.to/2QywmRP" target="_blank">THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</a><i>. She is a speaker and writer, who won a 2018 Gold Award for her writings on the monarch. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>She will be leading her third tour to the monarch sanctuaries in Mexico in February 2019. For more information on joining the tour, click <a href="http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=mexico_monarch_0218" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
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<i>__________________________</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>***Photo of female monarch laying egg is courtesy of Holli Webb Hearn, creator of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBeautifulMonarch/" target="_blank">The Beautiful Monarch</a> Facebook group, which at last count, has 23,396 members.</i></div>
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Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-64836035799872171062018-04-02T12:41:00.001-04:002018-04-02T12:41:07.202-04:00Maple Syrup Season 2018 and a Taste Test<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n5BSJW-_szk/Wr8-jPo8DaI/AAAAAAAAkRg/0P2uNyhuiBMUjJhpd5N2Wf0RESO_OdgOwCLcBGAs/s1600/sierra%2Bchincua%2B2%2B21%2B18%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n5BSJW-_szk/Wr8-jPo8DaI/AAAAAAAAkRg/0P2uNyhuiBMUjJhpd5N2Wf0RESO_OdgOwCLcBGAs/s320/sierra%2Bchincua%2B2%2B21%2B18%2Ba.JPG" width="245" /></a></div>
We didn't do maple syrup last year because Romie and I both went to Mexico to see the monarch butterflies as they overwintered there. That trip hit right smack in the middle of sap collecting, so we decided to just not do it. Oh, how we missed that wonderful homemade maple syrup!<br />
<br />
I went to Mexico again this year, once again in the middle of sap collecting, but Romie was home, so he gathered it while I climbed a few mountains. I have to thank our daughter, Kara, for her help after I got home, because after one day to recover and repack, Romie and I both went to Florida for a week to visit my aunt and uncle. It truly takes a family to make this stuff. <br />
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This year, though we didn't keep track of how many gallons of sap we collected from our silver maple trees, we ended up with about three quarts of syrup. We would have had a little bit more (maybe a cup or so), had I not burned one small batch to a crisp. I blame Romie for this a teeny tiny bit, because we only had a small amount of sap, and he talked me into boiling it against my better judgement.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7KjoxTsW8rk/Wr8YKahOESI/AAAAAAAAkQ8/_WTQ1Rgum605LrQ44PVLfWmz7IcbZeg8gCLcBGAs/s1600/boiling%2Bmaple%2Bsap%2B3%2B10%2B2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="456" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7KjoxTsW8rk/Wr8YKahOESI/AAAAAAAAkQ8/_WTQ1Rgum605LrQ44PVLfWmz7IcbZeg8gCLcBGAs/s320/boiling%2Bmaple%2Bsap%2B3%2B10%2B2018.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
When you boil sap, it's always better to do a large batch at one time, because when it gets right down to the last few minutes of boiling, the sap can either turn to sugar or burn. Just. Like. That. With a larger batch, you have more play with it. I'm not sure why that is, but it just is. I didn't forget it, I just needed to check it in a few minutes rather than ten. Lesson learned!<br />
<br />
This year, I used a hydrometer part of the time, for testing when the sap was of the right consistency for syrup. You pour the sap into a cylinder and then float the hydrometer in it. It's marked with red lines, and you want your sap to be thick enough for the surface of the sap to fall between the red lines. After a few seasons of doing this, I think it's just as easy to eyeball it.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DD_ExwqePhE/WsJayjSoysI/AAAAAAAAkYI/X8uytRNHb04Hpj0nZ9LaskNfeKhf0dEggCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bsyrup%2Bhygrometer%2B3%2B11%2B18%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DD_ExwqePhE/WsJayjSoysI/AAAAAAAAkYI/X8uytRNHb04Hpj0nZ9LaskNfeKhf0dEggCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bsyrup%2Bhygrometer%2B3%2B11%2B18%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
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Every year I make this, there are always a few who say to me, "Please keep some back for me." I cringe when I hear that, because there's no way we could do that for everyone who asks. We can't even do it for a few, since it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. With that ratio, you can see how much sap it takes to make a small amount and just how time consuming making syrup is. There's a reason it costs so much when you buy it in the store.<br />
<br />
I'm kind of like fellow blogger Karen Bertelsen (<a href="http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Art of Doing Stuff</i></a>) when it comes to this. When someone asks her for some of her maple syrup when she's done making it, she answers, "Sure!" and then promptly forgets. She does put a couple of small bottles back just in case she needs to reward someone for doing her an extraordinary favor. And I'm not entirely selfish. A few of our bottles make their way to new homes, too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tX0y2PtscU/Wr8_7gOmCJI/AAAAAAAAkRs/Vui9In3WmVE4k9XvT33nMEj-64MCgGl_wCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bsyrup%2B3%2B14%2B18%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tX0y2PtscU/Wr8_7gOmCJI/AAAAAAAAkRs/Vui9In3WmVE4k9XvT33nMEj-64MCgGl_wCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bsyrup%2B3%2B14%2B18%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year I splurged and purchased special bottles for our maple syrup.<br />
You can buy them <a href="https://www.leaderevaporator.com/p-34-maple-leaf-glass-bottles.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Back to this year's syrup making. The season always takes me by surprise. It starts just about the time I've had it with winter and am dreaming of crocus and daffodils and spring peepers. But I don't think I've ever gotten the spiles put into the maples early enough to get absolutely all the sap we could get.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8msA2kHc6s0/Wr85qcKg9CI/AAAAAAAAkRM/P9X-RLEkcmAzj12MjIxnrN1oRQjTD-rTQCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bbuds%2B3%2B13%2B18%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8msA2kHc6s0/Wr85qcKg9CI/AAAAAAAAkRM/P9X-RLEkcmAzj12MjIxnrN1oRQjTD-rTQCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bbuds%2B3%2B13%2B18%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the maple buds look like this, maple syrup is drawing to a close.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The sap starts running towards the end of winter, when the temperatures are below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. There are a lot of days like that between the end of January and when the maple trees start budding out. That's when the sap stops flowing, or at least stops being clear (instead of cloudy or dark). This year, we began collecting sap on February 9th and collected the last of it on March 21st.<br />
<br />
<b>A taste test</b><br />
<br />
I haven't purchased real maple syrup since we started making our own, but this year, I heard about a brand that has gotten rave reviews and came to light as a result of being on <a href="https://youtu.be/8o3U8TAcrvU" target="_blank"><i>Shark Tank</i></a>. <a href="https://amzn.to/2GsMcvU" target="_blank">Parker's Maple Syrup</a> didn't get the deal on the show, but it still helped the company just by being on the show. I bought some because I wanted to see how ours tasted in comparison.<br />
<br />
The tin of Parker's arrived last week and when I tasted it, I sort of cringed. It wasn't cheap and I didn't like it. I bought the Grade A Robust, which is essentially the same grade as ours. But ours had a pure and strong maple syrup taste, <i>without </i>the smoky, somewhat burnt taste to it. Parker's had somewhat the same taste as <a href="https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Organic-Pure-Maple-Syrup,-33.8-Oz..product.100333884.html" target="_blank">Kirkland brand maple syrup</a> I purchased from Costco a few years ago. I just don't like that scorched taste.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBqRcAKNm7o/WsJMUuDavJI/AAAAAAAAkX4/fSJR0nveGiEslKFwFwMKvTe0Zig8AyjCwCLcBGAs/s1600/maple%2Bsyrup%2Bcomparison%2B3%2B23%2B18%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="600" height="316" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBqRcAKNm7o/WsJMUuDavJI/AAAAAAAAkX4/fSJR0nveGiEslKFwFwMKvTe0Zig8AyjCwCLcBGAs/s400/maple%2Bsyrup%2Bcomparison%2B3%2B23%2B18%2Ba.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our maple syrup is on the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I may have mentioned before that I'm a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/super-tasting-science-find-out-if-youre-a-supertaster/" target="_blank">supertaster</a>. This means, among other things, that I detect bitterness more than the average person. My tastebuds have receptors that many people's don't. My husband didn't think it tasted burnt at all. Okay, good, honey. You can have the Parker's then, and I'll just stick with ours, if you don't mind.<br />
<br />
We also did a taste test with maple syrup made by the brother of our son-in-law. The semi-blind taste test involved five different syrups: Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup (not real maple syrup), ours, the brother's, a local commercial producer's, and Parker's. Seven people tasted the five syrups and the results were incredibly varied. Three of the seven preferred our syrup over the others, and more than half rated Parker's the worst, even worse than Mrs. Butterworth's.<br />
<br />
Do you have a favorite maple syrup brand? I've not found any that I like as much as ours. ❤<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-41009904605288574942018-03-14T12:47:00.000-04:002018-04-02T21:41:26.389-04:00Celebrating National Learn About Butterflies Day - A Giveaway!<br />
Although any day is a good day to eat pie (I'll take Dutch apple, please!), March 14th is designated National Pie Day. Actually, it's "Pi" day – the day we honor the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. This unique number in math never ends.<br />
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So far, it's been calculated to 22.4 trillion digits with no pattern repeats, and named for the Greek letter π. We usually say pi equals 3.14, so that's why March 14th has been chosen as the day to celebrate this imaginary number. (<a href="https://betterexplained.com/articles/a-visual-intuitive-guide-to-imaginary-numbers/" target="_blank">This might help you understand imaginary numbers</a>. Or not.)<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi" target="_blank"><img alt="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi" border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="661" height="237" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NssSuODYQVU/WqlP62rH-vI/AAAAAAAAkGk/okWkLaRFY3Q5KOCqwi6jyY0i0iVJ-KpxwCLcBGAs/s400/pi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now you understand why we are all eating pie today.<br />
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Today is also <a href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-learn-about-butterflies-day-march-14/" target="_blank">National Learn About Butterflies Day</a>. <i>That, </i>I can get into, even more than pie. These days, I'm spending a good deal of time sharing information about butterflies, specifically, the monarch butterfly.<br />
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<a href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-learn-about-butterflies-day-march-14/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-learn-about-butterflies-day-march-14/" border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="786" height="167" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LfDbFOnVlOo/WqlO0Ai4cII/AAAAAAAAkGY/6uroj_itt60vhuUYyhJBW2YfphRUlXn6gCLcBGAs/s320/National-Learn-About-Butterflies-Day-March-14-1024x512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Monarchs are unique among their kind. They do things that no other butterflies do. You know, like travel up to 3000 miles to a place they've never been before – a very specific place – the same place their ancestors have gone for thousands of years.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsZ1co3ZG6I/WqlHxDpsi7I/AAAAAAAAkF0/EjGrZhtOrJYlvmCwvBKBqD5yP5Pna7dxgCLcBGAs/s1600/cerro%2Bpelon%2B2%2B20%2B18%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsZ1co3ZG6I/WqlHxDpsi7I/AAAAAAAAkF0/EjGrZhtOrJYlvmCwvBKBqD5yP5Pna7dxgCLcBGAs/s1600/cerro%2Bpelon%2B2%2B20%2B18%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cerro Pelon monarch sanctuary, February 22, 2018</td></tr>
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I just returned from visiting three of the monarch sanctuaries in Central Mexico, where these beautiful butterflies go to wait out the winter until it's time for them to make the return trip north. (They're heading north now!) As I stood high on the mountains in the sanctuaries (around 10,000 feet above sea level), I considered this insect and its story. I thought about just what it took for each of those thousands and thousands of monarchs to get to where they were at that very moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9nK6J-NVN1Y/WqlJ-FLjxhI/AAAAAAAAkGA/iNergG8dQdUkD7jW5_9Llu2RqbnjMlcwwCLcBGAs/s1600/el%2Brosario%2B2%2B21%2B18%2Bc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9nK6J-NVN1Y/WqlJ-FLjxhI/AAAAAAAAkGA/iNergG8dQdUkD7jW5_9Llu2RqbnjMlcwwCLcBGAs/s1600/el%2Brosario%2B2%2B21%2B18%2Bc.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Rosario monarch sanctuary, February 21, 2018</td></tr>
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If you don't know about the unique life cycle (including the migration) of the monarch, you're missing one of nature's most fascinating phenomenons. I suggest that you pick up a copy of my book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2pb3nYl" target="_blank"><i>THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></a>, to learn about it. At a current price of $12.88 on Amazon, this 160-page hardcover book is a bargain, packed with facts, anecdotal stories, projects, plant and predator information, and resources for learning even more.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2pb3nYl" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2pb3nYl" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4hXqFvxHHYk/WTGA0CXTyHI/AAAAAAAAawg/7ObUBWiUuMQGLtSeh8On0mU8iJIca_qFwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/monarch%2Bcover%2Bbordered%2B420.jpg" /></a></div>
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Today, in honor of National Learn About Butterflies day, I'm giving away one signed copy of my book. All you need to do is leave a comment on at least one of these places:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3070488376505303445&postID=4100990460528857494&isPopup=true" target="_blank">Here on this blog post</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheMonarchBook/posts/160672001311714" target="_blank">This post</a> on my book's Facebook page</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kyleebaumle/posts/10155092071287001" target="_blank">This post</a> on my personal Facebook page </li>
</ul>
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On this coming Sunday night, March 18, 2018, at midnight EDT, a random winner will be chosen from all the entries. You can enter on all three locations, which will increase your chances of winning, but only three total entries are permitted per person.<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/FolioandFocusCo" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.etsy.com/shop/FolioandFocusCo" border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BFm8m9xEQz0/WqlMZKaNYII/AAAAAAAAkGM/pw4XwLqMdBAJId1CrX20Up0xc1XvOkvnACLcBGAs/s200/FolioandFocus%2Bcopy%2Ba.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
If you don't want to take your chances on this giveaway, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/510209736/the-monarch-saving-our-most-loved?ref=shop_home_feat_1" target="_blank">signed copies of <i>THE MONARCH</i></a> are also available for purchase in my Etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/FolioandFocusCo" target="_blank">Folio and Focus Co</a>. Signed copies of my first book, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/510235918/indoor-plant-decor-the-design-stylebook?ref=shop_home_active_2" target="_blank"><i>Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants</i></a>, are also available, as well as a unique <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/510574782/two-toned-love-butterfly-vegan-leather?ref=listing-shop-header-2" target="_blank">handmade butterfly bracelet</a> (only one left!).<br />
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Enter to win now, and then go have a piece of pie.<br />
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<b>CONGRATULATIONS</b> to Gail for winning the signed copy of my book! And thank you to all who entered here and on Facebook.<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-44225017693391123832018-02-14T23:30:00.000-05:002018-02-16T23:09:38.312-05:00Niki Jabbour's VEGGIE GARDEN REMIX - Win One!<br />
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One of the best things about gardening
is that there is an unlimited choice of things to grow. We tend to
grow those things that we love, year after year, but it's always fun
to try something new, too.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T4RqhXPpPgw/WoUVzzrGnDI/AAAAAAAAhcE/wWdKly0edEo_-gUEXa6GT3PpbE3Zk6ovQCLcBGAs/s1600/purplebeans_7_8_08%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="411" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T4RqhXPpPgw/WoUVzzrGnDI/AAAAAAAAhcE/wWdKly0edEo_-gUEXa6GT3PpbE3Zk6ovQCLcBGAs/s320/purplebeans_7_8_08%2Ba.JPG" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In 2008, I grew a lot of purple veggies. This<br />
is <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> 'Purple Queen'.</td></tr>
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One year, I decided to grow purple
veggies. Researching what vegetables came in purple, I was surprised
to find out how many there were. I already knew about eggplant and
cabbage, of course, but there was also sweet corn, okra, potatoes,
“green” beans, carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, and several others.</div>
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Seeds were purchased and planted, and
my purple vegetable garden was born.</div>
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When I would talk about my purple
veggie garden, the number one question I got was, “Do the purple
ones taste the same as the regular colored ones?” And the answer
was yes. There was no discernible difference, other than slight
variations you would expect from one cultivar to another, independent
of color.</div>
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Besides being fun to do, I learned
something along the way. Those purple beans magically turned green
when they were cooked! We called them our <a href="https://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/2008/07/magic-purple-beans.html" target="_blank">magic beans</a>.</div>
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For all of you adventurous gardeners,
there's a new book that will have you salivating at all the wonderful
and quirky choices available for growing. Niki Jabbour, star of
growing year round, even though she lives in Nova Scotia, and author
of bestselling <a href="http://amzn.to/2HfKN8T" target="_blank"><i>The Year Round Vegetable Gardener</i></a>, has written a fun
new book – <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2ClZ6Fh" target="_blank"><i>Niki Jabbour's Veggie Garden Remix</i></a></b>.</div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2ClZ6Fh" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2ClZ6Fh" border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7KX3McvIQ5I/WoUXmZqxHdI/AAAAAAAAhcM/Gc7dJXSZdoMY0P9fEiaSEF_n-kJ70_EPwCLcBGAs/s1600/veggie%2Bgarden%2Bremix%2Bcover%2Bbordered.jpg" /></a></div>
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This book is like looking at a
catalog of 224 choices of a wide variety of edibles that you may not
have thought about growing or may not have even known existed! But
better than a plant catalog, Niki shares growing tips, plant origins,
how and when to plant and harvest, different ways to use them, and a
host of other information.</div>
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If your vegetable garden has become a
little ho-hum, or you've lost a little enthusiasm for gardening in
general, Niki's book can jump start it all again. How can you get
bored growing things with names like 'Poona Kheera' (cucumber) and
'Orange Jelly' (turnip). I'm not a turnip fan, but ORANGE JELLY!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AliPwJyZdCI/WoUa7d9Ok-I/AAAAAAAAhcU/IiusrRK8FfgJplLyO9oTEFkRG1eJx9fvACLcBGAs/s1600/veggie%2Bgarden%2Bremix%2Bcarrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AliPwJyZdCI/WoUa7d9Ok-I/AAAAAAAAhcU/IiusrRK8FfgJplLyO9oTEFkRG1eJx9fvACLcBGAs/s1600/veggie%2Bgarden%2Bremix%2Bcarrots.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A carrot in parentheses!</td></tr>
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I can think of no better way to begin
this year's garden than flipping through this book and making a list
of seeds that will elevate my veggie-growing space to stellar star
status. It's like how I used to go through the Sears Christmas catalog the day it came and I made a list of all the toys I wanted. That was such fun, too.</div>
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We've been doing the <a href="https://www.blueapron.com/" target="_blank">Blue Apron</a> thing
for over a year now, and we've been introduced to some foods that we
might otherwise not have known about. We found new foods to love,
including some you'll find in Niki's book.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">Win a copy of <a href="http://amzn.to/2CmqhQr" target="_blank">Veggie Garden Remix</a>! </span></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2CmqhQr" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2CmqhQr" border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="428" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7KX3McvIQ5I/WoUXmZqxHdI/AAAAAAAAhcM/GgGAPBfqRlUy47tddEpwMnUD8wMaMkiWwCEwYBhgL/s200/veggie%2Bgarden%2Bremix%2Bcover%2Bbordered.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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I was sent a complimentary copy of
Niki's book and you could win a copy of your own! </div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just comment on this blog post by
midnight, EST, on Sunday, February 25, 2018. One random commentor
will get a copy of Niki Jabbour's <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2ClZ6Fh" target="_blank"><i>Veggie Garden Remix</i></a></b> sent to them
from her publisher, Storey Books. Be sure to indicate how you'd like for me to contact you, in case you're the winner.</div>
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<b>Good luck!</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3TzuZz9m9DY/WoUh9mriLuI/AAAAAAAAhck/SOmt5cApww0eiUSSYKyrX7WhucqgqLSMACLcBGAs/s1600/niki%2Bjabbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3TzuZz9m9DY/WoUh9mriLuI/AAAAAAAAhck/SOmt5cApww0eiUSSYKyrX7WhucqgqLSMACLcBGAs/s320/niki%2Bjabbour.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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<b>Niki Jabbour</b> is the award-winning author of <i>Niki Jabbour</i>’<i>s Veggie Garden Remix</i>, <i>The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener</i>, and <i>Groundbreaking Food Gardens</i>. Her work is found in <i>Fine Gardening</i>, <i>Garden Making</i>, <i>Birds & Blooms</i>, <i>Horticulture</i>,
and other publications, and she speaks widely on food gardening at
events and shows across North America. She is the host and creator of <i>The Weekend Gardener</i> radio show. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is online at <a href="http://nikijabbour.com/">nikijabbour.com</a>.</div>
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Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-34510217351375336162018-01-22T11:34:00.001-05:002018-01-22T19:39:20.021-05:00Listen to the Sounds of Monarch Butterfly Wings in the Cerro Pelon Reserve in Mexico!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uOw7J0nyXJY/WmYIR2uP-dI/AAAAAAAAgZU/0FssBdAO2NM2HoweIEMZ9xUruHyHgimNQCLcBGAs/s1600/microphone-icon-small-preview%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="275" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uOw7J0nyXJY/WmYIR2uP-dI/AAAAAAAAgZU/0FssBdAO2NM2HoweIEMZ9xUruHyHgimNQCLcBGAs/s200/microphone-icon-small-preview%2B2.png" width="149" /></a></div>
I just learned of a project that allows you to hear sounds in various locations around the world. Called <a href="http://locusonus.org/" target="_blank">Locus Sonus</a>, it is a French-based research network that focuses on the relationship between sound and space. It had its beginnings in 2005, and works in cooperation with several research labs throughout the world, including the <a href="http://www.saic.edu/" target="_blank">School of the Art Institute</a> (SAIC) in Chicago.<br />
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While I don't entirely understand their goal or purpose, what I do know is that they set up listening devices using open mics in places in order to capture their soundscape. Mainly an artistic endeavor, it relies on technology and science to operate.<br />
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Why am I interested in this? Because one of the locations where a microphone is located is in the Cerro Pelon monarch butterfly sanctuary in <span class="st">Michoacán</span>, Mexico. By tuning in to this particular channel, you can hear the sounds of monarch butterfly wings, birds chirping, and wind through the trees in the location where the monarch butterflies were first found in their wintering location in 1975.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUaU6n2WOuQ/WmYJsMqSJZI/AAAAAAAAgZg/YinV1UjHDoYDhEw55AQyXaW9-i2GluZagCLcBGAs/s1600/locustream%2Bsoundmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1356" height="185" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUaU6n2WOuQ/WmYJsMqSJZI/AAAAAAAAgZg/YinV1UjHDoYDhEw55AQyXaW9-i2GluZagCLcBGAs/s400/locustream%2Bsoundmap.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on graphic to enlarge soundmap. To go to the site, click <a href="http://locusonus.org/soundmap/051/" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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The listening map is located <a href="http://locusonus.org/soundmap/051/" target="_blank">here</a> and you can find the Cerro Pelon mic in Mexico and click on it. You'll want to have your sound turned up to its maximum level in order to hear the low level sounds.<br />
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The listening equipment is solar powered, so there will be times when no sound is being transmitted (at night, for example, which will be indicated by the darkened areas on the map) and the volume may vary. It's very new, so there will be times when equipment adjustments are being made. During those times, the microphone may not appear on the map. Check back later. It will be worth it!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M7kwB2DyP00/WmYNXoHX4OI/AAAAAAAAgZs/SgkfbRzpruUW8qMTxXZDHEPSe5SJ5_UUQCLcBGAs/s1600/sierra%2Bchincua%2Bkylee%2Blooking%2Bat%2Bmonarch%2Bclusters%2B3%2B3%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M7kwB2DyP00/WmYNXoHX4OI/AAAAAAAAgZs/SgkfbRzpruUW8qMTxXZDHEPSe5SJ5_UUQCLcBGAs/s1600/sierra%2Bchincua%2Bkylee%2Blooking%2Bat%2Bmonarch%2Bclusters%2B3%2B3%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking it all in at Sierra Chincua sanctuary, March 3rd, 2017.</td></tr>
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Having been in a couple of the monarch sanctuaries myself, I can confirm that yes, it's very subtle, very quiet, which is the beauty in it, especially when you're in its midst. Just as in the actual location, you will not hear loud <i>anything </i>streaming through the microphone and you might be underwhelmed by what you hear. But make no mistake, you can hear those delicate wing flutters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the sun is out, the monarchs can be seen fluttering about, like<br />
these, in El Rosario sanctuary on March 2nd, 2017.</td></tr>
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Because the monarchs are much more active on sunny days, this will affect what you hear when listening in. If it's cloudy or rainy, you won't hear the sounds of butterfly wings, because the monarchs will be clustered together on the trees with very few, if any, flying around. So if you don't hear them at first try, go back and give it a listen on different days at different times. I got lucky and heard the wing flutters the first time I tuned in. 🦋<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-60897853176290857942018-01-20T09:45:00.000-05:002018-01-20T09:45:15.191-05:00How the Lifesaver Plant Got Its Name<br />
Winter is a time when most of my houseplants get the most love they're ever going to get. That's because if I want to keep these plants - mostly tropicals - they have to live in the house with us during the winter and I generally pay more attention to those things that share my living space. We're in Zone 5b here and it gets way too cold for them to stay outside year round.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These begonias do well in the bright shade of the pergola, but need to <br />
go inside for the winter.</td></tr>
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One day, in the summer of 2016, I went nursery hopping with my good friend, Shelley, and while I showed some restraint as we visited various places, only buying what I needed for a photo shoot for a trade industry magazine article I was doing, I found something I couldn't live without. It only cost a few dollars, but we all know that when it comes to plants, cost often has little to do with our buying decisions.<br />
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I'd heard about the lifesaver plant many years ago and had seen photos of it - such a cactus-y looking thing with surreal candy blooms. I wondered if those flowers (I felt funny even calling them that) really looked as plasticky in real life.<br />
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But now here it was, right in front of me, and oh boy, yeah. It really did look like its photos. So I bought it. In the time since that day, it has taken turns growing in the house, in the conservatory, and outside during the summer. It seems to be a happy camper no matter where it is. You've got to love a plant like that.<br />
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Here are the growing stats:<br />
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<b>Common name:</b> Lifesaver plant<br />
<b>Botanical name:</b> <i>Huernia zebrina</i><br />
<b>Plant type:</b> Succulent<br />
<b>Zone:</b> 10<br />
<b>Light:</b> Full sun<br />
<b>Water:</b> Let dry thoroughly between watering, then soak. Tolerates neglectful watering. <br />
<b>Height: </b>Under 6 inches<b> </b><br />
<b>Bloom time:</b> Intermittent<br />
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<b>FUN FACT:</b> Huernia zebrina belongs to the same family as milkweed - <span class="_Tgc _s8w _y9e _BBn">Apocynaceae. But no, monarch butterflies don't use it as a host plant. 😉</span></blockquote>
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For ideas on how to use houseplants that coordinate with your personal style and decor, see my first book, co-authored with Jenny Peterson: <a href="http://amzn.to/2EYfttk" target="_blank"><i>Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants</i></a>. (2013, St. Lynn's Press)<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-10806067221328134362018-01-19T11:10:00.000-05:002018-01-19T11:10:16.392-05:00Return to Mexico and the Monarchs<br />
I haven't yet blogged in detail about my visit to the monarch sanctuaries in Mexico last March, and I promise I will, VERY soon. That was a trip I will never ever forget, and not just because of what I saw, but because of what I felt. Seldom in my life have I been moved to tears by the very sight of something so magnificent. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clusters of monarchs in the El Rosario sanctuary, on March 2, 2017</td></tr>
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When I left Mexico, I knew I wanted to return sometime, but I didn't know if that would be a reality or not. And then I got a message a few days before Christmas from Jim West, owner of <a href="http://www.craftours.com/index.php" target="_blank">Craftours</a>, the world's largest touring company in the craft industry. He asked me this:<br />
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"...we are working with the <a href="https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/" target="_blank">SAVE THE MONARCHS FOUNDATION</a> and we are interested in knowing if you would like to be our special guest for a tour in Mexico when we actually go to a monarch sanctuary and see hundreds and thousands of these beautiful monarchs."</blockquote>
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Well...ummm...let me think about that. FOR TWO SECONDS!<br />
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To make a long story short, yes, I will be returning to Mexico to see the monarchs, along with 18 other people. I will be their go-to person for questions and information about the monarchs. I'm really glad that I've been there before, because that gives me background experience along with the information I've learned over the years, in order to help make the trip more interesting and enjoyable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Sun Man</i> in the Cosmovitral</td></tr>
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I'll be there February 19-26 and will be visiting three sanctuaries this time. <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150796-d152935-Reviews-El_Rosario_Monarch_Butterfly_Preserve-Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" target="_blank">El Rosario</a> and <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150796-d506959-Reviews-Sierra_Chincua_Butterfly_Sanctuary-Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" target="_blank">Sierra Chincua</a>, which I visited last March, and a third, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g499427-d506245-Reviews-Piedra_Herrada_Sanctuary-Valle_de_Bravo_Central_Mexico_and_Gulf_Coast.html" target="_blank">Piedra Herrada</a>, which I've not yet seen. We'll be going to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmovitral" target="_blank">Cosmovitral </a>in Toluca, which I've also seen, and is one of the most unique botanical gardens in the world. But we'll be traveling in and out of Mexico City this time, so visiting that city will be a new experience for me.<br />
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With just one month to go before I head out, I'm starting to get pretty excited about it all, and I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with my fellow travelers. I'll be sure to keep you posted when I go, with photos and updates via Facebook.<br />
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You can read more about the trip <a href="http://www.craftours.com/trips/?page=mexico_monarch_0218" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-38377942285812282132018-01-13T04:32:00.001-05:002018-01-13T04:32:53.531-05:00A Visit With Sue Grafton, Author<br />
In June of 2016, garden communicators from GWA Region III had a two-day get-together in the Louisville, Kentucky, area. One of the highlights of the garden tours was a visit to the home and gardens of author <a href="http://suegrafton.com/" target="_blank">Sue Grafton</a>, whose home is just east of Louisville.<br />
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If you aren't aware of who Ms. Grafton is, perhaps you've heard of her books. She's the prolific author of the "Alphabet Series" of detective novels. Beginning with <a href="http://amzn.to/2CNtHfX" target="_blank"><i>A is for Alibi</i></a> in 1982 and ending with <a href="http://amzn.to/2FlT1eG" target="_blank"><i>Y is for Yesterday</i></a> in 2017, she wrote the series after a 15-year career writing screenplays.<br />
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When we sat in Grafton's sunroom that Friday afternoon, listening to her share writing methods and anecdotes about her writing career, we didn't know that she already was battling cancer.<br />
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On December 28, 2017, we were saddened to hear that Sue Grafton lost that battle and passed away at her second home in Santa Barbara, California.<br />
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Those of us who had the privilege of spending that day with her began reminiscing about it. I realized I'd never written a blog post about the visit, so I'm righting that wrong here and now.<br />
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When I heard a couple of months prior that we were going to be visiting Sue Grafton's home, I immediately bought a copy of the first book in her famous series. Though many who attended that day were already fans of her writing, I had yet to read a single book she'd penned. Detective novels aren't my favorite genre (that would be historical fiction), but I wanted to read at least one before I met her.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2qSpvtL" target="_blank"><i>A is for Alibi</i></a> was a good read. By the time I got to the ending, which was worded brilliantly, I could understand how and why people were so enamored with her writing.<br />
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Of course, I took my copy of her book with me for her to sign, which she so graciously did. I gave her a copy of my own first book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2D3npw7" target="_blank"><i>Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants</i></a>, as a hostess gift.<br />
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Sue and her husband, Steven Humphrey, purchased their beautiful home in 2000. The property encompasses nearly 30 acres and was the former estate of hardware mogul <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Richardson_Belknap" target="_blank">William Belknap</a>. The home was built in 1911, and Belknap named it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincliff" target="_blank">Lincliff</a>. Situated along the Ohio River, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Sue Grafton welcomes garden writer and author, <a href="http://amzn.to/2CZQW9N" target="_blank">Barbara Wise</a>,<br />
to her Louisville home.</td></tr>
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We started our visit with Sue welcoming us into her home, where we then settled in for a fun and informative chat with her. She explained how she approaches her writing and encouraged us to be less inhibited in our own writing.<br />
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Her husband, Steve, gave a tour of the gardens, but we were also allowed to roam her property at our leisure.<br />
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The gardens were formal in design, which complimented the Georgian Revival style home. It was Steve who took on the restoration of the gardens and he did his research, discovering that John Olmsted, nephew of Frederick Law Olmsted, designed the original residential layout.<br />
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About 20 years after the home was built, it was landscape architect Bryant Fleming, designer of Nashville's Cheekwood Estate, that created the gardens. Steve had access to the original plans and used them to guide his restoration.<br />
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Steve became interested in gardening before Sue, and he taught her to appreciate the finer points of landscaping. Besides the tailored gardens on the property, they grow edibles too, such as potatoes, asparagus, and an assortment of berries. I don't recall seeing that part of their gardens, but our time was limited enough that we couldn't take in the entire property.<br />
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At the time of our visit, Sue fielded a question about what she would do once the final letter "Z" was finished in her series of Kinsey Milhone adventures. Since she had just finished writing <a href="http://amzn.to/2r02Zzr" target="_blank"><i>Y is for Yesterday</i></a>, which was released three months after our visit, she still had plenty to think about for <i>Z is for Zero</i>, slated for release sometime in 2019. But she said she had no writing plans past "Z."<br />
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When news reported Ms. Grafton's passing, her daughter, Jamie Clark, spoke on behalf of the family:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“She was adamant that her books would never be turned into movies or TV
shows, and in that same vein, she would never
allow a ghost writer to write in her name. Because of all of those
things, and out of the deep abiding love and respect for our dear sweet
Sue, as far as we in the family are concerned, the alphabet now ends at
Y.”</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GWA Region III meeting attendees.<br />
The region includes Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin,<br />
Michigan, and West Virginia.</td></tr>
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-21065886934955374592018-01-10T13:22:00.000-05:002018-01-13T02:34:43.259-05:002017 Happened Like This<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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There's no better way to get back into the blogging habit that just starting. I've intended to do this countless times and always got interrupted before I could finish. Now here we are, at the beginning of another new year and I'm long overdue for an update! I've tried to keep up with many of you as you traversed your busy year too, but I know I've missed some of your adventures. Why does life have to move along so quickly?</div>
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This blog post is longer than I usually write, but I'll try to briefly recap what I've been up to, with some more detailed blog posts later.</div>
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<b>January </b>brought a bathroom remodel that was a year later in coming than we'd planned. We only have one full bath in this house, and it had been 25 years since the last update, so this was kind of a big deal.</div>
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I was pretty happy about the updated bathroom, but the really exciting thing that January brought was the culmination of months of work towards the formation of a <a href="http://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/2017/01/ohio-gets-new-license-plate-to-benefit.html" target="_blank">specialized license plate for the state of Ohio that would benefit the monarch butterfly</a>. It officially was available for sale on January 11<sup>th</sup> and I was right there at my local BMV when they opened, to get mine.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_fy29u-hMQw/WlTwwpycUkI/AAAAAAAAgK0/rseuiRJc7BQdiO-vEveTAvJ7fGC63y0hACLcBGAs/s1600/monarch%2Blicense%2Bplate%2Bimage%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1200" height="103" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_fy29u-hMQw/WlTwwpycUkI/AAAAAAAAgK0/rseuiRJc7BQdiO-vEveTAvJ7fGC63y0hACLcBGAs/s200/monarch%2Blicense%2Bplate%2Bimage%2Ba.JPG" width="200" /></a>This gave me great satisfaction, because it shows you don't have to “be someone” to get things done. With the sale of each monarch organizational plate, <a href="http://pollinator.org/monarchmatch.htm" target="_blank">Monarch Wings Across Ohio</a> will receive $15 for monarch research. As long as 25 plates are sold each year, they will keep it available to anyone who has a licensed vehicle in the state of Ohio.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarchs cling to oyamel fir trees in the Sierra Chincua monarch reserve<br />
in the Transvolcanic mountains of Central Mexico.</td></tr>
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The end of <b>February </b>found Romie and me heading south to Mexico to see the monarchs in their overwintering grounds. <a href="https://plantpostings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beth and Ernie Stetenfeld</a> from Wisconsin joined us for the six-day trip, and I can't say in a brief paragraph what a wonderful experience it was to fulfill this bucket list item. So there will definitely be a few more posts about it.</div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2CXFUCa" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2CXFUCa" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ss6NI-X3460/WlT07-aERgI/AAAAAAAAgLY/0SvWqkj75iwuVTooJHQFO4qP4ofMsJ7owCLcBGAs/s320/The%2BMonarch%2BBook%2BCover%2B800%2Bborder%2B-%2B300%2Bdpi%2B-%2B420.jpg" width="320" /></a>March ushered in a much anticipated spring and all of a sudden, it was <b>April</b>. This was a roller coaster of an emotional month, as my second book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2CXFUCa" target="_blank"><i>THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></a>, was released. On Earth Day, April 22<sup>nd</sup>. The Paulding County Carnegie Library hosted a book release party and the event was very successful and a lot of fun.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ss1LwuiFMA/WlT3XZkC5eI/AAAAAAAAgLk/aQwS8MZLBroY6XuJwf7RizNS0ZSSoho7ACLcBGAs/s1600/book%2Bsigning%2Bpaulding%2Blibrary%2B4%2B22%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ss1LwuiFMA/WlT3XZkC5eI/AAAAAAAAgLk/aQwS8MZLBroY6XuJwf7RizNS0ZSSoho7ACLcBGAs/s1600/book%2Bsigning%2Bpaulding%2Blibrary%2B4%2B22%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pauldingcountylibrary.org/" target="_blank">The Paulding County Carnegie Library</a> threw a fun and fabulous party<br />
celebrating the release of my book.</td></tr>
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Later that same day, my 102-year-old grandma passed away. We knew it was coming, and she lived a wonderfully long and full life, but it doesn't make it any easier. In fact, it might be harder, because when you've had a grandma like her for nearly 60 years, you really can't imagine your life without her. But we do have hundreds and hundreds of memories to cherish.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXRRs2WiHyQ/WlT5nb1ANnI/AAAAAAAAgLw/bRCAOz30M98M3_KkigVI7Tpv2fktGPx3wCLcBGAs/s1600/nannie%2Bchristmas%2B2016%2B420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aXRRs2WiHyQ/WlT5nb1ANnI/AAAAAAAAgLw/bRCAOz30M98M3_KkigVI7Tpv2fktGPx3wCLcBGAs/s1600/nannie%2Bchristmas%2B2016%2B420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo of my grandma and me was taken on Christmas Eve 2016, two<br />
days before her 102nd birthday. It's the last photo I have with her.</td></tr>
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When I was writing my book, I consulted with <a href="http://sbc.edu/stem/wp-content/uploads/sites/85/cv-brower-7-2017.pdf" target="_blank">Dr. Lincoln Brower</a>, one of the world's foremost authorities on monarchs. He's in his 80s now and is a research professor at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. I wanted to meet him and personally give him a copy of my book, so I asked if I could do so. He graciously invited me to his home so Romie, my mom, and I planned a trip for May. We spent the afternoon with him and then we all went to dinner. Meeting him was one of the highlights of my year.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFcaPYKzNhY/WlUBbjFZShI/AAAAAAAAgMA/5k1-hx6ho2Y-sdj1H9pidFbTilLB-h_kgCLcBGAs/s1600/kylee%2Band%2Blincoln%2Bbrower%2B5%2B4%2B17%2Bby%2Bmom%2B420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AFcaPYKzNhY/WlUBbjFZShI/AAAAAAAAgMA/5k1-hx6ho2Y-sdj1H9pidFbTilLB-h_kgCLcBGAs/s1600/kylee%2Band%2Blincoln%2Bbrower%2B5%2B4%2B17%2Bby%2Bmom%2B420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Lincoln Brower when I visited him in<br />
his Virginia home in May.</td></tr>
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On this same trip, we stopped in Pittsburgh to visit my publisher's offices – <a href="http://www.stlynnspress.com/" target="_blank">St. Lynn's Press</a>. We learned that the office space was previously held by a company that my husband's employer does business with on a regular basis. It was a “six degrees of separation” moment!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vX77ZUqqp88/WlUH-8ucYJI/AAAAAAAAgMU/qnAeO2tIPu8muIUAc5KgDdGVZ-FTT-kHwCLcBGAs/s1600/st%2Blynns%2Bpress%2Bteam%2B5%2B2%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vX77ZUqqp88/WlUH-8ucYJI/AAAAAAAAgMU/qnAeO2tIPu8muIUAc5KgDdGVZ-FTT-kHwCLcBGAs/s1600/st%2Blynns%2Bpress%2Bteam%2B5%2B2%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, with my St. Lynn's Press #TeamMonarch: Holly Rosborough, Chloe Wertz,<br />
and Paul Kelly. My editor, Cathy Dees, was away, in California.</td></tr>
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While in Pittsburgh, we also visited <a href="https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/" target="_blank">Phipps Conservatory</a>, took a night trip to a location overlooking the city that I learned of from <a href="http://amzn.to/2CNzeDj" target="_blank"><i>Atlas Obscura</i></a>, and had dinner with friend, <a href="http://www.jessicawalliser.com/" target="_blank">Jessica Walliser</a>, author of several books and radio show host.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bbHeZOJVNhU/WlUa6_-IjgI/AAAAAAAAgMk/7iYXE6k-xwswOaayYTQDFT160j7dWWV7ACLcBGAs/s1600/phipps%2Bconservatory%2B5%2B2%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bbHeZOJVNhU/WlUa6_-IjgI/AAAAAAAAgMk/7iYXE6k-xwswOaayYTQDFT160j7dWWV7ACLcBGAs/s1600/phipps%2Bconservatory%2B5%2B2%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iJuxunulqc/WlUcoeKjz_I/AAAAAAAAgMw/On6vkqnfS0MFRpCJnenMvaNUlEsq-irawCLcBGAs/s1600/pittsburgh%2Bat%2Bnight%2B5%2B3%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iJuxunulqc/WlUcoeKjz_I/AAAAAAAAgMw/On6vkqnfS0MFRpCJnenMvaNUlEsq-irawCLcBGAs/s1600/pittsburgh%2Bat%2Bnight%2B5%2B3%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Pittsburgh at night, as seen from the West End Overlook</td></tr>
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We then headed a bit south, where we visited the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm" target="_blank">Flight 93 Memorial</a>. Mom and I had been there twice before, but it was Romie's first time. It's a moving experience, no matter how often you see it.</div>
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Continuing on south, we headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, for that visit with Dr. Brower. After overnighting at Sweet Briar College's <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g58232-d2208887-Reviews-The_Elston_Inn_at_Sweet_Briar_College-Sweet_Briar_Virginia.html" target="_blank">Elston Inn</a>, we kept going south.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-fWnh276LU/WlUoGTqWaEI/AAAAAAAAgNM/4McvsmGtpz8CkekSud8jab4oNyjMTSMAACLcBGAs/s1600/grandma%2527s%2Bbirthplace%2Bhouse%2Bcrewe%2Bvirginia%2B5%2B5%2B17%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-fWnh276LU/WlUoGTqWaEI/AAAAAAAAgNM/4McvsmGtpz8CkekSud8jab4oNyjMTSMAACLcBGAs/s1600/grandma%2527s%2Bbirthplace%2Bhouse%2Bcrewe%2Bvirginia%2B5%2B5%2B17%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandma was born here in 1914. Called Ravenwood, it was built in 1849.</td></tr>
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Because we were close enough to Crewe, Virginia, birthplace of my grandma that had just passed away, we wanted to try to find the house where she was born. We knew it was still standing. After a really interesting series of conversations with locals, we found it. I wish we would have been able to share the experience with her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9OUPYrrV9-s/WlmxUBXDV1I/AAAAAAAAgU8/t9MlKP08dz4bidmywWlItH6HMGJ-z-rzACLcBGAs/s1600/jacqui%2Bkylee%2B5%2B19%2B17%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9OUPYrrV9-s/WlmxUBXDV1I/AAAAAAAAgU8/t9MlKP08dz4bidmywWlItH6HMGJ-z-rzACLcBGAs/s1600/jacqui%2Bkylee%2B5%2B19%2B17%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacqui Knight, from New Zealand, was an absolute delight, and she came<br />to the Paulding County Master Gardeners plant sale before continuing on her<br />journey. I was selling and signing my books at the sale.</td></tr>
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<br />
Also in May, I was thrilled to have a visit from Jacqui Knight, Trustee with <a href="https://www.monarch.org.nz/" target="_blank">Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust</a>. Jacqui lives in Auckland and was in the U.S. on an ambassador trip, visiting key locations in our country for gathering information about the monarch. She visited Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she met MW founder, Dr. Chip Taylor. She also stayed with Dr. Brower in Virginia, and was working her way back west when she spent a night with us. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5B93HTO_ss/Wlm0wnf78DI/AAAAAAAAgVI/QxlPPsZipDYo6dYiK2OxApDbGRpaTWGtQCLcBGAs/s1600/straight%2Bline%2Bwinds%2Bstorm%2B5%2B18%2B17%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5B93HTO_ss/Wlm0wnf78DI/AAAAAAAAgVI/QxlPPsZipDYo6dYiK2OxApDbGRpaTWGtQCLcBGAs/s1600/straight%2Bline%2Bwinds%2Bstorm%2B5%2B18%2B17%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a mile from us, power lines were knocked flat by straight line winds.</td></tr>
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We showed her some good old <a href="http://wane.com/2017/05/19/national-weather-service-assessing-damage-in-paulding-county/" target="_blank">Paulding County straight line winds</a>, complete with a power outage! Since we had no power, we drove to Van Wert for supper. We didn't regain our power until late that night, but since you don't need electricity to talk, Jacqui and I had some good conversation about the monarch we both love so much. New Zealand has its own small population of monarchs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9_yLpGPI_c/WlUqSx3R0ZI/AAAAAAAAgNY/ybaJBvg_oYseS73n_8iTh0DYfzSULyMOwCLcBGAs/s1600/us%2Bbotanical%2Bgarden%2B6%2B23%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9_yLpGPI_c/WlUqSx3R0ZI/AAAAAAAAgNY/ybaJBvg_oYseS73n_8iTh0DYfzSULyMOwCLcBGAs/s1600/us%2Bbotanical%2Bgarden%2B6%2B23%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="https://www.usbg.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Botanic Garden</a> is situated on the National Mall, near The Capital.<br />
See the dome of The Capital just left of center?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AI1nPt0tUHU/WlUraZJtmYI/AAAAAAAAgNk/Z6MmMEO-nnY2ej9CHMB1oju-Vw3Lz9ErgCLcBGAs/s1600/fling%2Bgroup%2Bpicture%2B6%2B23%2B17%2B420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AI1nPt0tUHU/WlUraZJtmYI/AAAAAAAAgNk/Z6MmMEO-nnY2ej9CHMB1oju-Vw3Lz9ErgCLcBGAs/s1600/fling%2Bgroup%2Bpicture%2B6%2B23%2B17%2B420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flingers at <a href="https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Hillwood Estate</a>, home Marjorie Merriweather Post.</td></tr>
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<b>June </b>brought the annual Garden Bloggers Fling, this time held in the Washington, D.C. area. I'll have more later on the gardens we saw, but one of the highlights of the Fling is getting to be with garden blogger friends that we may only get to see once a year, as well as meeting some for the first time.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFaPo2Dc8Rk/WlYNmy9Cl4I/AAAAAAAAgN4/sz5pHq1ZQLsqPu9Gmbq_bIY2RawDGF8_wCLcBGAs/s1600/chris%2Bhansen%2Bgarden%2B6%2B30%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFaPo2Dc8Rk/WlYNmy9Cl4I/AAAAAAAAgN4/sz5pHq1ZQLsqPu9Gmbq_bIY2RawDGF8_wCLcBGAs/s1600/chris%2Bhansen%2Bgarden%2B6%2B30%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just part of the spectacular rock gardens at Chris Hansen's home.</td></tr>
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We weren't home very long when Mom and I took off again, this time to Holland, MI, where we visited Chris Hansen, breeder of the popular <a href="http://www.sunsparklersedums.com/" target="_blank">SunSparkler®</a> and <a href="https://www.chickcharms.net/" target="_blank">Chick Charms®</a> sedums. His gardens at his beautiful home are captivatingly designed and I wanted to spend oodles of time looking at the hundreds of varieties of rock garden plants he has there.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FFX1oLx034/WlYSxfpKpRI/AAAAAAAAgOI/SfLHAFvu7y4u44j2TI7vv2uoPjnKFIt1QCLcBGAs/s1600/susan%2Bmartin%2B7%2B1%2B17%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FFX1oLx034/WlYSxfpKpRI/AAAAAAAAgOI/SfLHAFvu7y4u44j2TI7vv2uoPjnKFIt1QCLcBGAs/s1600/susan%2Bmartin%2B7%2B1%2B17%2Bb.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan Martin's property is almost entirely in shade, so she has surrounded<br />
her home with a carpet of texture and a kaleidoscope of greens.</td></tr>
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We spent a few days at Chris's home, but we also got to visit one of our favorite garden centers, <a href="http://www.gardencrossings.com/" target="_blank">Garden Crossings</a> (why can't all garden centers be like this?), Chris's <a href="https://conceptplants.com/breeders/garden-solutions-llc/" target="_blank">Garden Solutions</a> business site, the <a href="https://waltersgardens.com/" target="_blank">Walters Gardens</a> display gardens, and we also got to have dinner with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gardenersuenews/" target="_blank">Susan Martin</a>, as well as visiting her lovely woodland garden.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1UIs-ShT0c8/WlYZJIAR4tI/AAAAAAAAgOY/8S7zbIA_r-4FlphhYFVrxEbz30uDZOFbACLcBGAs/s1600/cultivate%2Bpeace%2Btree%2Bfarms%2B7%2B17%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1UIs-ShT0c8/WlYZJIAR4tI/AAAAAAAAgOY/8S7zbIA_r-4FlphhYFVrxEbz30uDZOFbACLcBGAs/s1600/cultivate%2Bpeace%2Btree%2Bfarms%2B7%2B17%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always a must-visit at Cultivate is the <a href="https://www.peacetreefarm.com/" target="_blank">Peace Tree Farm</a> booth.</td></tr>
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<b>July </b>always means a trip to Columbus to attend the <a href="http://cultivate17.org/" target="_blank">Cultivate</a> trade show, where we get to see all kinds of new plants and garden products, as well as talk with industry people. We're fortunate that this is held in our backyard and is an easy trip to our state's capital. Being a member of <a href="http://gardenwriters.org/" target="_blank">GWA</a> (Garden Writers Association) has its perks when it comes to this show, too. (Free admission!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQm8AhZ66EA/WlYudyYmstI/AAAAAAAAgOo/wQE8b1-rOCkKRe6GskwyeWQ15Dl_-kNsACLcBGAs/s1600/gwa%2Bbuffalo%2B8%2B5%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQm8AhZ66EA/WlYudyYmstI/AAAAAAAAgOo/wQE8b1-rOCkKRe6GskwyeWQ15Dl_-kNsACLcBGAs/s1600/gwa%2Bbuffalo%2B8%2B5%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw a myriad of garden ideas in the private gardens of Buffalo that we<br />
toured at the GWA Expo and Symposium.</td></tr>
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The busy summer wasn't over yet. The annual GWA Expo and Symposium was held in <b>August </b>in Buffalo. Mom and I drove up for it and not only did we get to see some of the fabulous gardens that are part of the famous <a href="https://gardensbuffaloniagara.com/events/garden-walk-buffalo/" target="_blank">Garden Walk Buffalo</a> every summer, we took a day and went over the border into Canada, to see Niagara Falls and some gardens there. I'll share more of that in another post, too.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to our Canadian neighbors for the red, white, and blue display!</td></tr>
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Later in the month, Romie and I drove to Nashville to experience the total solar eclipse with our friend, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/flowersinapot" target="_blank">Barbara Wise</a>. I love spending time with Barbara and this was made extra special because of the eclipse. If you've never experienced seeing it in totality, you really must put that on your bucket list. It's nothing like seeing a partial eclipse. Trust me.</div>
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August begins the tagging season for migrating monarchs, and this year, we raised and tagged more than 100 monarchs and sent them on their way to Mexico. It was a great year, and all signs point to the numbers in Mexico being up when they do the count down there for the winter.</div>
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Speaking of monarchs, at the end of August, we were host to Butterbiker <a href="http://www.beyondabook.org/" target="_blank">Sara Dykman</a>, who was on her way back to Mexico and was passing through our area. I spearheaded arranging to have her speak in Ft. Wayne at the University of St. Francis as well as our local elementary school students. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara Dykman, a biologist from Kansas City, as she's leaving a two-night<br />
stay at Our Little Are.</td></tr>
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Sara recently completed a 10,201-mile round trip from Central Mexico to Canada and back again, following the monarch migration, all on her bicycle, spreading monarch awareness all along the way. She's the only person to have done this.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The time together is never long enough. 💕</td></tr>
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We were excited for <b>September </b>to arrive, because our exchange student from Ecuador, who lived with us in 1993-94, Karina, came for a visit, with her husband and two little boys. It was the first time our daughters had seen her since she last visited in 1999. Needless to say, we had an absolute wonderful time and it was fabulous to have her sleeping under our roof again.</div>
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<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Photo courtesy of Jean Persely.</td></tr>
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I had a few speaking engagements this fall, including one at the Monarch Festival in Ft. Wayne, IN. Romie and I also traveled to Midland, MI, in <b>October</b>, where I spoke to a wonderful group of Master Gardeners and others from the community.</div>
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Also in October, Romie, grandson Anthony, and I drove down to the <a href="http://www.cincynature.org/" target="_blank">Cincinnati Nature Center</a> to hear <a href="http://www.monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a> founder, <a href="http://monarchwatch.org/about/direc.htm" target="_blank">Dr. Orley "Chip" Taylor</a>, speak about monarchs. Though we'd exchanged a few emails prior to this, we'd never personally met. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fub0GFjBPAc/WlZIEKCUPCI/AAAAAAAAgQg/xX0_rzPEN-gOT0UOdDQpIE2mKz5pZ438ACLcBGAs/s1600/me%2Bwith%2Bchip%2Band%2Bmy%2Bbook%2Bby%2Bcarol%2B10%2B7%2B17%2Ba%2B420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fub0GFjBPAc/WlZIEKCUPCI/AAAAAAAAgQg/xX0_rzPEN-gOT0UOdDQpIE2mKz5pZ438ACLcBGAs/s1600/me%2Bwith%2Bchip%2Band%2Bmy%2Bbook%2Bby%2Bcarol%2B10%2B7%2B17%2Ba%2B420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Photo courtesy of Carolyn Turner</td></tr>
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Healthwise, the fall wasn't great, as I battled strep twice and bronchitis, but things slow down during that time anyway, with the exception of the holidays. By the middle of November, I was able to get together with several of my fellow dental hygiene classmates (IPFW – Class of 1977), some of whom I hadn't seen for nearly 40 years.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X0OurxGK0_w/WlZFgnpwTjI/AAAAAAAAgQA/1vnXYg9JS8UN9ajETEohxRur16wDA989wCLcBGAs/s1600/40%2Byear%2Bdental%2Bhygiene%2Bclass%2Breunion%2B11%2B10%2B17%2Ba%2B420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X0OurxGK0_w/WlZFgnpwTjI/AAAAAAAAgQA/1vnXYg9JS8UN9ajETEohxRur16wDA989wCLcBGAs/s1600/40%2Byear%2Bdental%2Bhygiene%2Bclass%2Breunion%2B11%2B10%2B17%2Ba%2B420.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's amazing how you can be apart for so long, but once you're back<br />
together again, it's almost as if no time has passed at all. (Almost.)</td></tr>
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That's pretty much it, along with some book signings and a lot of interviews for podcasts, radio, and TV shows. (More about those later.) It was certainly a busy year, but also a fun one and 2018 is looking pretty good, too. </div>
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My next speaking engagement is the regional <a href="http://www.perennialplant.org/" target="_blank">Perennial Plant Association</a> regional meeting in Chicago at <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org/courses/2018-midwest-perennial-plant-association-symposium-plants-pollinators" target="_blank">Morton Arboretum</a> on February 3. I'll be sharing the program schedule with <a href="http://www.bringingnaturehome.net/" target="_blank">Doug Tallamy</a>, author of the bestselling <a href="http://amzn.to/2meXQhi" target="_blank"><i>Bringing Nature Home</i></a>. Yep, I'm name-dropping and I'm a tad bit nervous about the whole thing, but I'm also looking forward to meeting him and hearing him speak.</div>
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Now that you're caught up, I'll do my best to share some details of these fun activities in future posts. And I promise not to go AWOL for so long either. If you're a long-time reader, thanks for hanging in there with me, and if you're new to Our Little Acre, welcome! I encourage you to look through the archives for gardening ideas as well as my ongoing adventures with monarchs. </div>
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And I've got some exciting news on that monarch front! Stay tuned! 🦋</div>
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Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-84345458996299697322017-07-12T18:17:00.002-04:002017-07-13T08:33:46.712-04:00When You Need To Do Some Megaweeding<br />
In a normal year, we would be running the sprinklers on the garden about now, because it would be so hot and dry, with no promise of rain. But this is not a normal year. I'm not sure what that even is anymore. We've just come out of one of the wettest Junes on record and July is off to a soggy start.<br />
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Last night, we had over four inches of rain and we really didn't need <i>any</i>. There was water laying in the field across the road and our next-door neighbor had lakefront property right out his front door. We've got two sump pumps in our basement and both of them running together could barely keep up with the water coming in. Fortunately, we weren't one of several residents in the area that lost that battle.<br />
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All this rain means the gardens are looking fantastic. The hostas appear to be on steroids. The double daylilies are blooming 100% double, for once. And the weeds are growing so fast and so big that I don't recognize them.<br />
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About those weeds... The gardens proper are doing fine in that department, thanks to either full plantings or mulch that's doing its job. But two areas are in desperate need of help. The Berry Barn, which I had completely weeded four weeks ago - it looked fantastic, I promise - now looks as if I haven't set foot in it all year.<br />
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And the grape arbor, well, let's talk about the grape arbor. We first planted grapes in 2008 - Mars, Reliance, and Himrod. We enjoyed these seedless table varieties for many years, until the last couple, when they just didn't do well.<br />
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This spring, ironically, none of the Reliance vines made it through the winter. One Himrod bit the dust and the other one isn't looking that good either. Both of the Mars vines made it, but they aren't producing a single grape. This has caused us to reevaluate this grape thing.<br />
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Romie wanted to just tear out the arbor and be done with it, but I wouldn't have any of that. I love that arbor, grapes or no grapes. So <strike>we</strike> I decided we'd let the grapes that remain do their thing and plant various clematis vines in place of the grapes that died.<br />
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"What if the clematis starts climbing all over the grapes?" he said. "Then they'll look pretty," I said. And that was that. But this post is about weeding, and the base of the grape arbor was absolutely solid weeds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the weeds at the rear of the grape arbor base? The whole thing <br />
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Dandelions, various grasses, a couple of types of clover (and they'd produced seed pods by now), poison ivy, plantain, baptisia seedlings, white mulberry, thistles, Washington hawthorn seedlings, creeping euphorbia, and various other weeds had made themselves right at home while we mulled over what to do.<br />
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Since the arbor was staying and we were growing desirable things on it, these weeds had to go, but oh my gosh, where to start? Images of a bulldozer came to mind, but we didn't have one. I love my family of <a href="http://amzn.to/2tfDaa7" target="_blank">Cobrahead</a> weeders, but this was no match even for those.<br />
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But sometimes, ever so rarely, I have moments of brilliance. They're so few and far between that I'm prouder of them than I have a right to be, mainly because I know that every other person on the planet already knew about this long before I did. But dang, if I wasn't excited about the idea that popped into my head one day when I was doing absolutely nothing and having a good time of it.<br />
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What if... just what if I took my grandpa's manure fork (it looks like a pitchfork) and skimmed across the top of the weed-infested soil, about 2-3 inches deep, loosening the soil so that I could sift out the weeds? This would be better than hoeing because if you cut some of those weeds, that just means if you don't remove all the pieces, you're screwed. Some weeds are like earthworms - cut them up and they make new ones from the pieces.<br />
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I tried my method on a defunct strawberry bed first. It was a small area and I wanted to use the plot for something else. Oh. My. Goodness. Why I had not thought of this earlier, I don't know, but I now don't look at the weediest of beds with disdain anymore. It's actually kind of fun, because it's a much quicker and easier way of removing large quantities of weeds.<br />
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What about the dandelions though? No fork is going to remove those that easily. No, I still had to pull those out individually (unless they were small), but by loosening the soil around them, it made it that much easier to pull them out and get all the roots, especially with soggy soil.<br />
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Until the rains came last night, I made quick work of the grape arbor area. I'll finish up when we dry up a little bit. It won't take me long to finish the grape arbor and then I'll move to the other side of the yard and take care of the mess in the Berry Barn.<br />
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Hallelujah! Who knew weeding could be so easy? (You don't really believe me, do you? Try it!)<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-73004265239933069512017-06-19T23:30:00.000-04:002017-06-20T08:35:14.390-04:00In a Vase on Monday: A Milkweed Bouquet<br />
I didn't intend to put together a bouquet today, although there are plenty of flowers in bloom out in the garden. All I was doing was feeding my monarchs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amwE7e1bHto/WUi2Z8lKInI/AAAAAAAAbUg/wD1xIgjas2kXe5sxmwc_n0pHiJ8ADmDLACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/monarch%2Begg%2Bon%2Bswamp%2Bmilkweed%2B6%2B5%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amwE7e1bHto/WUi2Z8lKInI/AAAAAAAAbUg/wD1xIgjas2kXe5sxmwc_n0pHiJ8ADmDLACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/monarch%2Begg%2Bon%2Bswamp%2Bmilkweed%2B6%2B5%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch egg on swamp milkweed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Right now, I've got a dozen monarchs that I'm raising in the house. I found 11 eggs on various types of milkweed in my garden, and one teeny tiny caterpillar that had just hatched out that day. I don't usually raise them this early in the season, but when I saw the eggs and thought about all that could go wrong if I didn't, I just couldn't leave them out there.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQzpL0f7pC8/WUi2WpkoX7I/AAAAAAAAbUg/IGY_PUgEli08ryRNSRYz8iRVc1AcM0SpQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/monarch%2Bcaterpillar%2Bhatched%2Bon%2B6%2B5%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQzpL0f7pC8/WUi2WpkoX7I/AAAAAAAAbUg/IGY_PUgEli08ryRNSRYz8iRVc1AcM0SpQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/monarch%2Bcaterpillar%2Bhatched%2Bon%2B6%2B5%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly hatched!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We're well past that infant stage now, in fact, two of them are now chrysalides, as of Sunday afternoon. That means that the ten remaining caterpillars are eating voraciously and I'd better keep up with supplying milkweed, or else.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lm1VLH-ID4A/WUi2posuC5I/AAAAAAAAbUg/B0gIK74PL4MansruE8VPADLtjJhaEooMQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/first%2Bmonarch%2Bchrysalis%2B6%2B18%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lm1VLH-ID4A/WUi2posuC5I/AAAAAAAAbUg/B0gIK74PL4MansruE8VPADLtjJhaEooMQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/first%2Bmonarch%2Bchrysalis%2B6%2B18%2B17%2Ba%2B420.JPG" /></a></div>
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So that's what I was doing, going through my garden and cutting milkweed to bring in for them to eat. I decided I would cut four different kinds: common, swamp, butterfly weed, and whorled. The eggs were found on common, swamp and yet another kind I'm growing - poke milkweed. But hey, they'll eat any of it.<br />
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When I put the milkweed in water, in a little vase, and was ready to put it in the terrarium I use for raising them, I thought, "Wow, that's kind of a cool little arrangement." That's why you're looking at a photo of my monarchs' breakfast, lunch, and dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BSy4Tg75ta4/WUi1sej0xjI/AAAAAAAAbUg/94rGgsk3bwgdVFniL3t0r1U1UvB9M2jOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/milkweed%2Bin%2Ba%2Bvase%2Bon%2Bmonday%2B6%2B19%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BSy4Tg75ta4/WUi1sej0xjI/AAAAAAAAbUg/94rGgsk3bwgdVFniL3t0r1U1UvB9M2jOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/milkweed%2Bin%2Ba%2Bvase%2Bon%2Bmonday%2B6%2B19%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
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The wispy one is whorled milkweed (<i>Asclepias verticillata</i>), the yellow-flowering one is butterfly weed (<i>Asclepias tuberosa</i> 'Hello Yellow'), and the other narrow-leaved one is swamp milkweed (<i>Asclepias incarnata</i>). In this photo, it's difficult to tell the difference between the foliage of the latter two, but in real life, butterfly weed has rather hairy or fuzzy leaves, whereas swamp milkweed's leaves are smooth.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxB7JgVi3fM/WUi2YKY0MOI/AAAAAAAAbUg/HWXyDcNBDW8dxH3jtkdKs3NUBMiw86yuACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/milkweed%2Bin%2Ba%2Bvase%2Bon%2Bmonday%2B6%2B19%2B17%2Bd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GxB7JgVi3fM/WUi2YKY0MOI/AAAAAAAAbUg/HWXyDcNBDW8dxH3jtkdKs3NUBMiw86yuACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/milkweed%2Bin%2Ba%2Bvase%2Bon%2Bmonday%2B6%2B19%2B17%2Bd.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterfly weed (<i>Asclepias tuberosa</i>) has been named Perennial Plant of the Year <br />
for 2017 by the Perennial Plant Association. It's usually seen with orange blooms. <br />
This one is 'Hello Yellow'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
All three milkweeds are native to Ohio and many other parts of the country. It's highly recommended that you grow what's native to your area and I give you all the information you need to make those good choices in my book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2sQUOFn" target="_blank"><i>THE MONARCH: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></a>.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_739464354"></span><span id="goog_739464355"></span>It's appropriate that my bouquet is made of milkweed this week especially, since it's National Pollinator Week<i>.</i> And tomorrow, Tuesday, June 20th, I'll be a guest on Twitter's #plantchat, talking about monarchs and my new book. It starts at 2:00 Eastern, so be sure to join in!<br />
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<i>* </i> "In a Vase on Monday " is a blogging meme hosted by Cathy at <a href="https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/category/gardens/in-a-vase-on-monday/" target="_blank"><i>Rambling in the Garden</i></a>.<br />
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<br />
Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-28869611545519636852017-06-10T21:33:00.001-04:002017-06-11T09:36:03.270-04:00Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Book Review<br />
If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I'm sort of a bug nerd. I wear that moniker proudly, because insects are some of the most fascinating things ever to roam the earth. Once you start looking at them - <i>really </i>looking at them - you'll see what I mean.<br />
<br />
They're bizarre, some of them. Endearing, others. They all have a reason for being here, and it's not to annoy you either. In fact, most of them are doing good things for us and you'd do well to give them the respect they deserve.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2seD6eT" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2seD6eT" border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-klFtQSY1nNc/WTwbplQ9JuI/AAAAAAAAbEE/xL_ShXU9I1QUWiVZYcGuefN0U5uT7yEUQCLcB/s1600/attracting%2Bbeneficial%2Bbugs%2Bto%2Byour%2Bgarden.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden</i> won an <br />
<a href="http://savvygardening.com/savvy-gardenings-jessica-wallisers-latest-book-is-honoured-by-the-american-horticultural-society/" target="_blank">American Horticulture Society Award</a> in 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A good place to start to learn more about them and the role they play in our world, and specifically our gardens, is with Jessica Walliser's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2seD6eT" target="_blank"><i>Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control</i></a>. I know Jessica personally, a result of being a fellow garden writer and being with her at various gardening events. This girl knows her stuff.<br />
<br />
I'm the sort of person who likes knowing all about something, right down to the obscure. Jessica's book satisfies that curiosity in me. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LOitc3e6pW4/WTycLVF3YEI/AAAAAAAAbHA/KbJ2u8S7JQ893p3DVI_zCG6Ti4e1LyQtACLcB/s1600/photo%2Bby%2Bjessica%2Bwalliser%2B-%2Blacewing%2Begg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LOitc3e6pW4/WTycLVF3YEI/AAAAAAAAbHA/KbJ2u8S7JQ893p3DVI_zCG6Ti4e1LyQtACLcB/s1600/photo%2Bby%2Bjessica%2Bwalliser%2B-%2Blacewing%2Begg.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite photos in the book is this one, of a lacewing egg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So you think it's strange to want to attract bugs to your garden? While nature has some gruesome aspects to it, for the most part, it's a
wonderful plan and Jessica shows us how we can help make it all work
together for good.<br />
<br />
Integrated pest management involves organic methods of controlling the
insect population in our gardens by encouraging beneficial insects to
take up residence there and keep the less desirable ones under control.
Will it give you perfect plants with no insect damage? No, but there are
ways to put nature to work for you.<br />
<br />
Jessica gives us 19 beneficial insect profiles, 39 plant profiles for attracting them, and insectary garden plans to help get you started. She provides a couple of citizen science opportunities for you to participate in as well. <br />
<br />
If you've been gardening for any length of time, you realize what a futile effort it is to try to keep them away, so why not try and attract the ones that will work for you? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. It's really the best way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jessicawalliser.com/about-jessica/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.jessicawalliser.com/about-jessica/" border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9UjHnPKcVjg/WTyQXyZytHI/AAAAAAAAbGw/cCGYXj_zxdMP-79JFIt9Pwpz6xoBUrawACLcB/s400/jessica%2Bwalliser.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Jessica Walliser</b> co-hosts <i>The Organic Gardeners</i> on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has written four other gardening books, including her newest, which will be released later this year. Learn more about Jessica and her work at <a href="http://jessicawalliser.com/">jessicawalliser.com</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2s9Hgno" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2s9Hgno" border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDyYb36_jng/WTyEcgrdnSI/AAAAAAAAbGQ/QYJ-HLZOFrgZaxHMJQiYEZw6RUd4DH2CQCLcB/s320/Container%2BGardening%2BComplete.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2s9Hgno" target="_blank">Container Gardening Complete: Creative Projects for Growing Vegetables and Flowers in Small Spaces</a></i>(October 1, 2017)<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2s9bGWT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2s9bGWT" border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="420" height="173" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLNaSUIlqXk/WTx-4cKKbGI/AAAAAAAAbF8/yA48Wd_mHpEX9DMA9d6boueRe236jEaAgCLcB/s200/Good%2BBug%2BBad%2BBug.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2s9bGWT" target="_blank"><i>Good Bug, Bad Bug: Who's Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically</i></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2s9L6Nc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2s9L6Nc" border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx1ZQ2EDVIQ/WTyAzhjzDqI/AAAAAAAAbGE/ZNvVjTgUedM245LDsc5iq5vPEQK8wY6sQCLcB/s200/A%2BGardener%2527s%2BNotebook.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2s9L6Nc" target="_blank"><i>A Gardener's Notebook: Life With My Garden</i></a><br />
(co-authored with Doug Oster)<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2sfIFtn" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/2sfIFtn" border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="253" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C9oe6QNkS44/WTyJ5SvJ-vI/AAAAAAAAbGg/9PcSMpkDHeEs9WtA8G6lt37GFvBBsWjVQCLcB/s200/Grow%2BOrganic.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2sfIFtn" target="_blank"><i>Grow Organic: Over 250 Tips and Ideas for Growing Flowers, Veggies, Lawns and More</i></a><br />
(co-authored with Doug Oster)<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-3099295252243518352017-06-03T10:06:00.000-04:002017-06-03T10:06:37.347-04:00Pussytoes and American Ladies in the Butterfly Garden<br />
You might think it's all about the monarchs here at Our Little Acre, and it is, for the most part, but monarchs aren't the only butterflies that call our yard home. For several years now, we've monitored the reproduction of both Eastern black swallowtails and American ladies.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n051v9i-Qa8/WS8w0hk_5kI/AAAAAAAAato/TARkZ0w7YmYpEXSnk5mvI0nSuNKUsTVugCLcB/s1600/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bfemale%2Bsupertunia%2B8%2B12%2B16%2Be.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n051v9i-Qa8/WS8w0hk_5kI/AAAAAAAAato/TARkZ0w7YmYpEXSnk5mvI0nSuNKUsTVugCLcB/s1600/eastern%2Bblack%2Bswallowtail%2Bfemale%2Bsupertunia%2B8%2B12%2B16%2Be.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I raised this Eastern black swallowtail butterfly from a caterpillar in my house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Eastern black swallowtails are all over the bronze fennel we grow, for most of the summer, laying eggs, chowing down, and becoming adult butterflies. I've also found them on my carrot tops and when I grow parsley and dill, they make use of those plants, too.<br />
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The other butterfly that we see lay eggs here is the American lady (<i>Vanessa cardui</i>). It's often confused with the painted lady (<i>Vanessa virginiensis</i>) and it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other, especially when they're in flight.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5saA1yOGr7Q/WTAWfyF9jhI/AAAAAAAAat8/3DWD2gPltpEmUFdLyFs_ZTvZHFvWOdsWwCLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2B5%2B26%2B14%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5saA1yOGr7Q/WTAWfyF9jhI/AAAAAAAAat8/3DWD2gPltpEmUFdLyFs_ZTvZHFvWOdsWwCLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2B5%2B26%2B14%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
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If you can get close enough to see them with their wings open, the easiest way to tell the difference is to look for the presence of a tiny white spot on the upper wings. If it's there, you're looking at an American lady. If it's not, it's probably a painted lady. (I say probably, because apparently, now and then, American ladies are missing the dot, too.) I've only ever seen American ladies here, although painted ladies are probably are probably present here as well.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOovRa6SP0w/WTAXJcRhirI/AAAAAAAAauE/LsY1y1tTlRkBEVrig3ykgxljkVPT7hqzwCLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Bwith%2Barrow%2B4%2B25%2B17%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xOovRa6SP0w/WTAXJcRhirI/AAAAAAAAauE/LsY1y1tTlRkBEVrig3ykgxljkVPT7hqzwCLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Bwith%2Barrow%2B4%2B25%2B17%2Bb.JPG" /></a></div>
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In late April, I was doing some weeding in the garden and was witness to an American lady ovipositing (laying eggs) on my <i>Antennaria </i><span class="st"><i>plantaginifolia</i>, more commonly known as pussytoes. I've grown this plant for years and unlike milkweed, I didn't plant it for the purpose of providing a host plant for butterflies. I just liked the name and the looks of the plant.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4OC6oAlgeIs/WTAeGNvdpMI/AAAAAAAAauU/og5GGZoY-O0728yGTRJvq58SaNlL5NEEQCLcB/s1600/antennaria%2Bpussy%2Btoes%2B5%2B18%2B11%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4OC6oAlgeIs/WTAeGNvdpMI/AAAAAAAAauU/og5GGZoY-O0728yGTRJvq58SaNlL5NEEQCLcB/s1600/antennaria%2Bpussy%2Btoes%2B5%2B18%2B11%2Ba.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Antennaria </i>is a bluish groundcover that throws up six-inch stems with small<br />
clusters of flowers at the top. The flowers can be white or pink.</td></tr>
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<span class="st"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wjGdCeIGLLQ/WTIpVHoo7BI/AAAAAAAAav4/F7DbLXnLVew3HApTd1OLVS3P15n1T3aXACLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Begg%2B5%2B26%2B14%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wjGdCeIGLLQ/WTIpVHoo7BI/AAAAAAAAav4/F7DbLXnLVew3HApTd1OLVS3P15n1T3aXACLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Begg%2B5%2B26%2B14%2Bb.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A female American lady butterfly laid eggs in the centers of two of the<br />
fuzzy <i>Antennaria </i>leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
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<span class="st"></span><br />
<span class="st">After the female lays an egg, a few days later, the tiny caterpillar will hatch out. It will use its spinneret to wrap itself up in a leaf with silk for protection when it isn't out and about, eating its host plant. This is usually the way you can know if there are caterpillars present, as they tend to only feed on cloudy days or at night.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DFMBEmRvdY/WTIqudwf3rI/AAAAAAAAawA/-dT12Bte1L4PrqKaHuDmG7VxwFi9_kynACLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Bcaterpillar%2Bon%2Bpussytoes%2B5%2B21%2B17%2Ba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DFMBEmRvdY/WTIqudwf3rI/AAAAAAAAawA/-dT12Bte1L4PrqKaHuDmG7VxwFi9_kynACLcB/s1600/american%2Blady%2Bcaterpillar%2Bon%2Bpussytoes%2B5%2B21%2B17%2Ba.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span class="st">Soon, you'll see larger caterpillars moving around on the leaves, still eating and preparing to pupate. I've never found a chrysalis in the garden, but they're masters at camouflaging them. Colors can vary from brown to green, according to their surroundings, and like the monarchs, they crawl away from their host plant to find a place to pupate.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Last year, I had <i>Helichrysum petiolare</i> 'Lemon Licorice' in my front flower boxes. American lady butterflies made use of that as a host plant too. Other plants they use include pearly everlasting (<i>Anaphalis margaritacea</i>), and some everlasting plants that are also known as cudweed (</span><em>Gamochaeta spp.</em>)<br />
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Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-8329198722538734812017-06-02T12:19:00.002-04:002017-06-02T13:42:14.813-04:00Thank You, Daniel — We Will Miss You<br />
<i>Yesterday, one of my garden writer friends lost a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Daniel Gasteiger was a book author, a newspaper columnist, a blogger, a social media marketing consultant, and more than all that, he was an incredible human being. So many of us are mourning his passing right now and I wanted to share my own Daniel story. It's long, so be forewarned. It's actually done Daniel-style: he could never use ten words when twenty would do... </i><br />
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Every once in a while, someone comes along who stands out and makes a difference in your life.
I met Daniel Gasteiger in person for the first time, at the Philadelphia Flower Show, six years ago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRlQgozTYgc/WTF9mDVNtoI/AAAAAAAAavA/IjztM79OO04E1d9TtD_h0Q4jVyabXhV1QCLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bshawna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="420" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRlQgozTYgc/WTF9mDVNtoI/AAAAAAAAavA/IjztM79OO04E1d9TtD_h0Q4jVyabXhV1QCLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bshawna.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Daniel, and Shawna, at the Philadelphia Flower Show in 2011.</td></tr>
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First of all, I couldn't believe I was actually at the show. Shawna Coronado and I had been sent there courtesy of the <a href="https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/" target="_blank">Plastics Make It Possible</a> group and we had an incredibly good time, while highlighting how plastics can have a place in the gardening world in a good way. Meeting Daniel was just icing on the cake.<br />
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Over the years, Daniel and I had some wonderful, serious, funny, fabulous conversations, mostly online, because he lived in Pennsylvania (on the east side) and I live in Ohio (on the west side). But now and then, we'd see each other at a garden event and you know how it is - it was like we had just seen each other yesterday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGgbgs81iNQ/WTGLGETTwcI/AAAAAAAAavg/fwVoJZ0UA_0NhzO66uXtwOsUXmLBYaxlACLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Bphoto%2Bof%2Bshawna%2Bjenny%2Bkylee%2B10%2B13%2B12%2Bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="389" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGgbgs81iNQ/WTGLGETTwcI/AAAAAAAAavg/fwVoJZ0UA_0NhzO66uXtwOsUXmLBYaxlACLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Bphoto%2Bof%2Bshawna%2Bjenny%2Bkylee%2B10%2B13%2B12%2Bb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel took this photo of Shawna, Jenny, and me, when we were in <br />
Tucson, AZ, for the Garden Writers Association annual meeting in 2012.</td></tr>
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Daniel started this crazy thing where he'd say online how he sure wished he could meet me someday. Those who would read it would think we'd never met in real life. I had some people say to me, "You've never met Daniel in person before?" I'd explain the ruse, telling them that we'd actually met several times, and they'd look at me funny, like they didn't think it was really funny at all. But they just didn't get it and that didn't matter anyway. Daniel and I did.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7iM5QGmV11g/WTGAQAffoFI/AAAAAAAAavI/lV4gf0-qTkQQzNt9T1JZzkwHka7BczBMgCLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Bmeeting%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="497" height="108" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7iM5QGmV11g/WTGAQAffoFI/AAAAAAAAavI/lV4gf0-qTkQQzNt9T1JZzkwHka7BczBMgCLcB/s400/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Bmeeting%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then the day came when I got a contract to write a book with Jenny Peterson. Neither Jenny nor I had ever written a book before and this was definitely uncharted territory for us. Daniel and I were both waiting for a flight in an airport somewhere I can't remember right now, and he congratulated me on the contract and we had a lengthy conversation about book writing.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poZU-li5MPE/WTF6ixGOFFI/AAAAAAAAau0/q-ddXUSgisYONDmUu1o5DIsSnxU8Z-7fgCLcB/s1600/yes%2Byou%2Bcan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poZU-li5MPE/WTF6ixGOFFI/AAAAAAAAau0/q-ddXUSgisYONDmUu1o5DIsSnxU8Z-7fgCLcB/s320/yes%2Byou%2Bcan.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I reviewed Daniel's book for Horticulture<br />magazine <a href="http://www.hortmag.com/gardening-book-reviews/book-review-yes-you-can-and-freeze-and-dry-it-too" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></td></tr>
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Daniel had just published his fantastic book, <a href="http://amzn.to/2rNcH7V" target="_blank">Y<i>es, You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-by-Step Guide to Preserving Food</i></a>, the year before, and he had some sage words of advice about writing. Of all the things he said, the one thing that really stuck with me was this: "I wrote that book in three weeks."<br />
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WHAAAAAAAAAT???????<br />
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Now seriously, people. If you've ever written a book, you'll know how insane that is. I know now that he was probably referring to the actual sitting down and putting it all together, using bits and pieces from his blog and newspaper articles and filling in whatever he needed to in order to produce a cohesive, proper tome, but dang. Three weeks.<br />
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Jenny and I wrote our book and while it took longer than three weeks, we were under a tight schedule and it was Daniel's inspiration that kept us motivated, giving us the confidence that we could do it. And we did. <a href="http://amzn.to/2qIzc9R" target="_blank"><i>Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook For Houseplants</i></a> was released on April 15, 2013.<br />
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Time went on and Daniel kept right on wishing he could meet me and I wished right back that I could meet him. Somewhere in there, he made plans to stop off at our house on the way home from Chicago and share supper with us. We were out of bread and though I don't remember now what it was we were having, we needed bread.<br />
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Since we live in the middle of nowhere and going to the store to buy some bread involves more than a quick car trip to the store and back, I texted Daniel, who was on his way, and asked if he could stop somewhere and get a loaf of bread. It just so happened, he had a loaf in his car. Doesn't everyone carry a loaf of bread in their car in case there's a bread emergency?<br />
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Daniel often camped out on his cross-country trips, so of course he had some bread, and he supplied it for our meal. And when he left, somehow the loaf of bread didn't go with him. So a loaf of bread got added to our, "I hope I can meet you someday" tete-a-tete of sorts: "And if I ever get to meet you, I'll bring a loaf of bread."<br />
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A few years went by and last year, I got another book contract - for <a href="http://amzn.to/2rzOqBf" target="_blank"><i>The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly</i></a> - this time writing solo. Once again, I was on a fairly tight schedule. It's a pretty well-known fact that I'm The Queen of Procrastination, but I was determined to set aside my title in order to get this book done without the stress and drama that goes along with procrastination. But you know what happened, don't you?<br />
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When I got home from the GWA meeting in Atlanta last September, I knew I really had to put my nose to the grindstone and crank that baby out. And Daniel once again came to mind. I had three weeks until my deadline and the bulk of the book had yet to be written. If Daniel could do it, so could I.
So I shut myself up in an upstairs bedroom, looked at my husband and said, "See you in three weeks," and closed the door.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYQEzXJUQQk/WTF9Kiwv0lI/AAAAAAAAau8/WKo84paGb7I2h4jRexKmwQulCWbOlS_WgCLcB/s1600/bedroom%2Boffice%2B10%2B18%2B16%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYQEzXJUQQk/WTF9Kiwv0lI/AAAAAAAAau8/WKo84paGb7I2h4jRexKmwQulCWbOlS_WgCLcB/s1600/bedroom%2Boffice%2B10%2B18%2B16%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bedroom office.</td></tr>
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There's something to be said for shutting out the rest of the world and concentrating on a single task. I've always done my best work when I'm down to the wire and I'm forced to just do it. It isn't always that I don't like what I'm doing - I loved writing this book - it's just that a lot of the writing process for me happens in my head first. If things aren't organized a certain way in my head, I simply can't put it on paper. <br />
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The book got finished and yes, the bulk of it was written in those three-weeks-that-turned-into-four. I only left the house twice in that time. I was on a roll and woe be it to anyone who interrupted the flow of things. My husband was nothing short of awesome. A saint, really.<br />
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But I don't think I could have accomplished what I did had it not been for Daniel being there in the back of my mind, urging and encouraging me, though he didn't really know at the time. He truly was a huge driving force, especially as I battled bronchitis during that time and wanted to do nothing but sleep. He kept me focused.<br />
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I wanted to let Daniel know how much I appreciated him, so in the acknowledgements at the back of <i>The Monarch</i>, you'll see this:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1gWqhkSguE/WTFyz_1nhKI/AAAAAAAAauo/8G3FNdV2hTY9mGzv5QkeYpL0mBsDjocEACLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Backnowledgement.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1gWqhkSguE/WTFyz_1nhKI/AAAAAAAAauo/8G3FNdV2hTY9mGzv5QkeYpL0mBsDjocEACLcB/s1600/daniel%2Bgasteiger%2Backnowledgement.JPG" /></a></div>
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When I got my copies of the book, I sent one to Daniel, telling him to be sure to see page 158. About a week later, I got this heartfelt note from him, which I will always treasure...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbmCMVBWIwg/WTGIgD6DSzI/AAAAAAAAavc/3JP0Mge-okwynLyUPFP6Y_7TRWHQ2jdkACLcB/s1600/daniel%2527s%2Bnote%2B4%2B2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1000" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbmCMVBWIwg/WTGIgD6DSzI/AAAAAAAAavc/3JP0Mge-okwynLyUPFP6Y_7TRWHQ2jdkACLcB/s400/daniel%2527s%2Bnote%2B4%2B2017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click on image to make it larger and easier to read.</i></td></tr>
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Daniel was an inspiration to many and it was pure joy to be in his presence. He had an energy that was compelling and you wanted to be a part of it. The best thing was - he let you. I hoped I would get to "meet" him again before this awful disease took him from us. But in the end, I'm grateful that our paths crossed at all, and that I was privileged to have him in my life, even if it was for such a short time. </div>
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Rest well, Daniel.</div>
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Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-87392225352955089872017-05-30T22:58:00.001-04:002017-05-31T16:34:09.823-04:00Have You Ever? (The Garden Version)<br />
There's a game that most of us have played at some point or another in our lives, most probably our younger lives. It's called, "Have You Ever?" and it's a way to find out things about your friends that you might not have known before. If they tell the truth, that is.<br />
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For example, you might ask something like, "Have you ever smoked a cigarette in your high school during school hours?" or "Have you ever eaten a booger?" You know, stuff like that.<br />
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That could be a fun game to play in the garden, too. For your entertainment pleasure, file these questions away for your next get-together with your garden buddies. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have You Ever...</b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>...nurtured a weed, thinking it was a flower?</li>
<li>...grown a plant on the Invasive Species List?</li>
<li>...planted a fragrant plant in your garden for the sole purpose of rubbing your hands on it and smelling them once in a while?</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb0BTEfaE8E/WS3-udXta2I/AAAAAAAAasQ/nEDfAV0gnUcJ1U6RDpSzcXBYyhxHJ5x4QCLcB/s1600/helichrysum%2Bcurry%2Bplant%2B5%2B30%2B17%2Ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb0BTEfaE8E/WS3-udXta2I/AAAAAAAAasQ/nEDfAV0gnUcJ1U6RDpSzcXBYyhxHJ5x4QCLcB/s1600/helichrysum%2Bcurry%2Bplant%2B5%2B30%2B17%2Ba.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Helichrysum italicum</i> is commonly known as curry plant, although it's<br />
not edible. It just smells like curry powder. I plant this one just to rub its leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li>...used your bypass pruners to dig a hole?</li>
<li>...planted a full sun plant where it got shade for most of the day, thinking a couple of hours of direct sun would be enough, only to find out it wasn't?</li>
<li>...planted a tree too close to your house?</li>
<li>...killed a plant that everyone else you know can grow without even trying? Multiple times?</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5-2T_LnWY4/WS4uctX9kCI/AAAAAAAAatU/NEtDfEAuZnwKhKXdj7x9DWOTGwrkiJv1ACLcB/s1600/johnny%2Bjump-up%2B5%2B19%2B16%2Bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="600" height="326" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5-2T_LnWY4/WS4uctX9kCI/AAAAAAAAatU/NEtDfEAuZnwKhKXdj7x9DWOTGwrkiJv1ACLcB/s400/johnny%2Bjump-up%2B5%2B19%2B16%2Bb.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnny jump-ups hate me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li>...moved the same plant more than twice?</li>
<li>...temporarily hidden plant purchases behind or under shrubs so your significant other wouldn't notice that you'd bought more plants?</li>
<li>...bought way more seeds than you could ever plant in a lifetime?</li>
<li>...helped yourself to seed pods from the hotel's landscaping while on vacation?</li>
<li>...felt guilty for thinning seedlings and sorry for the ones you pulled out?</li>
</ul>
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You get the idea. We all break the rules now and then, because gardening rules beg to be broken, even if we don't break them on purpose.<br />
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By the way, yes, "I have ever" done ALL of the above. I'll bet you could add a few questions of your own for this game. C'mon... fess up in the comments! 🙃<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-37377265248864127472017-05-28T14:24:00.000-04:002017-05-28T16:08:29.746-04:00WEEKEND WISDOM: A "Tendon"cy for Uniqueness<br />
A few years ago, I decided to do a fun bloggy thing in that I would share quirky and interesting information I came across while looking for other things. It may or may not have anything to do with gardening. I called this feature "<a href="http://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/search?q=weekend+wisdom" target="_blank">Weekend Wisdom</a>." I got distracted (a normal occurrence in my life) and I didn't do this on a very regular basis. Now it's the weekend and I just found something I want to tell you about.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OgwG7WUa8l0/WSsTdYal-9I/AAAAAAAAaiI/2tPQZoDMtAcAb7LQheIJA3AmCPFsoz2cgCLcB/s1600/human-body%2Bsource%2Bunknown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="445" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OgwG7WUa8l0/WSsTdYal-9I/AAAAAAAAaiI/2tPQZoDMtAcAb7LQheIJA3AmCPFsoz2cgCLcB/s320/human-body%2Bsource%2Bunknown.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="right"><td class="tr-caption">Photo credit: Unknown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The human body is an amazing thing and I'm always thrilled to learn new and wonderful things about it that I didn't know before. The untapped potential alone for new and wonderful things is enough to make my mind explode. Here's the latest...<br />
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It seems that there is yet another thing that some of us have and some of us don't. There are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertaster" target="_blank">supertasters</a> - those people who have taste receptors that other people are missing. There are supersniffers too. (Lucky me, I'm both.) And now, it seems that some of us are missing some other body parts.<br />
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In your forearm, there is (or isn't) a particular muscle/tendon - the <i>Palmarus longus</i>. You can see if you have it or don't have it by touching you thumb to your pinky finger and then flexing your wrist. If you see a cord of tissue sticking up, that's your <i>Palmarus longus</i>. If the inside of your forearm remains pretty smooth and flat, you're in the approximately 15% of the population that doesn't have it.<br />
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I've got it...<br />
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My husband does not.<br />
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I wonder if either of our two girls are missing theirs. It can be missing on one arm and present on the other, and its general shape can vary as well.<br />
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The cool thing about this muscle, which is largely considered to be vestigial, is that it can be used to replace tendons in other parts of the body.<br />
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My husband now thinks he's more highly evolved than I am. <br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-25905903401580177782017-05-11T23:30:00.000-04:002017-05-12T02:29:58.863-04:00A Trip to Mexico, A New Book, and This Blog<br />
Goodness, look at the time! The last time I posted to my poor, neglected blog was at the end of January, when I was <a href="http://ourlittleacre.blogspot.com/2017/01/grow-your-own-avocados.html" target="_blank">trying to grow an avocado plant</a> from the pit inside one I'd received in a <a href="http://www.blueapron.com/" target="_blank">Blue Apron</a> shipment. So much has happened since that time - unfortunately, that doesn't include a new avocado plant - that I don't know if I'll ever get caught up writing about it all, but you've got to start somewhere, right?<br />
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I wrote my latest book during the fall and early winter, and that involved some pretty intense writing time. Here's how I did it...<br />
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I literally holed up in a bedroom and did nothing but write, research, and write and research, for four straight weeks. The bulk of my book got written in that time, with many other small writing sessions and lots of editing in the weeks that followed that writing marathon.<br />
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For some odd reason, I tend to write better and am more prolific when I'm under pressure and there's nothing like a looming deadline to provide that. With a project as large as writing an entire book all by yourself (my first one - <a href="http://amzn.to/2qwg8yQ" target="_blank"><i>Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants</i></a> - was with co-author and friend, Jenny Peterson), concentration and staying on task is paramount and there's no one more easily distracted than I am. Thus, pretty much shutting myself off from the outside world was the only way I was going to accomplish everything I needed to do to get that book out the door.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bed was my desk for weeks.</td></tr>
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After I got home from the GWA (Garden Writers Association) Annual Symposium in Atlanta last September, I looked at Romie as I headed into the bedroom which became my office, and said, "See you in three weeks," and went to work. That three weeks became four.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny and Brett Davis<br />
November 5, 2016</td></tr>
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During that time, I got bronchitis and sure didn't feel like writing, but the book didn't care. So I slept and wrote and slept and wrote, and took my antibiotics. I got well enough to travel to Texas to see Jenny get married and visit a couple of other friends, Diana Kirby and Pam Penick, only to return home and contract pneumonia. Romie joined me in that fun. Not the trip to Texas. The pneumonia.<br />
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Then it was Thanksgiving, and then Christmas, and then book editing with both St. Lynn's Press editor, Cathy Dees, and Art Director, Holly Rosborough. Just when that was almost finished, Romie and I went off to Mexico, chasing monarchs, but not before I had another bout with bronchitis. I have to think stress had something to do with my less-than-stellar immune system, which has never been all that fantastic since I had bacterial meningitis in 1999.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overwintering monarch butterflies cluster on the oyamel fir trees at<br />
El Rosario sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico.</td></tr>
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By the time we got back from Mexico in early March, last minute book editing was the order of the day and then the book was finally off to the printer, in time for its release date of April 12th. The book has enjoyed the position of #1 Hot New Release on Amazon, off and on, ever since its release was first announced back in August, but nearly always has held that spot in the month prior to April 12th and in the month since. It has also received 21 5-star reviews so far on Amazon, and some very positive reviews on blogs. I'm grateful.<br />
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So, with my next post, which WILL be within the next week, I'll just dig right in and start telling you about the events I've attended, the gardens I've visited, the new (to me) garden products I've tested, and of course, that fabulous trip to Mexico. I promise.<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3070488376505303445.post-87243998751550276162017-01-30T20:32:00.000-05:002017-01-31T10:27:28.127-05:00Grow Your Own Avocados<br />
Wow, was this ever a throwback to my college days. Back in the days of macrame, yogurt makers, and prayer plants - otherwise known as The Seventies - homes, apartments, and dorm rooms everywhere could be seen with this sitting on their window sills:<br />
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It was ever so cool to grow your own avocado plant from a pit found inside one you'd gotten at the grocery store. I did it, my friends did it, and I'm betting some of you did it too. I honestly don't remember if I was successful at actually getting that thing to germinate or not, but I tried.<br />
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With the trade situation with Mexico kind of up in the air right now, there's been a lot of talk about what things are likely to go up in price if things change. Avocados and limes are mentioned, as is Corona beer and tequila. I can live without all of them, but each one enjoys popularity here in the U.S.<br />
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So, about this growing your own avocado thing . . . Even if I can manage to get this avocado pit to germinate, it's highly unlikely that I will be able to grow an avocado tree that produces any fruit.<br />
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First of all, I don't live where avocados would be happy. They're hardy in USDA Zones 8-11 and I'm in Zone 5b, though I do have a greenhouse and they also make excellent house plants. Secondly, even if I can keep it happy, it can take from 4-13 years for an avocado tree to bear fruit. Some trees never do yield anything.<br />
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When I cut open an avocado last week and saw that pit, it took me back (sing it with me now . . . "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNOTF-znQyw" target="_blank">You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest,</a>") and I kind of wanted to try it again. What did I have to lose? <br />
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If you want to try it too, it couldn't be easier. Just clean the avocado pit, let it dry, then poke toothpicks into it to suspend it over a jar of water, with the fat side down. Place it in a warm spot and keep the water level so that its bum is submerged. In about 2-6 weeks, you should see both a root and a stem sprouting. At that point, be sure it's in a well-lit location.<br />
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As it grows, once the stem reaches 6-8 inches, prune it in half to induce branching. Once it has started to branch, you can plant it in a container of well-draining potting soil. Be sure to leave the top part of the pit exposed, similar to how you plant an amaryllis bulb.<br />
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Don't overwater, but don't let it dry out completely. In the summer, you can put it outside, where it will likely grow faster, but make sure to bring it in once temperatures dip below 45°F.<br />
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Far out, man.<br />
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<br />Kylee Baumlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04288354709094515651noreply@blogger.com6