Insects/Entomology
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Bug Defense for Gardeners, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, Insects/Entomology
Going Buggy: Let’s Talk About Tussock Moth Caterpillars
On the Left, Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae), and on the Right, White-Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma) Suddenly, it’s September, and everywhere I look, there are hints of a changing season. One of the first autumnal signs I’ve noticed this year is the appearance of fuzzy, colorful, and boldly-patterned Tussock Moth caterpillars. Although […]
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Butterflies and Moths, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Insects/Entomology
Moonlight Flight in the Garden: Attracting Lovely Luna Moths…
 Luna Moth (Actias luna) –  iPad Illustration by Michaela One of the best parts about teaching is having the opportunity to further my own education. And when I am asked a great question that I can not answer, I get especially excited by the chance to do some research and learn something new! Yesterday morning, […]
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Begonias, cactus, Conservatory, Container Gardening, Decorating Ideas, Exotic Plants, Garden projects for kids, Garden Rooms, Gardening Inspiration, Green House Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Eden, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Insects/Entomology, orchids, Organic Insect Control, Plant Spotlight, Poisonous Plants, Secret Garden Room, Succulents, Succulents in Containers
Out With The Old & In With The New: Creating A Lush & Lively Indoor Oasis …
Bringing Nature’s Beauty Indoors: A Scene from My Wintertime Oasis. Clockwise from back:Â Cycas revoluta, Agave geminifolia & Kalanchoe ‘Manginii’ I kicked my Christmas tree out yesterday (p.s. Sorry Mr. Balsam, I will miss your sweet fragrance, but you were growing stale and it was time for a fresh start). Of course no sooner did I […]
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Insects/Entomology, Uncategorized, Wildlife
Oh, What a Fashionable Dresser! Meet Widget the Walking Stick …
Hello Widget! What a Snappy Outfit You Have There … Meet Widget the Walking Stick. And isn’t he the most fashionable fella? While installing a new garden for a client last week —design post forthcoming— I happened to notice what appeared to be a colorful stick, stuck to my boot. As I bent down to […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Insects/Entomology, Meadow Gardens, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature
Native Pollinators: A Close Up Look at The Humble Bumble Bee …
Bumble Bee on Veronica spicata ‘Sunny Border Blue’ (Speedwell) Now that summer is in full-swing, my garden is just buzzing; filled with pollinators of all kinds. And on warm, sunny mornings, the Wildflower Walk literally hums with the sound of bumble bees. This fuzzy, sweet-looking insect is rarely aggressive and only stings when it is […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, flowering shrubs, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Insects/Entomology, Syringa (French Lilac Hybrids), Syringa vulgaris
Of Sunshine and Swallowtail Butterflies…
A Perfect Spot for Sampling Lilac Nectar – An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Syringa vulgaris ‘Mme. Lemoine’ Sunshine at last! Finally, after weeks of rain and fog, golden light returned to the garden this week. And suddenly, the sultry air is filled with Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies —bright as the sun itself— fluttering about […]
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Bee-Friendly Gardens, Bulbs, Color in the Garden, companion planting, Early spring flowering plants, Early Spring Garden Plants, Ferncliff, flowering shrubs, Ground Covers, Insects/Entomology, Lawns, Naturalistic Garden Design, New England, Old Fashioned Flowers, Plant Spotlight, Planting Techniques, Spring Blooming Bulbs, Spring Flowering Bulbs, The Seasons, Woody Plants
Hazy Color Drifts Carpet the Garden: Tiny Gifts of Early Spring…
Spring Heath (Erica carnea) Begins Blooming in Early April (click here to revisit my Erica carnea plant-profile post from last year). Here, Sprawling Across the Ledge  in the Entry Garden… The Pink, Hazy Blur of Spring Heath is Particularly Lovely Against Grey Sky and Cool Stone. On a Blustery Day, I Can’t Help but Think […]
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Container Gardening, Exotic Plants, Ferns, Foliage, Garden Design, Gardening Inspiration, Great Growers and Nurseries, Green House Gardens, Home, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Indoor Table Arrangements, Insects/Entomology, Inspirational Gardens, Lyman Conservatory, Plant hunting, Terrariums
Beautiful Gardens Beneath Glass: Terrarium Care and Maintenance…
The Allure of Moisture – Mist and Water Droplets Inside a Garden Beneath Glass. Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’ and Begonia ‘Trade Winds’ with Sphagnum moss and Ceramic Ornament in an Apothecary Jar. We are expecting a bit of snow this afternoon in Vermont. Nothing major is predicted by way of accumulation, but there will likely be a […]
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Conservatory, Container Gardening, Exotic Plants, Ferncliff, Foliage, Garden Rooms, Green House Gardens, House Plants, Indoor Gardening, Insects/Entomology, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Studio Garden, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, The Seasons, Tropical Plants, Winter, Woody Plants
Indoor Eden: Trouble in Paradise… Aphids & Scale Attack the Studio Oasis!
Pots in the Studio – Kalanchoe ‘Tessa’ (About to Bloom) Shares Space with Other Succulents (Mustard pot: Crassula ovata ‘Minimus’, Senecio macroglossus ‘Variegata’. Green pot: Kalanchoe mangini and Crassula ovata) By now, it should be fairly obvious that I take as much pleasure in my garden during the winter months as I do during the […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Books, Insects/Entomology, Late Autumn Garden, The Seasons
Ladybird, Ladybird, Fly Away Home…
Ladybird beetles seeking shelter in my studio siding for winter’s hibernation “Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home. You’re house is on fire, your children have flown”… Oh my goodness, but how that little ditty always freaked me out as a kid. Even now, although I do love it —especially when sung in a hushed and raspy […]
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Insects/Entomology, Native Plants, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Plant Spotlight, Viburnum, Woodland plants, Woody Plants
Native Plant Seminar Discussions: Viburnum Beetle Alert…
Healthy Viburnum trilobum foliage and flower buds Over the weekend, I presented a talk on native plants for ornamental landscape use to a fantastic group of New England gardeners, and some very good questions were raised about alien pests and diseases of North American native plants. One of the gardeners participating in the workshop mentioned […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Insects/Entomology, Nature, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Vegetable Gardening
Hello Friend – WAIT – Whose Team Are You On Anyway?
It’s easy to recognize this friend as an adult. A ladybug rests upon Peperomia. Photo © Michaela at TGE Hello friend… or foe? In all of life it’s important to know your friends from your enemies, but as gardeners this issue is especially important. We are conditioned to think of bugs as destructive, ‘icky’ and […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Birds, Butterflies and Moths, Front Yard Gardens, Gardening Inspiration, Gardening without Lawn, Great Growers and Nurseries, Ground Covers, Honeybee Friendly Gardening, Hummingbird/Butterfly, Insects/Entomology, Native Plants, Naturalistic Garden Design, Nature, Planting Techniques, Plants for shade, Plants for sun, Replacing Lawn, Shade Gardening
Go a Little Less Green for the Environment: Rethink Your Lawn…
The Front Wildflower Walk in my Garden in June… Lush, wide, green and rolling; in America we love our lawns. We like to sprawl out on the grass for a picnic, gather on the neighbor’s lawn for a game of touch football , and set up our folding chairs and tiki-torches in the backyard green […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Books, Garden Maintenance, Garden Science, Insects/Entomology, Organic Disease Control, organic gardening, Organic Insect Control, Plant Science, Uncategorized, Vegetable Gardening
A New Year’s Resolution for Gardeners: Making Informed Choices About Gardening Practices and Products to Support a Healthy, Natural Environment…
We  ♥ Mother Earth The new year often brings about a desire for change and personal reckoning. We make promises, resolutions and plans to better ourselves and the world around us. Over the past couple of years, many people have committed to building environmentally conscious, self-sufficient lives. As a result, gardening, particularly vegetable gardening, has […]
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Bee Keeping/Products/Info, Beneficial Animals and Insects, Insects/Entomology, Native Plants
Announcing Collaborative Work with The Honey Bee Conservancy: A New Series of Guest Posts Begins…
I have recently been invited to guest-post a series of articles on gardening with bees in mind for The Honeybee Conservancy blog. The first installation, supporting pollinators by planting native plants, posted today. You can read the article by clicking here. Honeybees as a species predate human beings by tens of millions of years, and […]
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Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars, Insects/Entomology
Feeling Warm and Fuzzy on a Chilly October Day …
Acronicta americana – American Dagger Moth Caterpillar Ctenucha virginica – Tiger Moth Caterpillar Estigmene acrea – Salt Marsh Moth Caterpillar Brrrr. I think it’s officially time to pull out the woollies! There is a damp chill in the air on this gray October morning – it’s a good day to pull out a trusty old […]
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