I’ve yet to see a monarch caterpillar this year. I have three types of milkweed in my yard and an outdoor enclosure waiting to raise a few monarchs. Inside the enclosure are butterfly weed and asclepias incarnata – rose milkweed, but the caterpillars are missing. It’s the end of June and I’ve only seen three…
Today’s post will be short for Slice of Life Tuesday. I’ve been taking photos in my yard (again) and noted that my milkweed has germinated. Milkweed is a perennial plant and germinates around this time of year in Wisconsin. I make daily rounds looking for it in my yard. I’ve also reported my findings to…
Today is Silent Sunday – a day when I offer my own photography without words. All photos are copyrighted by Carol Labuzzetta. There is no permission to duplicate in any form without prior permission. Thank you!
I’ve got the itch! Each day when it seems a little warmer than the last, I think to myself – soon I can plant! The seeds I started at the end of March have done better than ever before. I’ve had nearly 100% germination rate (my basil and lavender have only partially germinated). But, all…
What have I done to celebrate the earth, I ask myself? Mostly, it’s involved informing others of the precious resources the earth provides. In the past, for celebrations of Earth Day I’ve presented to whole schools on topics such as the forest and monarch conservation. I’ve presented on the prairie as an ecosystem, and helped…
It’s March and I’ve been thinking about our gardens. We have a fairly big yard – 3+ acres – and quite a few large perennial beds. The perennial plants that were left for winter interest as well as food for the birds and hiding places for pollinators as well as moles, voles, and other hibernators,…
All of the photographs featured in my Silent Sunday posts are taken by me, Carol Labuzzetta, author of The Apples in My Orchard blog. There is no permission to reproduce the photos in any form, digital or otherwise, whether watermarked or not. They are purely for your online visual enjoyment, once a week. Thank you!
It’s mid-August! This means that it is time to start tagging monarch butterflies! The monarch’s life cycle is amazing! Monarchs undergo what is referred to as a complete metamorphosis, or change in form. This is accomplished through four stages. Stage 1 Stage 1 is an egg. It is a tiny, pale yellow oval, usually found…