Lately, I’ve been wondering about the effects the pandemic has had on our environment. I’ve wondered seriously enough to search for professional journal articles specifically on this subject. What I found was mostly narrative, which disappointed me, as I had hoped to sustain my impressions with some facts. We’ve all seen the stories about nature…
nature
Slice of Life: Mid-Summer Monarch Report
My involvement in monarch conservation has spanned for almost two decades! Some, in our local community, might even refer to me as the butterfly lady! Teaching first my garden club students (over 500 hundred during the lifetime of the club) and then, neighbors, community members from other organizations such as Lion’s Club, church groups, and…
Silent Sunday: The Peace of Water
Mating Monarchs
Last night, something magical happened in our yard! For many years, I raised monarch butterflies. This year, I have yet to see any eggs or larva on our milkweed plants. We have three patches of milkweed in our yard, each a different kind native to our area of the country. For almost two decades, I’ve…
Pollinator Week: Hoary Plants
Today, my son and I walked the trails at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge on Brice Prairie. It is a designated site of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It’s pollinator week and I’m participating in Miles for Monarchs, through Monarch Joint Venture, trying to get in 25 miles of walking…
Poetry Friday: Pandemic Haiku
Today is Poetry Friday. Upon arising, I was not sure I was going to write poetry today. I just “wasn’t in the mood.” Instead, I headed out to the garden to weed with my almost one-year-old Yellow Labrador puppy in tow. She gets bored with such mundane tasks as pulling weeds and soon created some…
Spring Planting: School Gardens
Today is supposed to be 93 degrees. It is going to be hot by anyone’s standard. I was outside by 8 a.m. to water my newly planted flowers and foliage. I knew I had to do it early or risk their demise in the heat of the day. Lots of work goes into planting our…
Silent Sunday: What’s Blooming in My Yard?
Silent Sunday: Planting At The Lake
All photos in this post are copyrighted by Carol Labuzzetta, 2020. No permission to reproduce. Thank you.
The Plant Game, Part II: Answers to 5/28
Late yesterday, I posed several questions about a plant that is special to me. Today, the answers will be provided! The first question was: Do you know the common name for this plant? The answer is this plant Wild Blue Lupine. The scientific name is Lupinus perennis. This photo shows an example of a mature…










