Gallery
HAPPY SPRING!!! Things are stirring in the gardens. I am so tempted to get my hands in there for spring clean-up, but know it is best to leave stems and leaves in place a while longer to give time for overwintering insects to emerge. Cold days and nights are still upon us, and last year's debris is important habitat to protect the creatures that feed our soil, feed the birds and build a strong foundation for the food web. Our pollinators are in there! So celebrate the emergence and find beauty in this time of rest.
In all these little places, beauty in their form, we might find seclusions for critters to keep warm. Where do they go, in winter stark and bleak? Try out the hungry-bird's eye view, open it for a peak! You might be surprised to see who resides in all the dead old weeds. Insulation and nutrients are offered in their seeds.
When the shadows are long and the days are short, we must find sweetness to survive the cold,
Leaving structure in the garden leaves a place to find grace and surrender to winter's bare bones.
Of course I'm dreaming, planning for spring and sorting through my seeds and drawing plans,
But i find quiet beauty in the way things are morphed by the harshness of winter's hands.
The turmoil and cold from the harshest of storms, then some peace in the mellow golden rays,
Sculpting a scene as snow melts, then meets dusk only to crystallize again.
Last year's flowers left in the garden can be topiaries with hats of fluffy fresh snow,
Sweet silhouettes cast on the blanket can be like gold to the eye and the soul.
So in the depths of this winter, so cold and bare, may you look around your garden and seek,
A vast sea of opportunity to make next winter a little more sweet.
-Deanna Hergert
#mywintergarden #structure #diversity #thingsforcritterstohidein #shelterforwildones #notjustabouttheflowers
A garden with native plants which is managed with biodiversity in mind (ie do not cut back in fall) rewards us with year-round beauty. Slow down and open your heart and eyes to a whole new depth of beauty in the garden. #pollinatorgarden #forthebutterfliesbirdsandbees #gardeningforbiodiversity #biodiversity #naturalbeauty #naturesgifts #asclepiassyriaca #asclepias #commonmilkweed #milkweedseeds #monarchbutterfly #monarchnursery #blowinginthewind
Pollinator pals on Halloween!
Autumn garden clean-up. Not shown here are the leaves which we mulched up and placed in inconspicuous areas of the garden under hedges for a natural fertilizer and habitat for small animals and beneficial insects to overwinter beneath. The natural way does not have to look messy.
A great little exhibit at the ROM!
Showcasing these woodland perenials that are still shining with beautiful shape and texture in the midst of October here in southern Ontario. Imagine what these could bring to your shady, moist garden! Pictures here from a section of the #brucetrail on the #niagaraescarpment in #belfountain , and from #indianpointprovincialpark on #balsamlake in the #kawarthalakes #aestheticpleasure #ecologicalfunction #nativeplants #wildginger #maidenhairfern #hepaticaacutilobia #spinulosewoodfern. #longlastingbeauty #gardeningwithnatives
#mourningcloak and #easterncomma enjoying the autumn buffet. These butterflies overwinter add adults, as opposed to egg form as many do. This is why they are gracing us with their presence as they fill up on rotting fruit set in full sun. I also set up a nice basking patch (#coyoteskull found in the woods) in a watering dish. They were between that and water all day long. A true autumn joy! And #blackjacket #vespulaconsobrina , not just an autumn picnic crasher, but also important predator and the larvae are an important food source for mammals.
My #grossbanana brings all the inverts to the yard! Check out this beautiful #easterncomma (#polygoniacomma ) ! This overwintering form generation is the second generation of year, and will breed in the spring to produce the summer form generation. Each has a unique set of markings on both caterpillar and adult forms. Preferred food: wood nettle and American Elm (both in my back yard).
Imagine if you could find beauty in the patterns left behind by the creatures your garden feeds. Look how much this Goldenrod was enjoyed! Think about the insects this plant has helped to prepare for the coming winter, and the successive food web those insects will feed! My next focus as a naturalist is to learn about the insects with whom I share my love for my garden, and observe first hand the life cycles our native plants support.
I will admit upfront that i get the hebejebes from insects as much as any other...(right @shirleyhergert ! - my mom laughs at the squeeks and squeals a spider can conjure from this naturalist). But I am choosing to shift my perspective, because I know I can. As a college instructor, I guide students through lab exercises where we observe the microscopic biota that inhabits soil. Looking at these creatures through a microscope lens reveals a perspective into their world that is beautiful in its own way, and has captivated my curiosity. I have also gained an undeniable knowledge of the fact that our foodweb is rooted in a foundation of invertebrate animals. Their health is our health.
What we perceive as beauty is actually a matter of perspective. Nothing a little education and appreciation can't change. Diving in...
Garden inspiration. If I could recreate this in a garden, I will achieve both aesthetic and function, and the fulfillment of my duty as a steward and caretaker of this incredible natural world that serves our existence. Autumn hues carry my heart in to nastalgia and romance. #nofilters here... This one's on Mother Nature and rainy autumn days.
There is a sweet satisfaction that comes from stepping out one's door and harvesting food to compliment a meal. There is also an unspoken connection to be felt... A connection to the earth and all the processes that occurred to provide that beautiful meal to nourish your body so it is able to do the important work you were sent here to do. Thank you earth, air, sun, water, soil biota, chemistry.... It all makes this food feel especially sacred. #edibefusionlandscaping #gardeningfornature #fornaturegardening #everbearingraspberries #fallharvest
It was a complete honour to witness the incredible energy at the#monarchultra launch party this morning, as the team and runners embarked on their 4300 km journey alongside the #monarchbutterflymigration to their over-wintering grounds in the #SierraMadre mountains in Mexico. So much gratitude to Carlotta and the whole team! Our world needs more of what you are doing, you are an astounding inspiration! Thank you!
To those interested in supporting the important cause of raising awareness of the plight of our pollinators, you can go here to donate: https://raceroster.com/events/2019/22355/the-monarch-ultra/participants
An ode to the monarchs AND to the Monarch Ultra team:
"I am so enamored of you in all your daintiness and strength. About to embark on a 4800 km journey through hell and high water, through unknown scapes barren with our human-mono-cultures and pavement. May you find all that you need along the way to arrive safely at your destination, to procreate and persist".
#zigzaggoldenrod colonies are charming beauties in the #woodlandgarden
These beauties bring so much colour to this time of year! Glorious #joepyeweed #greatbluelobelia #goldenrod #asters #inspirationfornaturalgardens
This stunning #newyorkironweed stole my breath away today on a bike ride in #beavermeadparkpeterborough . It was brake-worthy, even in the rain. #veronianoveboracensis
Nearing the end of the summer days, the archway to the garden is a busy pass!
Buddleia: to plant or not to plant?; That is the question. Yesterday, I observed first-hand an incredible abundance of butterflies abound the buddleia (aka butterfly bush). Non-native but fantastic source of nectar, obviously adored by butterflies! Also loved by humans!! Here's the deal: does not support pollinators in other ways beyond a source of nectar (better plant choices such as many native plants are sources of nectar that also provide sanctuaries and food sources for larval insect stages as well). Bounty of flowers means bounty of seeds, and they are loved for their hardiness to terrible soil conditions commonly found in the human-altered/abused landscape. The flip side of this coin means they have the potential to be an intensely invasive plant out-competing native flora and decreasing biodiversity (bad for our food webs). Good news: sterile cultivars have been bred - look for them at your local garden centre. The important thing to remember though is to plant this alongside an abundance and diversity of native flora species that have co-evolved with our native pollinators, such as Joe-pye-weed, milkweeds and even native trees, such as Oaks. Check this link out for more information: https://www.thoughtco.com/why-you-shouldnt-plant-butterfly-bush-1968210
#buddleia #nonnative #pollinatorhealth #supportourfoodwebs #gonative #butiloveyou #fornaturegardening
I am so enamored of you in all your daintiness and strength. About to embark on a 4800 km journey through hell and high water, through unknown scapes barren with our human-mono-cultures and pavement. May you find all that you need along the way to arrive safely at your destination, to procreate and persist. #stainedglassbynature #monarchbutterfly #thegreatmigration
Spent an amazing time with an abundance of #monarchs down on the lakefront (Lake Ontario) yesterday, getting ready for their epic migration!
Happy labor Day weekend! Enjoying Grey coneflower, anise hyssop, and a flourishing meadow garden! Butterflies are abundant! #greyconeflower #anisehyssop #meadowgarden
The stunning flora of late August. #cosmos #russiansage #mallow #solidago #goldenrod #cardinalflower #lobeliacardinalis #joepyewred #spirea #meadowsweet (and one invasive gone to seed in an old farm field - Canada Thistle, but the seeds shone a striking silver in the late afternoon sun. I could not resist the post)