BEE a Naturalist

May 2, 2025

Plant Native Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees

Insects are in big trouble here on planet Earth. Consider moths and butterflies whose members have decreased by some 20 percent since the year 2000 (Science Journal, March 2025). There are many factors contributing to these declines including the loss of habitat.

America has millions upon millions of acres of backyards, most of which are mowed into sterile strips of lawn decorated with ornamental shrubs and trees. The problem is that most insects rely on native plants to feed and lay their eggs. Local flora has evolved along with local insects to provide the habitat both need. Insects are the foundation of a healthy ecosystem, without them, ecosystems would collapse, pollination would cease, and organic wastes would build up and not decompose.

Scary, right?

The good news is that we can all help return our planet to a healthy balance by planting native. Here's an image of wild columbine growing in my backyard. I planted this bed a few years ago

and these beautiful flowers return every year to provide food for hawk moths and bumble bees

and hummingbirds to name a few.

Want to learn more? Here's a great place to start:

The Native Plant Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov1w_Vs24mk

March 20, 2025

How Do You Celebrate the First Day of Spring?

Well if you're me, you take a walk with your dog and enjoy the sounds and sights of a lovely day. And if you take time to look, listen, and smell, some animal or plant or cloud or breeze will likely give you a message.

And I couldn't be happier with the message delivered me this day, my favorite of the entire year, by an Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis. She sang for several minutes to me from a tree branch not far above my head!

I didn't have a camera along, so I'll share with you a wonderful image of a bluebird I took several years ago in the autumn on this same property.

Welcome Winter 2025!

Time to Start Planning Your Sprinbg/Summer Garden

Today is December 21, 2024, the first day of winter! That means spring is only three months away (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), so we better start planning for our spring and summer gardens. There's much to learn about starting a vegetable or flower garden, but the best lessons are those you learn from your mistakes. So never get discouraged when mistakes happen. Understand that you'll avoid them next time. One mistake many beginning gardeners make is starting too late. Here's an example.

Let's say you purchase seeds in March or April. That's plenty of time, right? You might think so until you read the seed packet for directions. For instance, some seeds allow for direct sowing, which means you can scatter or plant them directly onto or into the soil. That's great until you read that the seed in question must be sown in the fall or early winter of the previous year. These seeds require "cold stratification" that is, they must first experience a period of several weeks of cold temperatures in order to germinate.

Other vegetable or flower seeds prefer to be planted indoors, anywhere from three to twelve weeks before your local frost date. My frost date here in Pennsylvania is around May 5, so I need to sow my tomato seeds indoors six to eight weeks before that date.

But before you can sow your seeds, you must know what you want to grow. That's why NOW is the time to start planning. Why not investigate seed companies online to see what they offer. Information on any plant will include where the plant can and cannot grow. These are called "hardiness zones" and every location has one.

See what I mean? Lots to learn! My seeds have been ordered and are on route to me right now! I can't wait, and neither can my cats who enjoy their patch of catnip every spring and summer.

September 22, 2024

Happy Autumn!

I get so excited about the first day of each new season because these days mark the progress of our planet's orbit around the sun. You can measure that progress in days (365 days in a year) or seasons (four seasons in a year). But what makes a "season" a season?

Each season—spring, summer, fall, and winter—is approximately three months long, give or take a couple or so days. These seasons reflect where our Earth is positioned in its orbit around the sun. You might think, What difference does it make where the sun is?

If the Earth wasn't tilted on its axis, every season would be pretty much the same except for variations caused by other influences. But the Earth is titled by 23 degrees. This means that sometimes the Earth is tilted toward the sun and sometimes away from the sun. For people living in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, a tilt toward the sun results in summer and a tilt away results in winter. These extremes are called the "solstices."

(This is a photograph taken today of the goldenrod growing in my backyard. Monarch butterflies feed on the nectar of goldenrod and other native flowers like New York Aster. Come back soon to read more on this topic!)

In between these hot and cold seasons are the temperate seasons of spring and fall called the "equinoxes." Equinox means "equal" and refers to the idea that the hours of daylight are equal to the hours after sunset, from dusk onward through the evening and night.

You can see an image of the Earth on the first day of each season in an early post of mine. Just follow this link.

July 27, 2024

A Shy Sunflower

I never plant sunflowers, yet I have them all over my yard. That's because I feed the neighborhood birds black oil sunflower seeds all year round. And when birds defecate (fancy word for "poop"), undigested seed is often in the 'mix." If this seed falls in a previously tilled spot (where the soil has been worked for planting), then a sunflower might take residence, just like this one!

But why do I call this sunflower shy? Any ideas?

June 6, 2024

My Tomato Plants Are Growing!

I'm long overdue with this update on my tomatoes. Spring has been a busy time! But here is one of the four tomatoes I introduced back on April 5 as a young seedling. Look at it now, three-feet tall. This plant already holds many yellow flowers, each which is to become a fruit--the tomato!

I won't be documenting here the various methods of pruning care you can provide tomatoes. Just search this on YouTube. My point is simply to engage your interest in the idea of growing your own tomatoes.

I will check back with you when the first tomatoes form. By the way, here's a photo I meant to post on May 9, but that's when my old computer decided to fade away. It took me a couple weeks to get a new one.

As you can see, a tomato plant grows quite quickly once it's a month or so old. You'll want to get it out of the container and into the soil.

April 9, 2024

Transplanting the Tomato Seedlings

Last time, just a few days ago, I showed you four of my tomato seedlings. By the way, I planted these seeds on March 18. Seeds can sprout quickly or slowly. This crop took at least ten days. These seedlings now need to be separated and transplanted into a larger container. That's what I'll be showing you today.

First I prepared four containers filled with potting soil mix and some added compost. You can buy these in the garden center of most stores. Make sure you press the loose soil into the container to pack it, not too densely but enough to provide adequate soil for growing. Then I pour water into each of the containers before moving the transplanted seedlings.

If you've deep window sills inside, then place them at sunny windows. Seedlings need sun, warmth, and daily watering to keep them growing. After their thin roots begin to grow in size, you don't need to water them as frequently. But definitely in the first several days, be sure they get a drink once a day.

Next I water the seedlings before I pull them from their original container. Their roots will be thin and fragile, so you don't want to waste any time getting them into their new pots.

And here comes my dog Rosie. She has to inspect everything I do. My other dog Henry isn't so concerned. He's in the yard, too, but busy chatting through the fence with the neighbors' dogs.

Because the day was sunny, I wanted to put my plants outside, but it was too cold, in the 40's. So I put them in this pop-up greenhouse to keep them cozy. But if you do, make sure to keep the door flap wide open because otherwise the "greenhouse effect" will turn this plastic shelter into an oven!

April 5, 2024

Do You Like Tomatoes?

If you like tomatoes, why not grow your own? You don't need a large backyard to grow a few plants. In fact, some people grow them in containers on their balconies! If you're not a fan of tomatoes, then what fruit or vegetable do you like? You can buy a large variety of plants by seed, and these seeds can easily be purchased in many stores.

As for me, I LOVE fresh tomatoes, and I love to grow them from seed. Putting a seed in a little soil and watching it sprout from that soil fills me with joy. Of course, not every seed you plant will sprout. That's why I put a few in each container. Lucky me! In this small container four plants have sprouted! I must soon transplant each one to its own larger container.

Follow the process with me. Come back soon to see me transplant these seedlings. By the way, to date, I've about 21 seedlings! I usually plant 12 tomato plants in any given year, but I might plant more this season.

Lots of friends and family eagerly accept tomatoes because they're so good, nothing like store-bought tomatoes. I also take tomatoes to my local food bank that provides fresh produce to its customers.

Growing food is wonderfully rewarding in so many ways. You can experience the fun and joy of it right here!

Until next time . . .

March 18, 2024

It's Spring!

Tomorrow is the official start of spring, my favorite time of the year. (Check out last year's post to learn a little about the astronomy of spring.)

Yesterday, this weeping cherry tree was abuzz with honeybees. Not so much this morning . . . maybe because it's a bit cold outside. I don't doubt they'll be back soon. I love spring because the Earth comes alive with new growth.

I've all manner of planting projects for this spring. Check back soon to see what I'm up to! Until then, enjoy the spring!

January 17, 2024

It's Cold Outside . . .

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, then you know that it's cold outside. I live in southern Pennsylvania, and right now it's 19°. Up from 13° this morning. About five inches of snow fell on Monday, and the birds outside are hungry!

I always feed my backyard birds, especially in the winter after a snowfall. Birds are like people, they can starve and freeze to death if they've not adequate food or shelter. Nature isn't as bountiful with its food these days as too many people maintain sterile lawns.

Many people don't allow wild plants and bushes to grow on their

properties. Yet these wildflowers and native bushes produce the

flowers and fruits birds need in the summer and the seeds they need

in the winter. So how can you help birds?

I feed the birds visiting my backyard black-oil sunflower seeds. I think

this is the best food for seed-eating birds because most overwintering

birds eat them. Put them out on a tray and/or scatter them over the

ground. I always have hundreds of birds in my backyard in the winter

because I make sure they have food and water. You can, too!

P. K. BUTLER

BEE a Naturalist

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