Gardening for Wildlife

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

Paleface — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I agree that Comos's are a hit with the Goldfinches, Butterflies and as a cut flower. Plus they are very easy to grow!

I haven't tried the double pink. There so many varieties to chose from!

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

swenzl — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I have tried just about every cosmos there is, good food for all the finches and a variety of butterflies.Enjoy them on my table as a cut flower also.Have a double pink this year to try.Always leave a few previous to add color in my beds.

Re: Widely Used Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females

swenzl — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

A possible reason frogs are diminishing in my area. When I was a kid if fishing was slow we always had frogs to catch. Hard to see the populations as large.Replacing wetlands and putting grass buffer strips back along row crops is helping.This is widely used on corn and soybean fields all over the midwest.What does it do to those applying it? One of the most dangerous jobs in this state is farming.

Re: Widely Used Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females

Paleface — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hi Steve,

As a child I also enjoyed having an abundant number of frogs and toads around. I didn't fish with them....just observed them. O.K. I also played with them.

This is just one more reason to jump on the chemical free gardening bandwagon.

Thanks for the reply and wishing you and myself more frogs!

Re: Widely Used Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females

Paleface — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

[quote user="ah64a"]

If I was a male frog. Just that me out back and just shoot me.

[/quote]

Hi Gary!

LOL!!! I would feel the same way if I were a female frog and was changed into a male frog.

Re: Widely Used Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females

ah64a — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

If I was a male frog. Just take me out back and just shoot me.

Widely Used Weedkiller Turns Male Frogs Into Females

Paleface — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Greetings Fellow Wildlife Gardeners,

I found this disturbing article about this weedkiller that turns male frogs into females. This chemical has already been banned in Europe and could be banned here in the States. Let's hope this happens. I believe I read somewhere last year that the heath of frogs reflects the state of our environment. Who wants to have sex changed frogs?

There are other sad facts listed in this article on weedkiller on the amount used on lawns and the affect it can have on humans.

Here is the link to the article to learn more:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/widely-used-weedkiller-turns-male-frogs-into-females.html

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

Paleface — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I love Cosmos. I planted them a few years ago and they have self sown themselves very nicely. My place is really small. I live in a camper. No room for shop lights in here.

I planted a female Needle Point Holly. It is only to reach around 5 feet. One of my neighbors has male hollies. Robins and Mockingbirds also love the berries.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

swenzl — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Some annuals do good started in flats, it can help knowing where they are when they come up. I think of direct seeding ten concentric rings one year and weeding out two varieties. Another, statice, I transplanted a few dandelions because they had similar foliage.Cosmos I started this last year stunted their roots letting them get too tall, and I had them fall over in a big wind.It doesn't take much area, I put two flats long under one light.I still visit all the greenhouses within 30 miles at least once.You learn something each year. I have never tried holly, it may need to be a new addition.What one are you using?

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

swenzl — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Thats why I start my tomatoes , peppers and some flowers indoors is to get my hands in the dirt. You also can get varieties you never see in the greenhouses. My poor roses still have 6-8 inches of snow around them so I had to buy some fresh cut ones this week. I set up a large shelving unit in my basement and hang flurescent shop lights on smalll chains over each shelf so I can adjust them easily.I won't plant outside until the first week of May so don't want to jump the gun too much.I have a pot maker that takes strips of newspaper and rolls them into 2 inch pots when I am ready to transplant individual plants.I keep the lights 1inch above my plants and watch them grow.This way I can start perennials from seed also.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

JessiBelle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I used to start all kinds of seeds inside, but the past few years I have not done many. This year I am going to start some again, mostly flower seeds. I do the same as you, in the basement with shop lights.

This weekend I want to get some HollyHocks and some dianthus started and some ornamental pepppers.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

Paleface — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I don't have the space to start seeds indoors. I usually start annual flower seeds outside and buy the other plants.

All the berries on my Holly bush are gone. It is such a great feeling to know that birds enjoyed something I planted for them.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

JessiBelle — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I am so winter weary and am so ready to get my hands dirty :). This spring I am going to re-work my herb bad that I plant things in to attract butterflies and start fresh.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

Paleface — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

It has been a rough winter here in Georgia. We could get another snow this week. :(

I'm also getting the itch to start planting. I also have to re-work my herb garden and am thinking about expanding it.

I pruned my roses today and notice new growth on a few plants. Whoopee! Spring is close.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

Paleface — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hi Jessibelle,

What a wonderful picture of the caterpillars. Now that the drought in the SE seems to have ended I hope to add more Butterfly friendly plants/flowers.

Welcome to the Group!

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

swenzl — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I like to put in carrots and parsley for the swallowtails. Milkweed varieties are also fun. When looking up a butterfly look at their foods.Your county extension and state usually offer lists of plants to use, plus some have plants you can purchase.Non natives can become very invasive. Here in Iowa we have a program starting to get rid of honeysuckle in the forests, a popular plant in the 60's.I sold my last 3 homes because of the landscaping, but novices often don't understand how much work it can be. Seeing an area being mowed can be a real heartbreak when you worked so hard to reverse that.

Re: HI FROM MISSOURI

JessiBelle — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hi Neighbor! Iowa is where I call home. I have been trying to attract all wildlife to my yard for several years.

I especailly like gardening for butterflies. These are Blackswallowtail catapillars.

www.edaleputt.blogspot.com

Re: Negative Ramifications of having a Certified Habitat????

cyotefishing — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I got my yard certified 9 years ago and the only thing that comes to mind is that to be certified a yard must have food, water and shelter. I would think having it certified would be a good selling point.

Re: Already Thinking Of Summer! Passion Flowers

the elmores — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hi all-

New members here and loving it. Last Spring we planted a passion flower vine. It was only about 6 inches high, but by mid July it was over 15 feet tall! The Fritillary butterflies and bumblebees seemed to love it. It died back in late fall, and we're hoping it makes the anticipated comeback this spring.

Mo & Jo

Woodlandgal_WI_zn4

MissouriMadelen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Hi again. We have no shrubs around the house anymore. We have so many shade trees the evergreen shrubs won't grow. I'm concentrating on big rocks and driftwood as our house landscaping.

We do have some Crape Myrtle bushes around the patio area. But the thing I like the most is called a Missouri Holly. This is a native, which can be shaped into a tree around 25-30 feet tall or a bush. It has starts coming up around the tree each year and you simple dig one up and start a new one if you like.

This Missouri Holly has red berries. I use a few branches for decorating at Christmas time and then put them back outside, but for the most part, the birds eat the berries. Before spring, you won't see a single berry.

The thing which makes this holly so nice is it grows even in a shaded yard. Most of my flowers are now now native plants of Missouri.

Is this the only forum for posting our wildlife pictures?

Madelen