Growing With It

Drove out to the to attend an amazing and inspiring lecture by as part of the Naturally Better Landscaping Speaker Series by . Rebecca was such an amazing storyteller and the packed theater makes me hopeful for the future of ecological landscaping and sustainable practices even when the world seems to be falling apart. 🌎💚🪴

Monarch Watch 2k25! First time seeing monarchs in our yard after 3 years of turning our yard into a native and ecological garden/habitat. I cannot wait to see this baby emerge. We live in the city, with about 1/9th of an acre, and have at least 8 milkweed plants. Proving “if you plant it they will come.”

The more I think about my childhood, the more I understand my fascination with nature and plants. I have been thinking about the plastic monarch butterfly and caterpillar figurines that sat on my window sill in my bedroom growing up. I believe I got them after visiting a butterfly conservatory when I was under the age of 10. Now, I get to look at the real thing nestled among my butterfly milkweed.

Third growing season of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), first year seeing Monarchs and a Monarch caterpillar. 🐛

Liatris spicata

Monarda fistulosa
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Updated the old bee house to a Crown Bees that is hopefully safer and longer lasting than the previous. 🐝
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Echinacea purpurea and Rudbeckia fulgida. Echinacea grown from seed and Rudbeckia purchased at Herring Run Nursery
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Echinacea purpurea grown from seed last year.

Liatris spicata (Blazing star)

After seeing Monarda punctata (Spotted Bee Balm) growing during a Master Naturalist field trip, I knew I needed it for my own yard.

Obviously I’m loving the blooms in this one corner of my yard… Asclepias tuberosa and Echinacea purpurea ‘POST301’
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