Earthly Garden

I’m sitting gazing out the window to my garden, and am happy to see that my little swarm of wild bees are back! They disappeared for a few months, and I was worried about them. I have no idea where they live, but a beekeeper friend identified them for me soon after they appeared here a few years ago…turns out they are honeybees! He told me he’ll help me capture them and put them into a hive, but I’m not sure I want the responsibility of tending a beehive. The bees seem to be doing fine on their own.

One surprise…they LOVE rosemary! My rosemary plants bloom off and on year-round here, and I never thought about that being a good source of pollen, or nectar. Apparently the bees think otherwise. I see a handful of them swarming the plant this morning, but last August there were thousands out there. The idea of rosemary-flavored honey is intriguing, I will admit.

I was glad to see the bees in the garden because they help the plants with pollination. One reason I have a totally organic garden is so that the beneficial insects can thrive in it and aren’t killed off by pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Too many of our native pollinators are disappearing because of widespread spraying of crops. For me, that’s reason enough to go organic.

Until tomorrow….dig it!

bobbi c.

insects, herbs, rosemary, bees, honeybees, beekeeping, pollination, native bees, native pollinators, nectar, organic gardening

When we first moved out here to the country, I thought it odd that there weren’t many birds other than the native roadrunners and a few sparrows. But when we hung a few birdfeeders and added a few birdbaths to our yard, they came. Slowly, but surely. Now, ten years later, we commonly get birds such as hummingbirds, tufted titmouses (titmice?), cardinals, mockingbirds, painted buntings and some of the native endangered or rare birds such as cedar waxwing and golden cheeked warblers.

In order to get a good look at these birds, I placed a birdbath right outside my office/studio window. Yesterday I was treated to a cardinal pecking at the small piece of ice in there, and another as-yet-unID’d bird that I’ve never seen here before.

I have several cement birdbaths, and one beloved cast iron one, but you know what? The birds don’t care what they’re made out of! I even have a few that are cheapy galvanized pans I found at the local hardware store for less than $5 each. Filled with water and a rock for the birds to stand on, they make great birdbaths for the birds who like to drink their water lower to the ground. Here’s an example of one I made:

Birds make great additions to an organic garden, since many of them eat their weight in bugs!

Dig it!

bobbi c.
Anxiously awaiting spring…
Copyright ©2005-2008 by Bobbi A. Chukran

birdfeeders, birdbath, inexpensive birdbath, DIY birdbath, galvanized birdbath

This morning it’s 27-degrees and all thoughts about early planting of spring tomatoes have been replaced by worries that I might lose my little lime tree that’s been living in a pot on the porch since last year at this time. Actually, I’m surprised it has lived this long. This winter has been harsh here for us in many ways–more icy storms and colder temperatures. Maybe it will be a blessing in disguise, and will kill off some of the grasshopper eggs I know are lurking underneath the cedar mulch that covers my garden paths…nature’s way of dealing with bugs!

My new grow light stand (a late Christmas gift) I ordered finally got here, and even though it’s a bit late for us, I’ll be starting tomato, pepper and herb seedlings myself this year. It will be nice not to be tied to the small inventory of hybrid varieties that the local garden center sells, and I can space the timing out instead of buying them all at once. I’ll be starting some Brandywine tomatoes, a popular, tasty heirloom. I always grow cherry tomatoes, too, for salads, and those do well in pots as long as they are fed some fish emulsion or liquid seaweed.

I’ve been going through all my garden photos, and will be posting more of those as I find them.

Happy Valentine’s Day, all!

Dig it!

bobbi c.
All photos and text Copyright©2005-2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran

insects in garden, grow light stand, antique rose, white heirloom rose, lime tree in container

Mornin’ all! First of all, I have a big announcement…my basil seeds I planted ten days ago are up! Such little things bring me joy. LOL. I can’t help but “wax poetic” about the several pounds of basil and all the wonderful pestos, etc. that will come from each of those teeny little plants (assuming I don’t kill them first.) A seed really is a tiny miracle, come to think of it.

And, for those of you who are just itchin’ to get your hands in the soil, I ran across this great article on the Better Homes and Gardens site about starting seedlings. Lots of good info. from a reputable source.

Happy gardening, and don’t hesitate to ask questions if you have any. I may not know the answer, but will try to find it for you!

Dig it!

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2005-2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. All rights reserved.

starting seeds indoors, basil, seedstarting, Better Homes and Gardens magazine