Last week was really something Monarch-wise. Check this out: I was out collecting seed from our rapidly fading swamp milkweed and...

All 8 were females, which is odd, given that the male to female ratio is 1:1. They were both lovely. I don't miss the almost-daily...

When I look at my planting projects, I wonder what made me think I could create beautiful gardens – and now, a prairie. It seems...

Released another female Monarch this a.m. She was gorgeous: Released another female Monarch this a.m. She was gorgeous: Gotta love that...

. . . that these exist? What a fascinating creature! It's a Misumena vatia - a Goldenrod Crab Spider. It can turn yellow, if it's on a...

I lost another caterpillar yesterday. Both the ones I've lost were from the 3 I brought in from the plants in front of my studio. The 3rd...

Damn. Had a dead caterpillar this a.m. That certainly wasn't expected, given they all looked so good yesterday. But - have another...

So happy to set another one free. She was beautiful.

It Lived! It's Free!

OK, well my Monarch nursery has got me a bit rattled. I decided I needed to move one chrysalis because it wasn't in a good place for the...

So, I've been lovingly caring for 8 Monarch eggs/larvae/chrysalises for a while now, and am pleased to say that, barring any...

OK, well, if I wasn't panicky enough, today I got news to make me even more so. Dr. Robert Hartzler, ISU Extension Weed Specialist and...

OK, so it's the middle of July, and I'm seeing only a fraction of the pollinators I saw at this time last year, and I'm on the verge of...

I never wanted a lawn. It’s too much work from the get-go, lawnmowers leave a carbon footprint into which you could drive numerous...