Friends had said that Edgar moved to another site, others said he’d moved on.  Quietly, I thought to myself that he belonged with me.    It’s hard to believe the attachment I feel for this little white squirrel.  Like many times in the past, I reminded myself to not get involved. I did anyway.

I planned to get up early this past Sunday to assemble a piece of cinnamon raisin toast smeared with peanut butter – one of Edgar’s favorites, I think.   I had not seen him in four days and admittedly, I was worried.  But there was still time to hang the sign on his house (Edgar’s Place) and pack it with straw before the winter months set in.

I wandered out my door and the cool morning air took me by surprise as I crossed the yard to Edgar’s vacant home.  With my favorite cultivator in hand and a lump in my throat, I gingerly hoisted his breakfast up and set it in place like I had so many times before.  There was nothing more to do but wait and so I did.  I settled into my favorite patio chair with a warm cup of coffee in one hand and my binoculars in the other.

The first visitor to my garden was the familiar pint-sized chipmunk sitting on the cedar fence very close to Edgar’s territory.  His industrious personality was quite entertaining, to say the least!  He quizzically scoped out Edgar’s tree trunk with the hopes of making  it to the top one day; I recognized that look in his eyes.  I pondered if his life would be any different at the top if he actually made it there, and hoped he would not be disappointed.

A few black squirrels raced across the telephone wires, headed toward Edgar’s house and I became surprisingly territorial of his breakfast!  I sprang out of my chair and hurdled the yard as if I’d seen a ghost!  Hands down, the others would NOT eat Edgar’s food. It would be there for his homecoming.   I settled back into my chair and was greeted by a single mourning dove just ten feet away.  For a split second and being slightly desperate, I considered asking if she knew where Edgar was – it’s a small community after all.

I was quickly distracted by a gorgeous cardinal and I stared at it in wonder.   Similar to the four seasons and all things living, I gently embraced our “circle of life” reality and its consistent need to change.  Maybe Edgar did move on or maybe he was on a break.   Either way, I was heartbroken and fought back the tears.  My heavy heart weighed me down significantly in my favorite chair and I sat in silence.  I questioned myself, wondering what happened to Edgar, what I could have done differently, and why he chose to leave.

Within a matter of minutes, I caught a glimpse of  leaves ruffling high in the tree tops.  I immediately grabbed the binoculars and canvassed the area only to discover a small white silhouette frolicking about with a much larger black squirrel!  Up and down, side to side, they ran without fret!  Overwhelmed with emotion I raced into my home to wake my wonderful husband and dear Soil Sister Kylee!  Adorned in our pajamas, we immediately headed outdoors and together witnessed Edgar’s joyful return!   Shortly thereafter, Edgar happily enjoyed his breakfast and I watched with delight!  Relief quickly swept over my entire body just as fast as Edgar moved about the trees!

For me, Edgar’s return was symbolic of recent days gone by.  I am humbled by how a tiny white squirrel forced me to take pause on a cool August morning.  I know in my heart that things may not be as they seem and may not stay the same.  I will keep reminding myself that often change is good and should never be feared.  In the meantime…

Welcome home, Edgar! ♥

Summer is starting its transition into fall.  I can feel it in the air, in spite of still warm temperatures.  But the signs are there.  Some are obvious, such as the mums and asters beginning to bloom; others can’t be seen – merely felt.

A Monarch caterpillar is characterized by black, yellow, and white stripes.

My own garden at Our Little Acre is a Certified Monarch Waystation, meaning we grow plants from which Monarch butterflies like to sip nectar and plants that the Monarch caterpillars like to eat.  The latter consists solely of those within the Asclepias genus. They’re picky eaters, these ones!

I receive an occasion e-mail from the Monarch Watch website, containing up-to-date information on all aspects of Monarch life, including their migrations.  It may seem early, but the Monarchs have begun their migration southward to Mexico! Just last week, in Minnesota, clusters of Monarchs were seen to be forming in the trees there as they make their way south.

Monarchs can’t fly when the temperatures dip below 50 degrees F., so they must congregate in the trees during the cool nights and wait for the sun to come up and warm the air.  Then they will once again be on their way, guided by an internal compass that still holds some mystery as to just how it works.

My mom and I will be tagging some migrating Monarchs this fall as a part of the program sponsored by Monarch Watch.  Each butterfly we catch will be tagged with a small sticker placed on their discal cell, containing a unique identification number.  Once released, it is hoped that they will be recovered ultimately in Mexico, in their overwintering site in the mountains.  Locals are paid about $5 for each recovered tagged Monarch.  This information is used in studying the survival and flying patterns of the Monarchs during migration.

We first learned about the program when Mom and I were traveling in Pennsylvania in 2006, after attending GardenFair at Winterthur in Delaware. We had stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial Site and Memorial Chapel and Mom found a dead Monarch just outside the chapel.  It contained one of the Monarch Watch stickers on it.  Many Monarchs won’t make it all the way to Mexico, but of course, thousands and thousands do.

Peak migration in our area is the third week of September. However, with everything occurring earlier than usual this year, I’ll be keeping my eyes open for clustering.  We’ve seen it twice – once in our backyard and once just half a mile down the road.  It’s an incredible sight to see hundreds of them at once like that!

For more information about the Monarch and what Monarch Watch is all about, visit their website at http://www.monarchwatch.org.

Better to be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.

~John Trapp

Learning how to prune woody ornamentals may be difficult at first.  For many gardeners, it can be daunting trying to decide what to cut and what to leave!  Pruning is necessary and should not be avoided or intimidating.  In fact, it is beneficial for the overall health of a plant.  Remember:  practice makes perfect and, in no time, pruning will become second nature!

I have discovered through the years that most pruning principles are common sense.  I am excited to share my six favorite pruning tips!  It’s time to break out your pruning tools and leave your fears behind!  Let’s get started:

1. Consider the shape and design you wish to create before you start pruning.  It’s important to have a clear vision and plan in mind!   Your decision on the shape and design will dictate the amount of pruning necessary.

2.  Always remove dead, broken, diseased or insect-infested branches.

3.  Branches that criss-cross, grow toward the interior, or ruin the shape and appearance of a plant should be removed.

4.  To avoid excessive and unattractive clumping of branches at the top, thin out rather than cut back.

5.  Always prune suckers and water shoots.

6.  Cut off any old stubs.

Pruning is good for our plants and good for us, too!  After all, we all need a bit of trimming, reshaping, controlling, and snipping from time to time!  Happy pruning!

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”

~From the TV show, The Wonder Years

My garden skills are limited, but my love for my family is not!

The  pretty Pink Rain Lily (aka Fairy Lily and Zephyr Lily) is what my family and I call our “granny” plant.  My mother lovingly gave each of her daughters a piece from her garden.  She received her “granny” from her mother (my grandmother) and my grandmother received hers from her mother (my great-grandmother).  That is how the affectionate name for this plant became ”granny.”

“Granny” is a native of Mexico and is also very common in the cultivated areas of the Himalayas.  She is delicate and flourishes throughout the rainy season, especially after heavy showers.

My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother have all passed away so my “granny” plant has very special meaning to me.  During the winter months my “granny” rests on a ledge in my kitchen window and takes on the appearance of scraggly grass!  As soon as warm weather returns, she has her designated place on my patio.  It is there that I wait in wonder when she will begin to show her beautiful blooms!  The first sign of an emerging flower brings out the little girl in me and I am giddy with excitement. It’s like my mother is saying hello!

In return, I have given my daughter and granddaughters a piece of my “granny” and have shared the cherished memories with them.  I hope someday my granddaughters will carry on this tradition and share “granny” with their children.

I have come to learn through this little plant that you don’t need to leave riches to your children. Something as simple as a “granny” plant may become as precious as gold.  After all, it is truly the simple pleasures in life that create the fondest memories for our loved ones!  May the memory of “granny” live on!  Thanks for letting me share my story!

~Kathy from Michigan

Botanical name:  Zephyranthes grandiflora

Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard

by Sally Roth

304 pages
Rodale Books, 2002
List Price:  $18.95

If there’s a better book out there than Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard on the subject in its title, I want to see it.  I can’t imagine anything more complete or more attractively presented than this.

A list of the chapters really tells the story:

• Butterflies and Hummingbirds: The Basics
• Flowers and Feeders for Nectar
• The Lure of Water
• Tempting Butterflies with Treats
• The Sheltering Garden
• The Next Generation
• Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Designs
• Butterfly and Hummingbird Behavior
• A Gallery of Hummingbirds
• A Gallery of Butterflies

There are photographs, illustrations, tables, resources, maps, and recommended readings.  This book contains so much useful and interesting information that in my opinion, you shouldn’t bother with checking it out of the library.  You should buy a copy of your own.

Sally Roth, author of numerous birding, nature, and gardening titles, spends much of her time watching birds and enjoying nature across the country. She currently lives in New Harmony, Indiana.

________________
Book reviewed was purchased by the reviewer.
Review reprinted with permission of Gardening by the Book.

Time for Friday fun with The Soil Sisters! We thought it would be nice to end the week with a smile so each Friday we’ll post a random question, not necessarily garden-related, (after all we’re more than just garden girls) that each of us will answer. We’d love for you to share your answers and thoughts with us, too! It’s a fun way for all of us to get to know a little more about each other and even share a few laughs!

Question:  Who (or what) plays in your gardens besides you?!?

Jan: I am blessed this summer to have a very unique visitor in my gardens…Edgar the albino squirrel!  I have lived in Michigan my entire life and have never seen a white squirrel!  This lil’ guy has captured the hearts of many and is as adorable as he looks!  When asked what I did the summer of 2010…fell in love with a tiny white squirrel!  The simple pleasures are truly life’s treasures!  Happy Friday Friends! 

This brown snake overwintered in our compost pile!

Kylee: We once had a brown snake living in our compost pile. I think he probably overwintered there and we disturbed him in the spring! Isn’t he cute?

Then, of course, there are the kitties.  We have (currently – population subject to change, depending on strays) six outside kitties that are our garden helpers. Max even has his own garden that we named for him, as he patrols it regularly and it’s an unspoken understanding that he owns it.

Of course, there are the frogs and toads and an occasional deer, but more often raccoons and skunks. Insects galore, including oodles of butterflies and moths.  Many kinds of birds nest in the shrubs and trees, including our beloved bluebirds and orioles. Our garden is a Certified Monarch Waystation as well as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  We welcome them and that is one of the reasons we garden!

Feeding sugar water to the baby squirrel.

Lisa: Too many to list! Our half-acre yard is home and playground to not only our family and pets but to a pretty wide variety of wildlife. We planted  with the idea of creating a wildlife-encouraging habitat and have been blessed to have ducks, herons, toads, frogs, skunks, possums, woodchucks, deer, snakes, a weasel and even a fox along with birds, raptors and a host of interesting insects.

If I have to pick a favorite for this summer it would have to be the baby squirrel we rescued after his momma (a white squirrel) was killed. We cared for him just a few hours before delivering him to a wildlife expert who raised him and released him. An experience and joy I will never forget!

Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) isn’t a weed at all, its an American native wildflower common to Eastern and Mid-Western woodlands and meadows and beloved food source of many butterflies including Monarchs. Tall, dark and handsome describes Joe Pye perfectly: 6′-10′ tall at maturity with long lance-shaped leaves and dark stems topped with 18″ fluffy pinkish-purple blooms in the fall… this big guy is a must for the back of your butterfly garden or border! Joe doesn’t stand on looks alone, he’ll attract droves of butterflies, bees and birds to your garden with his faintly vanilla scented blooms. After the long-lasting blossoms fade the seed heads are not only attractive, they provide food and nesting materials for birds like  juncos, wrens and chickadees and they add lovely winter interest to your garden.

Is Joe Pye a bit too big for your garden space? Consider adding Little Joe, also known as Chocolate Joe Pye Weed. Maturing at a respectable four feet tall and bearing deep chocolate colored leaves and reddish stems he’s the handsome little brother of Joe Pye with snowy white flowers. Both are wonderful additions to your fall garden where they really shine with ornamental grasses and other fall blooms and provide a beneficial food source to migrating butterflies and birds.

Grow It

Botanical name: Eupatorium purpureum

Common name: Joe Pye weed

Hardiness: Zones 4-8

Height:  6′-10′

Grow it: Joe Pye weed requires moisture to support it’s rapid summer growth, though it will adapt to dry conditions. Plant in full sun to part shade in rich, loamy soil with adequate moisture for best growth. A perennial native wildflower, it will die back to the ground each winter and new growth will emerge each spring from the underground roots. The tall stalks are hollow and will topple in a strong winds, choose a planting site out of wind or stake the plants while they are young. (The plants can be pinched back during the spring to promote a somewhat shorter, bushier plant.) Joe Pye  is easily started from seed indoors 8-10 weeks before spring or direct-sown outdoors after the last frost. Divide plants every two years.

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

~Mother Teresa

Meet Joanne Ruzza, a retired school teacher, also known around town as “The Random Acts of Kindness” Lady.  Joanne is recognized for her continued desire to give to those less fortunate.  She is involved in many charitable organizations – volunteering her time and resources unconditionally!  She truly makes a difference…knitting, baking, organizing, donating, and whatever anyone needs fills her daily calendar.

Vegetable gardening is one of Joanne’s passions.  But her active lifestyle of giving back to others and community involvement makes it challenging for her to maintain her gardens.  However, I am delighted to report that Joanne is back in the garden saddle and has reclaimed the forgotten plot in her backyard!  Her swift call to action and deep desire to provide fresh produce to the needy has inspired others to get involved and Cause an Effect!

We wasted no time!  Cleanup in Joanne’s backyard is well underway and promising plans for next year’s crops are off and running!  It’s an exciting time in her small suburban backyard!   I am honored and flattered that she has invited me to be a part of this amazing community project right in my hometown!

Our first course of action was clearing out weeds, branches, grass, and more!  Tip: wetting garden beds the day before weeding helps to loosen the soil…it makes it easier to pluck out stubborn weeds!  Good ole’ fashioned hand weeding, loppers, pruners, shovels, and saws were our tools of choice! 

We let all the yard waste set overnight…dried debris is significantly lighter when it’s time to fill the lawn bags!  I like rolling the cut branches and larger weeds together first, and then tying them up – trouble free and simple to manage!

Our small plot of land looks great and has a fruitful future!  No doubt there is plenty of work down the pike…but Joanne’s enthusiasm and love for others (and great baking skills!) will surely keep us motivated and engaged!  I will update everyone as our small community garden progresses!

Final thought. It’s heartwarming how one person’s call to action and willingness to “put herself out there” takes on a rippling effect!  I think at one time or another, we will all have the opportunity to Cause an Effect.  Thank you Joanne for allowing us to share your yard so we can share it with others!   Priceless.

Sometimes when you see a really cool plant, you might figure it has to be a hybrid, because…well…it’s just so unusual.  Take the new class of coneflowers, for instance. But that’s not always the case. God does plain and God does fancy!

I’m a lover of quilled and spooned petals on flowers, so when I saw Rudbeckia  subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’, I swooned.  My first glimpse of it was online, because I had never seen it in our local garden centers.  I live in an extremely rural area, so the more unusual varieties of things are rarely offered.  But eventually, I found it when out and about on one of my garden trips and I snatched it up.

For the last two years, it’s graced my garden with absolutely lovely blooms atop 4′ tall stems.  It has multiplied each year, too, although not to excess like its Black-eyed Susan cousin is wont to do.  Planted next to Solidago (goldenrod), its yellow petals blend well and shine like the sun in the late summer garden.

In case you were wondering how ‘Henry Eilers’ got its name, the native flower was discovered in southern Illinois by plantsman Henry Eilers and was introduced by Larry Loman. Plant Delights Nursery was first to offer it for sale online.  It’s native to several states in the Midwest, with the highest concentration being in Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.

GROW IT

Botanical name: Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’

Common name: Sweet coneflower or Sweet Black-eyed Susan

Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-7

Bloom Time: August through September

Height: 4′-5′

Grow it: ‘Henry Eilers’ is drought tolerant, once established, but will wither a bit if the drought is extended without supplemental watering. A fairly fast grower, it’s best to divide the plant in the spring to induce new growth as seedlings many times will not exhibit quilling. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this native wildflower!

Time for Friday fun with The Soil Sisters! We thought it would be nice to end the week with a smile so each Friday we’ll post a random question, not necessarily garden-related, (after all we’re more than just garden girls) that each of us will answer. We’d love for you to share your answers and thoughts with us, too! It’s a fun way for all of us to get to know a little more about each other and even share a few laughs!

Question:  What’s your plant hardiness zone and why do you love living there?  (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Finder)

Jan: Zone 5b !! I love Michigan’s four seasons…especially the color change in autumn! 

Kylee: I’m in Zone 5b as well.  By being in the middle of the growing zone spectrum, it allows me to grow a variety of things. I like that I can grow tulips and peonies easily.  The changing of seasons is wonderful and winter gives me a break from gardening so that I’m energized and excited about doing it all over again in the spring.  I think you never quite appreciate spring as much as you do when you’ve just emerged from several months of cold and ice. I’ll always have zone envy though, for those that live in zones 6 and 7.  Yes…7.  I think I want to be in zone 7…

Lisa: Same here, Zone 5b. (We aren’t kidding when we say we’re Sisters!) I’m blessed in that our yard has its own mini micro-climate so I am able to grow more like we live in zone 6b which allows for earlier planting of my spring crops. My favorite part of our location is definitely the four seasons…each beautiful and very different. It’s taken a few years but I’ve learned to appreciate the garden in winter as well as summer… it’s all beautiful!