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Photos: Savanna
Mar. 6th, 2026 11:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithI took some pictures around the yard today. These are from the savanna. (See the house yard.)
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ysabetwordsmith
Photos: House Yard
Mar. 6th, 2026 10:03 pmysabetwordsmithToday was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I took pictures around the yard. The first few are from indoors, then the rest are the house yard. (See the savanna.)
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Willow Cuttings
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:25 pmysabetwordsmithMy willow cuttings have arrived! :D I will need to unpack them and set them up. My plan is to put some in water, which makes willow water, which can be used to root other things. I shall take cuttings from some dogwoods and other things here to see if this works. I also intend to put some willow cuttings in soil to see how that works. Since willows are pretty much the easiest thing to propagate from cuttings, and I have 3 of each color, I figure at least one of each should survive.
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
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Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
( Read more... )
Photos: Water Garden
Feb. 26th, 2026 11:45 pmysabetwordsmithMy second garden craft today was making a mini-water garden. (See the House Yard and the Worm Bin.)
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Photos: Worm Bin
Feb. 26th, 2026 11:28 pmysabetwordsmithOne of today's garden crafts was making a worm bin. You can buy commercial ones, but they're expensive. All this took was a few minutes to set it up. (See the House Yard and the Water Garden.)
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( Walk with me ... )
Photos: House Yard
Feb. 26th, 2026 10:59 pmysabetwordsmithToday I took some pictures around the yard and did a couple of garden crafts. These are from the house yard and savanna. (See the Worm Bin and the Water Garden.)
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Willow Cuttings
Feb. 26th, 2026 12:52 pmysabetwordsmithYesterday we ordered two different kinds of willow cuttings. I couldn't find a new contorta willow at a reasonable price, so I'm trying these instead. It will take time for them to grow roots, but willows are the easiest plant to root -- they make their own rooting hormone, which can be used to stimulate other plant cuttings to root. Also, willows are keystone species that support over 450 other species, especially butterfly and moth caterpillars that feed baby birds. Some birds also like to nest in willows. Most willows bloom very early and feed bees emerging in spring.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Feb. 26th, 2026 12:51 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly cloudy and cool. Looks like it rained a bit last night; there are small puddles in a few places.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I cut and labeled 4 more water jugs. These will hold native grasses: little bluestem, side-oats grama, northern sea oats, and switchgrass. It will be interesting to see how they do. Potted grasses tend to survive well but are more expensive. Broadcast seeding on the ground has variable results. So if I can find more and better ways to pot my own from seed, that's an improvement. Native grasses attract wildlife with food, shelter, and other resources. Many birds devour the seeds. Some butterflies, especially skippers, and other insects use native grasses as host plants. My prairie garden swarms with skippers and other butterflies in summer and into fall.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I filled, sowed, and taped the milk jugs. This potting soil was wet enough that it didn't need watering. I thought I had some topsoil left, but I'm out of that; I'll need to restock in March. I put the four new jugs in the parking lot and tied them together.
While I was out there, a honeybee buzzed around, wishing to pollinate me, perhaps attracted to my bright coat. I had to explain that I was not a flower.
I've seen more sparrows and two male cardinals.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I set up a simple worm bin in the log garden's leaf enclosure. I used an old 5-gallon bucket with a cracked bottom and a hole in one side. This will allow worms to go in and out as they please. I put some leaves inside to start, and packed more leaves around the bucket. Now I have somewhere that I can drop food scraps for the worms to eat, and cover with a handful of leaves. This gives me a place that will likely have plenty of worms when I want them -- such as for dropping into large planters -- and also where I can take a handful of very bioactive material to jump-start pots filled with potting mix with little or no bioactivity. When the bucket gets full, I can dump out the worm castings to use for fertilizing plants, sort out some worms, restart the bucket with more leaf litter, and drop in the worms.
There are, of course, commercially made worm bins that are much fancier and allow access to more outputs. However, these are expensive. Also they trap the worms inside, which is not great for an outdoor setup. This is free and better suited to its situation.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I picked up the empty trough from last year's mini-water garden and moved it to the log garden, where I surrounded it with extra logs. I have taken pictures of the worm bin and the water garden.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I heard a woodpecker drumming but didn't see it. I have seen a fox squirrel up a tree.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I cut and labeled 4 more water jugs. These will hold native grasses: little bluestem, side-oats grama, northern sea oats, and switchgrass. It will be interesting to see how they do. Potted grasses tend to survive well but are more expensive. Broadcast seeding on the ground has variable results. So if I can find more and better ways to pot my own from seed, that's an improvement. Native grasses attract wildlife with food, shelter, and other resources. Many birds devour the seeds. Some butterflies, especially skippers, and other insects use native grasses as host plants. My prairie garden swarms with skippers and other butterflies in summer and into fall.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I filled, sowed, and taped the milk jugs. This potting soil was wet enough that it didn't need watering. I thought I had some topsoil left, but I'm out of that; I'll need to restock in March. I put the four new jugs in the parking lot and tied them together.
While I was out there, a honeybee buzzed around, wishing to pollinate me, perhaps attracted to my bright coat. I had to explain that I was not a flower.
I've seen more sparrows and two male cardinals.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I set up a simple worm bin in the log garden's leaf enclosure. I used an old 5-gallon bucket with a cracked bottom and a hole in one side. This will allow worms to go in and out as they please. I put some leaves inside to start, and packed more leaves around the bucket. Now I have somewhere that I can drop food scraps for the worms to eat, and cover with a handful of leaves. This gives me a place that will likely have plenty of worms when I want them -- such as for dropping into large planters -- and also where I can take a handful of very bioactive material to jump-start pots filled with potting mix with little or no bioactivity. When the bucket gets full, I can dump out the worm castings to use for fertilizing plants, sort out some worms, restart the bucket with more leaf litter, and drop in the worms.
There are, of course, commercially made worm bins that are much fancier and allow access to more outputs. However, these are expensive. Also they trap the worms inside, which is not great for an outdoor setup. This is free and better suited to its situation.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I picked up the empty trough from last year's mini-water garden and moved it to the log garden, where I surrounded it with extra logs. I have taken pictures of the worm bin and the water garden.
EDIT 2/26/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I heard a woodpecker drumming but didn't see it. I have seen a fox squirrel up a tree.
I am done for the night.
Birdfeeding
Feb. 22nd, 2026 10:17 pmysabetwordsmithI picked out what I wanted from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. This catalog has the Safe Seed Pledge, meaning everything is non-GMO/toxin-free. My partner Doug further notes that they have the best, easiest ordering system of all the catalogs we use. Call up the Smart Order Form and when you key in the product number, the rest autofills, tells you if it's still in stock, and lists the price. \o/ Somegeek earned their coffee today! Of these, the sunflowers and white coneflower will attract birds directly. The pinks, milkweed, and yarrow, will attract other pollinators like butterflies and bees.
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( Read more... )
Photos: Flowerbeds
Feb. 18th, 2026 07:54 pmysabetwordsmithThe first crocuses are blooming! I just had to take pictures when I spotted them this morning. Yesterday they were just buds.
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( Walk with me ... )
Cold Stream Farm Order
Feb. 17th, 2026 07:49 pmysabetwordsmithToday we made the Cold Stream Farm order. This is one of the few remaining nurseries with affordable prices, focusing mostly on native species of trees and bushes. Most have wildlife value. Some are good for permaculture.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Photos: House Yard and South Lot
Feb. 16th, 2026 11:10 pmysabetwordsmithToday I took some pictures around the yard. These are from the house yard and the south lot. (See the Savanna and Prairie Garden.)
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
Feb. 14th, 2026 02:18 pmysabetwordsmithYesterday I picked out what I wanted from Pinetree Garden Seeds. Some of these, like the sunflower and the scarlet sage, are directly for birds. Others such as the feverfew and milkweed are for insect pollinators, some of whom will leave edible larvae for birds to hunt.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
OPN Seed Order
Jan. 18th, 2026 05:57 pmysabetwordsmithToday we ordered seeds from OPN Seed. This completes my goal of making at least 2 catalog orders by the end of February. I still have more catalogs to go through, but I got two of the most important done. \o/
OPN Seed also offers a variety of bird-oriented seed mixes, along with other themes.
( Read more... )
OPN Seed also offers a variety of bird-oriented seed mixes, along with other themes.
( Read more... )
Poem: "The Five Books of Woodslore"
Jan. 11th, 2026 11:45 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "In the Wilderness" square in my 1-1-25 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. It was sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred.
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fuzzyred.( Read more... )
Photos: Contorta Willow
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:10 pmysabetwordsmithI took some pictures yesterday but didn't have time to upload and post them until today. The night before, a windstorm blew down the contorta willow sapling that used to stand between the house yard and the south lot, near the big maple tree.
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( Walk with me ... )
ysabetwordsmithMissing for 200 Years, the Galapagos Rail Reappears Following Floreana Island Restoration
Centuries after they were made famous by Charles Darwin, and a century after they had become plagued by invasive rats and cats, the Galapagos Islands are well on their way to recovery.
Few events could better capture that recovery than the recent reappearance of the beautiful blue Galapagos rail, a bird which hadn’t been seen on Floreana island for 200 years.
After almost a decade of preparatory work, invasive rats, avian vampire flies, and domesticated cats were eradicated from the island thanks to the close coordination of several conservation groups from around the world working alongside the Galapagos National Park Directorate.
Restoration projects often foster the revival of rare species, or those believed to be extirpated or extinct. It's not often this dramatic, so this is exciting news.
Centuries after they were made famous by Charles Darwin, and a century after they had become plagued by invasive rats and cats, the Galapagos Islands are well on their way to recovery.
Few events could better capture that recovery than the recent reappearance of the beautiful blue Galapagos rail, a bird which hadn’t been seen on Floreana island for 200 years.
After almost a decade of preparatory work, invasive rats, avian vampire flies, and domesticated cats were eradicated from the island thanks to the close coordination of several conservation groups from around the world working alongside the Galapagos National Park Directorate.
Restoration projects often foster the revival of rare species, or those believed to be extirpated or extinct. It's not often this dramatic, so this is exciting news.
Photos: House Yard
Dec. 4th, 2025 11:40 pmysabetwordsmithToday I took pictures of icicles and snow, mostly in the house yard, some down the driveway.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Bird Apocalypse
Nov. 22nd, 2025 10:07 pmysabetwordsmithThe five great forests that keep North America’s birds alive
Migratory birds that fill North American forests with spring songs depend on Central America’s Five Great Forests far more than most people realize. New research shows these tropical strongholds shelter enormous shares of species like Wood Thrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and Golden-winged Warblers—many of which are rapidly declining. Yet these forests are disappearing at an alarming pace due to illegal cattle ranching, placing both birds and local communities at risk.
Migratory birds that fill North American forests with spring songs depend on Central America’s Five Great Forests far more than most people realize. New research shows these tropical strongholds shelter enormous shares of species like Wood Thrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and Golden-winged Warblers—many of which are rapidly declining. Yet these forests are disappearing at an alarming pace due to illegal cattle ranching, placing both birds and local communities at risk.
Conservation
Nov. 18th, 2025 04:47 pmysabetwordsmithNew directory of 125+ tree-planting nonprofits makes it easier to contribute to reforestation around the world
The Global Reforestation Organization Directory provides standardized information about the public commitments and transparency of more than 125 major tree-planting organizations, making it easier for donors to compare groups and find the ones that match their priorities.
Save the world, plant some trees! :D Many birds need trees as habitat, especially keystones like oak trees. Coming into the holiday season, watch for organizations that offer gift options where you can plant trees in someone's name.
The Global Reforestation Organization Directory provides standardized information about the public commitments and transparency of more than 125 major tree-planting organizations, making it easier for donors to compare groups and find the ones that match their priorities.
Save the world, plant some trees! :D Many birds need trees as habitat, especially keystones like oak trees. Coming into the holiday season, watch for organizations that offer gift options where you can plant trees in someone's name.
