The Wonder of Herbs & Butterflies Did you know that herbs are one of the most versatile and useful plants available to man? For centuries, these special little plants have helped to enhance the lives of all of those who have grown them. Herbs have long been cultivated for medicinal purposes, beauty rituals, flavoring, scent … More Spring 2020 Hands-on Herbal Workshops
I have received several questions about Milkweed recently, as I offer select pollinator seeds free of charge to anyone who wants them. As a result, I decided that this would be a great time to update our blog with a post about why planting Milkweed is important. As my friends and family are well aware, … More An Update from a Butterfly Lady…
In central Illinois, mid-to-late April is the time for the return of the butterflies. Already this year, I have personally noticed several Silver-Spotted Skippers. Yay! My sister also indicates she has observed a Monarch butterfly a little further south (northern Missouri), so the return of the Monarchs to our area may not be far away. … More The Miracle of Milkweed
Spring planting season is just around the corner. Yay! In fact, the first official day of Spring is March 20th- about 3 weeks away. Now is the time to begin planning and planting seeds indoors in preparation for filling up those empty spots in the garden. It is also the time to begin drawing out … More Planning & Planting a Basic Garden
Did you know that herbs are one of the most versatile and useful plants available to man? For centuries, these special little plants have helped to enhance the lives of all of those who have grown them. Herbs have long been cultivated for medicinal purposes, beauty rituals, flavoring, scent and so much more. Herbs have … More Spring 2019 Workshop Schedule- Enhance Your Life… with Herbs
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” -Maya Angelo Even though there is not a butterfly in sight at this time of the year, my thoughts frequently return to the joy that I feel when they are near. It is difficult … More Lessons from a Butterfly
As I write this blog on the patio in our backyard, I am once again reminded of the changing of the seasons. Around here, fall is the time of year when farmers begin to harvest the corn and soybeans from their fields and the tree leaves begin to turn to brilliant shades of yellows, reds … More A Glimpse of Fall…
“Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within.” Author Unknown In central Illinois, mid-September is the time for Monarch butterflies to begin their return migration to warmer climates. Around this time of the year, butterfly enthusiasts (like me 🙂 start to enjoy larger numbers of Monarchs as they begin to feed for their … More Milkweed for Monarchs in the Fall
Picture this. It is a sweltering 87-degree summer day in central Illinois. The sun is shining brightly and the humidity level is over 100%. A passionate (but maybe a little eccentric) middle-aged woman (and her farmer husband) are walking around their newly planted pollinator fields. He is surveying the new plants to see what he … More For the Love of Butterflies…
It is that time of the year again. The time of the year when vegetable gardens are starting to produce their bounty and folks are beginning to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. It is also the time of the year when herb gardens are becoming lush and herb shops (like ours) and farmers markets … More 2018 Summer Workshop Schedule-Summer’s Bounty…
The Simple Heart of Life 