A big atmospheric river storm series soaks the garden
Category Archives: Ecology
Where are the Monarchs?
Where have our local monarch butterflies gone? They seem to have almost disappeared from the Sacramento region.
Pemphredon! Aphids despair!
I noticed a lot of sawdust coming out of the wood stumps propped up and drilled to make habitat for mason bees. A stakeout with camera should solve the mystery. After several minutes, a tiny iridescent black wasp zipped into a hole in the stump. Definitely not a mason bee! Getting a photo was likeContinue reading “Pemphredon! Aphids despair!”
Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art
Long ago, someone planted a tiny, spindly tree. It grew. A puppy chewed off much of the bark. The tree survived. It grew, and grew, and grew until it spread over the pool, the roof, the patio. Its trunk thickened until nobody could see the pool from the house. Sadly, it was time for theContinue reading “Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art”
It’s bird-eat-bird out there
Funny how we tend to think that providing food and habitat in the garden will create some kind of harmonious place where everyone gets along, a kind of Bambi scenario where all the animals are friends. This wasn’t true with the insects, and it’s not the case with the birds, either. I found a brokenContinue reading “It’s bird-eat-bird out there”
It’s nesting season
If you look closely, you’ll find two mourning doves. One is sitting on their nest, a loose gathering of twigs that doesn’t look like it could support even a tiny egg, let alone a bird or sometimes two. Every year, a pair of mourning doves arrives at the river birch to start a family. OverContinue reading “It’s nesting season”
Un-green ad campaign
I found this on the porch. It contains cardboard, plastic foam and one lousy video DVD containing about one minute of promotional video for an unknown product made by an unnamed company. Its raw materials were harvested or pumped out of the ground, processed using water and energy, formed using more energy, prettied up withContinue reading “Un-green ad campaign”
The incredible flying circus
The Aster chilensis is blooming, and it’s the biggest insect party of the year. The plants are covered with skippers, with frequent visits by mason bees and other creatures. Despite its Latin name implying South American origins, it’s a California native – but from the Southern part. It’s common name, California aster, makes its originsContinue reading “The incredible flying circus”
Honey, I saw a spider!
You make sure there are no pesticides, poisons or toxic substances in your garden. Your vegetables are organic. You’ve created a wonderful oasis of nature… then you look next door. There’s a Poison Man spraying who knows what all over their house. I imagine it’s to kill a spider or two. Impossible to talk toContinue reading “Honey, I saw a spider!”
Jumping, lynxes and crabs? Pouncing spiders!
Sacramento is a great place for spiders that hang out on flowers instead of messing around with webs. We have jumping spiders, lynx spiders and crab spiders. Jumping spiders are the most active and have large eyes for spotting prey. Lynx spiders and crab spiders lie in wait for their prey to come to them.Continue reading “Jumping, lynxes and crabs? Pouncing spiders!”