The cherry trees are abuzz with insect activity. As one of the earliest flowers around my house, the cherry trees offer an early source of nectar to pollinating insects. Insects represent 80% of the world’s species. There are over 900,000 species of insects. Worldwide, many scientists agree there are more unnamed insects than named. There…
Tag: gardening
Warm, Dry March
It seemed like March was really dry, but I’m in a new place, so I don’t have years of personal experience regarding March weather in this location. According to the maps below, my impression was correct. We had good snow cover all winter, then it was as if someone just turned the clouds off. Almost…
Gaillardia aristata
Sometimes I’m guilty of not wanting to grow what’s “already been done” as far as native plants are concerned, but I would do well to remember that folks who grow, propagate, and select native plants for use in the arid west usually have a pragmatic bent, and there’s a reason it’s “been done.” We had…
Early Harvest
My neighbor shared some of her harvest with me. Her little orchard is irrigated, so the high temps and drought conditions didn’t affect her apple and plum trees. If you are interested in the history of small orchards on the high plains, I recommend a book entitled High Plains Horticulture: A History In the early 1900’s…
Penstemons I Have Grown
The world of Wyoming Penstemons is a whirlwind of pinks, purples, and blues. They intrigue me because they grow and blossom in some of the most inhospitable soils Wyoming can dish out; sand, rock, clay, windswept hillsides, fully exposed southern faces. Their ability to beautify the extremely inhospitable is always a wonderful surprise, and they…
Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium
Chamerion angustifolium, commonly called Fireweed, since it is an early colonizer after wildfires, is found across North America in all but the southeastern U.S. Its native range includes a wide range of average annual precipitation, so it should do well in the moderately watered home garden or landscape. Fireweed flowers are a brilliant magenta to…
Native Flowering Shrub for Western Landscapes
Fellow western blogger Big Sky Ken, made a stop at Ayers Natural Bridge and posted his photos. The post reminded me of my stop there in July when the Holodiscus dumosus was in full bloom. Ocean Spray is a native Wyoming shrub that deserves much more attention and development for the landscaping market. It is…
Saint Patricks Trivia and Gardening in the West
A very successful non-native species often seen in Wyoming and arid gardens is Artemisia ‘Powis Castle.’ It probably originated in the Mediterranean region, but it became popular when it was planted at Powis Castle in Wales, Wales being one of the leading best guesses for the birth place of St. Patrick. Powis Castle is a…
No Awards for Originality
Ok, I know. It’s the ubiquitous spring Crocus photo, but I couldn’t resist. I know I won’t win any awards for originality, but it’s such a comforting site, knowing that the growing season is coming. Our winters are long here in Wyoming, and the March warm up is a welcome reminder that God has set…
Winter Watering in Wyoming and the High Plains
Last week we had three days in a row above 40 degrees F. With no snow cover, this was a perfect time to water shrubs, trees and perennials in the yard. The forecast for Central Wyoming for the first week of 2012 looks good for another opportunity for winter watering. In the high plains, winter…
Why I Don’t Use Ornamental Grasses
Over the last five years I’ve seen ornamental grasses go from being unique to common around my town. Most of the newer homes and businesses in my area of central Wyoming have some ornamental grasses. Even though I encourage friends to use grasses, and I was a fan from the start, I have shied away…
Wyoming Life 