Blackberry winter, Tulip Poplars and Yarrow

Wildflower Update: This evening I was able to get a few pictures of tulip poplar blooms ... first with a ladybird beetle ...

 

Ir was a blackberry winter last week with lows in the 40's.  A heavy blackberry bloom this year in areas where I did not bushhog earlier in the spring.

 







The yarrow is blooming ... I love their fern-like foliage.

We have some large patches of a non-native plant, ox-eye daisies.  I have used their seed pattern in class as an example of fibonacci numbers in nature.

Pollinators and Wildlife:  We saw our first fireflies this week.  I am not sure we have any first generation bumble bees yet.  Lots of swallowtails but still no Monarchs sighted and no sign of larva on our milkweed plants (one colony below).  I have seen a few kingbirds working near our house.

Work on the Farm: I have put more supers on our honeybee hives.  We planted seven acres of wildflowers near Long Creek.  It is part of a ten year pollinator program with the Fish and Wildlife Department.  It took two evenings because it was a five foot no-till drill.  We are needing rain but it appears it is on the way this weekend.

Star-of-Bethlehem in our front yard around some trees ... left over from an old homestead.

We support:
Round House, Jeans and Workware, Made in the USA for 112 years.
http://www.round-house.com/
Red Pig Tools, Garden tools, Made in the USA.
http://www.redpigtools.com/servlet/StoreFront
FEDCO, Co-op Garden Supplies, Seeds, Trees and Bulbs
http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
Johnny's Selected Seeds and Garden Tools
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Roundstone Native Seed ... A Kentucky Company!
https://www.roundstoneseed.com/
Prairie Moon Nursery, Native Seeds and Plants
https://www.prairiemoon.com/
Kelley's Beeskeeping ... A Kentucky Company! ... at least for now.
http://www.kelleybees.com/
and these organizations ...
Xerces Society
Journey North
Monarch Watch
Firefly Watch - Museum of Science, Boston
Sierra Club