Native Gardening

[addy1]

I have a 80 dia circle, maybe more, it took 200 feet of fencing to fence it. They have good landing room in the circle but don't bother it. That circle is on the slope, maybe they don't like to jump fences on slopes. My other bee areas are along the back fence line around 20 feet wide, that seems to stop them, from what I read they don't really see the deer fencing so they can't figure out how to go over it.
The other areas are not fenced, that is mainly golden rod for fall nectar.

 

[KC Crook]

I have a 80 dia circle, maybe more, it took 200 feet of fencing to fence it. They have good landing room in the circle but don't bother it. That circle is on the slope, maybe they don't like to jump fences on slopes. My other bee areas are along the back fence line around 20 feet wide, that seems to stop them, from what I read they don't really see the deer fencing so they can't figure out how to go over it.
The other areas are not fenced, that is mainly golden rod for fall nectar.

Nice! I feel our natural state has been unbalanced. Originally, our neighborhood was built as "deer friendly". Which meant it was built to allow natural migration paths through the area. Over 30 or so years, thats been interrupted. We have a golf course, and many lawns. So, why should deer move through when green grass is available all year? Not to mention, people thought "deer friendly" also meant deer loving, and started feeding then, which made things a million times worse. Now, I can have a herd of 10 to 12 does roaming my area at any given time.

 

[addy1]

We have a bunch of hunters, no clue if they get a lot or not. The bucks are what hurt my trees. They use all the small saplings to rub their velvet off. I now have to wire net the trunks to save them.
I don't think anyone feeds them here.

 

[KC Crook]

We have a bunch of hunters, no clue if they get a lot or not. The bucks are what hurt my trees. They use all the small saplings to rub their velvet off. I now have to wire net the trunks to save them.
I don't think anyone feeds them here.

Yep, I have scars on my trees from bucks too, but mostly the young ones come down off the hills in fall, no chance of breeding. It all just seems so topsy turvey. We are cautious of the bucks...we give them their space. They arent the feeders the does are. They are looking for an easy lay, lol. The does know better.

 

[KC Crook]

I tried to look up if CA here has a doe season, since we are not hunters, and it was so confused about sections and areas and everything so unclear, I suppose I will have to ask my hubby to ask a deer hunter directly about it, cuz Im trully not sure.

 

[addy1]

We hear the hunters shooting, mainly the shotguns, no zones here just need a tag.

 

[peter hillman]

Funny, I feel the same about non-native plants.
Not all native plants are drought tolerant. Native doesn't mean drought tolerant. There are many native wetland plants, many native plants that will die quickly in dry soil.

I'd personally take my highly interesting Wild Columbine over non-native plants like Hostas or Coral Bells any day.
View attachment 91169
View attachment 91170

Columbine, my favorite flower, the wild red one I sourced from the mountains was by far my favorite. Had two good years then didn't return for a third. Now I just have this domestic patch, mixed with coral bells.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I made a good purchase yesterday. I was surprised to see Meadow Blazing Star at a local garden center. You may or may not know, this is the ultimate Monarch Butterfly magnet!

Also, Monarch Butterflies are back in Wisconsin! I saw one yesterday and another today.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Finished my newest section of native garden today. Also planted 100 or more seedlings in it, though it'll need a lot more.

Also saw two blooms in my already-established section.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

My first Lanceleaf Tickseed bloomed today. Bought it last year and have been patiently waiting.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Green Sweat Bee on Spiderwort in my native garden.

 

[addy1]

the honey bees love my Spiderwort, mine are more purple than yours.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Seeing a lot of color in my native garden now, and any day now, it'll be a sea of yellow Black-eyed Susans.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I haven't seen a Monarch in over a month, but to my surprise, I found my first Monarch caterpillar of the year on my Swamp Milkweed!

Penstemon is just about done for the year, while Black-eyed Susans continue to bloom in the background.

 

[Stephen T.]

Bah Humbug (for lack of a place to pull off),

The bigleaf lupine is in bloom all along the ditches by the sides of the roads around Fort Klamath. Some areas have groups that stretch for 10 x 100 feet, absolutely spectacular. But... the road has virtually no shoulder and 2-6 foot deep ditches on both sides. There are a very few driveways and occasional narrow roads into fields, but, of course, none are close to the patches of flowers. The best would require a mile walk along the highway around the north end of Agency lake or along the highway to Crater Lake, and it's really busy, with the holiday weekend. The flowers are at their peak right now.

I drove around for 45 minutes to find a spot where the flowers were reasonably close to a spot I could park. The flower stalks (racemes) are about 12-18" tall, the plants range up to 4', with leaves around 4-6" long. They are native and grow in wetlands, ditch banks and open stream banks. The color ranges from pale blue to deep purple and the large patches are really amazing, with a flower head every 8" or so. I may have to wake Eve (my wife is not an early riser!) up early tomorrow or Sunday to take me out to a good patch, drop me off with camera stuff and pick me up in an hour or so. By 10 am, it's too hot (96 today) out there to even try.


I'm going to have to put some of these in my bog!

Steve