To advocate the conservation and enhancement of all wildlife and its habitat.

Dee & Frank Hughes's Blog (15)

MONARCH MANIA - THE BEST LAID PLANS

To the list of information we never had and never thought we'd need let's add one more. Milkweed does not like to grow in pots. Back in late spring we contracted with our friends at UNCC Botanical Gardens to grow 225 milkweed plants for our Monarch Mania event. Just a week ago the plants seemed to be doing well and then.... Yesterday as we were making plans to pick up the plants we were informed that they had virtually all gone dormant. This means they have entered their winter, die back state a… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on August 20, 2009 at 12:49pm — No Comments

So Just What is a Monarch Waystation?

Monarch Waystation Numero Uno at the University of Kansas Operation Monarch Watch Everybody in this group knows what the Wildlife Federation Back Yard Habitat program is all about. We provide wildlife with food, water, shelter and a place to raise their young. A m… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on August 13, 2009 at 10:03am — No Comments

The Matthews Monarch Mania Butterfly Blog

HAWK members Dee Hughes and Carol Buie Jackson discuss plans for the Monarch Waystation with Lee Tillery and Tim Ayers from the Town of Matthews Have you seen any monarch butterflys around your yard lately? Most of us saw some in June and early July but since then they've gon… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on August 7, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

One of those days in My Summer Garden

No one will confuse me with Sammy K of Matthews Farmers Market fame but there are a few days each summer when everything seems to come together and make for a very respectable little harvest. Today I managed a nice little handful of beans, a cuke, a narly looking Mortgage Lifter, one… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on August 3, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

My Neighbor & Dr. Tallamy in My Summer Garden

This is a picture of a German Johnson heirloom tomato growing, well in my neighbors lawn for want of a better description. Now my neighbor is an avid vegetable gardener. We exchange plants and wisdom all the time. If I had to describe his gardening technique I'd say he's a Burpee man.… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on July 25, 2009 at 10:10am — No Comments

My Garden Summer - Sun Cooking

Back when me and mia spousa TLD were young and good looking, ok better looking, we used to take the family vacation on Cape Cod. In Sandwich there's a Thornton Burgess museum - he wrote the Peter Rabbit stories - called the Greenbrier Nature Center. Among the things they have is a jam and jelly kitchen and they used to specialize in "sun cooking" certain fruits like cherries and peaches. We always picked up a couple of jars and felt the taste was better than normal preserves. In fact I recently… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on June 29, 2009 at 2:29pm — 2 Comments

First Tomato in My Summer Garden

The next great veggie event in my garden after Sugar Snap Day if First Tomato Day. And that was today. In early March I resurrected the Wall-O-Water system and went to Renfrows for a wee Early Girl hybrid. I had tried the water wall thing before with poor results and read that it works best with small seedlings. I was pleased with this years result. This is the earliest I've ever gotten a full sized tomato in my garden.

… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on June 18, 2009 at 12:53pm — 2 Comments

Monarch Mania Begins in My Summer Garden

It happened today. We've been waiting. Patiently waiting. Today the first Monarch Butterfly appeared in our garden.

Now why is this such a big deal? Two reasons I guess. We're all becoming citizen scientists these days. There are Back Yard Bird Counts, we stretch the limits of recycl… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on June 9, 2009 at 1:19pm — No Comments

My Garden Summer - Poplar Forest

No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of a garden...But tho an old man, I am but a young gardener. So wrote Thomas Jefferson on a summer's day in 1811 from his retreat at Poplar Forest. Not all of my garden summer experiences actually take place in my garden and it's great summer fun to go visiting.

… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on June 5, 2009 at 9:32am — No Comments

Sugar Snaps - My Garden Summer

There are only a few days on the calendar better than the one in mid spring when the Sugar Snaps go into the ground. One of those better days was yesterday when the first harvest came in. I have a very small kitchen garden, about 70 square feet, so my harvests are measured in pints. I picked one pint yesterday.

… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on May 21, 2009 at 1:50pm — 3 Comments

Attenti al Cane - My Garden Summer

Every garden needs some protection. We all love to see the variety of wildlife wandering about, but I for one draw the line when some freeloading, no doubt liberal squirrel decides to start chomping on my tomatoes. We got our garden guardian a few years back when we acquired Paulo Testosterone aka Paulie Peanuts.

… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on May 12, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

An Interesting Visitor to My Summer Garden

With apologies to the thousands of Cardinals and Towhees that live here, it is nice to have a unique visitor every now and then. This guy showed up at dawn and has stayed all day.

Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on May 3, 2009 at 6:39pm — 3 Comments

My Garden Summer - The Rain Garden

It all started with Milkweed. CBJ let us know that Milkweed, otherwise known as Aesclepias ...see, I'm learning, was the only plant upon which the Monarch butterfly will lay its eggs. The larvae evidently love to feed on some part of the plant. Our first stop in the search was the NC/SC Native Plant sale held a few weeks back in York, SC. "Sorry, we sold out in about 10 minutes". We did pick up a Buckeye and a Beauty Berry as well as a brochure for making a rain garden. Now we live close to the… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on May 2, 2009 at 9:54am — 1 Comment

My Garden Summer - Tomatoes Episode I

Every year I try to raise an heirloom tomato from seed. This baby, nurtured by me over a long winter becomes the centerpiece of the kitchen garden. This year I picked a variety called Mortgage Lifter. As the story goes an old boy from West Virginia called Radiator Charlie began experimenting in the 1930's with crossing varieties of tomatoes he liked. After a number of years he had a plant that produced huge, delicious pink fruit. He began selling the plants for $1.00 at his garage and in… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on April 28, 2009 at 1:42pm — 2 Comments

My Garden Summer

I might have Twittered, but having been taught by the good sisters of the Blessed Sacrament I believe that's a sin. I could Face Book but then i would actually have to join Face Book and I can't bring myself to do it. So that leaves me with this handy, ready to use blog space that I will fill with random ramblings about life, death and the meaning of the universe as exposed by my garden. I write completely for my own pleasure, and to make a little record of whats happening in the garden througho… Continue

Added by Dee & Frank Hughes on April 27, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

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Items of Interest

NCWF has a new Website!

NC NATIVE PLANT LISTS--Downloadable
Mecklenburg County created an extensive list of native plants, their soil and light requirements and what they provide for wildlife. Feel free to download these files to your computer
Native Tree List.xls

Native Flower List.xls

Native Shrub List.xls

Native Grass List.xls

Native Plants Available from Southern Styles Nursery, Charlotte
southern style nursery plant list.doc

Invasive Plants of North Carolina

Meck County Invasive list and native alternatives.doc

ATTRACTING BATS!!!

Downloadable guidelines on how to attract bats and where to put your bat house from Bat Conservation International

batsattracting.pdf

bathousecriteria.pdf

Wildlife Action Plan

Implementing the NC Wildlife Action Plan.doc

Is your yard certified?

Click here to learn how to register your Backyard Habitat with NC Wildlife and National Wildlife Federations

FAITH Application.doc

WAIT Application for Certification.doc

Become a Monarch Waystation

JOURNEY NORTH
A Global Study of Wildlife Migration and Seasonal Change Take part in the observation of migrating Monarch Butterflies and Birds and even participate in a symbolic migration by communicating with children in other parts of the world!