Golden Treasures of Spring

The golden, oval dots pictured above are ladybug eggs. This ladybug knew what she was doing! Laying her eggs right next to a food source (red aphids) is a choice place for the eggs to hatch. In 4-10 days these babies will find a real sweet meal!

The larval phase of the ladybug lifecycle is the most voracious feeding stage of all. Known to eat as many as 400 aphids before they pupate ladybug larvae (pictured below) do a fine job keeping aphids and other garden pests at bay.

2 Fun Facts about Ladybugs:

• In the lifetime of a single adult ladybug, over 5000 aphids will have been consumed.
• One ladybug can lay up to 1000 eggs in her lifetime.

 Thank you Gaia!

Red Valerian

Centranthus ruber

Taking a break from our Fungus Friends this month we wanted to share a plant some folks may not know about.

Red Valerian is a common flower seen this time of year but the leaves of Red Valerian are pretty special.  They can be eaten like lettuce or spinach in a salad and taste even SWEETER when picked small!  The larger leaves can be steamed and eaten plain or even stir-fried with a little kale.

We feel it's important for people to understand just how much FOOD grows in their garden.  Contact us for a consultation and we'll tell you what's what in your gardens! 

[FYI: Red Valerian is not the same as Valeriana officinalis, a medicinal herb.]

Featured Fungus... wait! Not a fungus!

SLIME MOLD

Slime molds are amoeba-like protists, similar to fungi.  They exist in nature as a plasmodium, a 'blob' of protoplasm without cell walls and only a cell membrane to keep everything in. -fungi have cell walls!

They are not parasitic, so they will not cause direct harm to your plants or your family. Occasionally they can cause problems on lawns or low-growing ground covers by blocking the necessary sunlight that plants need to grow, but in most cases they are completely harmless. They feed on microorganisms in dead plant material -decomposers!

Enjoy the diversity of Nature!  Slime molds indicate an abundance of organic matter and they are very short lived!

Permaculture Principle of Relative Location

Relative Location:  'through proper placement of elements we can save time and energy'

In these Before and After photos we illustrate a sheet mulched turf area that has been beautified, diversified and rejuvinated in an relatively simple manner... to grow food for family and friends (all friends -2, 4, 6, 8 legged and more!)

The spiral provides easy access to the  growing area from all sides plus the beauty of a spiral in Zone 1-2.  Plants are grown with aspect in mind; shade tolerant plants to the northern edges.  The potatoes are grown vertically saving space for succession of the edible forest garden in the subcanopy beyond.

FYI: a south facing slope (aspect) increases heat absorption extending the growing season for food production and warming homes/ greenhouses in colder months...

Start small and build on success