How do we get the seed packets we hand out? The answer is, we make them. (And I gather most of the seeds from my backyard.). The scarlet sage seeds, for example, come from my yard. As I was taking these pictures, a hummingbird landed a few feet away and patiently waited for me to finish so she could drink from the plants.
Here’s what Odyssey says about our upcoming event.
Almost a ladybug - ladybug pupa.
I may look creepy, but I am a friendly bug - actually a baby ladybug! (Ladybug larva)
Look closely! I may be yellow, but I’m not an aphid. These are ladybug eggs.
I planted heirloom cilantro seeds a few years ago. I have never had to buy seeds since - I just put down some of the seeds I saved the year before and I get new plants.
Each year that I’ve had cilantro, dill, parsley, or celery - I have had ladybugs use my garden as a nursery. The benefits are I get to see ladybugs (which make me smile) and my aphids are gobbled up.
Have you ever thought about turning your lawn into a bee lawn?
https://homegrownnationalpark.org/native-bee-lawns-the-better-of-both-worlds/?utm_source=Start+a+new+HABITAT&utm_campaign=094ae1f6a2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_11_06_03_46_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f7088a1207-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
Help Pollinators by Going Natural!
Natural Fertilizers:
* Coffee Grounds (nitrogen - good for roses or magnolias - add additional acids, good for radishes, sweet potatoes, peppers, rhubarb, and parsley.)
* Banana Peels (calcium, phosphorus, and potassium, making them excellent for plants that flower, such as zucchinis)
* Epsom Salt (magnesium and sulfur - which tomatoes love)
* Egg Shells (calcium, promoting cellular growth in your plants - good for tomatoes too)
* Compost (basically all of your plant-based waste)
* Fish (provides multiple different vitamins and nutrients to your plants)
* Milk (a source of calcium, along with protein, sugar and vitamin B, which aids the overall growth of the plant)
Homemade Plant Food
1.5 tbsp magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt – MgSO4)
1.5 tsp sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda – NaHCO3)
0.25 – 0.5 tsp Ammonium Hydroxide (Ammonia – NH4OH)***
1 gallon of water (H20)
Natural Weed Control:
* Newspaper can work like landscaping fabric, especially covered in mulch
* Vodka (or rubbing alcohol) also works to kill weeds. Mix 2 ounces of cheap alcohol with 2 cups of water and a few drops of dish soap. Spray this on your weeds but be careful not to get other plants or your grass.
* Salt - Mix a gallon of vinegar with a cup of salt or borax and a tablespoon of dish soap. Pour the solution into a spray bottle. Use the stream nozzle in a small area and the spray nozzle for a wider area.
* Mulch
* Boiling water on weeds only
Canna Lily seeds from my garden are coming May 4th. The hummingbirds really love this canna!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY3AwBEHgOw
Edamame seeds are coming May 4th
https://www.globalbean.eu/publications/soybean-edamame/
