How I Got Started

I started Butterfly gardening many years ago. My yard has been a progression over the years, and has made many transformations. Twenty years ago I experienced Hurricane Andrew. My yard and house were destroyed. We decided not to replace the pool screening and open up the backyard and put in some landscaping. That was the official beginning of my love for gardening in South Florida. I added a beautiful water garden years ago, and have been adding host and larvae plants for pollinators, mostly for the butterfly, for as many years as I can remember. I had my yard certified as a Natural Habitat, through the National Wildlife Foundation. To have a natural habitat you need to provide and meet certain requirements: 1. Provide a food source, 2. Provide a water source, 3. Cover, 4. A place to raise young. I try not to use any pesticides in my yard. I vermicompost and recycle as many of my food scraps as possible. If I had more land I would have a huge compost bin to recycle all my yard cuttings. Basically, I try to lessen my carbon footprint on this earth. In my own little world or backyard I try to provide an ecosystem in my water garden, provide birdbaths, birdfeeders, hummingbird nectar sources, feeders, puddling areas, host plants and nectar plants for butterflies and other pollinators. I am hoping to raise everyone’s awareness of the importance of saving our Butterflies, Blooms & Bees. Without them our world and food source will be in trouble. I hope you all enjoy my journey. I am not a Master Gardener, or Master Beekeeper, an Entomologist, or Journalists. I am simply a Backyard Gardener who is trying to lessen her Carbon Footprint of this Earth.

I hope you enjoy my blogs.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

New Additions to the Garden

I bought some new plants for the garden to replace a few that needed some help. I had planted some Lavendula multifida canariense (California Lavendar) which is a type of lavender that grows here in Miami, that is until it just gets too hot and rainy for them to thrive. I love lavender so much that I will plant them for the few months that they can handle our climate just for the shear enjoyment of the plant. I know that they will not last long but I love their smell and beauty. I replaced them with a Florida Native Red Porter Weed. I saw some at Home Depot and I didn’t have any of the red variety so I thought it would be a great addition to my garden.



The second addition to the garden is a lovely Siam Tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia). It actually isn’t a tulip at all, but a ginger (Zingiberaceae). In addition to the lovely pink blooms if you look closely at the picture you will see that there is a lovely little violet that emerges from the bracts that adds so much charm to this flower. The Siam Tulip will go dormant in the winter. It will tolerate plenty of light but no direct sun. Without question it loves humidity and should be kept moist, perfect for our Miami environment.



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