Sweet Autumn Journey in Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe October 3, 2014 0 Comments

Red oak

Officially, fall  is upon us … and it is beginning to look like fall in Serendipity Gardens. The color palette is starting to change. One small oak tree has turned an early bright red, while other trees and shrubs have a little color at the top or in splotches. A few leaves have fallen early and speckled the lawn.

The sounds have definitely changed as well, from the songs and calls of nesting birds to the rhythmic music of fall insects.  Most of the birds that live here in summer have already begun their journey south. The ones we still see most often are the black-capped chickadees and cardinals that live here year round. ... Read More

Read MoreRead More

Top Five Serendipity Gardens Stories

Jo Ellen Roe September 23, 2014 0 Comments

Bottle Tree

The bottle tree, based on an old tradition, adds a reliable touch of blue to the garden.

The Serendipity Gardens blog is one year old. To mark its anniversary, we are republishing the top five posts. Here they are:

My Bottle Tree “Blooms” Year Round

Bottle trees, often seen in the South, have a complicated history.

According to Felder Rushing, in his book Bottle Trees, “Clear glass was invented in Alexandria, Egypt around 100 A.D. Soon around then, tales began to circulate that spirits could live in bottles – probably from when people heard sounds caused by wind blowing over bottle openings. This led to the belief in ‘bottle imps’ and genies that could be captured in bottles … Somewhere in there, people started using glass to capture or repel bad spirits. The idea was, roaming night spirits would be lured into and trapped in bottles placed around entryways, and morning light would destroy them.” ... Read More

Read MoreRead More

The “Bugs” of Serendipity Gardens: an Invisible Army

Jo Ellen Roe September 4, 2014 0 Comments

Grasshopper camaflaged

One of my gardening goals for this year was to pay more attention to the bugs in Serendipity Gardens. I am using the term “bugs” very broadly to include all the small creatures that crawl, hop,  or fly — such as bees, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, and spiders. In this post, the word “bug” also includes creatures that camouflage themselves perfectly, like the grasshopper in the photo, and more. Put more simply, my intent was to learn more about ALL my garden’s inhabitants. ... Read More

Read MoreRead More

Three Ways to Help the Monarchs as They Migrate

Jo Ellen Roe August 26, 2014 0 Comments

Swamp milkweed

A swamp milkweed in bloom.

As summer fades into fall, Monarch butterflies in North America are making their way from their summer homes to their overwintering locations in Mexico and California. Get the latest information on weekly migration updates for the Monarchs.

This post will cover three important ways you can help the Monarch butterflies, whose numbers have declined significantly in recent years.

Plant Milkweed

If, like the crew of Serendipity Gardens, you are concerned about the Monarchs, you may have planted milkweed in your garden this year. If you did not plant milkweed this year, you can plan to do so next year. ... Read More

Read MoreRead More

The Best Way Ever to Deal with Yellow Jackets: A Serendipity Gardens Story

Jo Ellen Roe August 20, 2014 0 Comments

Yellow jackets 1

Hard to see, but this hole was swarming with yellow jackets.

A Problem Revealed

While working at my desk a week or so ago, I noticed lots of activity near the sidewalk. Small creatures of some sort were flying up and down and in circles, over and over again. They reminded me of popcorn kernals flying in a popcorn machine.

I went outside to investigate. There, dug in below a Bath’s Cheddar pink dianthus that normally serves as a ground cover, was a hole about six inches in diameter. The flying creatures appeared to be bees of some kind, and they were as busy and active as could be. Unknown to me, they must have been there most of the summer. ... Read More

Read MoreRead More