Counting Fireflies at Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe June 27, 2014 0 Comments

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Photo taken from National Geographic website.

One of my best memories from childhood happened one summer evening when I spent the night with my cousin who lived on a farm. I rode to her house with her and my aunt and uncle. When we drew close to the house, my uncle stopped the car and turned out the lights.

“Look!” he said.

We looked up, and saw … a city! I could not believe my eyes … the twinkling lights of a city right out in the country. Actually, it was a field full of fireflies, glowing and flashing in the dark. It was incredibly beautiful, all the more so for being so unexpected. ... Read More

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The Urban Bestiary: a Book Review from Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe June 20, 2014 0 Comments

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Serendipity Gardens is home to several squirrels. Because it is “out in the country,” the squirrels are not a bother, just fun to watch.

I ran across this book recently on a rare visit to a bookstore. Written by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, an award-winning author, speaker, and naturalist based in Seattle, it caught my eye immediately, not only because of its interesting-looking cover, but also its title.

What is a bestiary? I wondered. And an urban bestiary to boot?

I was intrigued enough to toy with purchasing the book. I even sat down on a bookstore bench to peruse it, but in the end, I did the modern thing. I went home and ordered the Kindle version ... Read More

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Have a Seat — or Lots of Seats — in Your Garden!

Jo Ellen Roe June 11, 2014 0 Comments

You have lots of beautiful flowers in your garden.

You have birds, butterflies, bees, frogs and toads to watch.

Now, you need seats, since one of the great benefits of having a garden is the opportunity to enjoy it.

Seats can be expensive, but they don’t have to be. They can range from a high-end bench to simple bales of straw. Look at second-hand stores or visit garage and estate sales, where you will likely find an old or rusty bench that you can paint or restore. You can also let loved ones know that you’d love a nice garden bench for your birthday! ... Read More

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Sowing a Butterfly Habitat at Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe June 2, 2014 2 Comments

One of the things I resolved to do this spring to attract more wildlife to Serendipity Gardens was to plant more wildflowers. My husband had long said that he would like to convert the field behind our house to a prairie, replete with wildflowers. Who wouldn’t like to gaze upon nearly two acres of beautiful flowers? But the process and the work required for a project this size made that an elusive goal.

However, we did have a small area, roughly 20′ X 15′ that we used last year for vegetables. This year, we decided to convert just that area to wildflowers … food for the critters rather than food for us! ... Read More

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Who Lives in Serendipity Gardens? Who Lives in Your Garden?

Jo Ellen Roe March 3, 2014 0 Comments

First of all, I live in Serendipity Gardens with my husband, my dog Nestle, and my cat Buster. The four of us live in the small house that’s there.

Several years ago, I registered my garden as a natural habitat. Since that time, I’ve become more aware of the many other creatures that live at Serendipity Gardens, too — so many that I cannot begin to name them all. But I can name some of them.

A Busy, Buzzing Place

On a typical late summer afternoon, I come out onto the patio, carrying some scraps to toss into the compost pile. My dog Nestle is with me. The patio is surrounded by butterfly bushes, planted long before I knew they were invasive. To be honest, I have no plans at present to remove them. Several bees, a couple of butterflies and a hummingbird moth are enjoying the blossoms. ... Read More

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