Ten New Natives in Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe October 10, 2014 0 Comments

Wallister

I recentlyvisited a native plant sale  at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. My interest in planting natives has grown exponentially this year as I read books such as Jessica Wallister’s Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, and Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallemy.

These authors make the case that planting natives is a good idea for several reasons:

  • They attract pollinators in greater numbers than non-native plants do.
  • They have evolved with the environment and are therefore built to thrive in it.
  • They require less care and are resistant to disease.
  • Once established, they require very little watering.
  • Having the beneficial insects in your garden that natives attract makes pest control much less of an issue.

The right question might be, “Why NOT plant what brings birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects to your garden?” It’s a lot more interesting when they are there! ... Read More

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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

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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

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Five Ways for Kids to Have Fun in the Garden

Jo Ellen Roe September 15, 2014 0 Comments

The crew at Serendipity Gardens is lucky. We have six grandchildren, five of whom live nearby. We would venture a guess that these kids do not have nature deficit disorder.

What is nature deficit disorder?

According to Wikipedia, Nature deficit disorder refers to a hypothesis by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems … Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen. ... Read More

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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

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