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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April Showers Bring May Flowers in Serendipity Gardens

Jo Ellen Roe May 22, 2014 2 Comments

The show in Serendipity Gardens  has begun!

Yes, it was a rainy, cold April in Michigan … and parts of May have been unusually wet and chilly, too. We’ve so far had only one or two days over 80 degrees — but the Weather Channel promises several more next week. Yay!

Meantime, the plants are returning to life and the garden is getting ready to put on its summer display. The early flowers remind me of an orchestra tuning up for the symphony to come. You hear various bits and pieces of music, but not the whole piece. ... Read More

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Mourning Winter Losses in Serendipity Gardens … and Moving On

Jo Ellen Roe May 14, 2014 0 Comments

Michigan had one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record in 2014. It was a winter quite hard on Serendipity Gardens, though the cold and snow were not the only causes of the damage.

“Wabbit” Season

Here in Serendipity Gardens, the snow was piled two feet high for nearly three months, and this gave the hundreds of rabbits that make their home in nearby fields and hedgerows an unusual perch for snacking. And snack they did, leaving behind their little brown pellets as a testimony — and, on the bright side, fertilizer. ... Read More

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Serendipity Gardens’ New Spiral Herb Garden

Jo Ellen Roe May 6, 2014 3 Comments

Spiral 7

On Sunday, May 4, we built an herb spiral in Serendipity Gardens. Altogether, it took about five hours, but we rested between hauling wheelbarrows full of edging pavers to the site of the spiral. Other than that lifting and hauling chore, it was an easy project.

Here is what the finished product looks like, pre-planting. This view is from the top. The spiral is five feet in diameter. At the bottom, the dirt is two pavers high. We added a row of pavers every three and a half pavers. At the top, the spiral is seven pavers high. The soil stays level with the pavers by sloping up from the bottom row to the top. ... Read More

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Register Your Garden as a Wildlife Habitat — Like Serendipity Gardens!

Jo Ellen Roe April 22, 2014 0 Comments

Habitat sign

May — coming soon — is Garden for Wildlife Month. It is a great month to register your garden as a Wildlife Habitat. For that month only this year, the National Wildlife Federation will plant a tree for each new certification.

It’s a double whammy, benefiting both you and the environment. Read this list to see what additional benefits will accrue to you.

It’s an easy process, too.  All you do is follow these steps:

  • Visit the National Wildlife Federation page (click here or on the icon on the lower right side of the Serendipity Gardens home page)
  • Complete the forms to ascertain that you have certain items in your garden.
  • Submit with a small fee of $20, which goes to support the Federation’s work

In a few weeks, you’ll receive a sign like this one (or you can specify and pay more for a more elegant-looking sign) that identifies your garden as a wildlife haven to those who visit. No one will come to check your garden. ... Read More

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