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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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

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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

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Six Cheap, Easy Things You Can Do to Help the Bees — Including How to Build a Bee Hotel

Jo Ellen Roe August 11, 2014 3 Comments

Keeping the Bees

The plight of the bees and other pollinators is frightening! Without bees, some say, humans would also cease to exist. A more likely scenario is that humans would live in a much less colorful and tasty world.

I read a book recently titled Keeping the Bees: Why All Bees Are at Risk and What We Can Do to Save Them. It’s a great read, one I highly recommend. You will  learn a lot about what is causing the bees’ distress and how much poorer our world would be without bees. You will also learn interesting facts about bee sex, bee predators, and more. It’s all astonishing and fascinating stuff! ... Read More

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