The Week In Pictures

Last weekend we headed over to the Forest Avenue Outreach Community Orchard to lend a hand with the prairie and pollinator plantings there.  The rain came just a bit early but it was estimated we got ~90% of the nearly 2000 plugs planted that were donated by People for Pollinators (USFWS Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge)

 

 

This last week I got to look at a few properties for projects including a follow-up on the Western Hills project from last year.  Here is a custom 'whisky' rain barrel set-up we did using one from Rain Barrels Iowa for the base.

 Here are some pictures from my own backyard and 'forest garden'.

Irises, blue flax and strawberries under one of the peaches.  Might be a columbine leaf photo-bombing the lower left corner.

A Candy-striped Leafhopper visits one of the Milkweed and the seasons first Black-eyed Susan blossom takes a peak. 

FYI - Just these two plants would qualify a garden for the Plant.Grow.Fly program through the zoo.  Do you have one?

Sadly I won't get to taste these cherries... A bird cleaned every fruit off of the tree in one day.  Netting might be used next year.  And for now a 'cobra' is protecting our strawberry patch from robins and other birds.  It seems to be working if I move it every day or two. 

My kids sure were impressed to find this 'Ozark Beauty'

 

 Have a great week!