In the Garden

[temporal1]

shamrocks

If you plant in the ground, I found out they really spread

i was hoping for that!
i have a place with a few large flat rocks, i’d like them to grow between the rocks.
i think i’ll just go ahead and try it.

[ohio jones]

shamrocks

If you plant in the ground, I found out they really spread

i was hoping for that!
i have a place with a few large flat rocks, i’d like them to grow between the rocks.
i think i’ll just go ahead and try it.

If you also included a few synthetic stones, you could have rocks, shamrocks, and sham rocks.

[temporal1]

shamrocks

If you plant in the ground, I found out they really spread

i was hoping for that!
i have a place with a few large flat rocks, i’d like them to grow between the rocks.
i think i’ll just go ahead and try it.

If you also included a few synthetic stones, you could have rocks, shamrocks, and sham rocks.

you do not disappoint.

[JimFoxvog]

This past week, we've been working on blackberry pruning.
. . .
They have nasty thorns. I wear a hard hat, leather gloves, and tall leather boots while working on them.

Is there a reason you don't grow a thornless variety? That's what I have and it makes pruning much easier.

I've planted some thornless ones. They died. Probably the thorny ones are hardier. In a different location, near our house, the thornless ones do well.

[Somebody]

Oldest son helped me plant an apricot tree and a tart cherry tree. We also planted a concord grape vine to replace one that died.

Some of the pansies we planted last year came back again. One is blooming and several more have buds on them.

Spring is coming!

[JimFoxvog]

Spring is here! On Thursday, it was 84°F here. Our beautiful nectarine trees are almost in full bloom. But Friday night we had 20°F forecast. Most of the blossoms die (so no fruit) if it gets below 25°F. I got up on a tall ladder and put tarps over the tops of two of them. Fortunately, it only got down to 28°F, and I think even most of the trees that were uncovered weren't badly damaged.

[temporal1]

shamrocks

If you plant in the ground, I found out they really spread

i was hoping for that!
i have a place with a few large flat rocks, i’d like them to grow between the rocks.
i think i’ll just go ahead and try it.

Valerie,
i kept thinking about this, i remembered WHITE CLOVER, which grows like crazy here, it’s pretty, but a nuisance for lawns.
i searched for clover versus shamrocks and found they’re not the same.

.. Growing Oxalis Shamrocks
When it comes to clover vs. shamrock, cultural needs are a clue. Clover grows readily outdoors in turfgrass and many other locations.

The large leafed Oxalis species are not wild plants and generally need to be made house plants.
The difference is easy to spot if you know that clover leaves are rounded, while Oxalis leaves are heart shaped.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/housep ... clover.htm

i’m sad.

white clover / tough


shamrock / tender

[JimFoxvog]

Around here, the native Oxalis species do well. Yellow wood sorrel likes the sun, while the pink wood sorrel grows well in shady places. And they are tasty in salads.

[temporal1]

SWAMP MILKWEED

Asclepias Seeds
https://www.edenbrothers.com/collection ... pias_seeds

Asclepias Seeds
An important nectar source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, plant Asclepias seeds as an essential native addition to your yard. Fill your garden with colors of red, orange and yellow while you attract beneficial nectar-seeking insects like the Monarch Butterfly with our Asclepia seed mix. Though warmer zones experience Asclepias as a perennial, cool climate gardeners swear by this fiery flower as a staple in their annual garden as well.

^^i’m in Zone 6a.

i saw several Monarchs last fall. would enjoy more.
i never thought of milkweed as an annual. i knew of it as a weed, tho. 9:30 min mark.
the spot i have in mind is unlkely to be farmed.

UIUC / Get to Know Asclepias (Milkweed) 2025 plant of the year | #GoodGrowing / -55min

In this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, horticulture educators Chris Enroth and Ken Johnson dive deep into the fascinating world of milkweed—also known by its genus name, Asclepias. Whether you're a native plant enthusiast, pollinator advocate, or just curious about why this "weed" is the National Garden Bureau’s Plant of the Year, this episode is packed with insights.

Skip to what you want to know:
00:46 Hey Ken! How do you say Asclepias?
01:28 What's in a name? A scientific name!
03:08 What is Asclepias (milkweed), and how many species of Asclepias are out in the world?
04:11 History of Asclepias.
07:37 Uses of milkweed outside of the garden
09:30 The negative image of milkweed in the agricultural community
12:02 Milkweeds for the garden. Listing the species of Asclepias native to Illinois. https://dnr.illinois.gov/educati...
13:28 The most common milkweeds we often see in a home landscape
15:17 Our favorite milkweeds that we grow
21:32 Key identifying characteristics of Asclepias
23:05 Milkweed and pollination: who is the best pollinator for the job?
24:41 Milkweed pollination biology https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantm...
27:39 Milkweed toxicity and monarch butterflies
28:34 All the other insects using milkweed besides the monarch butterfly
30:16 What is the best milkweed for monarch butterflies?
30:44 https://www.frontiersin.org/jour... Monarch Butterflies Show Differential Utilization of Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species
37:35 Talking about honeyvine milkweed
42:19 How do you harvest and grow milkweed seeds?
45:56 Transplanting milkweed
47:09 milkweed maintenance
48:45 Mowing for monarchs https://extension.illinois.edu/b...
52:08 Who decreed 2025 the year of Asclepias?
53:34 Thank you and see you next week!

^^One cannot go wrong in the Ag Department.

Monarch Lookalikes and How to Tell the Difference

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."- Oscar Wilde
​...Or was it mimicry?

At a glance, the Viceroy and Monarch are shockingly similar with their orange and black wing coloration.
This is not merely a coincidence but a means of survival for these butterflies.

There is a name for this phenomenon called Müllerian mimicry- “a form of mimicry in which two or more noxious animals develop similar appearances as a shared protective device”. .. ..
https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/blog/mo ... difference

[JohnL]

I finished my wife’s rose garden project. She’s very happy sitting with her roses and they’re blooming like crazy.