We tend to think of soil as something inert that we can just walk all over. Actually, among other things, it contains the seeds of many plants that are just waiting for their opportunity to grow. (These seeds together are called the Seed Bank. Nice name, isn’t it?) One species which is very quick off …
Continue reading “What’s that growing where the bamboo used to be?”
Being in nature and caring for nature are acts of worship. In this time when much of our worship must be outside, we are grateful for our natural spaces that also support more formal worship. In the first Creation story, (Genesis Chapter 1) we read about our relationship with God and with the Earth. Holy …
Invasive plants often have lovely flowers, or meet specific landscaping needs. They tend to be hardy, tolerant of a wide variety of sun and shade. They usually don’t attract insects. They spread well, and are very easy to propagate. Growing invasive plants really makes a gardener look good! So what could possibly be wrong with …
Continue reading “What makes invasive plants so attractive? And why that is a problem.”
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119 v 105) It was when the bamboo was cut down, that I realized that Holy Comforter had received the gift of many square yards of usable land. How should it best be used? At first it seemed that a …
Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), so far we have talked about clearing away the plants that harbor them, and sources of standing water, where the lavae grow. Now it is time to look at mosquitoes natural predators, and how to attract them. A good first step, paradoxically, is to establish a pond. …
Following the guidelines of Integrated Pest Management, means that we need to learn as much as we can about a pest, so that we can use every strategy we can to decrease the annoyance. Last week I mentioned that mosquitoes like to hang out in English Ivy, and other such dense growth. This week we’ll …
Integrated Pest Management is method for using all available ways to make our lived environment as comfortable as we can. To use this strategy effectively, we need to know as much as we can about the nuisance that is causing concern. We know from unpleasant experience, that mosquitoes tend to be active at dawn and …
Integrated Pest Management (also known as IPM) is just a fancy way of saying: Use all the pest control tools available to you. It takes a step-ladder approach, beginning with the cheapest and least toxic, and ending with a crop-spraying ‘plane flying over! The Virginia Cooperative Extension gets us started. To solve pest problems: identify …
Have you recently stopped to notice the garden under our Welcome sign? No? Well, then, let’s take a look. For a long time the garden has contained lavender plants. The flowers are harvested, and then incorporated into the Welcome packets that are given to newcomers. Last year, the plants needed to be replaced, and you …
If you’re looking for flowers in the Meditation Garden right now, you’ll find Anise hyssop. Here is a picture, so you can greet the plant by name. And here is some information, from the Xerces Society’s website: “Giant Blue Hyssop Agastache foeniculum “Members of the mint family tend to be highly attractive to bees, and …
Holy Comforter Creation Care