I have used this outfit for onions for years, I have always been very pleased. 100% satisfied. Go look it all over, they have a ton of good stuff to read. I put my onions in around mid February here in zone 7 of the US, but we are a geographically diverse group for sure. https://dixondalefarms.com/
My daughter bought this for me for Christmas this year. I'll report back shortly when I shall know more than @bewildered
I went looking for the calendula and found an irresistible sale. I may actually use the visqueen roll I have leftover for a cold frame and get going on some radishes etc.
I've been troubled by the staggering reduction in Monarch Butterflies over the past couple years. I read an article yesterday that stated the number of Western Monarchs wintering in California has dropped by 30% from last year alone. Just down the road from me, there is a patch field along the road that is owned by a neighbor who's never really there. It's LOADED with milkweed, and about the time the Monarchs are laying eggs, etc, the county comes through and mows it for some reason. I've thought to ask to purchase that piece of land to protect them, or at the very least ask the neighbor if I can fence it, request the county not mow it, etc. Then it occurred to me, that I've been mowing a huge area across the road from our house for nearly 25 years now. It also occurred to me that it was kind of blindly... I don't know the right word, presumptuous... arrogant (?) to ask someone not to do something that I have been doing for 25 year, which is mowing down what was once a wild area. It's also a waste of my time to mow all of that area on a weekly basis or more. So I came up with the following idea: we're going to return it to Nature, but in a way that's pleasant to look at and keeps it from becoming overrun with invasive species and scrub. We're going to turn it into a haven for pollinators, songbirds, and perhaps the odd rabbit or two. A milkweed patch will be sown and encouraged for the Monarch Butterflies. We'll start it relatively small in comparison to the other areas, but I'm certain it will expand. The wildflower area will have to have the sod scraped up to allow a robust growth of wildflowers that will be planted to grow. This will be bulk seed, but could also be bordered with things like Black Eyed Susans and Bee-Balm over time. A walking path, approximately 5-6' wide ( two mower deck widths )will be kept between the hedgerow and the wildflower area. This will not only make for a nice walk around the new garden, but will also help keep invasive species, namely Japanese Knotweed, from encroaching on and taking over the flower area. An already mowed walking patch to the creek will be kept. The "lawn" that remains will continue to be mowed. ( As with the paths, every effort will be made to blow grass clippings AWAY from the flower section.) But if my eyes are correct, will be cut in about half. What I'm thinking is, from the road or the front porch, there would be an easy and purposeful transition from cultivated to wild. Here's a REALLY rough cross section of what I mean: ( My photoshop guy aint here, so work with me. ) Over time a bench, some birdhouses, etc. could be added. I also intend to work in some mason and carpenter bee boxes. As for seed, I've been eyeballing this company for a while. It'll take some work but I'm very excited by the idea and really want to do what I can to help the butterflies and other pollinators.
You'll be happy to know that my dad told me he and my brother plan on doing the same thing in the field behind their houses. It'll be at least a half acre, maybe more. I hope I can pull it off as it appears in my mind. It may take a year or two before it comes to complete fruition and the plants take hold. I have no idea. But it'll be a fun project, and help make a difference I hope.
What a grand, ambitious idea Walt. I really think that it's great. As Nett said, very much interested to see your progress.
@walt Do you have a zoo or animal sanctuary nearby? Reason being that they might be able to give you some ideas or suggestions on what would be the best pollinator plants to utilize to help the local wildlife. The Columbus zoo just started a similar project using different native grasses and flowers. If you have something similar near you, might be worth reaching out to get an idea on options to plant.
There's some not too far off. Our county cooperative extension is really helpful as well, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind, it's a good idea! One of my former Scout leaders lives a couple miles up the road and told me our county's soil and water department also has an annual sale on stuff that might be helpful so I'll be checking with them. I need to get some more bluebird boxes anyway ( some for the birds and others I use for mason bee houses ).
Here is the episode of "Growing A Greener World" that inspired me. If you haven't seen Joe Lampl's program yet, I'm pretty sure most of them are on YouTube.
I just ordered seed for the big Spring project. I ended up buying 5# of Northeast Pollinators Wildflower Mix, as well as 1/4# of the Monarch Mix and 1/4# of Black Eyed Susans seed because we like them and they'll look nice spread around the property. I did some really rough measuring yesterday and figure about 4000 sq feet of wildflowers alone. A slightly altered plan is below, although I plan to have more sweeping curves for a more natural look. I'll likely add a bench somewhere and perhaps some stonework down the road: I was going to pay for the seed out of my "play" account, but my wife said no need to, it'd come out of the house account. So now I'm thinking it's time to look into a portable, gas powered pump for irrigation so I can water this section and our garden directly from the creek.
That’s a not a stupid question at all. I wondered the same thing myself. I’d have to look to get the exact wording, but the company says there’s so many seeds in any given amount, and they’re really small, so loss to birds is minimal. They actually recommend against covering with straw.