GuestPeek: Butterfly Garden

My friend Karen and her daughter, Kalena created a butterfly garden in their back yard!

Karen is a Librarian (woo hoo!) at Riverview Branch Library in Florida and she'd hosted a Master Gardener program on butterfly gardens at her branch a couple of months ago. She thought it sounded like an easy gardening project for non-gardeners as well as being good for the environment, so decided to gave it a try!
 

Why is this exciting?

Due to destruction of their native habitats or the plants they eat, butterfly populations are decreasing or even going extinct. The creation of a butterfly garden represents an intentional act to try and create or restore habitats favorable to their life cycle and survival. 

Since butterflies also happen to be flower and plant pollinators, they are an essential part of the food cycle. Environments that attract butterflies also tend to attract other types of insect pollinators. 

Basically, if WE want to keep eating,
we need the pollinators!

As you can see, Karen and Kalena already have a few visitors!

Hat tip to Karen and Kalena for taking on this project, and thanks so much for sharing, with us here at Permie Peeks! If you live down in that area, and want to learn more about the Master Garden Extension programs, click here.

GuestPeek: Spring...Just Around the Corner?

GuestPeek: Kady's Herb Garden

Even in a NYC apartment space can be found to grow food. . .

Pictured here--  basil, rosemary, mint, chives, thyme, tarragon, parsley, and chili peppers. . . 







. . .but with the change of  seasons there are plans to swap out the herbs for some winter veggies. . .potatoes, carrots and beets. . .

Mmmmm. . .yummy! 

Kady, thanks for sharing 
your gardening pix and plans with Permie Peeks!

PoetryPeek: Haiku

by Stephen W. Leslie
(originally published in the International "Kusamakura" haiku competition, 2011)

~~~~~~~~

Her far away look

Tire swing on a nearby tree

The missing children

Thanks Stephen!

GuestPeek: Fresh From the Balcony!

My friend Jennifer and her boyfriend, grow edibles on their balcony.  I'd been asking her to send pix for while and she finally did!

Pictured here are lettuce and kale.

Thanks Jennifer!

GuestPeek: Neighborly Gardening

A brief but unexpected break between posts at the Empathic Writer blog (authored by Erik Harris) prompted some concern on the part of her listeners/readers. In response, Erika was quick to assure us that all was well. Not to worry!

With the arrival of the warmer weather she had turned some of her attention to a few outdoor projects, one being several vegetable and herb beds she and her neighbors had planted in a shared residential yard.

 



Engagement with nature and one's neighbors in the real world, is a wonderful excuse for taking a break from the virtual one!

Erika, thanks so much for sharing these shots of your shared
gardening space with us here at Permie Peeks!

GuestPeek: Permie Peek-A-Boo

Out exploring the nature trails at Orchard Beach (Pelham Bay Park - Bronx, NY) last week. . .
 

. . .saw this little guy poking out his head a moment, before he retreated back inside his itty bitty hole.

An unexpected treat during an afternoon outing!

GuestPeek: Royal Rest Stop

Each fall, millions of Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the U.S, down to central Mexico.

My friend Susan snapped these images last weekend down in Cape May, NJ which happens to be one of the places they stop to rest and refuel, during this amazing 2000 mile journey.


However, human activity (e.g. pesticide use) and encroachment and destruction of their habitat and breeding sites (e.g illegal logging at monarch reserves) pose threats to their survival. You can read more about some of the research being undertaken regarding this annual migration via the Monarch Monitoring Project at BirdCapeMay.Org.

 
Thanks again Susan!

GuestPeek: Where a Tree Once Stood

In permaculture, the "edge" is a dynamic, unique place, often filled with great beauty.


However, where Earth meets Water, it can also be terrifying in it's power to reshape or reclaim.

These images (thanks Paula!) reflect the erosion occurring on the beach at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina. 

For the past three years, my uncle Doug, has been documenting the long, but inexorable slide of the land back into the sea.




You can check out some of his footage here:

• Where a Tree Once Stood - this tree finally succumbed to the forces of Nature on the evening of September 1, 2010 in the wake of Hurricane Earl.

• Hunting Island State Park Beach Erosion Erosion Project (8/08 - 4/11) and Hunting Island State Park, Cabin Road: The Final Chapter - there were once 13 cabins for recreational use on Hunting Island.  However, with the sea's encroachment between 2008 and 2011 they have all had to be demolished, especially after access via Cabin Road, was washed out.

GuestPeek: Along the Edge

My friend Okolo sent me these images.

Where edges meet something wonderful happens. . .

. . .It really just depends on how you look at it.

Thanks Okolo! :-)