Ant Chat: Episode 4 Native Plants

Not a whole lot about ants but this is the show that started my quest to find a place for ants in the garden.

Cleaning Up the Mess

Earlier today I went to work. I don't represent the company so I won't say the name of it, but it's a two story building and I work on the second floor. I'd worked the night before as well, and I've always been in the habit of looking around outside. Ants and other insects especially fly up to the lights at night and it's a nice place to be besides. So you can imagen my disgust when I stepped outside today and saw someone had dumped tires all over the forest. Just Tires. Maybe 17 of them, all thrown off of someone's truck probably and left there. Something had to be done here.

First off, we're not responsibly for cleaning the forest but I felt obligated. It's like someone throwing trash behind your deck when there's a perfectly good trash can next to it. My building actually has an industrial compactor too. People are always throwing their crap in there. They're not supposed to but at least it's better than the woods.

So I had some fun at least. Basically I asked the manager if I could use the cart. They asked why? and I just said "Oh I just need that one."

Behind the building I went, I gathered the tires up, saw some neat egg sacks too to tent caterpillars while I was there, and I was in and out in 10 minutes. Didn't take long at all. Some of the tires had water in them from the rain last night though which was a little disgusting, but I had gloves thankfully.

I threw them into the dumpster... this isn't the proper way to dispose of old tires but it's a lot better than being out in the woods. Especially a place I commonly photograph nature.

Bringing the cart inside, my manager caught me sanitizing the hell out of it. In a confused bit of laughter he asked, "what are you doing?"

I said, "I'm cleaning it off."

... and that's all that was said.

Pollinator Websites

Just a reminder, the Great Sunflower Project is drawing close to their shipping date. So if you plan on joining please head over to their site and sign up. If you've already signed up then they're asking you log in and confirm your address. I just did this for my account moments ago... they say remember to his submit. I have to say I did and it didn't seem like it did anything. There was no "Congratulations You Did Everything Correct," or anything like that. So we'll see what happens with getting seeds.

I have already picked up a packet the sunflower seeds they'll be using this year, Lemon Queen Sunflowers (annual). It's not a variety I've ever grown before but looks nice. I'm hoping the yellow of the petals isn't as pale as I see it from pictures online.

On another topic, you may notice you like having pollinators coming to your yard. If that's the case then be sure to visit www.pollinator.org. They have a planting guide for pollinator gardens and a broader range to pollinators than most sites that deal with the topic. The only problem I found with it is I had no idea what guide to click on. There are 4 for California alone and all the others are named oddly. Using their zipcode code search cleared up any confusion though.

Ant Chat: Episode 3

A brief look at 3 species over the year: Prenolepis imparis, Formica neogagates, and Camponotus chromaiodes.

Bees at the Flower Show

An exhibit that really caught my eye as a beekeeper was presented by The DCTS Landscape Program and The Chester County Beekeepers Association. It's shaped like a giant beehive!


Inside was an educational display of a bee suit and some nice photographs. It was all very well presented. They get a big A for effort. But the information wasn't quite there. There could have been more but I suppose it's a great thing they didn't make it text heavy. Even so, I was still over joyed to see this.


Outside were nice displays of beehives. There were some plants behind these too but sadly my pictures of them didn't turn out. (I had that problem all over the show.) Black-Eyed Susans were one of the plants that I recall.


For those of you soon to be beekeepers, this picture may help. One thing I always get
asked about "what does a beehive look like" or "how does it work?" The larger boxes here (in the middle) are called Deeps. A new package of bees needs just one of these to live in. Eventually you'll have to add a second Deep on top of that. After that though you add smaller Supers, the small box on top of that. Regardless of how boxes you have though there's always a bottom board (the lowest part) and an inner cover, and telescoping cover (top).

The plastic bit between the Deeps and the Super is a Queen Excluder. This is optional. The queen bee will lay eggs in the middle of all these boxes and surprisingly maintains a sphere within the boxes. She rarely moves up above the two Deeps but occasionally she'll move up to the super. Queen Excluders come in handy becuase you can't take honey from any of the frames that have brood on them.


There was also a small observation hive there. However, I wasn't impressed. The only frame on display had no honey on it, no brood, or anything. There were just some bees in there.

Philadelphia Flower Show Exhibits

Other Philadelphia Flower Show Exhibits were a great mix of what I'd call achievements of landscaping. The fact that they can wheel in all these plants and trees (20 feet tall!) and get them all to bloom at the same time. Some exhibits had bits of humor to them. My pictures probably don't do justice to the show itself so go see it while it's still here! One thing I learned the hard way, If you're taking the Speed Line or Septa to 5th and Market then you actually don't need to step outside to get to the show. Walk to the other end of the mall and make your way through The Gallery and up to the Convention Center. There is a lot of walking involved there but at least you're inside.


The landscaper here clearly loves bulbs. I enjoy bulbs too but only becuase they usually bloom early in the year and they're the only thing of interest out in the garden. They did a nice job.


Mixed Rhododendrons and Azaleas aren't plants I used to like. But after seeing this display I can really see how they can be used well. It's almost like a field of wildflowers. I know some are native to the US so maybe I'll look into getting some.


This was a neat tree. Below it was a black pond that reflected the colors beautifully.


The effect is a little lost here with all the dirt but that's a dog bone and a women's shoe there. There was a dog house here and it had the name Caesar on it. A joke about the Italian theme.


This was a door to nowhere. I like the colors, especially for the trees.


This was a Koi Pond with some very nice fish in it. They're usually sold for more than $20 each and despite being gold fish you can eat them.


One of the more interesting gardens I think. They used seashells as the walk way... not something to walk barefoot but I think structurally it was well thought out.


I really like the pond here because it has some sort of green ... I suppose some sort of tiny lily pads growing on it like a slime. The effect is something I wish my pond had.


One of the exhibits featured paintings. Though not incredibly original they were done well. Other paintings included replicas of The Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's David.


The picture I took here doesn't do this justice because it was one of my favorites. I love the stone walk way with the various plants growing around it. It was one of the few exhibits to feature some tall trees (if I recall right), and they used more than just bulbs in their display.


This was so ugly I just had to take a picture of it. The exhibit here wasn't incredibly ugly or a failure by any means. It has lots of Orcids all over it growing along walls and in pots and so on. But it featured these bushy thatch or moss clumps all over it and had these black tulips growing in them. The two ideas really didn't go well together. Many of the plants were under glass but they were also using plastic water bottles under them with light shining under it. I serously didn't get it at all. I assume it was trying to say something about sustainability and recycling... but then why have all the Orcids and ugly Tulps?


Another favorit of mine. The colors worked well together and the plants might even bloom around the same time. Yellow Crocuses mixed with assorted Irises. I could really see this working out in real life.


There were also smaller exhibits there that were entered by people. I didn't really pay attention to these but I liked the consept. All the plants used for these were small enough to accuratly represent a model of perhaps a larger plant.


I suppose you'd have to call these tiny rock gardens. These also caught my eye. I really like the use of these tiny plants.

Flower Show Plants I Loved

Foxtail Lily, Eremurus, seen here in yellow, is a plant I had my eye on at last year's show. bought a bulb of it but sadly it didn't bloom. In fact the dog got it and chewed it up pretty good. These bulbs have 4 to 8 leading roots coming off of them and are very sensitive about them breaking. This year I bought 2 bulbs at the flower show for a great deal. Though not native I look forward to hopefully seeing them bloom later this year.


A bulb that goes almost completely unused in the garden is our native Trilliums. And though not a prize winner Trillium grandiflorum was the clear winner in my eye here. Sure it's not as tall as the others but at least you can see the flower. I was assured that the other 3 plants here (that did win awards) were flowering too but who can really tell. The petals are a very dark red color and don't resemble flowers at all. The only thing they really had going for them, and probably why they won, was because of the foliage. Trilliums slowly form colonies in shady areas, usually under deciduous trees in semi-acidic soil. I have to admit in a group the other three probably would look nicer growing around the base of a tree.


Here is a better comparison of the foliage and the flowers.


What sunflowers have to do with Italy is still unknown to me but they were present and I only regret not taking more pictures of them.


Dutchman's Pips, Aristolochiaceae, is a native vine that grows some interesting flowers. It's also the host plant to the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. I wish that this plant had more of it's flowers on display instead of just the one.


Here someone used loads of Sea Holly flowers. It's a plant I currently have and enjoy. Despite the thorny look to it, it's not a sharp plant at all. This variety used also isn't as blue as they come.


Bleeding Heart, Dicentra, was another great one. I tried to grow this last year and failed. But I shall try again because this plant is just so interesting.

The Philadelphia Flower Show Bella Italia

Despite 10 inches of snow I still managed to get over and see the Philadelphia Flower Show yesterday. This year's theme was Bella Italia. Looking at their brochure though one wonders what Sunflowers have to do with Italy. Thankfully these American natives weren't used to much in the Italian theme. I twas right to go at the time I did. 10 inches of slow mean schools would be canceled and more than half the people who take the speed line would call into work sick or snowed in. Sure enough I was right.

At the show there was relatively few people walking around. No line whatsoever to get tickets. And there were happy gaps in the crowd that allowed for me to take loads of pictures; some of them good even!

Just as last year, when one walks into the room you overpowered by the smell of pollen. However it this year it was weaker and didn't linger through the show at all.


The sheer work that goes into creating the show is breathtaking. This had to take more than a full week to achieve. Statues of Poseidon and other Greek Gods were all over the place. Huge pillars of heavy stone lined a fantastic fountain right as you walk in. And all along it were flowers and trees mostly in full bloom. The timing for the plants in general had to be done carefully. Each type of plant and variety flowers after a different amount of cold hours.


The main pond featured numerous water pillars that went well with the Delphiniums blooming beside them. Other plants I didn't really recignise but they were there mostly for color.



All the way at the end of the pond was a stage where opera singers preformed all day long. I enjoy classical music but opera isn't something I stop for like so many others.


To the sides of the pond were little gardens that didn't have as much emphases on color. It was all about texture here to go with the statues.




Not the best photo I took but someone placed a Phillies hat on this statue and it was drawing a crowd and laughs.

I'll be back to post more later on.

Dr. Gabriela Chavarria talks about Colony Collaps Disorder

Chicago Public Radio had someone on today talking about Honey Bees. I found it to be very enjoyable and learned some things too. Dr. Gabriela Chavarria is an excelent speaker on the topic of Colony Collaps Disorder and she explains the politics involved when it comes to bees. Apparentl CCD has been solved in Europe, they banned products from the company selling the insecitcides responsable. But because the research wasn't done in the U.S. by the company itself!!! we can't use their findings. Give it a listen here.

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder

I just got done watching this movie and I have to say it was a huge improvement over the other movies they made. I'd say it's by far the funniest and most enjoyable of them all. As the title suggests, it has an environmental message. The writing towards the end was a little laze and all the characters were jumping around a bit though but that's it's only real fault. As usual with the Futurama movies they're written so they can eventually be broken up into "new" episodes later on (usually 4).

Originally the makers were only contracted to do 4 movies but after watching this one I certainly hope they renew and do several more! This series had so many more places to go than The Simpsons.

The DVD is worth the money in my opinion.