What a lucky shot. A wee bee cruises in for a landing, just as I'm zooming in on the flowers. Do you have a preparedness plan? You know... like when the Zombie Apocalypse happens or something more boring... such as an earthquake?
There are ~ at least ~ 500 of these hot pink Knautia blooms, atop 3 foot stems, waving in the breeze. They're re-seeding themselves throughout the garden. (And, that's fine by me.)I suppose that sounds kind of silly, asking about a preparedness plan, but it came up in a conversation, so I was wondering if you're more responsible than I am.
Dame's Rocket is another prolific re-seeder. Swallow Tail Butterflies love this plant, and call my gardens 'home' because of it.I used to have one ~ a preparedness plan. After Hurricane Sandy hit, and my friends on the East Coast were devastated by it's force, I thought that might be a good idea. So, I got online and read a number of advice sites. Most of which were pretty darn hysterical. For instance, many of these websites advised me to pack a lot of videos to "keep the kids entertained." And, just how do I do that during a Zombie Apocalypse when the electricity is off?
Columbines not only re-seed, they hybridize with other Columbines, creating new color combos every summer.So, I put pen to paper and calculated what all I would need to feed 5 people for 4 weeks. (I don't have 5 people in my family but you know how friendly folks can be when they run out of food.. best to plan ahead.)
Then I went shopping. For propane, candles, water purifying tablets, canned goods and... the whole time I was doing this I felt like an absolute paranoid nut bag.
Did you know that deer hate Poppies? Actually, all of those pesky vegetarians ~ deer, elk, moose and even my horses ~ say ix-nay to the oppies-pay. So, plant a drift of them when your country garden becomes a smorgasbord.So, I was totally prepared! But, the big earthquake, tornado, day after tomorrow, whatever... didn't happen. And, me being the lazy gal that I am, I'd skip a run to the store, now and then, because I had a whole storage cabinet of groceries ~ ~ for when life as we know it no longer exists.
To some, Robins are so common they're barely noticed. But, I love 'em. This little babe has been hopping around my garden all week, greedily gobbling the worms I toss his way.It was my daughter who asked about the emergency preparedness plan. Imagine my embarrassment when I had to tell her that we have exactly one can of black beans, for the 3 of us, forever, because I ate everything else in the cabinet. (I don't particularly care for black beans and that's why we'll still survive!)
But you're a master gardener! She exclaims. Yeah, well, if you like munching on flowers and worms, I've got you covered.
TIP:Most vegetables are annuals, which means you have to plant them every year. Here are a few perennial veggies. Plant these once, and enjoy this harvest, year after year:
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Ground Nuts (called the Indian Potato, it produces beans and edible tubers)
- Rhubarb
ANOTHER HOT TIP!
You can happily dine on a lot of weeds in your garden, too. Or, my garden! Stop on by and I'll hand you a spade...
- Dandelions
- Clover
- Lamb's Quarters
- Mallow
- Plantain
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