April Butterflies

Peace Farm Organics herb & veg starts are here. Open normal hours Easter Weekend! 

The beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing comes with a side of dry conditions. Hopefully we’ve seen a few raindrops by the time this lands in your inbox, but it is time to pull out your hose, sprinklers, and/or soaker hoses. We haven’t seen any rainfall in the past two weeks, so your established plantings might enjoy a drink as well.

We are three weeks out from our average last frost date! This is a great time to harden off your indoor seedlings and refer to the back of your seed packets for direct sowing instructions. Many seeds need some stratification, and thankfully modern seed packets are chock full of information to help you achieve success.

We’ve been seeing Tiger Swallowtails happily fluttering around, which is a definite sign that spring has arrived. If you love these winged beauties, there are a few small ways to make a big impact. Leaving the leaves might feel wrong, like omitting a step from your spring cleaning, but it has a considerable impact on your local biodiversity. Bees, moths, butterflies, and even fireflies overwinter in leaf litter in your yard and garden. If you prefer to rake your leaves in the fall, consider piling the leaves in your beds instead of bagging them up.

Another way to boost the presence of fauna in your garden is by utilizing native and keystone plants. Keystone plants are natives that play a large role as main food sources for bees, moths, and butterflies. Thankfully the Wildlife Federation has compiled a wonderful list for our region that you can download and take on your shopping trips.

That’s all for this week, friends. Thank you so much for your continued patronage. We wouldn’t be here without you! If you can’t get your Bates fill, tune into Gardening Inside Out on Saturday mornings at 8 am. Follow us on Instagram for behind the scenes fun on the Know Down. Queue up the podcast to listen to on your next journey. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates