Flora Landscape Design

FLORA LANDSCAPE DESIGN

A traditional orchard with 7 apple trees underplanted with daffodils... In areas where rabbits or deer are a problem if you underplant an apple tree with daffodils they will keep away from it because they know the bulbs are poisonous. Bulbs of all natures, chives and garlic are also good, shallow rooted they suppress grass that could interfere with the nutrients gained by the tree. Permaculture Research Institute.

FLORA LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Flora Landscape Design

You've heard of seed tape, now work that for a square foot garden using 12x12" napkins.

Open the napkins up, and pull apart the two ply layers. Mix water/flour together and dot the seed layout with a cotton swab. Then place 1-3 seeds on each glue spot, replace the two ply napkin back together; gingerly pressing the pieces at the glue spots. Label, then place on a piece of construction paper to dry.

Once dry, fold up like a napkin and set aside for planting day! I like to organize mine into bags for each bed that also have the garden plan and any larger seeds. Everything is all set, on planting day you take the bag for your bed, take out the napkins and organize where they go. Scrape away an inch of dirt, lay the napkin down, scatter dirt on top. Presto!

What's in a name?

We have changed the common name of our Lupine – previously sold as “Wild Lupine.” We are clarifying which species we offer:
SUNDIAL LUPINE is Lupinus perennis subsp. perennis. This exact species is historically native and used to be prolific around the eastern perimeter of the U.S. The confusion stems from the fact that other species are often called “Wild Lupine.”

One particularly problematic species is Lupinus polyphyllus, or Western Lupine, which is native to the west coast but has been introduced in gardens across the country.

Because Western Lupine (L. polyphyllus) is a larger, showier plant and spreads rapidly, it has infiltrated the seed market as “Wild Lupine” and incorrectly as “Lupinus perennis.” It has been proven to be very aggressive, especially in the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions. Beyond its ability to spread and overwinter, L. polyphyllus is upsetting the balance of local wildlife in the eastern half of the U.S. – most notably for the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly whose only larval host is Sundial Lupine. The Western Lupine is NOT a larval host for this beloved species, despite the marketing push; according to the National Park Service, the foliage is poisonous. Any Karner Blues that mistakenly lay their eggs on this plant have doomed their caterpillars. Sadly, L. polyphyllus readily hybridizes with Sundial Lupine; the resulting plants are also inhospitable.

Flora Landscape Design

Now is the time to be proactive against spotted lanternfly! Scraping and destroying egg masses this winter will help decrease the number of spotted lanternfly that hatch next spring. Spotted lanternfly lay egg masses on trees and other smooth surfaces outside, including campers, grills, boats, and sheds. An egg mass will be tan or brown and have the consistency of mud. If you find an egg mass, scrape it off with a credit card, place it in a Ziploc bag, and add rubbing alcohol to the bag to destroy the eggs. Each egg mass can contain up to 60 eggs, so egg mass scraping can effectively manage spotted lanternfly on your property!

How to Build Hugelkultur Beds and Why You Need Them
Full guide in the first comment 💬👀