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Holly adds lots of Christmas color and cheer to this time of year, which makes it a perfect subject to look at during the winter months. We are lucky enough to have a holly in our front yard, so we spent a few moments outside studying this plant before we ran back inside to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa! Most hollies are evergreens, so they keep their leaves throughout the winter months. … [Read more...]
The Best Friend of Monarchs Everywhere {Beautiful Milkweed}
I am a huge fan of Monarch butterflies! By default, I am also a fan of the plants that feed the monarch caterpillars - the milkweed. This time of year, the milkweeds in the field by your house are starting to die off and release their seeds, like the one in the picture, which makes them super easy to spot. The Milkweed is a native plant to North America with over 100 different varieties. Inside … [Read more...]
Wonderful flowers for your winter world {Pansies}
Every year as the brilliant colors of the summer flowers fade, I like to plant a few pansies. And I am not alone, along with mums pansies are among the most popular cool season blooms. Not only are they are easy to grow, but they provide beautiful color throughout late fall and into winter. Pansies are part of the viola family, which contains 500 species - including pansies and violets. Pansies … [Read more...]
Lamb’s Ear {InstaScience}
Have you seen those soft, velvety and silvery grey-green plants in your next-door neighbor’s garden? Those low-growing, soft textured leaves belong to the ornamental plant, known as the Lamb’s ear. The scientific name of lamb's ears plant is Stachys byzantina and is a native to Turkey, Iran and Armenia in Europe. The plant can best be described as "fuzzy" or "velvety" and the leaves are shaped … [Read more...]
Spanish Moss {InstaScience}
I loved visiting my Grammy growing up - she always had our favorite sugar cereal and ice cream on hand when we visited. But, more than that she had a fantastic yard with a monkey grass maze and several massive oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Every time I see this plant, I’m instantly transported back to those hot summer days running around in my grandmother's backyard. Spanish moss covered … [Read more...]
Lichens {InstaScience}
Lichens are found throughout the world, growing on tree trunks and rocks. Lichens can be found in some of the harshest environments, such as the arctic tundra, which makes them great subjects for winter science! Lichens are the result of a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, partnership between a fungus and an alga plant or a bacterium. In other words, they are technically not plants, but rather … [Read more...]