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The Hope & Wildflowers Monthly Newsletter
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Thank you for subscribing to the monthly newsletter of Hope & Wildflowers. As we transition from Facebook over to our monthly newsletter featuring the latest content on our blog (around the 15th of each month) we are very excited to have you with us. We understand your time is valuable, and we appreciate you taking the time to stay updated with us. We look forward to sharing encouraging and engaging content with you and we hope you enjoy reading it.
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A lot is happening here at Hope & Wildflowers even though we find ourselves in the middle of Winter. It has been a milder Winter than usual, but with our updated USDA Plant Hardiness zone designation being changed from 6B to 7A late last year we aren't surprised. Steph has been working diligently to start seeds and experiment with different methods of getting germination started faster and more reliably. Look for posts on our progress in the next month or so (one method will be shown below). We are fortunate to be able to be a part of 2 pollinator-focused trainings this month with Pollinator Partnership and Monarch Joint Venture. In regards to Monarch Butterflies specifically, the Xerces Society released new data with the eastern migratory population's over-wintering numbers (it's not good news). Locally, we are going to begin keeping honey bee colonies on our property and will be posting articles with progress and lessons learned throughout this year. A more complete list of the topics that will be covered in this month's newsletter is included below. This month we have quite a few topics to go over being our very first newsletter. As always, we hope that you keep going and keep growing every single day.
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Your Friends at Hope & Wildflowers,
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In this month's newsletter:
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- Eastern Migratory Monarch Population Update from the Xerces Society
- Monarch Watch 2023 Tagging Data
- Pollinator Partnership: Pollinator Stewardship Certification
- Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
- Floret Farm Seed Donation
- Winter Jug Seed Sowing
- Beekeeping Preparations
- Our Little Free Library - Book Donations
- Dahlia Tuber Early Sales Shipping Update
- Epic Gardening Spring Fling Sale & Discount Code
- Meet a Wildflower: Dutchman's Breeches
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Eastern Migratory Monarch Population Update
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The biggest news story of the month for us was the report from the Xerces Society on the overwintering numbers of the Eastern Monarch Butterfly. According to their report, "It revealed that in just one year, the presence of monarch butterflies in their Mexico wintering grounds dropped by more than half, from 2.2 hectares to 0.9 hectares. This makes 2023-24 the second worst year ever recorded." This is a drop of over 50% in just a year. If there has ever been a time to work towards helping this species, it's today. As we find ourselves in February, now is the time to start sowing milkweed seeds to transplant later in Spring. It's important that you plant milkweed native to your region, so consider using the Xerces Society's Milkweed Finder to determine which variety is native to your area. Planting non-native varieties potentially disrupts the migratory patterns of Monarchs passing through your area. We are working on planting native milkweed plugs for our region and will share them with the local community at our little white stand. The good news is that there's still time for you to do something if you want to help. Borrowing directly from the Xerces article, here is what you can do to make a difference!
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Participate in the tri-national International Monarch Monitoring Blitz this summer. Report monarchs any time of year in any country to iNaturalist or another monarch community science program.
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You can read more about our efforts in our recent post "Rescuing Monarchs - 2023 Results".
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Monarch 2023 Tagging Update
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The image just above is one of the Monarch females that we caught and tagged in 2022 that was recovered in Mexico months later over 2000 miles away. Our property is registered as a Monarch Waystation as we try every year to provide more habitat suitable for the Monarchs born and migrating through our area. As we are awaiting data for 2023 in the next month or two, we wanted to encourage our readers to consider tagging Monarchs if you're looking for a low-cost, beneficial outdoor activity in late Summer. You do not have to rear Monarchs to participate. The link for tagging Monarchs has instructions and videos on how to begin. The only essential equipment you need is an insect net, gloves, a toothpick, some patience, and a way to record data (digitally or on paper). Now is the time to order your tags so you'll have them ready for the 2024 migratory generation. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us! In 2023, we tagged nearly 100 Monarchs and are hoping that they made it to Mexico. The tagging data should be available around April.
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Pollinator Training for 2024
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We are fortunate to have come across the opportunity to virtually attend 2 training courses this month from Pollinator Partnership and Monarch Joint Venture. The first is the Pollinator Steward Certification focusing on education to provide habitat and outreach for pollinators in our local habitat. The second is a bit more specific focusing on fieldwork to count and record data about Monarch larva later this Summer. We look forward to sharing any insights we gain from these classes on our blog as well as being able to implement the knowledge we gain in our pollinator patch.
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Floret Seed Donation
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Earlier this year, we became aware of a special seed donation project that Floret Flowers was working on. Hope & Wildflowers applied and we were delighted to find out that our application was accepted. Many of these seeds have been started and we are looking forward to including them in our bouquets at the little white stand this summer! Thanks again to the generosity of the team at Floret Flowers for making this possible!
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Winter Jug Sowing
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Last year, I (Steph) decided to try my hand at Winter Jug Seed Sowing over winter. I was so impressed with the results that I'm doing it again this year. Click the image above to learn how to do it yourself. This method is inexpensive, low-maintenance, and easy to do!
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Beginning Beekeeping
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We are working on transforming our property into a refuge for local wildlife, especially for pollinators. Since I (Jason) was a child, I’ve loved insects so it only made sense to try my hand at beekeeping. Click the image above to see the progress so far!
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Epic Gardening Spring Fling Sale
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Our friends at Epic Gardening are having a Spring Fling sale until February 19th. If you're looking to stock up on seed starting supplies we can't recommend the quality of Epic Gardening's products enough. Everything we have from them has continuously impressed us.
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For 5% off your order use promo code: HOPE.AND.WILDFLOWERS5
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If you want to see how we use our Epic Gardening Seed Starting supplies, check out our recent post "Seed Starting with Epic Gardening"!
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Little Free Library Donations
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In October 2023, we installed a memorial Little Free Library on our property to help provide gardening and nature-related books to those local to the Western Maryland area. We recognize how a good book can literally change your life and want to provide those opportunities. If you'd like to donate any books or learn more please contact us and we'd be happy to help!
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Dahlia Tuber Shipping Update
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Thanks to all those who have pre-ordered tubers! We just checked them in storage and they're doing well. If anyone wants to order any, we have more available in our shop and will have expanded availability (including more varieties) later this month or early March after pulling them out of storage. We expect to ship tubers out in Late March or April (weather-dependent).
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Meet a Wildflower: Dutchman's Breeches
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Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra Cucullaria) is one of my favorite wildflowers that pop up in our area during Spring. They are dainty and delicate, and I love their appearance. The first time I saw them was on a bike trail up in the mountains, and I immediately looked them up. Their name is derived from their appearance and shape resembling a pair of tiny pantaloons or trousers hung upside down to dry on a clothesline. The genus name derives from the Greek for “two spurred.”
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According to the National Audubon Society pollinators such as the “early bumblebee, whose proboscises are long enough to tap the nectar. Honeybees, with shorter proboscises, gather the pollen with their feet. Other bees with proboscises too short to reach the nectar the usual way simply snip a hole through the outside of the flower at the site of nectar accumulation; this allows the bees to rob the nectar. Such nectar robbing does not bring about pollination (National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers, p. 552-553).”
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These clusters of white and yellow flowers will typically bloom from April through May. They have a leafless stalk but below them, feathery, Basel leaves and just below the surface you would find small pinkish tubers. The flower itself is around 2cm long with four outer petals and two inflated nectar spurs that form a V shape. This flower is not fragrant.
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These wildflowers can be found in Manitoba east of Nova Scotia, south to Georgia, west to Mississippi and Oklahoma, and north to North Dakota; also in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon; also in the Pacific Northwest.
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Illustration taken from "How to Know the Wild Flowers" by Dana (1894)
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