from around the farm
I did something a little different out in the Roxana meadow this year. Because it was a renovation year, rather than re-planting the same diverse mix of native and novel grasses, perennials and annuals, I opted for a gap year in sunflowers. I know that's a monocrop with a deferred bloom time, but it turned out to be the perfect refueling station for southbound Monarchs in a drought year when many plants bloomed early to conserve their energy.
I chose sunflowers because they have deep roots, which helps keep water in the fields and out of the bays. I picked a short, heavy-pollen variety that makes a good seed head to feed birds, and the thick, pithy stems make great winter housing for our native bees. The flowers were early this year and the butterflies were late, which created a great opportunity for our native bees, especially the bumble bees. All the stalks will winter over to keep the soil covered and provide winter habitat. I won't mow it off until late spring, after the bees have emerged.
While getting our barn ready to stock round bales for our cattle, I found this guy crossing the road (eastern box turtle males have red eyes). I gently moved him just a few feet in the direction he was already heading, back to the forest.
The extended warm season has meant we are still seeing some fireflies, which are actually beetles. In my imagination they always seem otherworldly. There are lots of things we can do as a community around our own Bethany Beach firefly, from lanterns to luminaries to pumpkin carving.
