Walk past the gardens this Thursday evening and you will see a good bit of color dotted around the farm.
Nasturiums at the end of the Potato Rows
Nasturtiums and violas harvested for salads!
It is pleasing to the eye and that matters! But there is greater purpose to each flower you see. Some repel pests due to their taste or pungent scent, others attract beneficial insects – ladybugs, lacewings, ground beetles and other insects that feed on pests. Still others provide nectar and pollen, attracting pollinators and sustaining beneficial insects, while some grow shelter to help beneficial bugs thrive. Beyond all these purposes, many are edible.
We lost five more young chickens to the weasel and other things didn’t go our way this week. But the flowers refresh our hope even while they stand guard and/or flirt. We hope they do the same for you.
mystery moth
In nature it isn’t always like this. Sometimes color isn’t an invitation, it is a warning. Ed and Mari saw this moth this morning. Its outer wings have a giraffe-like pattern. Whatever its message it is a wonderful reminder to make space to notice all the color around us and celebrate all the color organic farming practices generate.