Grow a Garden from Kitchen Scraps
Planting a vegetable garden from vegetable scraps is an easy, cheap and fun way to make a garden in your own home. Use your powers of observations and watch your garden grow day by day from the comfort of your own kitchen. Visit the Black Hill Nature Programs Facebook page to learn about one plant each day and how to plant and grow it in this five-part series.
– Lettuce
– Green Onions
– Potatoes
– Garlic
– Radishes
Naturalist Trail Report
Did you know? To visit one of the park’s best insect habitats, you need go no further than the parking lot! Lots of crawlies make the milkweed plant their home, including aphids, beetles and of course, the monarch caterpillar. Go on a milkweed scavenger hunt and you may also find this… tiny lobster? Visit the Locust Grove Nature Center Facebook page to learn more about the creatures that naturalists see on the trails near the nature center.
Outdoor Nature Challenge – Insects
– In your backyard, find an insect in its natural habitat and identify it. Here is a great guide to help you identify the insects.
– Then re-create that bug using recyclable materials around your house. Empty packages and junk mail are great art materials!
Tag us (@LocustGroveNature) or post your pictures in the comments on the Locust Grove Nature Center Facebook page . Then follow Locust Grove Nature Center on Facebook for more nature challenges!
Outdoor Nature Challenge – Birds
– See if you can identify the bird using the Audubon Bird app or The Cornell Lab All About Birds guide .
– Record yourselves imitating the bird’s call, or research the plants or trees the bird needs for food or a home.
Tag us (@LocustGroveNature) or post your pictures in the comments on the Locust Grove Nature Center Facebook page . Then follow Locust Grove Nature Center on Facebook for more nature challenges!
Nature Journaling
Nature journaling is a great way to stay connected to the natural world. There is always something to be discovered through journaling. You can identify a new flower in your own backyard or observe the behavior of a newly- fledged bird.
Visit the Locust Grove Nature Center Facebook page each week for a new journaling prompt that you can do at home.
Tree Inventory Map/Star Magnolia
Star magnolias are blooming around the parks. What about other trees? Get to know the trees in our parks with Montgomery Parks’ Tree Inventory Map ! Each tree is surveyed, given a number, and its data entered into the map. So, discover more about our trees and learn about their benefits.
Maryland Native Plants/Trout Lily Foliage
You can take care of wildlife in your backyard by choosing native plants! Native plants provide habitat for native pollinators and other wildlife. Stroll through your yard and make a native plant wish list! Check out this list of native Maryland plants from our friends at the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center.
Look Under A Rock
Tiny worlds live in your backyard. Look for rocks in your backyard and gently flip them over. Take a look! What did you find? Gently put the rock back and take care to not squish any inhabitants!
Blue Flowers
Blue is a rare color in flowers, but there are a number of spring flowering plants that are easy to grow. Here are a few of our favorites.
Share what is growing in your garden in the comments section on the Brookside Gardens Facebook page !
It’s Nesting Time
Spring brings the sound of bird songs, which means that baby birds will soon be on the way! It is not really easy to see what happens in a nest, but thank goodness there are nest cams out there for us to watch.
To get you started, try watching one of the three nest cams run by the Chesapeake Conservancy. There is the Peregrine Falcon and the Great Blue Heron (both currently incubating eggs) and the Osprey, which are just about done building their nests for this season.
What is Outside Your Window?
Visit the Black Hill Nature Programs Facebook page to see what their staff members are observing outside their window as they work from home.
– Tina’s Window – Katrina’s Window – Katie’s Window
– Jen’s Window – Lynette’s Window
Tulip Time
Examining tulips up-close, we can enjoy the subtle colors and symmetry of this beautiful flower. The Brookside Gardens staff has posted pictures of some of the tulips blooming in their gardens on their Facebook page. What do you notice about these tulips? Post your observations in the comments section of the post on the Brookside Gardens Facebook page .
Backyard Nature Surprises – Luna Moth
Without the ability to eat, the adult’s life is short-lived, with mating and egg-laying as its sole purpose. Visit the Meadowside Nature Center Facebook page to learn more about the luna moth.
Backyard Nature Surprises – Eastern Bluebird
Eastern bluebirds can be tricky to attract to a yard with feeders, unless mealworms are on the menu. You can increase your chances of enlisting this garden helper with specially designed nesting boxes!
Backyard Nature Surprises – Poison Ivy
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Let’s leave this plant for wildlife and become experts at identifying and avoiding it along the trails. University of Maryland Extension has a great guide to help you identify poison ivy and it’s neighboring look-alikes.
Backyard Nature Surprises – Pinecone
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The “cones” we see growing above are the plant’s flowering stems. The seeds and stalks are eaten by deer and black bear, perhaps one of the reasons for the name “bear cone”.
Backyard Nature Surprises – Pondhawk
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The pondhawk is a type of dragonfly and is known for eating insects as large it is. The insect has a special adaptation for hunting, large spines on its middle and hind legs that help it grab its prey… maybe similar to the talons of its avian namesake.
Red in the Garden
Red and green are complementary colors. The high contrast of red flowers and green foliage demands attention. Here are some red beauties we found in the garden this week (pictured below). What have you found in your garden? Show us in the comments on this post on the Brookside Gardens Facebook page !
