Winterhaven Wildflowers
& Native Plant Preserve
5724 S 900 West
Westpoint, IN 47992
ph: (765) 714-4288 - cell
fax: (765) 572-1132
alt: (765) 714-4288
wildflow
Ask Reni: If I don't know the answer, I'll ask the experts and post their response.
10-14-08
And the answer to the question asked by one of the attendees at the WALLA workshop I gave today is: the money plant, Lunaria annua, also called the honesty plant, was introduced to the United States and Canada from Europe, according to Seedaholic, at www.seedaholic.com/lunaria-annua-honesty.html
The USDA plant list site lists it as introduced but is not specific about its origin. It is a wildflower in Indiana and about a dozen other states. As we discussed during the workshop, just because a flower grows wild does not mean it is a native. The money plant is not particularly aggressive so it is not invasive. You can look up any plant on the USDA plant list Web site at http://plants.usda.gov/
5-15-08
Establishing a wildflower farm and native plant preserve is a lot more difficult than I first thought it would be. Much of what I need to do to get it going is information or skills sets that I have to learn in order to accomplish the ever-changing tasks.
So I seek to learn and network, encourage myself and humble myself before others who know more than I do. As I do this, I have to struggle sometimes to maintain serenity and optimism.
And yet it is for the earth and future generations and butterflies and flowers that I toil and so the struggle is worth it.
As I do so, I am reminded of a poem that was very popular in high school in the late 60s and early 70s, and so I have reproduced it here:
Desiderata
By Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Money plant
Blossoms of the Lunaria annua, Blossoms of the money plant (above) and seed pods that give it its name (below).
Caterpillars galore
3.5 inch long caterpillar on curly dock growing near water hydrant by house June 16, 2008
I've consulted Purdue entomology professor Tom Turpin and learned this caterpillar to find out what it is a white lined sphynx moth larva. They pupate underground, so I set it in a large container with soil about six inches deep and sure enough, it disappeared (underground) and reappeared a few weeks later as the appropriate moth.
5724 S 900 West
Westpoint, IN 47992
ph: (765) 714-4288 - cell
fax: (765) 572-1132
alt: (765) 714-4288
wildflow
