Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: amateuranthecologist on September 26, 2015, 04:11:16 PM
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Hi everyone! this is where I'll post links to my latest blog post! It's a blog about native plants in SW Oregon, [rock] gardening, growing plants from seed, pollinators, pollinator plants, ecology, and pollination ecology. It's a wide variety of topics, plants are usually at the center of the discussion, but sometimes I diverge and focus solely on pollinating insects. I was originally inspired by Ian Young's Bulb Log. Have a look, there's something for everybody!
Stout Grove is an old growth redwood grove located in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in California near the Oregon border. I hiked (more like a strolled) the trail recently and did some botanizing. Even though there were few flowers, it was plant-geek nirvana!
Check it out:
http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/09/stout-grove-adventure-in-botanical.html (http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/09/stout-grove-adventure-in-botanical.html)
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We have been there three times over several years,once in early spring to see the trilliums in flower and twice more in July when the Clintonia andrewsiana was looking superb.
It is a magical place.
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The Amateur Anthecologist - Autumn and the Full Moon
Hi,
Just posted a group of seemingly unrelated plant photos and stories from the past few weeks to my blog. The photos didn't really fit into other posts, but I still wanted to share them.
Autumn is my second favorite season, if not for the relief from the heat of Summer (in the 100F range here in SW Oregon), then for the unique flora of the garden and growing wild. Leaves change color, bees prep for hibernation. Wind. And the clear nights recently gave me a good photo opp! But the red moon was too dark to get a good pic.
See the post here:
http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/10/autumn-and-full-moon.html (http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/10/autumn-and-full-moon.html)
Thanks!
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Last August, I wrote about an obscure yet hard to miss SW Oregon native Trichostema lanceolatum, vinegar weed. The name refers to the strong smell, which to me smells more like gasoline (aka "petrol"). On warm days the odor wafts through the air, detected long before the source is sighted. The plants are small, annual, reaching a height of around 8", but they carpet the ground in areas they are well adapted to (poor soil, I imagine). See the original post, updated with some new bits of information:
http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html (http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html)
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Echinacea is one of my favorite herbaceous perennials, and here I show the last flower of the year (and how to collect seed of Echinacea). Also see some of the other things blooming now in my garden, including my Nicotiana (not for smoking). Many bulbs are also appearing, new leaf growth and seeds germinating. I'm growing around 30 pots of seed this year, mostly bulbs, and a few are germinating now. Then I discuss the confusion I faced with Scilla latifolia (not to be confused with Scilla autumnalis ssp. latifolia)!
Newest post is about the few things that continue to bloom in my recently neglected garden. Follow the link:
http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/10/flowers-seeds-and-bulbs-in-autumn.html (http://amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com/2015/10/flowers-seeds-and-bulbs-in-autumn.html)
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http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/10/flowerlessness.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/10/flowerlessness.html)
In this post I've began to cope with the prospect of the (mostly) flowerless Winter, and began to expand my knowledge of plants to include gymnosperms and ferns, as well as various bryophytes including lichen.
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Just a few weeks ago, I turned 30 (November 5th), so we took a family trip to San Francisco to visit my parents and some other family members. Naturally, I took a lot of photos of plants that grow in the niche habitats of the mild Bay Area (including many South African subtropicals). Here is the link:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/road-trip.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/road-trip.html)
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As a member of the Pacific Bulb Society, I participate in the many seed exchanges throughout the year. I received an order recently, and shared photos of the seeds to the Amateur Anthecologist blog:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/seeds.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/seeds.html)
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The imminent end of the active pollinator season. It is starting to look like Scotland here in Rogue River (cold and wet).
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/inert.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/11/inert.html)
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From Travis :
Hi ya'll,
In my mixed-coniferous SW OR zone 7 garden, Spring is behind the nearby cities of Rogue River, Grants Pass, and Medford, by a couple weeks. Honeybees have been active since late January, and there have recently been a few bulbs to bloom.
A single daffodil, an unnamed bulb from a "naturalizing mix" (most of which died, btw) is in bloom, and has attracted a few honeybees. This is odd, honeybees have not shown the slightest interest in daffodils here that I know of. The bee spent five minutes trying to get at the nectar from outside the corona, quite entertaining, before finally finding it's way in, only to forget how to get in again and giving up.
I made a video, see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dv5nBw-IQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dv5nBw-IQ)
Cheers,
Travis Owen
Rogue River, OR
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Latest from Travis - Bulb Seedlings..... http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/02/bulb-seedlings.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/02/bulb-seedlings.html)
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Super good news from Travis and Anna Owen : their new baby has arrived safely!
"We have a new baby! Her name is Ayla Runa Owen, born at 7:30 this morning, and I know you're going to ask so she is 7lbs 9oz, 20" long. (Fun facts, her sister Zia was 7lbs 10.5oz and 20.5" long, and I was 7lbs 11oz.) Photos later! "
The happiest of news ! Sending all best wishes from us here!
edit by Maggi - all doing well - this is Zia contemplating her new sister Ayla
[attachimg=1]
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Travis' latest bog is on Narcissus pollination :
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/natural-pollination-of-genus-narcissus.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/natural-pollination-of-genus-narcissus.html)
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Travis manages to blog - in spite of the new baby - he's pretty surprised about that I think!
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/functional-chaos.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/functional-chaos.html) includes a key to some little blue bulbs -
"Last year I wrote a simple dichotomous key highlighting the differences between Scilla sensu stricto (orthodox definition) and its close relatives Chionodoxa (absorbed into Scilla sensu lato as of late), and Puschkinia. No matter what they are called, the species can be difficult to tell apart by the average gardener. This simple guide may be useful in this regard. This was not so much created for taxonomic purposes, but rather for the gardener who wishes to be able to determine what they are growing. This key isn't perfect, and doesn't consider many of the genera once considered to be part of Scilla but since moved into different genera such as Barnardia, Fessia, Hyacinthoides, Merwilla, Nectaroscilla, Oncostema, Othocallis, Prospero, Schizocarphus, Schnarfia, or Tractema to name a few. Perhaps in the future I will expand this key to include more genera, but for now I am satisfied with what I have included since they seem to be the most commonly grown of the entire group. "
https://www.rhs.org.uk/.../plant-bulletins/hyacinthaceae (https://www.rhs.org.uk/.../plant-bulletins/hyacinthaceae)
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Two new posts, one on some local Erythronium (hendersonii and oregonum) and the other on Arctostaphylos viscida (sticky whiteleaf manzanita). Both articles focus on their ecology (with emphasis on pollination ecology) as well as mycorrhizal relationships.
Erythronium hendersonii & E. oregonum:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/erythronium.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/erythronium.html)
Arctostaphylos viscida:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/arctostaphylos-viscida.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/03/arctostaphylos-viscida.html)
I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on these, they were particularly focused articles and took a bit more effort than my typical posts. Thanks!
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Wildflowers in March in SW OR, including Delphinium, Lomatium, Viola, and others.
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/04/wildflowers-in-march.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/04/wildflowers-in-march.html)
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From Travis:
Photos of native bees and honeybees on native and nonnative plants in Oregon
Hello,
The following is a link to a variety of photos of Oregon native bees and honeybees on Oregon native and nonnative plants (some bulbs, too), with some cynical commentary on the subject.
http://amateuranthecologist.com/2016/07/… (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/07/floral-visitors-xx.html)
Surely I'll be preaching to the choir when I say that something must be done to help the pollinators. I feel it is necessary to reduce the problem to an economic issue, hence my reference to a Xerces Society study (Losey et al. 2006) estimating $57 billion in ecological services provided by insects annually (including pest reduction by predatory/parasitoid insects), since it is clear that economy is more important than environment in the minds of many. Conservation needs to become a profitable endeavor on a scale much larger than is currently possible.
Travis Owen
Rogue River, OR
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/ (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/)
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/ (http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/)
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Hi, some new posts up:
A few on native plants: Madia elegans, Croton setigerus, and Trichostema lanceolatum
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/07/madia-elegans.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/07/madia-elegans.html)
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/08/croton-setigerus.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/08/croton-setigerus.html)
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2015/08/trichostema-lanceolatum.html)
And a few on some native wasps:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/08/sceliphron-caementarium.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/08/sceliphron-caementarium.html)
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/07/mischocyttarus-flavitarsis.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/07/mischocyttarus-flavitarsis.html)
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[attachimg=1] (http://siskiyousummits.weebly.com/)
From Travis :
" I'm giving a presentation on anthecology (the study of the relationship between plants and pollinators) this Tuesday September 13th at 7pm for the Siskiyou chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society in Medford, OR. Anyone is welcome to attend as a guest. Read details here: http://siskiyousummits.weebly.com/ (http://siskiyousummits.weebly.com/)
[attachimg=2] (http://siskiyousummits.weebly.com/)
[attachimg=3] (http://siskiyousummits.weebly.com/)
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Hello,
Since we're now in autumn, I put together a list of plants for bees and other pollinators that bloom in the fall. These include natives, noxious weeds, and garden plants. Follow the link:
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/09/late-season-bee-plants.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/09/late-season-bee-plants.html)
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New blog from Travis on Colchicum as a pollinator plant -
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/10/colchicum.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/10/colchicum.html)
[attachimg=1]
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http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/11/bees-of-2016.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/11/bees-of-2016.html)
Hi,
This year I have been fortunate enough to photograph at least 21 species of wild bees in my southwestern Oregon area. I have written a detailed article about bees and each species and how they are all related taxonomically. I have also included field notes and observations of my own.
Also please see the references at the bottom for a few other interesting reads, if you fancy bees as I do.
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/11/bees-of-2016.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2016/11/bees-of-2016.html)
Thanks!
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New blog from Travis ..... http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2017/07/lower-table-rock.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2017/07/lower-table-rock.html)
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Parasitoid Wasps of Southern Oregon 2017 - http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2018/02/parasitoid-wasps-of-southern-oregon.html (http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2018/02/parasitoid-wasps-of-southern-oregon.html)
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Travis has a new project in prospect - he is crowdfunding towards that .....
Travis Dreams of Honey Bees
"My Goals
I have a dream of becoming a self-supporting commercial beekeeper using honey bees alongside native mason bees and alfalfa leafcutter bees to improve crop yields for growers. By doing so I will be supporting our food system by providing efficient pollination services where they are needed, as well as being a responsible steward. I would like to do whatever is in my power to promote the health and well being of our honey bees and native bees through sustainable and ecologically mindful practices, and without using synthetic pesticide. I want to use the industry's best practices, science, and experimentation to brighten the future of the bees and the plants that rely on them.
Funding
I imagine other business startups may have similar sayings, but to make a small fortune keeping bees, one must start with a larger fortune. I, however, am starting with nothing but a small yet intense amount of experience and a gleam of hope. The money will be spent accordingly:
•Bees
•Hive equipment (i.e. boxes, lids, frames)
•Feed (sugar and pollen substitute)
•Treatments (i.e. miticides, as needed)
•Bee transportation (A flatbed truck)
•Electric bear fencing
Other costs such as vehicle maintenance and equipment storage fees were also accounted for the first year.
Business Plan
My funding goal was estimated for 300 purchased honey bee colonies. Pollination of crops, such as almonds or seed crops, is also a possibility. Other possible sources of income may include selling honey, nuclei, or possibly other hive products (i.e. wax, propolis). I am also interested in educating the public through backyard consultations, speaking events, or visits to schools with presentations. The beekeeping industry is dynamic and requires flexibility. I hope to create a business with a diverse toolkit able to flex with unpredictable changes in the industry, the climate, and the needs of my customers.
Bottom Line
Any way you could help will earn my gratitude. Of course, money is the most useful way to realize this dream of mine, and every dollar counts! If you would like to play a part in taking my dream out of my head and into my life, then please contribute. And even if you don't, share this with all your friends and family!
Thank you for reading!
I would love it if you took a moment to check out my GoFundMe campaign:
https://www.gofundme.com/travisdreamsofhoneybees&rcid=r01-153046102289-a72672744a4d4de3&pc=em_co_campmgmt_m (https://www.gofundme.com/travisdreamsofhoneybees&rcid=r01-153046102289-a72672744a4d4de3&pc=em_co_campmgmt_m)
Your support would mean a lot to me. Thank you so much!
- Travis Owen"
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It's been too long since I reminded you folks about Travis' blog - see this latest one on the insect visitors to his flowers so far this year.... https://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2021/03/floral-visitors-mmxxi.html?fbclid=IwAR0QWtH4H2WXhUah4WG80_Y_XOcsdrnvuENYSm9dE5CLtZehkxxKcRTIu44
[attachimg=1]
Halictus exploiting Scilla mischtschenkoana
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Table Rock Revisited
https://www.amateuranthecologist.com/2021/04/table-rock-revisited.html?fbclid=IwAR0ak6U9H_UHZRPcAvj3EkB-7YYdNajkcmMattCmTJ29o9AUFpkp8GZw3bw
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That patch of Erythronium is amazing!
cheers
fermi