Earth Week Friday

This Earth Week I plan to post an agenda of activities for each day that grounds me in unity with the Earth. 

Agenda today:

1. Wildlife Garden

1. Wildlife Garden: 

Every year for Earth Week I choose a new focus for learning. Continuing my study of butterfly gardens, I found the Xerses Society list for my area. They suggest planting clumps of the same plant, and choosing plants that bloom at different times throughout the year. I've settled on:

• Bigleaf lupine - Visited extensively by bumble bees and hummingbirds; prefers moist soils; a host plant for various blue (Icaricia spp.) butterflies.
• Common camas - Slow to establish from seed; establishes better from bulb; prefers moist soil, drought-tolerant after bloom; bulbs attractive to wildlife.
• Showy milkweed - Slow to establish from seed; host plant for the monarch butterfly and a high-quality nectar source for a wide variety of floral visitors. 

• Salal - Evergreen; occurs north of southwestern Oregon; mostly visited by bumble bees; requires partial shade to prevent scorching.