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Butterflies of Alabama

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

This Saturday, 29 September, Mobile Botanical Gardens is hosting an Alabama butterfly seminar. The event is from 9~11 AM and costs is $5 for members, $8 for non-members. Children 12 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult.

Take notice, pre-registration is required so you can't just show up at the last minute!

To make a reservation, call Mobile Botanical Gardens at 251.342.0555

Info from the MBG website:

"Alabama’s butterflies are full of surprises: from possum-playing escape artists to Trojan horse aphid-eaters, their adaptive survival strategies never cease to amaze. A case in point: every autumn, our official state insect, the Monarch, wings its way through Mobile during its incredible annual migration to the high mountains of Mexico! Join us Saturday, September 29 from 9-11 am at Mobile Botanical Gardens as we take a peek into the everyday lives of Alabama’s butterflies.

Sara Bright and Paulette Ogard, authors of Butterflies of Alabama: Glimpses into Their Lives, will begin by looking at basic butterfly biology and end with glances at a few of the state’s most common as well as some of its rarest species. The seminar will conclude with a tour of the grounds to search for monarch butterflies, which should be migrating at that time.

Participants will also learn what they can do to benefit these fascinating insects in their own yards – information on butterfly care will be available, along with butterfly activity guides. Copies of Butterflies of Alabama will be available for autograph and sale."

Farm to Table (Farm to Fork) Dinner

• What: Farm to Table Dinner, Four courses, featuring locally grown foods,prepared by local chefs 

• When: Tuesday, September 25, 6-9 pm 

• Where: Location: Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Rd. N. Mobile, AL 

• How: Cost: $65 per person Reservations by September 12 If paying by check, make it payable to: 
• Mobile County Master Gardeners
• 112915 Dauphin Island Parkway
• Coden, Alabama 36523

• For more information, go to: www.aces.edu/Mobile/mg or call 251-574-8445 

• For inquiries, contact: Libba Vanderbeek-251-476-8629 or libbavanderbeek@ymail.com
• Farm to table partners.

What's on the Menu?

Registration

Check out the Brochure!

The Ultimate Organic Weed Control Manual

Trying to go organic, but the weeds seem to keep coming back? That's ok! You're not alone. Extension.org has compiled the best organic weed control help on the web. If you're still trying to kick those weeds to the curb, you definitely need to check this website out.

Click this link, or look below!

How well do you know Lobel?

Did you know that Planting the Seed has relatives up in New York?

Did you know that those relatives are the renowned culinary specialists Lobel's of New York?

from lobels.com

Who are the Lobel's?

"For five generations, the Lobels have been purveyors of fine meats dedicated to the highest standards of quality and personal service.

These standards have made their butcher shop an institution in New York City, where the family’s Upper East Side store enjoys a devoted clientele comprised of celebrities, prominent business executives, and others who value the highest quality prime meats and attentive service.

In 2000, the Lobels launched lobels.com, featuring superior customer service and making the finest meats available fresh to customers nationwide."

Want to know more? Read below!

Check them out!

You can visit their website, above, or you can find them elsewhere online at Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and Lobel's Culinary Club.

Looking for new ideas?

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media outlets today. You can find all kinds of amazing ideas on Pinterest (including some PTS content!). If you're looking for a great project for the family or garden, we recommend checking out these two Pinterest gardening tags.

• Vegetable Gardening

screenshot from pinterest.com

• Gardening (General)

screenshot from pinterest.com

Got a great idea? Share it with us and we'll share it with the world!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Don't forget the Mobile Botanical Gardens' Longleaf Wildflour Tour and Picnic is tomorrow!

If that doesn't float your boat. You can head to Biloxi to the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art for their Art Fair ExtraOhrdinaire!

from georgeohr.org

It's Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 6pm so there's plenty of time to swing  by!

Here's where you can find information on:
Vendors and DemonstrationsMusicBook and Poster SigningsFoodMap and Schedule

If you're feeling energetic, try to make it to both events! They're sure to be fun for the whole family!

Want to start a Community Garden?

There are many people who would love to garden, but they toss out excuses like "I don't have the space" or "I want to. I just don't want to do it alone". Well, community gardens are becoming ever popular all across the U.S. According to ACGA (American Community Gardening Association), there's only one community garden in Mobile and three in Pensacola. Get it together Mobile!

Community Gardens are a great way to beautify a neighborhood, develop strong and lasting friendships, and stuff your face with delicious home-grown food! Another great aspect of a community garden is that you don't have to go it alone. The other gardeners are there to help you out and are almost always happy to lend a hand.

If you're considering starting a community garden in your area, check out this helpful guide from the USDA.

Plant in Spotlight: Asparagus

If you've never thought about growing asparagus, you are truly missing out. 

This beautiful and delicious plant is easy to manage, and, if do it right, will keep coming back, on its own, for twenty or more years!

from gardenrum.com

If you want to start asparagus from seed, now is the time to do it. Keep in mind, however, that if you do start it by seed, it will take 2-3 years before you can start harvesting. You can't be short-sighted here. With asparagus, you're in it for the long haul. You do have the option of buying some asparagus that has already developed for at least a year to cut down on your wait time, but it's definitely more rewarding to start the seeds yourself!


If asparagus is something that tickles your palate in just the right way, why not try this classic heirloom variety from Sustainable Seed Co. The Mary Washington Asparagus

Longleaf Wildflowers Tour and Picnic

Mobile Botanical Gardens is hosting a member appreciation event (open to non-members as well--seriously you're not a member yet?)! It's next Saturday (15 September) from 10am until 12pm.

It's FREE for members, but only $5 for non-members.

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

Here's the information from the MBG website:

September is the season when the Mobile Botanical Garden’s longleaf pine forest begins to show its true colors. We’re anticipating waves of purple blazing stars, along with the lipstick red of wild basil, the earliest golden and blue asters, and some pretty spectacular blooming grasses, like purple love grass, which even has the Latin name Eragrostis spectabilis. These bloomers should also be attracting a lot of butterflies and even hummingbirds. We’ll examine how controlled burning has contributed to the beauty, park-like atmosphere, and unusual light characteristics of the longleaf forest. We’ll understand how one very special pine, the longleaf, made this community possible.

 After the tour, we’ll have an old-time southern longleaf picnic – bring a picnic basket, or sack lunch, and we’ll supply the drinks. Bill Finch will read excerpts from “Longleaf Far As the Eye Can See,” his upcoming book with Beth Maynor Young.

Details: Meet in the parking area at 10 am. Suggested attire: long pants and comfortable shoes. Hats and sunscreen optional.

Important Information:

When: Saturday 15 September 10am until 12pm

Where: Meeting in the Mobile Botanical Garden at 10am.

How: Wear long pants and comfortable shoes. They say sunscreen is optional, but remember, no tan is a "healthy tan." Hats are also recommended.

Why: Too many reasons to name them all, so here are our top 2. 1. It's a great way to spend time with the family. 2. The Gulf Coast has a splendid natural beauty. You owe it to yourself to enjoy it!

Dried is delightful, but Frozen is fantastic!

from bulgarianroseotto.com

All lot of summer herbs are coming to an end. For many gardeners, this is the time you start to dry them to get you through to next season. Dried herbs are nice, but the flavor is never as good as fresh. While frozen herbs still won't be as wonderful as fresh, they can preserve the flavor that you love much better than drying. here's how you do it.

For herb sprigs (like rosemary), wrap the bunches (not mixed herbs) in aluminum foil.

For fresh herbs, chop them up and freeze them in storage-food containers.

from healthontrack.info

Lawn looking rough? Now's the time to fix it!

Right now is the perfect time to repair your lawn. If it's suffering from drought or from Hurricane Isaac, you can still save it for next year!

from umn.edu

If you've got brown patches or spots that are completely dead, it's time to plant seed or sod. The most popular grasses are St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Buffalo. (Remember, don't buy the wrong kind of seed! You don't want a lawn of mixed grasses.)

Plant new lawns or repair struggling ones this month by prepping the soil so that it is organic, fertile, well-drained, and has the proper slope (with all the flooding the coast gets, don't slope it down towards your house!). If the lawn slopes towards the house, driveway, garden, or sidewalk, it will channel water in that direction and encourage flooding. 

While you're getting your new lawn ready, don't forget to clear out the weeds, till, and rake. Then plant the seeds and water well. Don't let the new lawns get too dry before they develop a good root system and get growing--the same goes for lawn repairs.

Feeling overwhelmed? That's OK too! Just give us a call, we can get your whole yard looking better than ever. You can contact us via our number, email, facebook, or G+!