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Posts Tagged: roses
Can Lady Beetle Larvae Eat Aphids?
Can the larvae of lady beetles (aka ladybugs) eat aphids? Yes, they can. And yes, they do. We spotted some lady beetle larvae on our yellow...
Close-up of a lady beetle larva eating an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
From a distance, you can see the ladybug larva and a lot of aphids on this yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A multicolored Asian lady beetle prowls a yellow rose bush in search of aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The lady beetle lays her tiny eggs in clusters beneath a leaf. These are probably the eggs of a multicolored Asian lady beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
There's Gold on Them Thar Roses
There's gold on them thar roses. No, not the kind of gold found during the California Gold Rush (1848–1855) that brought some 300,000 folks to...
Matched pair: Two multicolored Asian beetles on rose leaves in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The lady beetles lay their eggs in a cluster or row. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of lady beetle eggs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Aphids--It's What's for Dinner!
"Well, yes, I would like some aphids for dinner," said every lady beetle (aka ladybug) everywhere. With the lush green growth of spring, come aphids...
A multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, chows down on an aphid while other aphids suck juices from the rosebud. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A multicolored Asian lady beetle on a rain-soaked rose leaf on the first day of spring, March 20, in Vacaville, Calif. Note the aphids below the beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Rain-soaked lady beetle eggs on the first day of spring, March 20, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Days of Bees and Roses
This weekend will be somewhat like "The Days of Bees and Roses." On Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, the California Center for Urban Horticulture...
A honey bee foraging on a yellow rose purchased at the 2014 UC Davis Rose Days. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Visitors can see a bee observation hive on Saturday, May 2 at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven during its fifth anniversary celebration. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Spring at The Gardens at Heather Farm
During my teenage years, the head lifeguard at the pool that I volunteered at, used to bring a group of us teenagers to picnic and swim at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek each summer. As such, I have always associated Heather Farm with those memories, not realizing that Heather Farm also included a beautiful 6-acre garden, which I had the pleasure of visiting recently.
Like The Ruth Bancroft Garden that I blogged about recently (also in Walnut Creek, just minutes from The Gardens at Heather Farm), Heather Farm Park and The Gardens at Heather Farm were named after the original ranch located on the very site, and fancifully, the ranch owners' prized race horse, King Heather. There are 20+ gardens of varying sizes and themes in all, managed completely without the use of pesticides. To give you an idea as to what you should expect to see and experience, the following is a list of gardens/plots on site: The Ruth Howard Entrance Garden, Native Plant Garden, Diablo Ascent Garden, Tree Grove, Ash Tree Alley, Stroll Garden, Meadow Garden, Heritage Garden, Mother’s Garden, Black Pine Garden, Ward Garden, Cowden Rose Garden, Waterfall Garden, Rockery, Butterfly Garden, Mural Garden, Children’s Garden, Riparian Garden, Water Conservation Garden, Sensory Garden, and the Blue Star Memorial Garden.
Some highlights of The Gardens include the very beautiful and showy Cowden Rose Garden that takes center stage the moment you enter The Gardens (Tip: now is a great time when everything is in bloom!). Equally beautiful, but more understated, is the shade garden. There is a section for California native plants, a tree grove, and a small patch which integrates edible plants with ornamentals—always one of my perennial favorites.
With how beautiful and well-maintained The Gardens is, it is hard to believe that the grounds are managed by a volunteer-based nonprofit employing a small part-time staff. It would seem that an army would be necessary to maintain the site as well as they do.
Now is a wonderful time to visit as most everything appears to be in bloom. So on one of those warm afternoons where you are at a loss for ideas of what to do, where to go, consider packing a picnic lunch and visiting The Gardens at Heather located at 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek, California. For more information, see http://gardenshf.org/.
photos by Betty Homer
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