This one acre plot is the future site of our butterfly garden. It won't be too long before greenery starts to sprout. Watch our Facebook page for updates on how this land progresses!
When you have over 40 acres of land to work with, sometimes you get creative. Every year, we add more apple trees and berry bushes to our orchard. These trees and bushes get the choice land of the orchard - places where we know we will get the best return on our tree and bush investment! But what about the rest of the land on a farm? We have one of these such places at our orchard - a highly erodible, marginal spot with sandy soil.
What are we doing with this spot? We are planting butterflies!
Well, actually, a butterfly garden! The area we are talking about is approximately one acre, which has been sitting fallow for many years. We began working it this spring, and will plant a mix of dry ground prairie plants this summer. The perimeter will be ringed by a windbreak of hybrid hazelnut plants. There is a managed hazelnut planting on the adjoining farm, and we are getting volunteer hazelnut bushes sprouting in this unused field. Seems like a natural to follow what is already happening, and if nothing else, these will provide a windbreak and wildlife planting.
Our real focus is to attract pollinators for all our various fruit and berry plantings: but we also feel that a scenic natural amphitheater filled with a meadow of dancing butterflies is something our customers will want to take an orchard stroll to look at. So, if you are visiting this summer, be sure to ask about it and see how it is progressing! You are always welcome to stroll around the orchard.
The hazelnut bushes have been recently planted and the wildflower seeds will go in in June. While the most beautiful wildflower blossoms will show up next summer, we hope to have some milkweed established during this summer. It shouldn't be too long until the butterflies have found a new favorite garden at our orchard!
What are we doing with this spot? We are planting butterflies!
Well, actually, a butterfly garden! The area we are talking about is approximately one acre, which has been sitting fallow for many years. We began working it this spring, and will plant a mix of dry ground prairie plants this summer. The perimeter will be ringed by a windbreak of hybrid hazelnut plants. There is a managed hazelnut planting on the adjoining farm, and we are getting volunteer hazelnut bushes sprouting in this unused field. Seems like a natural to follow what is already happening, and if nothing else, these will provide a windbreak and wildlife planting.
Our real focus is to attract pollinators for all our various fruit and berry plantings: but we also feel that a scenic natural amphitheater filled with a meadow of dancing butterflies is something our customers will want to take an orchard stroll to look at. So, if you are visiting this summer, be sure to ask about it and see how it is progressing! You are always welcome to stroll around the orchard.
The hazelnut bushes have been recently planted and the wildflower seeds will go in in June. While the most beautiful wildflower blossoms will show up next summer, we hope to have some milkweed established during this summer. It shouldn't be too long until the butterflies have found a new favorite garden at our orchard!
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