by Clare | Oct 18, 2010 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Garden, Native Wildlife
We’ve mostly focused on installing the orchard and vegetable gardens this year, but our gardens would only be marginally productive without some help from our resident pollinators. Some estimates suggest that bumble bees are believed to be responsible for...
by Clare | Sep 27, 2010 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Garden, Native Wildlife
As the gardens and orchard were both newly installed this year, that part of the property has been host to numerous insect species since spring, some good, some bad, and a few ugly in recent months. As we produce everything organically, we don’t spray here,...
by Clare | Sep 15, 2010 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Plants, Natives
Fall is fast approaching, and already we’re thinking about spring! With the vegetable gardens under way, the orchard planted out and irrigated, it’s time to turn our attention toward the native wildflower species that we’d like to see growing here...
by Clare | Sep 7, 2010 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Plants
Verbena lasiostachys (ver-BEE-na las-ee-oh-STAY-kis) is a deciduous perennial herb that is native to a variety of plant communities throughout California and Oregon. This species is commonly known as Western Vervain, Common Verbena, Western Verbena, or simply...
by Clare | Aug 25, 2010 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Wildlife
As mentioned previously, we have two primary species of lizard here at Curbstone Valley, Alligator Lizards (Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata), and Coast Range Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii). The most common of the two species by far is the Coast...
by Clare | Aug 11, 2010 | Farm Blog, Flora and Fauna, Native Plants
Earlier this spring, in April, we attended the Going Native Garden Tour along the Peninsula, and after visiting some of the native Bay Area gardens on the tour, in the late afternoon, we met up with Town Mouse and Country Mouse, and Christine of Idora Design. ...