Marie Kung

mariekung@growers.social

This account is focused on my efforts to grow things in support of the humans and animals living around the house.Header pic: a grouping of crocus flowers, five purple-and-white striped and one white, in a leaf-mulched bedProfile pic: Me striking a casual explorer's pose- flat hand up, shading over the hat brim to look out into the distance- next to a Thomas Dambo wooden troll sculpture so large only the legs are visible.

Posts

Post #4492073
This was the third weekend in a row with a #monarch #butterfly just flying circles though the yard. #NativePlants #pollinators #gardening
Post #4169122
Little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium) front of the expanding swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) patch. #NativePlants #NorthernIllinois #gardening
Post #4137144
The hollow joe-pyes (Eutrochium fistulosum) are super popular right now. Lots of bees and butterflies. This monarch feasted all day Saturday. #NativePlants #pollinators #gardening
Post #4113569
The first pic shows the shadow of a head-down bee through the leaf of a cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). As the name describes, the leaves attach completely around the stem, creating a large rain-holding cup on this large plant. I wonder if this aids flying creatures and thwarts walking ones? We haven't had rain for a while, and I leave water saucers out but maybe I'll fill some of these natural pockets too. #NativePlants #NorthernIllinois #gardening #pollinators
Post #3706062
Only a handful are open right now but the entire wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) area is so primed. #NativePlants #NorthernIllinois #gardening #pollinators #bees #BloomScrolling
Post #3690512
There are many stories about how naive young rabbits are. This little one thought nothing of coming alongside to see if the yellow coneflowers (Ratibida pinnata) are tasty. Don&#39;t worry, the bunny got to snack. 🐇🙂 #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois #BackyardWildlife #BackyardHabitat
Post #3690511
The blurry photos are because it finally rained after a dry spell and I didn&#39;t want to step out to get closer. This is the first year there&#39;s a mourning dove family hanging around and I&#39;m fascinated how different they are from the usual bird residents. This one was basically showering in the rain, raising wings, stretching, and generally having a nice cleaning time. #birds #BackyardWildlife #NorthernIllinois
Post #3690510
My local indie family-owned nursery is celebrating a big milestone with free hotdogs. Just another indicator of why I vibe so well with them. 🙂 #gardening #food
Post #3690509
Aw yeah, garlic scapes. Some went on pizza. Some went into stir-fry. More for later. 🙂 #gardening #GrowYourOwn
Post #3690508
Tall Boi Island started with six tall prairie #NativePlants. It is now dominated by three. Photo taken with the camera held overhead. Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is the big one. Obedient plant (Physostegia virginian) in front. Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) in the back. #gardening #NorthernIllinois
Post #3690507
Not a glamorous shot, but half the #garlic harvest is in the basement after an initial dry in the garage. I increased the planting count and now need more space. There&#39;s Music, Duganski, and German Red. I know which ones some of them are... just not all of them. #gardening
Post #3591727
Sharing my local version of celebration. Bumblebee on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) for the red(ish). #NativePlants #gardening
Post #2252410
80F in early spring and 30F in late spring results in frost-damaged peas and frost-damaged Joe Pye (Eutrochium fistulosum). Luckily, plants are tough. #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois
Post #2032235
One neighbor is dropping off fallen tree branches. The other neighbor contributes coffee grounds and banana peels to the #compost. #Gardening is contagious! 🙂
Post #2032232
Went to turn #compost bin A but found a rabbit nest. Guess it will stay unturned for the next week or two. 🙂 #BackyardHabitat
Post #1897631
The wild geraniums (Geranium maculatum) are 3x larger than last year. I'm also finding their catapulted seeds germinating all over lol. I'm glad they're in a happy place. Such lovely color and doing great in part shade. #gardening #NorthernIllinois #NativePlants #BloomScrolling
Post #1828178
Last year, I added some woodland sedge (Carex blanda) to help the Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) stay more upright. It's working better so far but there's still a lot of growth to come. #gardening #NativePlants
Post #1700006
Sharing a new Anjou pear tree this #ArborDay weekend. I'm trying for a backyard #orchard following Grow A Little #FruitTree by Ann Ralph. Unfortunately, the nursery already psyched me out of the brutal first cut. I regret not doing it just like the book said I would. It's already so much larger in just 10 days. Any hashtags specific to this part of #gardening?
Post #1625868
The more intense storms this year have brought down all the squirrel nests in my neighborhood. (And sent plastic up there instead) With otherwise bare trees, they&#39;re using the soft evergreen leaves of arborvitaes (Thuja occidentalis) for temp housing. Unsightly for the yard, but I&#39;m glad the ecosystem provides. Sometimes I forget #gardening with #NativePlants is more than flowers for pollinators.
Post #1625865
Seems like everything in the #garden shot up by inches over the last three warm and rainy days. Feels nice to have some spots of color around and the rain barrels filled. #BloomScrolling #tulips #gardening
Post #1148956
Requesting #gardening advice. I want to try potatoes this year but it has been so rainy. I'm reluctant to put the seed pieces in. Am I being too cautious? More storms are coming in this week. #NorthernIllinois
Post #1109189
A weekend of almosts in #NorthernIllinois. Hit 80F and the bees are out but the plants aren't ready for them yet. Pictured: marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) and tulips. #gardening #NativePlants
Post #994502
A DIY #RainBarrell system waiting. The garbage cans, bungee cords, and screening material work so well together that I'm not bothering to "upgrade." Eventually, they'll all be right-side up with the downspout redirected over top.
Post #958072
Garlics are coming along. I didn&#39;t record my fall plantings correctly and now I have a section of mystery #garlic plants I have no memory of putting down. Note to #NewGardeners: You will not remember, no matter how &quot;obvious&quot; it seems that you will. 🙂 #gardening #GrowYourOwn
Post #958070
Still with freezing overnight temps here in #NorthernIllinois, but the #perennials are doing well. Re-located and re-spaced the green onions (yes, perennial in my #Zone5b) today. Also found the second flower of the yard: a small bit of yellow on a Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea). The 2025-added Carex blanda sedges seem happy and are expanding. #NativePlants #gardening
Post #874404
@GPJohnston@mastodon.social Will our mysteries be solvable? We'll entertain ourselves staring and wondering. 🙂
Post #874357
@Broadfork@mastodon.green I'm happy for the garlic. I'm sad for my brain. 😄 Maybe this will be the year I label properly. Ha ha
Post #841207
I now know the plantain-leaved sedges (Carex plantaginea) will provide the first flowers of the #garden. Eventually, the rabbits move on to other meals but these sedges are very popular right now. #NativePlants #gardening #NorthernIllinois #BloomScrolling
Post #776533
Activity from an almost-70F mid-November Saturday: emptied and spread the rest of the finish compost, finally put the tulips and final garlics in, finished planting the clearance #NativePlants... Talked to north neighbor about using leaves from that side (already getting leaves from south neighbor), harvested the fallen leaves from the front yard. I don&#39;t clear the back so I really need all the leaves I can get. #gardening #NorthernIllinois Now it is a mid-40F Sunday. Time to head out...
Post #776530
@thesquirrelfish I&#39;m going to try potatoes next year. Besides the hill-ing, is there more I should keep in mind?