What is Slugyard?

Slugyard is a window to the world around you. Most of these photos were taken from in or around my yard. I hope they encourage you and your family to pay more attention to the world outside your door.

NORTHWEST NATURE BLOGS

OTHER NATURE BLOGS

Leafhopper on Oceanspray

By Mike, on April 23rd, 2013
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I found a Blue-green Leafhopper on my Oceanspray shrub.

Leafhoppers eat leaves and excrete honeydew just like aphids- though I haven’t seen any ants farming these colorful insects.

Yes, that big white thing with the black dot in the middle IS an eye. Strange, huh?

This is the whole Oceanspray shrub . . . → Read More and See Photos: Leafhopper on Oceanspray

Leave a comment   Insects, Plants   ,  

Ant Farmers Return

By Mike, on April 21st, 2013
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One of my Peony plants is getting ready to bloom which brings out the ants! Ants like the taste of peony buds just before they bloom. Once the flower opens the ants tend to disappear. Apparently an old wives’ tale (debunked by the Heartland Peony Society) says that peonies NEED ants to flower. Not . . . → Read More and See Photos: Ant Farmers Return

One comment   Insects, Plants   , , , ,  

Wildlife in Unexpected Places

By Mike, on March 23rd, 2013
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After reading a great post by Heather Holm on the Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens website (that I used to contribute to), I decided to build a native bee nest out of hollowed out branches. Mason bees have nested in my yard before in a human-made spot and I wanted to see more.

. . . → Read More and See Photos: Wildlife in Unexpected Places

Leave a comment   Insects, Plants   , , ,  

Native Plants Everywhere

By Mike, on March 22nd, 2013
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A lot of my native plants are flowering! Some of them, like the Coltsfoot shown above, always flower early on and this year is no exception. This patch started as one or two plants a few years ago and it is slowly spreading out.

Closeup, the Coltsfoot flowers are beautiful.

About three . . . → Read More and See Photos: Native Plants Everywhere

4 comments   Plants   , , , , ,  

Deer Damage

By Mike, on June 22nd, 2011
Walnut Tree

I haven’t posted about my Walnut Tree in a while. I am following it as part of the Tree Year 2011 project (click on the banner on the right side of my blog to see more). As you can see it has now fully leafed out, which actually makes it a bit tough to . . . → Read More and See Photos: Deer Damage

One comment   Mammals, Plants   , , ,  

Pitcher Plant Flower

By Mike, on June 21st, 2011
Pitcher Plant Flower

This flower just bloomed in my yard. Anyone know what plant it comes from?

A Pitcher Plant! I have a few carnivorous plants in pots in my backyard- this pitcher plant and a few Venus Flytraps. The flytrap flowers are sort of boring, but the Pitcher Plant flower is unique.

It has been . . . → Read More and See Photos: Pitcher Plant Flower

7 comments   Plants    

Lupine Pollination

By Mike, on June 20th, 2011
Lupine

My Lupine plant is in full bloom. I watched some bees visiting it and saw how the flowers got pollinated. Check it out.

Here is a closeup of the individual flowers. Each bloom has a lower portion that almost looks like a seat and an upper portion that looks like a half-donut. See . . . → Read More and See Photos: Lupine Pollination

5 comments   Insects, Plants   ,  

Mushroom Eaters

By Mike, on June 3rd, 2011
Slug and Mushroom

I found this clump of mushrooms growing in one of my neighbor’s yards.

Here’s a closeup of the mushrooms. I have the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms, but I still find it very difficult to identify mushrooms. What can I say about these mushrooms?

The bark mulch they are . . . → Read More and See Photos: Mushroom Eaters

2 comments   Plants, Slugs/Snails
 
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