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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

May 20 is World Bee Day! To celebrate I am posting an Eastern Carpenter Bee photo-bombing my shot of Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) in our native food forest. Baptisia is one of the few deer resistant nitrogen fixers in Ohio and we love it! #Insects #NativePlants #Permaculture 🐝

Carpenter Bee flying toward Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

This newly emerged cicada, decided to rest on some Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) potted up and donated to the food forest by our friend in the local conservation district. More on the edible delicacy of fiddlehead ferns later. Enjoy the beautiful bug! #Bugsky #Permaculture #NativePlants

Close-up of newly emerged cicada resting on Ostrich Fern.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

There is something royal about them. I cannot capture the extraordinary beauty of Red Columbine flowers floating above the generous foliage. Tougher than it looks. Began with 10 wintersown seedlings. Now hundreds cover and protect the soil. Love this plant! #NativePlants #WinterSowing #Permaculture

Bright red and yellow flowers of Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

A happy mushroom family enjoying all of the cool, wet weather we have had this spring in southwest Ohio. We are always excited to see fungi in the soil of our young food forest which began as mostly clay. #FungiFriends #Permaculture #Mushrooms

A cluster of mushrooms together in the mulch of the native food forest.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

The early May 2025 blooms in the Rain Garden include Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) in the swale and Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) on the berm. Great spring combo that is so bright it can attract attention from the street, 100 yards away. #NativePlants #Permaculture #RainGarden #Gardening

Photograph of the Rain Garden in May of 2025 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio. Golden Ragwort blooming in yellow in the swale and Red Columbine blooming on the berm.

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Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest

Trinity Walls @feelinginspidered.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Number 3! Quick bit about arachnophobia (and more cute spiders of course!) #Spiders #SciComm #Inverts #BugSky youtube.com/shorts/nsorG...

youtube.com

Just Say No to Arachnophobia | #DeepLook #Shorts

YouTube video by Deep Look

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Rhubarb is up and looking good! It's not particularly drought tolerant, so when all six of our plants disappeared during 2024's historic drought I thought they were toast. Some look better than others, but all are accounted for. Welcome back, Rhubarb! #Permaculture #Gardening

Large green leaves of rhubarb (Rheum cultorum) showing off in the food forest.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

The delicious, nutritious greens of Cutleaf Coneflowers are coming on strong in the rain garden and are ready for a 1st harvest. I really like the taste of this plant. Read about how to cook this native American beauty here: foragerchef.com/sochan/ #Permaculture #NativePlants #Gardening #RainGarden

Lush April greens of Cutleaf Coneflowers (Rudbeckia laciniata)

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Does this sheep look smug to you? I had some fun visiting Permaculture expert, Doug Crouch, of TreeYo Permaculture. These devilish sheep knocked down those boards onto that electric fence which allowed them to step over and trample through his garden. I think they have no regrets. #Permaculture

Two sheep in a photo with Permaculture expert Doug Crouch of TreeYo Permaculture. One sheep looks particularly pleased with itself. Boards and electric fence in the background.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) popping up now, are a powerful medicinal, used by Native Americans and studied by scientists for its anti-tumor, anti-viral, and other properties. Caution: only the ripe fruit is edible, raw, in jellies or dried. #NativePlants #Permaculture #Herbalism #Nature 🌱

A young Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) emerging from the leaf litter.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Indigenous Landscape's "Native Plant Agriculture" book is now a FREE download. Applicable to the Midwest, South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States within the US. My print copy is well worn from regular use. 🌱 lovenativeplants.com/npabook #NativePlants #Permaculture #Biodiversity #BookSky

Cover of Indigenous Landscape's "Native Plant Agriculture" book, which says, "Applicable to the Midwest, South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic," and "Volume 1 - Responding to Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change with Large Scale Ecological Restoration"

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

First sprout in the Winter Sowing containers is an annual ground cherry. 🌱 Low temps in the 30's this week here in southwest Ohio, but warm enough in the mini-greenhouses. We should have blooms in May and fruit in June. Love Physalis grisea! #WinterSowing #NativePlants #Gardening #Permaculture

One tiny green sprout of Physalis grisea (Annual Ground Cherry) has emerged in the winter sowing container. This is the first seedling of the year. Spotted on March 22nd 2025.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Eager to plant your veggies but still have too many cold nights ahead? You can use the winter sowing technique on annual veggies too! And these mini greenhouses produce tough, sturdy plants. This tutorial shows you the steps we use: youtu.be/8B6VVvLytdI?... #WinterSowing #Gardening #Permaculture

Plastic containers used as mini greenhouses to grow annual vegetables.
This "winter sowing" method can also be used in the spring. Seeds planted in these containers include peppers, onions, parsley, basil and tomatoes.

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Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest

Nancy Lawson | Humane Gardener @humanegardener.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

And while the humans make a mess of things, the animals are hard at work trying to piece them back together. Thanks to American Gardener magazine for featuring my recent column on the important work of voles, squirrels, p-dogs and many other subterranean superheroes. #marvelousmammals #wildneighbors

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Want to see more butterflies? Plant species native to your area for their babies to eat. This Black Swallowtail caterpillar is enjoying the Golden Alexanders in our native food forest. You can plant food for wildlife and humans. #NativePlants #Biodiversity #Permaculture #Insects #Nature 🌱

Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) enjoying its host plant Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Baby bunny warming itself in the sun, watching over my mini greenhouses full of seedlings (Apr 22.) I can't wait for this year's perennials to sprout. Very soon! Now it's time for me to plant my annual seeds outside in this kind of container. Seeds don't mind the cold. #WinterSowing #NativePlants 🌱

Baby bunny warming itself in the sun on brick patio watching over mini-greenhouses full of seedlings grown using the winter sowing method.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Today is World Wildlife Day - reminder that we live in a web of life and that all of this breathtaking and astoundingly good creation rises and falls together. #NativePlants #Permaculture #Nature #Insects 🌱

A photo of the sunset behind an Anise Hyssop flower with a Bumble Bee on it taken in July of 2024 in the native food forest at CtK Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio. The text reads, "Insects are not optional. It's not okay if they disappear. Insects are the primary drivers of our ecosystems. If they go, we go. - Dr. Douglas Tallamy"

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Post 2 of 2. This photo from Sept 2024 show the plants in our new rain garden thriving after just one year. Water is life! See the complete list of native and edible plants as well as the layout here: www.ctkluth.org/food-forest.... #Permaculture #NativePlants #RainGarden 🌱 #Nature #WinterSowing

Photo shows the native edible and medicinal plants in the rain garden at Christ the King Lutheran Church thriving only one year after being planted.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Post 1 of 2. Harvesting rainwater is an important skill in Permaculture to make use of a free and valuable resource & protect our soils and ultimately climate. Photo is the installation of native edible & medicinal plants in our new rain garden, Aug 2023. #Permaculture #NativePlants #RainGarden 🌱

Photo shows plants lined up in pots and ready to be planted in the swale of the newly created rain garden at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Winter sowing containers, full of perennial and annual seeds, waiting patiently for spring. I, on the other hand, am waiting impatiently! #WinterSowing #NativePlants 🌱

Winter Sowing containers on a snow-covered patio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

I found this Chocolate Tube Slime (Stemonitis) feasting on a decaying pile of branches behind the food forest last spring. They are so cool! And intelligent. Watch this fun 5-minute video: Are You Smarter than a Slime Mold? youtu.be/K8HEDqoTPgk?... #Nature #Permaculture #FungiFriends 🌱

Photo shows three cocoa colored organisms called Chocolate Tube Slime (Stemonitis) on an old, decaying branch. They look kind of like little brown mops.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Serviceberries are awesome little trees. What a gift to us! We have three young Amalanchier arborea in our food forest here in Ohio. I have high hopes for them. @sudie-25.bsky.social (Oklahoma) has a great photo of the beautiful berries ripening. 🌱 #Permaculture #NativePlants #Nature #Photography

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Fall foliage on the Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) is quite pretty. Sweet little fruits. Nice groundcover. And leaves can be dried, crushed and used in tea blends, or added to dishes as a mild, healthy green. Very useful and aggressive plant. It does run. Eat it. #NativePlants #Permaculture 🌱

A patch of Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) showing off it's colorful red and green fall foliage.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

This Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) is enjoying the blooms of Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) which was still going strong in mid-September last year in our native food forest. Pollinators need 3 seasons of blooms to survive. #NativePlants #Permaculture #Bugsky #Pollinators 🌱🐝

One Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) is perched atop the bloom of an Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) plant in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

I have this book. I love this book. It was one of the books I used to plan our food forest. If you live anywhere near the midwestern states of the US, I highly recommend this book. Very special! #Permaculture #NativePlants #FoodForest🌱

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

"Spiders are extremely important in ecosystems. If you find yourself pulling spiderwebs out of your face when walking through your forest garden, apologize, rejoice, and give thanks! You have... predator friends and allies at work around you." - Dave Jacke #Permaculture #Biodiversity #Bugsky

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Saturday, Feb. 1, 10-noon, CtK Lutheran in West Chester, OH. We welcome you to a fun and informative presentation about our food forest, its plants, and importance. Can't come? Earlier slide presentations, plant lists and layouts here: www.ctkluth.org/food-forest.... #Permaculture #NativePlants 🌱

And invitation to a presentation titled, "What is a native food forest?" Photo includes two garden volunteers working among the spring blooming flowers of Eastern Bee Balm (Monarda bradburiana) and other groundcovers (Wild Strawberries and Purple Poppy Mallow) in the rows of young trees in the food forest.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

For #FungiFriday here's a pic of the Fluted Bird's Nest Fungi (Cyathus striatus) we found growing in the woodchips in the native food forest last October. Seeing fungi is good news because it tells us our meadow soil is transitioning to forest soil. #Permaculture #FoodForest #Fungi #FungiFriends

Fluted Bird's Nest Fungi (Cyathus striatus) growing in the woodchips in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

One hundred of the native plants in our original food forest design were Common Blue Violets, which we collected from our members and the community. Violets are a beautiful groundcover with edible leaves & flowers. Host plant for fritillary butterflies. 🌱 #Permaculture #NativePlants #Biodiversity

Common Blue Violets (Viola sororia) blooming in a group with violet seedlings growing all around them.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Winter is great for garden planning! I created this digital image of Red Columbine by tracing my photo with the freehand tool in PowerPoint. I'm entering this contest at Hungry Hook Farm. Hope you enter too! 🌱 #NativePlants #Gardening #Art #Artist #Permaculture www.hungryhookfarm.com/s/stories/ar...

This is a digital image of Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) in bloom with red and yellow flowers on green foliage. It was created by tracing elements of the plant in photographs using the freehand tool in PowerPoint. The shapes were then colored using the eye dropper tool and applying color gradients.

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Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest

Bren @kindofnerdy.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits." - Martin Luther King, Jr. May we all embody that spirit and hold tight to our compassion. #MLKDay

MLK Jr on the National Mall, huge crows before him

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is a very popular plant in the native food forest for the amusement value alone. Bumble bees roll in the flowers, shaking them like tiny carnival rides. Seedheads of Eastern Beebalm also in view. 🌱 #NativePlants #Pollinators #BugSky #Insects #Permaculture

Pollen covered Bumble Bee rolling in a bright fuchsia flower of Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) with seedheads of Eastern Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana) in the foreground. Photo from the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

It is always good to see fungi growing in the food forest, a sign something is going right. Last May we spotted this Mutinus elegans aka the Devil's Dipstick or Elegant Stinkhorn. Posting for Fungi Friday. Nature is weird and funny and amazing! #fungi #FungiFriends #Permaculture #Mushroom #Nature 🍄

Mutinus elegans also know as the Devil's Dipstick or Elegant Stinkhorn growing out of the mulch in our native food forest.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) are beautiful spring bloomers in the native food forest. Flowers attract numerous pollinators & can be cooked like broccoli. Will re-bloom if cut. Butterfly host plant. Drought tolerant! Stays green well into winter. 🌱 #Permaculture #NativePlants #Gardening #Foraging

Bright yellow umbels of Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) blooming in the native food forest in the spring of 2024 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Our plants are not merely eye candy in our gardens. They are food for the species who share the world with us. As part of the web of life, we depend on those species. Support native wildlife by adding more native plants to your landscape. 🌱 #NativePlants #Insects #Biodiversity #Milkweed #Gardening

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Carpenter Bee enjoying the September blooms of Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) in the rain garden feature in the native food forest. We grow this beauty as a medicinal plant, and it was humming for weeks with pollinators of all sizes. #NativePlants #Permaculture #Insects 🌱 #RainGarden

Carpenter Bee pollinating the lavender colored flowers of Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) in the rain garden feature in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Common Eastern Bumble Bees love the Maryland Senna (Senna marilandica) in the food forest and visit it often when it is in bloom in late summer. Something about the flowers reminds me of hot buttered popcorn. Love this very useful plant. #Permaculture #NativePlants #Pollinators #Insects 🌱

Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) pollinating the flowers of Maryland Senna (Senna marilandica) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

What: Mini Greenhouses covered in snow Why: To grow native perennials from seed Why again: To save the world How: See this 10 minute tutorial. Go on then, get busy. Anyone can do this. It's fun! youtu.be/8B6VVvLytdI?... #NativePlants #WinterSowing #Biodiversity🌱

Mini greenhouses made of common plastic food containers and jugs covered in snow on the patio. Native seeds have been planted in the potting soil inside. This is called Winter Sowing.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

These Spring Fieldcap mushrooms (Agrocybe praecox) were some of the first fungi we saw in our young food forest back in May of 2023. Mushrooms are a sign that soil is transitioning to a more fungal dominant soil, which is what our fruit trees need. 🍄 #FoodForest #Permaculture #FungiFriends

Spring Fieldcap Mushrooms (Agrocybe praecox) growing in the woodchip mulch in the rows of the young food forest.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

One of the most beautiful spring flowers in our native food forest is Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis.) This groundcover & pollinator plant tolerates sun but is happy in the shade and will become more dominant as the young tree canopies grow. Easy to grow from seed! #Permaculture #NativePlants 🌱

Beautiful red and yellow flower of Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) a native Ohio plant blooming in the spring.

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Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest

Sim G @sim.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Just a reminder to all 🌱 and #permaculture peeps that permapeople.org is a 100% free, community supported resource for planting/growing info with a plethora of free tools like a journal, seed marketplace and garden planner. Check it out. Use it. Contribute images, or adopt a plant!

permapeople.org

🌱✌️ Permapeople - Let's plant the future. Research, grow, harvest, trade, share, repeat.

Empowering people to grow food to feed themselves, their families & local communities while regenerating th...

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

What's the difference between a Food Forest and an Orchard? A Food Forest uses "polycultures" also known as "guilds" which are plant communities that support each other like a natural forest. See Alt Text for plants in the guild supporting this young Serviceberry tree. #Permaculture #NativePlants 🌱

A young Serviceberry tree is surrounded by Wild Strawberries, Purple Poppy Mallow, Showy Wild Garlic and Small Yellow Wild Indigo. Cages protect the young plants from deer and rabbits.

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Donna's in the Food Forest @oncontour.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Bumble Bee enjoying the flowers of a Jerusalem artichoke aka Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) in our native food forest. A beautiful, pollinator plant with a nutritious, edible tuber. Blooms in the fall. Plant layout here: www.ctkluth.org/food-forest.... 🌱 #NativePlants #Permaculture #Insects

A Common Eastern Bumble Bee is enjoying the flowers of a Jerusalem artichoke aka Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus) in our native food forest.

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