Warm summer days find the birds, bees and butterflies in all their glory. Kinetic color fills the gardens as there is always a new species in bloom, songbirds flit in and out, and butterflies glide in search of their favorite nectar sources.We watch while sipping lemonade from the rockers on the front porch. Lazy July breaks, even if just an hour here or there, are a sort of harvest of all the hard work done in spring.

Our view from the front porch now includes darling Nubian goat doelings born May 20, 2006. Rosebud delivered two girls, Rena and Rebecca. The weeds are going to have two more mouths to feed as these black and white bundles of energy jump about and cavort across the meadow. Twin girls are a dairy goat owner’s dream because as our little ones become does, they too will offer us more milk for coffee, or even cheese and ice cream making.

Some of you might have visited our sunny meadow last year. Now two years since installation, it is a nice example of mixed perennial flowers with warm season grasses.

It controls erosion and runoff, and helps manage weeds. It is habitat for assorted wildlife, and we only need to mow it once each year. Is there an area on your property where you would like to replace lawn with a meadow planting?

The meadow sits next to the honeybee hive which is also a 2006 addition at Yellow Springs Farm. Although not native to America, honeybees are great pollinators for our native plants, and are becoming scarce in natural areas.We are excited to watch the hive evolve, and await the opportunity to harvest honey.

We will continue to watch, listen and learn from nature. There are seeds to germinate, cuttings to root, pests to manage, and a plethora of chores, but we love summer for its way of teasing us to believe it just might last forever.

Catherine M. Renzi
Yellow Springs Farm
Native Plants Nursery

Coronilla varia L., Trailing Crownvetch

This is a perennial groundcover that has pinkish, purple or white flowers from late spring into summer. It grows in sunny areas in a wide variety of soils, but does not tolerate floods.

It was introduced in the United States from Europe in the 1950s to control erosion on highway shoulders and embankments. It spreads rapidly by rhizomes and seeds readily. As a member of the legume family, this plant raises nitrogen levels in the soil. Therefore, some farmers also use it as a cover crop.

In natural areas, Crownvetch reduces biodiversity by shading out native plants. You may control it by removing the plant, including roots, and cutting it back before it seeds. Start early, as it becomes very difficult to eradicate once established.