Scribbling

Although the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly is listed as commonly seen throughout this part of the country, it is my first sighting of this particular butterfly. I have several butterfly bushes along with a few butterfly weeds incorporated into our landscape. With this sighting I am more encouraged to plant additional varieties of milkweeds to attract an even wider range of butterfly species. Last year we went through the process of getting our yard certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Since we have always opted to be conservators as much as possible, increasing our efforts to provide a welcome habitat for wildlife fit into our lifestyle as organic gardeners. It is amusing that my first encounter with compost piles came when I was barely in my teens and interested in building rockets. While researching the field of rocketry and the history of the development of rocket fuel, I discovered that Napoleon had the French farmers create compost piles in order to produce potassium nitrate, which was an integral component used to make gunpowder. I’ve learned to exchange one potentially volatile compound for a more peaceful and productive end.