Erickson Ranch March 2013

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     As spring arrives, Erickson Ranch bursts into bloom. Behind the scenes the planting, repairing and planning continue. I think this month the photo's must do the talking. I had so many dang photos of blooms, it was ridiculous... but clearly necessary, who can say no to pretty flowers?  I also thought I'd list a few interesting things I learned throughout this month, last year, below.

1. Chicken feathers are often used for fly fishing lures. 

2. Ladybugs are natural predators to aphids. So not only are they pretty, considered lucky and fun to spot in the garden, they help keep those pesky aphids from devouring crops. If you have a garden at home you can actually buy ladybugs and release them into your crop to help with keeping aphids at bay. If you already have aphids, you might see ladybugs flocking to your garden as they are naturally drawn to them. They might not eradicate all of your aphids but it can't hurt and they are sure fun to have in the garden.

3. Potatoes grow from cut up potato pieces. Yeah, mind blowing right? haha. It is one of many ways to grow potatoes, but simplicity at it's finest. The Erickson's get their delicious potatoes from some tried and true sources, but it'd be a fun experiment to take your favorite organic potato, cut it in half and plant it to see what pops up! You can look up specifics online. 

4. That all fruits begin with a flower, but not all flowers become a fruit. The cycle of a fruit bearing tree is fascinating. Not just for looks, a selection of the beautiful blooms turn into delicious fruits! I am looking forward to fruit and veggie (and flower) shopping at Erickson Ranch this year. I realized last year that I never truly had really delicious fruit until I had it straight from the source! It changed my whole perspective on fruit.

So there you have it, a few things I learned in the month of March! 

To see all months from my 2013 year long project click on the month: JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember

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