My name is Betsy and I live with my family on just under a half an acre of Carolina suburban bliss. I am an Horticulturalist by schooling and a Naturalist by heart. Over the last 15 years, we have turned our yard into a suburban experiment in sustainable gardening AND wildlife habitat enhancement.
My goal is to demonstrate small, simple ways that most of us can apply to create a sustainable lifestyle and while increasing our nature awareness. I can think of few better ways that to start with garden.
Gardens allow us to create, relax, energize, excercise, contemplate, share, imagine, connect and nurture. Our property has several gardens.... The sunny, terraced front is primarily for edibles; including fruit shrubs, herbs and veggies. The Shared Sunny side garden is home to our Kindergarten playhouse- a real outdoor playhouse with edibles and flowers for walls! The backyard is shaded by numerous 60 year old + oaks and hickory. Here is were I have colonies of native "rescued" wildflowers, a shady "screen" border, small nursery beds and propagation area, large natural area, and amphibian breeding ponds.
When friends visit Betsy's backyard they notice things..... "there is life all around!" " I never thought there would be a forest in a little backyard" and "how did you do all this?!" are common comments.
This blog site is an attempt to answer the question "how did you do all of this?!"
Please stay tuned for pictures of what we have, and how we did it.
What is this?
Neighbor girl with the giant Emperial Moth caterpillar she found munching on her japanese maple tree.
Ta Da!
Summer - caterpillar no more! My how they have grown
About Me
- Betsys_Backyard
- I grew up in small river side city in rural PA. There I had early exposure and experience with local small scale traditional farming and the Market House system of community agriculture. I was fortunate to grow up with the chance to wander in the abundant wood, swamps and field. I now live near Raleigh, NC with my Husband and children where I try to turn our half acre into a natural oasis and small sustainable food production demonstration model. I am a horticulturalist with MS in Hort Science ( minors in Genetics, entomology and coursework in education and human development), I am a Naturalist, passionate cook, Thrifty utilizer of all things vintage, I owe much to lessons taught by my PA Deutch Grandmothers. I run my own small business- Megalos Gardens where I attempt to apply sustainable gardenining methods, native ecosystems and community building in our little suburban plot. Here I demonstrate and teach classes and have seasonal workshops and edible /native plant sales. For more info about my business, please check out MegalosGardens.com
Spotted salamander Male and Female
Each salamander sports a unique pattern of yellow or yellow orange spots. Females ( seen on right) generally are larger and this one shows an abdomen swollen with eggs. The smaller male is on the Left.
Bucket of Spotted Salamanders
Males and females join in our winter 100 gallon pond for a procreation party. These are from 2 to 5 or more years old and hatched from this same pond.
Salamander Closeup
Close up of large Female on the moss March
Salamanders in Winter Spawn
Spotted salamanders returning to spawn in our ponds