Good Views, Bad News

I think I’ll start with the bad news. You probably know it already. The tick population is at an unprecedented high this year. And that means higher incidences of Lymes disease. But that’s not all. A new tick related disease has entered our realm. A tick-borne disease called Powassan, or POW, has spread to New York. It is potentially deadly and much worse than Lymes. The CDC website gives all the cautionary details so please look it up. With informed vigilance and common sense we can continue to enjoy our time outdoors.

Clearly, that mild winter has done no good by us. Chipmunks, mosquitoes and ticks are having the time of their lives.

The other piece of cautionary news –  It appears that some “Big Box Stores” are selling Milkweed plants treated with systemic Neonicotinoids. This will kill caterpillars that feed on the plant. Milkweed is THE host plant for the Monarch. Please, be aware and be on the lookout for these tags placed in plants. It is outrageous that any pesticide has been applied on them. While the scientific /environmental / gardening community has been working hard to make the public aware of the urgent need to plant milkweed to support the Monarch butterfly, irresponsible suppliers to the Big Box stores have been poisoning the plants for their own financial gain.

In doing the right thing of planting native plants, please check if they have been tainted with any pesticides. Let your conscience guide you when it comes to where you shop for plants. I support local, family owned nurseries.

If you discover that your plants have been treated with chemicals, complain loudly. Protest. Boycott.

Our health and indeed the health of the planet is in the balance.

Now for the good views. Enjoy the Open Day photos of my garden and Rocky Hills. This is why we garden! Hallelujah.

Starting with my garden:

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Sneaking in my newest pillows. Tell me what you think! More of those and other products will be uploaded on 'Shop' soon. Stay tuned!

Sneaking in my newest pillows. Tell me what you think! More of those and other products will be uploaded on ‘Shop’ soon. Stay tuned!

Rocky Hills:

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(c) 2017 Shobha Vanchiswar

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