The Garden Club of Switzerland: July 2015

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Butterflies, Our Blog, and a Blue Moon July 31st

Butterflies

The months of August, September, and October are prime viewing times for butterflies. Our article, "How High Does the Swallowtail Fly?" featured in the August Creekline describes how to identify some of the butterflies you'll see at Alpine Groves Park, especially in the Freedom Butterfly Garden. As a companion to the article, the author also created a slideshow featuring the many butterflies you can see at this time of year. Click here to open the Butterflies of September posting and slideshow. (Other slideshows are featured in the sidebar on the Awards and Projects page.)

Our Award-Winning Blog

This website is a weB-LOG, BLOG. It and our membership brochure won us two awards from the National Garden Club. Read about our Certificates of Merit on the Awards and Projects page. We also won an award from the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs for our use of this blog as a newsletter. Get a free copy of our monthly posting by subscribing. Our first meeting is September 10 at the Bartram Trail Library, at 10AM. Come on down and meet us for our kick-off to the season! Email switzerlandgc@gmail.com if you'll come!

Blue Moon July 31st

This July stargazers will be treated to a rare sight: the second full moon in the same calendar month. In popular parlance, this event is called a "blue moon." It will happen on July 31.

Before 1946, the term "blue moon" had a different meaning: the third of four full moons in an astronomical season (which is defined by the solstices and equinoxes). Three full moons a season, is the norm, but when that third full moon is one of a series of four, it is then called the "blue moon."

A blue moon (meaning the second full moon in a month) happens on July 31, 2015. The last time it happened was August 31, 2012, and January 31, 2018 is the next. However, the dog days of summer include a lot of clouds and rain in the evening, and for those of us who happen to be in northern Florida on July 31 that is what we can expect on this occasion. The best we can do is read about it and plan for the next one - in 2018. See Blue Moon at the TimeAndDate website. TimeAndDate, among other features, has a calendar of moonrise/moonset times and moon phases for major cities in the world.

PREVIEW OUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR!

We've been told how much our visitors love to walk through the garden. We appreciate that and are completing an upgrade that will allow guests to learn more about the plants and wildlife they see. We're installing signs that feature a QR code to access the native plant database with information on the over 50 plants we've planted, as well as the pollinators that utilize them. The URL to the website is www.AlpineGrovesNativePlants.org - We welcome your comments AND your photos. They can be shown at the kiosk by the garden entrance.
The QR Code is here:

If you need help using the image, refer to these help links
How to scan a QR code,

Scan a QR code with an Android phone,

or The best QR scanning aps.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR NATIVE PLANT POLLINATOR GARDEN?

We're working with the St Johns County Master Gardeners to upgrade and maintain the Freedom Butterfly Garden at Alpine Groves Park. Click the Resource link in the menu above to see what's happening. Our latest accomplishment is being awarded a Plant America Grant - Click the link here to see how it will enhance our garden. The Resources page also has a side bar column with sections the Document the Native Plant Garden and Forms for you to join our club or buy a commemorative brick for the garden walkway.

NEWS

The State Wildflower License Plate Gets a New Look. Show your love of Florida Wildflowers by purchasing a Florida State Wildflower license plate. The purchase raises money for wildflowers, wildlife and wild places. You can purchase a plate at your local DMV office or request one online with this link: Order Wildflower License Plate Online. More information on the purchase process and prices is at State Wildflower License Plate Information.

FFGC Announces Position Statements on Environmental Issues:

Neonicotinoids and implications for pollinators. Neonicotinoid usage has come under increasing scrutiny as a possible cause in bee colony colapse and other harms to pollinators. See the following news reports:

Are Pesticides to Blame for the Massive Bee Die-Off? PBS Newshour 11/24/15
Feds Propose Plan to Bolster Decline in Bees PBS Newshour 5/19/15
The Latest Buzz on Honeybee Colony Collapse PBS Newshour 5/3/15
Environmental Outlook: The Race Against Pests and Weeds Diane Rehm show 2/3/15

Lowes has announced a phase-out of neonicotinoid pesticides and pesticide treated plants in its Corporate Shared Responsibility Report (4/9/2015).

If you'd like to see neonicotinoids phased out completely, go to the Friends of the Earth Petition to the EPA to ban neonicotinoids and add your voice to the call.

Show your support for providing the monarch butterfly protection as an endangered species. Sign the Credo petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to do just that.

(Background: In response to a petition by scientists and environmental non-profits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said [on 12/29/2014] that Endangered Species Act protection may be warranted for monarch butterflies. The agency will now conduct a one-year status review on monarchs, which have declined by 90 percent in the past 20 years. More Info is in the Xerces Society's Monarch Butterfly Announcement. (posted 12/30/2014)

Environmental tip: Save resources by shopping for local produce. See our Resources posting, Local Farms Come to You for more info.

Fresh and Local Recipes

Monarch Committee Report