Donna's in the Food Forest
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oncontour.bsky.social
Donna's in the Food Forest
@oncontour.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.3K following 900 posts
Posts from the Native Food Forest and Rain Garden project at Christ the King Lutheran Church in SW Ohio. A work by the community for the community.
Original plant lists & layouts here:
https://www.ctkluth.org/food-forest.html
Posts Replies Media Videos
oncontour.bsky.social
May 20 is World Bee Day! To celebrate I am posting an Eastern Carpenter Bee photo-bombing my shot of Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) in our native food forest. Baptisia is one of the few deer resistant nitrogen fixers in Ohio and we love it! #Insects #NativePlants #Permaculture 🐝
Carpenter Bee flying toward Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio
May 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
This newly emerged cicada, decided to rest on some Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) potted up and donated to the food forest by our friend in the local conservation district. More on the edible delicacy of fiddlehead ferns later. Enjoy the beautiful bug! #Bugsky #Permaculture #NativePlants
Close-up of newly emerged cicada resting on Ostrich Fern.
May 16, 2025 at 2:03 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
There is something royal about them. I cannot capture the extraordinary beauty of Red Columbine flowers floating above the generous foliage. Tougher than it looks. Began with 10 wintersown seedlings. Now hundreds cover and protect the soil. Love this plant! #NativePlants #WinterSowing #Permaculture
Bright red and yellow flowers of Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church.
May 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
A happy mushroom family enjoying all of the cool, wet weather we have had this spring in southwest Ohio. We are always excited to see fungi in the soil of our young food forest which began as mostly clay. #FungiFriends #Permaculture #Mushrooms
A cluster of mushrooms together in the mulch of the native food forest.
May 9, 2025 at 1:05 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
The early May 2025 blooms in the Rain Garden include Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) in the swale and Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) on the berm. Great spring combo that is so bright it can attract attention from the street, 100 yards away. #NativePlants #Permaculture #RainGarden #Gardening
Photograph of the Rain Garden in May of 2025 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio. Golden Ragwort blooming in yellow in the swale and Red Columbine blooming on the berm.
May 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest
feelinginspidered.bsky.social
Number 3! Quick bit about arachnophobia (and more cute spiders of course!)

#Spiders #SciComm #Inverts #BugSky

youtube.com/shorts/nsorG...
Just Say No to Arachnophobia | #DeepLook #Shorts
YouTube video by Deep Look
youtube.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:08 AM
oncontour.bsky.social
Rhubarb is up and looking good! It's not particularly drought tolerant, so when all six of our plants disappeared during 2024's historic drought I thought they were toast. Some look better than others, but all are accounted for. Welcome back, Rhubarb! #Permaculture #Gardening
Large green leaves of rhubarb (Rheum cultorum) showing off in the food forest.
April 25, 2025 at 1:11 AM
oncontour.bsky.social
The delicious, nutritious greens of Cutleaf Coneflowers are coming on strong in the rain garden and are ready for a 1st harvest. I really like the taste of this plant. Read about how to cook this native American beauty here: foragerchef.com/sochan/
#Permaculture #NativePlants #Gardening #RainGarden
Lush April greens of Cutleaf Coneflowers (Rudbeckia laciniata)
April 23, 2025 at 1:28 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
#Easter
Close-up of young lamb looking up at the camera.
April 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Does this sheep look smug to you? I had some fun visiting Permaculture expert, Doug Crouch, of TreeYo Permaculture. These devilish sheep knocked down those boards onto that electric fence which allowed them to step over and trample through his garden. I think they have no regrets. #Permaculture
Two sheep in a photo with Permaculture expert Doug Crouch of TreeYo Permaculture. One sheep looks particularly pleased with itself. Boards and electric fence in the background.
April 12, 2025 at 3:40 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) popping up now, are a powerful medicinal, used by Native Americans and studied by scientists for its anti-tumor, anti-viral, and other properties. Caution: only the ripe fruit is edible, raw, in jellies or dried.
#NativePlants #Permaculture #Herbalism #Nature 🌱
A young Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) emerging from the leaf litter.
April 7, 2025 at 1:26 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Indigenous Landscape's "Native Plant Agriculture" book is now a FREE download. Applicable to the Midwest, South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States within the US. My print copy is well worn from regular use. 🌱
lovenativeplants.com/npabook
#NativePlants #Permaculture #Biodiversity #BookSky
Cover of Indigenous Landscape's "Native Plant Agriculture" book, which says, "Applicable to the Midwest, South, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic," and "Volume 1 - Responding to Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change with Large Scale Ecological Restoration"
March 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
First sprout in the Winter Sowing containers is an annual ground cherry. 🌱 Low temps in the 30's this week here in southwest Ohio, but warm enough in the mini-greenhouses. We should have blooms in May and fruit in June. Love Physalis grisea!
#WinterSowing #NativePlants #Gardening #Permaculture
One tiny green sprout of Physalis grisea (Annual Ground Cherry) has emerged in the winter sowing container. This is the first seedling of the year. Spotted on March 22nd 2025.
March 23, 2025 at 2:50 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Eager to plant your veggies but still have too many cold nights ahead? You can use the winter sowing technique on annual veggies too! And these mini greenhouses produce tough, sturdy plants. This tutorial shows you the steps we use: youtu.be/8B6VVvLytdI?...
#WinterSowing #Gardening #Permaculture
Plastic containers used as mini greenhouses to grow annual vegetables. This "winter sowing" method can also be used in the spring. Seeds planted in these containers include peppers, onions, parsley, basil and tomatoes.
March 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Can you see it? You have to look very closely.
#Nature #LeavetheLeaves #Gardening 🐇
Baby bunny hiding under a small amount of brush including grass, leaves, twigs, and seedballs from a sweetgum tree. This was under a tree.
March 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
"If we throw mother nature out the window, she comes back in the door with a pitchfork." Masanobu Fukuoka
March 13, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Donna's in the Food Forest
humanegardener.bsky.social
And while the humans make a mess of things, the animals are hard at work trying to piece them back together. Thanks to American Gardener magazine for featuring my recent column on the important work of voles, squirrels, p-dogs and many other subterranean superheroes. #marvelousmammals #wildneighbors
March 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Want to see more butterflies? Plant species native to your area for their babies to eat. This Black Swallowtail caterpillar is enjoying the Golden Alexanders in our native food forest. You can plant food for wildlife and humans.
#NativePlants #Biodiversity #Permaculture #Insects #Nature 🌱
Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) enjoying its host plant Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) in the native food forest at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.
March 8, 2025 at 3:16 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Baby bunny warming itself in the sun, watching over my mini greenhouses full of seedlings (Apr 22.) I can't wait for this year's perennials to sprout. Very soon! Now it's time for me to plant my annual seeds outside in this kind of container. Seeds don't mind the cold.
#WinterSowing #NativePlants 🌱
Baby bunny warming itself in the sun on brick patio watching over mini-greenhouses full of seedlings grown using the winter sowing method.
March 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Today is World Wildlife Day - reminder that we live in a web of life and that all of this breathtaking and astoundingly good creation rises and falls together.
#NativePlants #Permaculture #Nature #Insects 🌱
A photo of the sunset behind an Anise Hyssop flower with a Bumble Bee on it taken in July of 2024 in the native food forest at CtK Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio. The text reads, "Insects are not optional. It's not okay if they disappear. Insects are the primary drivers of our ecosystems. If they go, we go. - Dr. Douglas Tallamy"
March 3, 2025 at 3:53 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Good people caring for our Earth! Thank you LRC!
#Climate #Environment #Religion #Midwest
lutheransrc.bsky.social Lutherans Restoring Creation @lutheransrc.bsky.social · Feb 25
LRC is very excited to partner with the EcoFaith Summit to join this movement to care for God's creation with concrete action and birthing hope for the world in a time of climate crisis. April 5, 2025, in Duluth MN and Online.
www.ecofaithnetwork.org/ecofaith-sum... fmi #CreationCare
Beautiful, deep, jewel tones, many many hands, reaching up to hold a globe, trees, and a bright sun are in the background. The text reads “ECOFAITH SUMMIT OF THE UPPER MIDWEST EARTH'S CRIES, EARTH'S CALL Becoming Midwives of Hope for the Healing of Creation APRIL 5, 2025 DULUTH”
February 26, 2025 at 4:29 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Post 2 of 2. This photo from Sept 2024 show the plants in our new rain garden thriving after just one year. Water is life! See the complete list of native and edible plants as well as the layout here: www.ctkluth.org/food-forest....
#Permaculture #NativePlants #RainGarden 🌱 #Nature #WinterSowing
Photo shows the native edible and medicinal plants in the rain garden at Christ the King Lutheran Church thriving only one year after being planted.
February 23, 2025 at 5:33 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Post 1 of 2. Harvesting rainwater is an important skill in Permaculture to make use of a free and valuable resource & protect our soils and ultimately climate. Photo is the installation of native edible & medicinal plants in our new rain garden, Aug 2023.
#Permaculture #NativePlants #RainGarden 🌱
Photo shows plants lined up in pots and ready to be planted in the swale of the newly created rain garden at Christ the King Lutheran Church in West Chester, Ohio.
February 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
Winter sowing containers, full of perennial and annual seeds, waiting patiently for spring. I, on the other hand, am waiting impatiently!
#WinterSowing #NativePlants 🌱
Winter Sowing containers on a snow-covered patio.
February 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM
oncontour.bsky.social
I found this Chocolate Tube Slime (Stemonitis) feasting on a decaying pile of branches behind the food forest last spring. They are so cool! And intelligent. Watch this fun 5-minute video: Are You Smarter than a Slime Mold?
youtu.be/K8HEDqoTPgk?...
#Nature #Permaculture #FungiFriends 🌱
Photo shows three cocoa colored organisms called Chocolate Tube Slime (Stemonitis) on an old, decaying branch. They look kind of like little brown mops.
February 14, 2025 at 4:27 PM