Loess Bluffs Farm and Landscape

02/22/2026

Landscapes respond best to consistency, not pressure. Temporary imperfection is a normal part of long-term success.

06/21/2025

06/15/2025

Mississippi is home to numerous butterflies! Butterflies are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing plants so they can reproduce. They’re both beautiful AND beneficial!

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE
A butterfly’s life begins as an egg laid on a host plant. Usually, the eggs are laid on the bottoms of the leaves and can vary widely in shape, form, size, and color. Within 2 weeks, the tiny eggs hatch and tiny caterpillars emerge. The larva consumes the host plant’s leaves and will shed its skin as it grows. In about a month, the larva is ready to form a chrysalis (pupa). After a few weeks, the magical transformation takes place and an adult butterfly emerges. Most adult butterflies live for only a short time. Some species mate and live for just a few days; others are known to live over a year.

FOOD
Generally, there are two types of plants that you must have in your garden for butterflies. One type is a nectar plant; adult butterflies feed on these nectar plants. The second plant is a larval host plant; the immature stage (larva) feeds on this plant. When you plan a butterfly garden, you should plan for both types of plants. You can view our list of recommended nectar and larval plants on our website.

SHELTER
Butterflies need shelter from wind and rain, and a roosting place for the night. Shrub foliage is often used for protection and sleeping quarters. Create a butterfly shelter area by constructing a simple log pile in a corner of the back yard. Simply stack cut logs anywhere from 3 to 5 feet high. Be careful—this provides butterfly shelter but will also provide shelter for other wildlife.

03/22/2025

Sightings map as of March 20. Get out the feeders. Simple solution 1-cup of sugar to 4-cups of water. Stay away from the dyed prepackaged stuff. It’s the equivalent of feeding them a processed cookie.

02/15/2025

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."
- Galileo Galilei

01/14/2025

We hauled several loads of organic matter today. If you’re ready to get those beds prepped and shaped up for spring now is the time to do it! 6013318538