Bent Tree Farms

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

Our ancestors always had several of these planted around their homes and in gardens.. they knew their benefits.

05/21/2026

A little morning chuckle

05/10/2026

The native flowers in your beds aren't just ornament. They're the nursery for nearly every butterfly you've ever seen.

Adult butterflies sip nectar — but caterpillars are choosy, and most can only eat one or two specific plant genera. Without those host plants in the garden, the butterflies people love can't reproduce. Native perennials carry the host plants. Most garden-center cultivars don't.

🌿 Native perennials ranked by how many caterpillar species they support:
- Goldenrod — the late-summer bloom people blame for hay fever, which is actually ragweed flowering at the same time. Goldenrod hosts more caterpillar species than any other native perennial in the eastern US, and feeds migrating monarchs critical late-season nectar
- Aster — the catch-all genus for the small daisy-flowered perennials that bloom when little else does. Their leaves host pearl crescents and checkerspots; their flowers fuel migrating bees and butterflies deep into October
- Wild strawberry — not the supermarket variety. The native species works as a groundcover, hosts dozens of caterpillar species, and the small fruits feed sparrows, robins, and small mammals
- Native sunflower — perennial native sunflowers, not the giant annual, host more caterpillar species than people realize, support specialist bees, and feed goldfinches and chickadees with their seed heads in fall
- Joe Pye W**d — the towering pink-purple flower heads of late summer are a magnet for swallowtails, fritillaries, and migrating monarchs. Underused in gardens, dominant in natural meadows
- Violet — the small ground-level plant most lawns try to eliminate. Violets are the host plant for fritillary butterfly caterpillars. Pull the violets and the fritillaries vanish with them
- Switchgrass — the native grass homeowners replace with manicured lawn. It hosts skippers and several small moths, and its seed heads feed sparrows through winter
- Black-eyed Susan — the cheerful yellow daisy widely planted in pollinator gardens. Hosts multiple specialist caterpillars and seeds out for finches in fall
- Milkweed — host to about a dozen caterpillar species, but one of them is the monarch. Milkweed is the only plant on Earth that monarch caterpillars can eat. No milkweed, no monarchs

Tidy is not the same as alive 🌿

05/02/2026

So very true

04/03/2026

7
Mattha-A Cool n' Spicy Buttermilk Beverage for a Hot Summer Day ...
Yes, buttermilk is an effective, traditional, and natural way to cool down on a hot summer day. It works by hydrating the body, replenishing essential electrolytes (potassium, sodium, calcium) lost through sweat, lowering body temperature from within, and aiding digestion to reduce metabolic heat.
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Why It Works
Internal Cooling: Its light, probiotic-rich nature helps lower your core body temperature.
Electrolyte Replenisher: It acts as a natural sports drink, replacing crucial minerals better than water alone, preventing dehydration and heat-related exhaustion.
Digestive Aid: It helps alleviate acidity and digestion issues often caused by heat.
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Best Way to Consume
To maximize the cooling benefits, consume it savory, often referred to as chaas or chaach in India, by adding roasted cumin powder (jeera), mint, ginger, or coriander.
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Important Considerations
Best Time: It is excellent to consume after a meal or in the middle of the day to combat high temperatures.
Warnings: People with severe lactose intolerance should be cautious. If you are already suffering from a cold, cough, or flu, its strong cooling nature might make symptoms worse.