Here we are at the end of the semester and oh boy, it was a wild one. This semester brought us unprecedented circumstances, and unfortunately I was not able to see through to the end of my project. However, it's been rewarding experience nonetheless. I came to feel really comfortable at the farm, and really looked forward to my weekly hours of work. The Howdy farm is a small slice of agricultural paradise on our campus, and I had so much fun getting to work on it this semester. Even on weeks when I spent three or four straight hours weeding the rows, I felt accomplished; and as I watched the seeds I sewed grow I felt rewarded. It's a great opportunity being able to sit and engage in these meditative tasks for hours on end; if nothing else, through this internship I confirmed that I chose the right career path for me. Weeding, sewing, watering, transplanting, repairing water lines, removing pests, it's all good in my book. Another good development I'd like to highlight is the growth of my plants, and the arrival of caterpillars! I began this project in January hoping for beautiful flowers and chrysalises, and got to enjoy both of those things! The Howdy Farm gave me an opportunity to actively participate in pollinator gardening, which has been a hobby of mine for about a year now. This internship provided a space to experiment with old and new species of host and pollinator plants. We have milkweed for monarchs, are growing some dill for swallowtails, and a first for the farm, some starflower! Growing plants is always a rewarding and peaceful life, even with the unpredictability of mother nature. Plants can be easily taken out by too little or too much water, unbalanced soil chemistry, pests, people, and sudden changes in weather. It strikes me as odd that I find so much peace in horticulture while there is a literal life and death battle happening simultaneously. Luckily for me, I'm okay with the "pests" eating my plants, as long as they're the right kind of pest! For lack of a better term it all goes back to the circle of life: I grow the plants, caterpillars eat my plants, become butterflies, and make pollination happen to grow more plants. It's been thrilling to see the progress the pollinator garden, caterpillars, and chrysalises have made in my absence (big shout out to my intern supervisor Michael for keeping everything alive and thriving). I'm looking forward to the quarantine being lifted, and it being safe for me to go visit and see the progress for myself. Hopefully, some of the butterflies will be there to say hello!
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Allie MartinHowdy! My name is Allie and I am a senior Horticulture major from Austin (keep it weird, y'all). Welcome to the home of pollinator garden paradise. Here you will find my journey through growing pollinator and host plant species, and hopefully, see the life cycle of native butterflies unfold! Archives
April 2020
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The Howdy Farm at Texas A&M University | Allie's Blog |