It won’t be long until it will be time for some awesome autumn nature study! Members here on the Handbook of Nature Study can look in their Member’s Library for the five autumn themed ebooks available for downloading.
I’ll list the autumn themed ebooks below and if you want to click over to see the specific topics covered, you can easily do that by clicking the book title.
Autumn Nature Study Ebooks Available
1) Autumn 2009 – Download the free notebook pages to go along with the autumn nature study ideas.
If you are new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge and would like to purchase a membership, you can click the graphic at the bottom of this post. Don’t miss the discount code!
For a complete list of autumn season nature study topics, you can click the Autumn tab at the top of the website.
Use the discount code AUTUMNFUN2021 for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code will expire on 9/17/2021.
If you’d like to have access to all of the autumn ebooks, you’ll find them all in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
Please note:
This is the last autumn season that the ebooks will be available here on the website. If you are a member, please download and save the ebooks for future use!
What a fantastic year for the garden! We have so many success stories to share and positive results as the season is in full swing. Renee’s Garden seeds were a huge part of the colorful and vibrant garden our family and friends have enjoyed as they visited this past month.
Read below for the specific seeds we planted and the results we achieved.
I get more compliments about this particular flower in my garden than any other flower. Their striking colors are so pretty! I count these as a huge success.
We had more blooms last year but there are still quite a few of the rainbow-colored poppies for us to enjoy. For some reason, they are leaning and reaching outside the garden box. I really need to figure out what’s going on there.
As always, we’ve had a bumper crop from the Lemon Queen Sunflowers. They’re not only a favorite of the bees, but they’re also a favorite of mine! The soft yellow is such a happy color.
We planted these beans in pots at the beginning of May. I started with 3 plants when we transplanted them but ended up with only one healthy plant that produces blossoms and beans. I must be honest. These were an experiment to see if they can grow in our climate. The success of this one plant made me realize that I can grow beans in my garden and I have a great plan to be sure to have more plants thrive next year. As of today, the plants are withering from a couple of nights where the temperatures dropped to near freezing. Not sure I can justify the effort to grow these in my Central Oregon garden with such a small window of productivity. I did look back in my records though and we harvested lots of this variety of green bean from our garden in California. So, the failure here is a matter of habitat and climate and not the seeds.
We had plenty of success with these seeds sprouting and growing, putting on blossoms, but no fruit at all. I think it may have to do with the cooler nights we have which make it hard for these to thrive. I wouldn’t count this as a failure of the seeds, just our garden zone.
I love these sunflowers so much! They add such a deep burgundy pop to the otherwise very yellow sunflower bed. Another thing I love about them? They make awesome cut flowers. I’ve had a vase continually filled with their happy, vibrant flowers.
These were started in May in pots and transplanted to the garden in June. We eagerly watched as the plants grew up the twine, put on flowers, and then produced pods that you allow to dry on the vine. Many mornings I look out the window and see the hummingbirds visiting the scarlet red blossoms. What a perfect addition to my garden!
This was a winner from last year’s garden. We added another packet of seeds to the box and once again they are a spectacular display of colors and shapes. I did make the mistake of allowing some volunteer sunflowers to grow in with the seeds. These have overshadowed the flower mix and I think perhaps the flowering of some of the varieties. Nonetheless, there have been plenty of bees and butterflies visiting the rainbow of flowers.
This is one of the sunflowers that I sprouted and gave to friends. We’ve all had success growing them in our gardens and their slightly smaller flower head and multiple heads on one stem make them a great cut flower.
This is a favorite from the last few years here in Central Oregon. I now can’t imagine a flower garden without these poppies! I saved seed from last year’s crop and scattered it early in the spring to see how many would grow. Well, I’m happy to report that I have quite a few of this variety of poppy in several areas of my yard. The bees can be found daily buzzing and sipping from the red blossoms. If you would like a showy display, give these seeds a try.
Renee’s Garden seedsare the foundation of our flower garden. I’ve already made a list of new things to add next year to promote a wider range of colors, shapes, and heights to my flower beds.
I highly recommend purchasing from Renee’s and seeing the gorgeous results for yourself. I do receive a small amount of seed from Renee’s Garden as a promotional gift. In addition to her gift, I purchase many of the seeds myself. I know they’re always of the highest quality.
I also recommend following her on Instagram to see all of the new products available as they are released. #reneesgardenseeds
Are you interested in using the Handbook of Nature Study for a study of garden flowers? I’ve compiled a list of the topics from the book and coordinated them with the Outdoor Hour Challenges. I hope this is helpful for your family!
We’ve had a great summer here in Central Oregon. There have been so many things learned about new birds and plants! I hope that you had a great summer of nature study too.
At the start of this last season here on the Handbook of Nature Study, I’m offering a large discount to new members. Please read the information below because I need you to be aware that the website and the member’s library will only be available until 12/31/21. At that time, I’m going to be going into full retirement and shutting the website off.
Note: If you did not read the post about the plan for the Handbook of Nature Study for the rest of the 2021 calendar year, here’s a link that you should read:
Our spring was spent building a new section of garden that would be attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies. Renee’s Garden seeds played a big part in filling our new garden beds with color, variety, and beautiful flowers. (See our start to the garden in this entry: Renee’s Garden 2020.)
Because of our harsh climate zone, we’ve struggled with finding garden plants that will survive through the cold, long winter we have in Central Oregon. Our solution is to plant both a mix of annual and perennial flowers, as well as native wildflowers and shrubs. This strategy has worked in our front yard and now we’re continuing that mix in our back garden.
Earlier this year, we rototilled and cleared about 1,200 square feet of scruffy grass and then proceeded to build two long, narrow garden boxes. Our aim was to make it not only more beautiful, but to have a more attractive garden space for bees, birds, and butterflies. A bonus side benefit is that we now have a peaceful spot to sit in the garden to enjoy all of the creatures that visit. The birds love the bird bath for drinking and bathing and they will often come even with us sitting close by.
Here are some of the Renee’s Garden seeds we chose:
Rainbow of California Poppies: This variety of poppies is now my absolute favorite! I love the pastel colors that are in this mix and I go out every day to see which ones are blooming. They are thriving in our climate which is surprising but very much appreciated. I will be planting more of these in years to come.
Early Blooming Beekeeper’s Mix: We enjoyed this mix so much last year that we added it to the list again this year. The sweetly colored flowers are hardy enough to last through our very cool summer nights.
Seeds for a Butterfly Garden: I think I planted too many seeds in our box but the sunflowers and cosmos don’t seem to mind. The zinnias are growing up under the cosmos and need to lean way out to reach for the sun. If I did this combination again, I would plant far fewer cosmos. Still, I’m anxious to see how the sunflowers do once they start blooming.
Chocolate Cherry Sunflowers: LOVE this sunflower! It’s an all time favorite of ours that we grew in California and it thrives here in Central Oregon as well.
Van Gogh Sunflowers: This sunflower with the quintessential shape and color is attracting bees and various other insects to the new garden. The finches are stopping by to nibble on the leaves too!
Heirloom Blue Delphiniums: These seeds have sprouted and are growing….slowly. I’m not sure what to think and I will have to update you later in the season as to whether they actually bloom or not.
Heirloom Pepperbox Poppies: This is our second year growing these magnificent poppies in our back yard. There are a variety of colors and shapes in the packet, producing gorgeous blooms that the bees buzz around all summer long. I highly recommend these poppies.
Please note that I receive some of the seeds as a promotional thank you from Renee’s Garden. I’ve purchased and used her seeds for many years now and I’m never disappointed.
Click over to my garden resources and see if you find some inspiration to get you going.
I post lots of images of the garden on my Instagram account. Click over and follow if you’re on Instagram. Also, if you tag your photos with #outdoorhourchallenge, I’ll stop by and see what you are up to in your nature study.
Are you facing Spring Break with the kids and are wondering what you can do to have some fun and learn something at the same time? It may be time to give the Outdoor Hour Challenge a try!
Just look at all those benefits of an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership!
The current library contains 25 ebooks covering hundreds of topics. There are 76 newsletters in the library and dozens of printables in addition to the ebooks!
Right now, use the discount code SPRINGBREAK for $10 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. This offer will be valid until 3/31/2020.
What a fantastic deal! For $35 dollars you will have this amazing resource for a complete year from your purchase. Take a look at some samples and download a newsletter to take a peek at what you will get with your membership.
Click over to the Join Us page and scroll down to find a sample that interests you: Join Us.
Get Ready for Wildflower Season – Outdoor Hour Challenge Ebooks
Are you ready for wildflower season? It’s coming whether you’re ready or not! The Outdoor Hour Challenges will be taking us outdoors from now until the autumn season and it’s so nice to have a library of wildflower nature study ideas at your fingertips for all those wildflowers you may encounter.
I’m especially proud of the three newer wildflower focused ebooks I’ve created in the past few years.
Fireweed
Salsify
Forget-Me-Not
Paintbrush
Common silverweed
Henbit
Cow Parsnip
Columbine
Chicory
Cocklebur
Fireweed
Salsify
Forget-Me-Not
Paintbrush
Common silverweed
Additional Wildflower Challenges
I’ve written Outdoor Hour Challenges for every wildflower listed in the Handbook of Nature Study. You can find them under the “Garden” tab on my website. That’s dozens of wildflowers to choose from!
You can have access to the ebooks in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships.
In addition, there are many other summer related challenges available in the summer ebooks.
Summer Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge
It’s coming soon! Summer!
I have just finished editing and updating all three of the summer themed nature study ebooks. These ebooks contain 31 nature study topics for you to choose from over your summer break. This is the time of year that you may have some time available for getting outdoors with your children to enjoy the summer season without distractions. Click the links below to see the specific topics to choose from in each book. Along with the challenge, there are custom notebooking pages for each topic which will make your life easier if you are interested in keeping a nature journal.
If you’re new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can find all three of the ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. (See below for a discount code to use with your purchase!)
I’ll list the summer themed ebooks below and if you want to click over to see the specific topics covered, you can easily do that by clicking the book title.
For a complete list of summer season nature study topics, you can click the summer tab at the top of the website.
Use the discount code SUMMER5 for $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
If you’d like to have access to all of the summer ebooks, you’ll find them in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
In addition to the summer books, there are 16 additional nature study ebooks in this membership.
This year we’re going to cover the four series noted in the graphic above: Autumn 2009, Winter Series 2010, Garden Flowers and Plants, and More Nature Study – Summer. Click the graphic to read more about the year’s plan.
Autumn Nature Study with the Outdoor Hour Challenge
We’re facing a change of the season here in a few weeks.
I realize many of you have purchased some of the past autumn nature study ebooks here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Have you thought of working through a series again starting next month? My family has completed many of these challenges more than once and we always learn something new!
If you’re new to the Outdoor Hour Challenge, you can find all five of the ebooks in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.
I’ll list the autumn themed ebooks below and if you want to click over to see the specific topics covered, you can easily do that by clicking the book title.
I’d love for you to find something here to inspire a whole lot of autumn nature study. Last week in my giveaway, I think the vast majority of people who entered responded that they LOVE autumn nature study the best. Well, use the Outdoor Hour Challenges to take your nature study to the next level with easy to follow ideas and simple follow-up activities.
As we start another year of nature study together, I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to see the year’s plans all in one place. This plan was made with Handbook of Nature Study members in mind but it will also be very accessible to non-members who would like to join us.
Outdoor Hour Challenge September 2018 – August 2019 for Members
Get the Year Plan in a PDF: Subscribe to the Ultimate Naturalist Library, Journey, or Discovery level membership: This membership will give you access to a detailed schedule for the entire year. You’ll have a printable plan that shows dates and specific topics that will be considered every Friday. This makes your planning super easy!
Download the Ebooks: Ultimate Naturalist Members will have access to the three ebooks needed for the year’s nature study plans.
Click the covers below to go to more information for each ebook. Check your files to see if you own these ebooks already!
Note: There is no separate ebook for the autumn season. We’ll be using thefree notebook page bundle from 2009 that is available to everyone under the Autumn tab on the blog.
Download the Notebook Page Bundle: In addition to receiving the year’s plan in a pdf to download, Ultimate and Journey level members will also have access to a new Notebook Page Bundle printable that includes EVERY notebooking page needed for the entire year’s plan. This 78 page bundle can be printed for each student in your family. The Parent’s edition of the Notebook Page Bundle includes an index of challenges AND chart that shows the nature topics and corresponding pages in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.
I’m super excited about this new Notebook Page Bundle! This has been a much requested item and I’m happy to make this a part of the Ultimate and Journey level memberships. Note: These are not new notebook pages, but for convenience they’re the pages from the ebooks gathered into one file for you to print and use with your family. This saves you time and energy as you plan and then complete your nature study!
Do You Want to Join Us?
Here’s what you need to do!
Purchase a membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Remember that if you want access to all the ebooks and other resources you will need an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Download the ebooks.
Download the Notebook Page Bundle (both a student version and a parent’s version are available).
Download the September 2018 through August 2019 plan.
Subscribe to the Handbook of Nature Study blog for reminders each Friday.
This can be your best year ever for nature study!
Click Below to Get Started!
Use the discount code: Nature4U for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership. Code Expires 8/18/18.
If you can’t purchase a membership at this time, you can still follow along by subscribing to the blog and each week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge will come right to your email inbox.
We’re so proud to have been chosen as a top Elementary Science curriculum by readers at Practical Homeschooling. I hope you’ll think about using our nature study ideas in your family with the confidence that families from around the world are happy with their results!
How would you like to enter a giveaway for an Ultimate Naturalist Library membership?
You can enter below! I will be giving away three memberships!
Giveaway ends on Friday, August 10, 2018 at 11 PM.
NotebookingPages.com is having their last ever discount on Lifetime Memberships and later this fall you will no longer be able to purchase a Lifetime Membership.
Wow! That is BIG news!
So, my friends, this is the time to pull the trigger and if you have been thinking about purchasing a membership to this amazing resource, NOW is the time. For the next few days, the Lifetime Membership will be sold at a huge discount of $25. This means for $72 you will have a complete library of 100’s of notebooking pages right at your fingertips….FOREVER!
You can even make 3 easy payments to help fit this resource into your homeschooling budget!
I have had a Lifetime Membership for many years, both during and post homeschooling. My boys benefitted from having a membership both from the pre-printed pages and the Notebooking Web App program where they could custom make their own pages and actually type onto the page and then print them out for their notebooks.
Our Favorite Pages
This sale starts today and will end at midnight on July 27th! You need to act fast to catch this soon to be gone membership to NotebookingPages.com.
In addition to receiving a Lifetime Membership during this sale, you will also receive a Lifetime Membership to MomsToolBelt.com. I have used my membership to MomsToolBelt to create my own custom calendars and planners for probably a decade. I love using the flexibility of this program to make my own planner that fit my household needs. You will too!
