Weeds Archives

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Wildflowers

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Wildflowers- Dandelions

From the archives and the Spring Nature Study ebook.

This week is going to be fabulous! We are going to be on a dandelion hunt with our children. This cheerful flower has so much to teach us as we look at the leaves, the flower shape, and the seeds. You can find these little beauties everywhere now that spring is bursting out all around us.

Use the ideas in this week’s challenge to dig into the Handbook of Nature Study lesson on dandelions. Create a record of your observations in your nature journal.

You can see our family’s dandelion study here: Dandelion Morning.

You can also give this challenge a try: Dandelion and Wildflower Photo Hunt

How do you get the new Wildflower Nature Study ebook?

Members of the Ultimate Naturalist and Journey levels have access to the new ebook in their library. You need to click the “Members Area” button at the top of the website, sign into your account, and the ebook is there to download and save for your family to use when desired. If you don’t have a membership yet, I am offering a $5 off discount code that will be good towards your Ultimate Naturalist membership.

Discount Code: Wildflower5

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

From the Archives or found in the Winter Ebook

One thing I can find in my backyard at all times of the year is mullein. I love the rosette of leaves and their soft texture. Join me this week in a study of the mullein.

Mullein seeds @handbookofnatuerstudy — Winter mullein – shake and see if you can find some seeds!

If you are interested in purchasing an Ultimate Naturalist Membership at this time, you will gain access to the custom notebooking pages that go along with each of the challenges in the ebook.

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebook to participate but they are handy to have for planning and for the regular and advanced notebook pages included in each one. Click the graphic at above to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

Spring Plans!

We will be working through a new series of wildflower challenges starting in April using a new ebook that will publish sometime in March. The new wildflower ebook will also be added to the Ultimate Naturalist Library so if you purchase a membership now, you will have the new ebook as soon as it is available. I will posting details about the new ebook soon.

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Posted on November 4, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Thistles in Autumn

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Thistles in Autumn – from the More Nature Study Autumn ebook and the Archives

This is the week to look for thistles. The landscape right now makes it easier to find some dried up thistles for you to look at closely. Make sure to be careful if you touch the thistles because the thorns are going to be sharp. I tried to remember to bring a leather glove on our thistle walks to wear if the boys wanted to touch the plant. Go on a thistle hunt this week!

You may wish to view this entry:

Thistles – Starting a Year-Long Study

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Posted on September 23, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Milkweed Study

Challenge from the archives : Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Milkweed Study

and the More Nature Study – Autumn ebook

I love milkweed. Not only is it a beautiful flower but it is the host plant for one of my favorite insects, the monarch butterfly! During the autumn we can observe the milkweed plant turning dry and brown and the seed pods bursting open to disperse their seeds. The fluffy seeds fly away to hopefully create a new milkweed patch. This would be a great time of year to also research the many traditional uses of the milkweed fibers.

It is important to note there are many different kinds of milkweed….this I learned as part of our milkweed nature study. We have showy milkweed, purple milkweed, and narrow leaf milkweed in my part of the world. The flowers look very different and the seed pods look different. Use a local field guide to discover what kind of milkweed you have to observe in your neighborhood. If you need some suggestions for field guides, here is my Amazon.com affiliate link for my favorites: Wildflowers.

Here in California autumn is seed time for milkweed. The flowers are long past prime and the plant will be drying out. You may wish to start a year long study of milkweed and watch it over the next four seasons.

You may be interested in reading our entry: Year Long Milkweed Study Complete! Or here is our autumn specific entry: Seasonal Milkweed – Autumn Observations.

How about a free printable notebook page? This one is good for all four seasons.

Note: You do not need to purchase the ebooks to participate but just so you know, the More Nature Study Autumn ebook contains 3 custom milkweed notebooking pages (including an advanced version) and 2 coloring pages. Click the graphic at the bottom of this post to go over to check out the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership.

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Posted on May 20, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dandelion Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Dandelion Study – Archive Challenge

This week we are going to start a dandelion study. This should be something that almost everyone can complete without too much trouble since dandelions are found just about everywhere! I have seen them in the desert, in the woodlands, in parks, in lawns…keep your eyes out!

This is one of my favorite flower studies. Make sure to read the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study before you go out on your dandelion hunt. There are lots of wonderful and simple ideas to study dandelions in this lesson and I encourage you to try a few to learn more about this interesting plant.

Additional Resources:

April 2014 Newsletter – You will find a dandelion related nature journal topper to use in your nature journal. All archived newsletters are available to all levels of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

You can glimpse into one of our dandelion studies here: Dandelion Morning.

This challenge is found in the Spring Nature Study ebook that members will have in their Ultimate Naturalist Library! Download a copy and use the custom notebooking page for your nature journal. More information on this ebook is found here: Spring Nature Study Ebook (including a sample).

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Barb — 1 Comment

Mullein vs. Lamb’s Ear

I had a friend ask me the difference between a common mullein and a lamb’s ear. I just happen to have both growing in my yard so it didn’t take me long to pop out and take a few images. The images above are both of the mullein plant and the second year winter seed stalk. The rosette shape of the plant with its blue gray soft and fuzzy leaves grows low to the ground in the first year. Later on it will have leaves that are more upright along the stalk.

The image directly above this is of the lamb’s ear in winter. It grows in more of a clump with no marked rosette. The leaves are also a soft gray-green color and are fuzzy, perhaps not quite as thick as the mullein. In winter you can really see how different the plants are.

If you are observing these two plants in the summer or autumn, you can really tell the difference by the flower stalks. The mullein grows super tall and has yellow flowers and the lamb’s ear has a short stalk and purple flowers.

May Lamb's Ear Flower — Lamb’s ear plant image from my archives…taken in the month of May.You can really see how the leaves are shaped in this image.

Here is the lamb’s ear blooming in the spring. You can see it is a low growing purple flower.

Mullein summer flower — This is an image from my archives…taken in July. You can see how tall the stalk is in comparison to my window!

This is the tall yellow flowering stalk of the common mullein.

Hopefully this helps you distinguish the two plants….a lot of similarities and some really big differences too!

Here is a website I found with some more of the technical differences: Differences Between Lamb’s Ear and Mullein.

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Winter Weeds and Seeds

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Seeds

Here are a couple of weed/seed photos I took over the past few weeks. We were out on a snowy walk and I spotted this beautiful seed pod! In my mind’s eye I see the seeds all sleeping inside cozy, waiting for the right time to spring out and sprout in the springtime sunshine.

We also squeezed in a sunny hike after a big week of rain and the grasses were already starting to turn green but last season’s star thistles were still standing dry, stiff and full of seeds. The birds like these invasive plants because they provide seeds in their diet…at least there is that! I recently had a discussion with a young girl about the difference between a wildflower and a weed. It was interesting to hear how she appreciates the beauty in what many deem to be weeds, things like dandelions, mustard, and wild radish. She has studied herbs a bit and understands the value of many of our so-called weeds. (She is a girl after my own heart.)

Take advantage of your winter season to look for weeds and seeds. The landscape at this time of year has far less competing for your attention and weeds can be spotted even if you have snow or ice.

I am so looking forward to wildflower season this year! We have had a decent amount of rain and it should help make it a splendid show of color in a few weeks.

Have you looked for weeds and seeds yet?

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Seeds

One of my favorite winter nature study activities is to take a hike and look for weeds left from the summer season. They are usually brown and stiff, sticking up out of the landscape even when there is a snow pack. Create a winter weed bouquet for your nature table and use the two challenges below to go a little deeper in your seed study. Create some anticipation for the spring and summer season by talking about how plants are just waiting for the right conditions to spring forth new life again.

Weeds and Seeds Study – This challenge has a free printable notebook page for you to use as part of your seed study.

Winter Wednesday – Winter Weeds – from the Winter Wednesday ebook.

After reading through each challenge linked above, choose one or two things to keep in mind during your Outdoor Hour Challenge time. Enjoy your fifteen minutes outdoors as you look for weeds and seeds. Make sure to show interest in any item your child finds to observe or bring home to your nature table.

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Field Horsetail

Outdoor Hour Challenge
Field Horsetail

Inside Preparation Work:

Read pages 706-709 (Lesson #196) in the Handbook of Nature Study. Make sure to read the lesson information for the fertile and the sterile plants.
Look at this link for a distribution map to see if you have field horsetail in your are: USDA. I also recommend this concise description and the clear images on this page: Field Horsetail.
Advanced study: Read about the uses of this plant: Field Horsetail—Herbal Uses. Please note I do not recommend eating any plants. I am sharing the link for information only.

Outdoor Hour Time:

During your outdoor time, look for the field horsetail which this time of year is very different than in the spring. Take note of any patches of field horsetail you find so you can look for its emergence in the spring along with the spores and green stems instead of leaves.
For this challenge, use the field horsetail to complete the lesson ideas for the “sterile plant” as found in the Handbook of Nature Study. This is the perfect time to study the plant’s sterile branches along with its roots if possible.
If you don’t have any field horsetail to observe, find another autumn weed to take note of along with its seeds. You can use this time to compare the way some plants use seeds to reproduce and some plants grow from the rootstock.

Follow-Up Activity:

Create a nature journal entry for the field horsetail or any other plant you found interesting. Make sure to include a short caption that explains how the field horsetail reproduces and is different than a seed bearing plant.
Advanced Study: Draw the complete life cycle of the field horsetail plant, labeling the plant’s parts and the time of year.

If you want to purchase the Autumn Nature Study 2015 ebook so you can follow along with all the notebooking pages, coloring pages, and subject images, you can join the Ultimate or Journey Membership Levels. See the Join Us page for complete information. Also, you can view the Autumn Nature Study 2015 announcement page for more details.

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Posted on September 25, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Prickly Lettuce

Outdoor Hour Challenge

Prickly Lettuce

Inside Preparation Work

Read pages 529-531(Lesson #143) in the Handbook of Nature Study. Make sure to take along a compass on your nature walk just in case you find a prickly lettuce and you want to see which way the leaves are directed.
Look at the images and read all about prickly lettuce: Prickly Lettuce. Prickly lettuce is found in all states so there is a good chance you will find this plant to study in person: USDA Prickly Lettuce.
Advanced study: Read about prickly lettuce as an invasive species.

Outdoor Hour Time:

Take a walk along a road or in a field or pasture to see if you can find some prickly lettuce! Look to see if the leaves are oriented north and south. Remember that the stem has prickles and be careful when making your observations.
Enjoy an autumn weed walk as part of this challenge. Collect some dried leaves, seeds, and flowers for closer observation. Sketch these carefully in your nature journal. You may wish to view and complete this challenge: Signs of Autumn.

Follow-Up Activity:

Create a nature journal for the prickly lettuce or any autumn weed you find that interests you. There is a notebook page included in the ebook for you to use. Make sure to sketch the interesting shape of the leaf!
Advanced study: Complete a nature journal page for the prickly lettuce. Research and include any medicinal uses of the prickly lettuce. (Note: I do not recommend or encourage you to eat any plant.)

Tag: Weeds

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Spring Wildflowers

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Winter Mullein

Spring Plans!

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Thistles in Autumn

Sign Up Here for the Handbook of Nature Study Monthly Newsletter.

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Autumn Milkweed Study

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Dandelion Study

Mullein vs. Lamb’s Ear

Winter Weeds and Seeds

Have you looked for weeds and seeds yet?

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Seeds

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Field Horsetail

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Prickly Lettuce

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!