Shannon's Farms

05/20/2024

Ernie is hard at work repairing small leaks in our recirculating pond for the benefit of our woodland creatures and birds!

04/08/2024

Happy Eclipse Day! Even if we don’t see it well.

01/15/2024

We have snow at the farm! Stay warm and safe everyone!

12/13/2023

PLAN AHEAD FOR MONARCHS

Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed plus a female Monarch butterfly won't lay her eggs on any other plant. By planting milkweed in your garden, you can help sustain monarch populations! There are 200 species of milkweed found around the world. Approximately 30 of those are found in Texas. The two most common native milkweed species that grow in the DFW area are green milkweed (Asclepius viridis) and antelope horns milkweed (Asclepius asperula).
Although tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is often available at local stores, there are a number of problems associated with it that are detrimental to the health of monarchs. .

Fall is the best time for planting milkweed seeds. The seeds won't germinate until spring because they require natural freezing and thawing to soften the seed coat so that the embryo plant can grow. This process stops seedlings from emerging in the fall and being killed by winter cold. You can plant the seeds from September 1 up until the soil freezes. They will come up in spring when conditions are right for them to grow. Before planting, you should consider where you would like for the plants to grow. Common milkweed plants can reach about five feet in height. For some varieties of milkweed the flowers may not appear for the first few years but monarch butterflies will use the plant to lay eggs and the caterpillars will complete their life cycle feasting off the leaves.

Read more at this site: https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/atoz/seedinstr.html

11/18/2023

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map serves as a fundamental guide for gardeners, offering insights into the climatic conditions of specific regions. This, in turn, empowers individuals to make informed decisions about the types of plants that are most likely to thrive in their local environments. With...

05/27/2023

We’ve had quite the menagerie at the farm this past week! Enjoy!

05/04/2023

Ernie has been hard at work the past several days spraying all the pecan trees with the zinc mixture and then also a fertilizer. The trees are maturing!

05/04/2023

Spring is blooming! Here are some of our recent wildflowers growing around everywhere!

03/28/2022

First bluebonnets FINALLY coming up!

12/28/2021

Imagine that?! Sitting on the front porch on 28 December 2021 at 8am with an old man t-shirt on and it’s not even cold a little bit! God bless Texas!

11/07/2021

Check out this great UN produced video on climate change!

This is not a political statement. Simply, it’s an opportunity for ShannonsFarms.com to share – thanks to CBS Sunday Morning – an opinion piece we believe was very clever. An “Opinion” share…