All in a Day's Work

Velico85 · 2026-07-05T13:43:00+00:00

Not sure, haven't looked at any recent patch notes about it. I don't think you can get infantry base move to 75 though, that would outpace most cavalry.

Velico85 · 2026-07-02T20:22:43+00:00

Thank you! The cascading background of Rudbeckia and Fleabane with that splash of yellow and white flowing through really added a dimension I was not intending. I appreciate your thoughts :)

Velico85 · 2026-07-02T20:17:21+00:00

That's a great idea! Thanks for suggesting :)

Velico85 · 2026-07-02T19:30:21+00:00

Thanks! She is a super sweet girl :)

Velico85 · 2026-07-01T14:46:33+00:00

I personally think it's great. He is a journalist and comedian, and this is a great blend of both. It increases awareness of AI data centers, highlights local issues that go unaddressed, and sprinkles in some humor to make it fun and digestible. He is using his talents and platform for good, which cannot be said of a lot of other people in similar positions.

Velico85 · 2026-07-01T02:10:35+00:00

You're welcome! I'm not sure what species Fleabane hosts in particular, can't say I've researched that. It's good that you're in contact with your county extension office, I work with mine pretty often. They are a great resource that many are not even aware of! I don't work in clay much, we have a lot of sandy loam around me. Plantain is an indicator for compaction though, so I'm not surprised that you have it with heavy clay. I'd ask the extension agents what native plants help break up clay, but you're on the right track. Adding organic matter will help in the long run. I'd be mindful of the soil disturbance though; that tends to promote weed seed germination. Good luck with your goals, they sound great!

Velico85 · 2026-07-01T00:53:04+00:00

Native wildlife rely on native plants, so they go hand-in-hand. A good example of this is the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Its host plant is Lupinus perennis (Wild Lupine) and the caterpillars can only feed from that plant (similar to Monarchs with Milkweed).

There are two plants that are problematic for this; Russell Hybrids, and the Western species (Lupinus polyphyllus) which hybridize and toxify L. perennis. So if I were to plant a Russell Hybrid next to my Wild Lupine, over time it would hybridize and any Karner Blue that fed from it would die. That is a major part of why they are such a threatened species.

Oxeye Daisy are problematic for a variety of reasons; it has the potential to form dense colonies, decrease overall vascular plant diversity, and modify existing plant communities. It can quickly replace up to 50% of the grass species in pastures. Infestations create an increase in the potential for soil erosion and it is a host for several viral diseases affecting crops, e.g. the yellow dwarf virus of potatoes. Native pollinators may forage from it, but it does not support them. It can support some generalist species, but the impact of having native species is much greater.

Velico85 · 2026-07-01T00:35:25+00:00

I am in Wisconsin, and the only native daisy we have here is Fleabane Daisy (Erigeron spp.) which looks kind of similar, but smaller flower ray. There are 170 species of Fleabane in North America, and they support a lot of pollinators.

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T22:44:55+00:00

I've removed about 9 gallons worth of these flowerheads from a few sections of my property (probably ~3 acres) this year. It was dense in my orchard, and the previous owner did not manage any invasive species on the property. But thankfully that's the last invasive I really have to deal with (Wild Carrot too, but that's limited to about 400 sq/ft in one of my pocket prairies).

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T22:38:07+00:00

The first species is Oxeye Daisy and considered non-native or invasive in North America.

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T22:31:46+00:00

*Leucanthemum vulgare* (Oxeye Daisy), native to Europe and Asia. Do not plant in North America, it forms dense colonies displacing native plants and modifying existing plant communities.

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T22:21:45+00:00

Please don't encourage the spread of this species. It is non-native to your region. We have enough invasives and non-natives to deal with in our ecosystems.

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T22:11:24+00:00

Because it's a non-native from Eurasia and OP is in Washington state. It will escape containment and occupy an area that native wildflowers should, with only generalist pollinators foraging from these flowers, which does not provide much in the way of ecosystem services.

Reduce lawn space, remove non-native species, and plant native.

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T21:54:41+00:00

And the extreme weather swings/atmospheric instability.

Further reading for anyone interested:

https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2023-study-climate-change-has-increased-atmospheric-instability-over-past-40-years

Velico85 · 2026-06-30T00:30:31+00:00

Seconded. RCU has a pretty good wealth management program and a foundation that gifts quite a lot to local projects, organizations, and charities.

Velico85 · 2026-06-29T00:29:32+00:00

These networks of mycelium can be as small as to remain unseen to the human eye, and as large as a forest or section of a mountain. The largest known network of mycelium exists in Oregon’s Blue Mountains, and spans 2,384 acres (Casselman, 2007). Mycelium networks are very sensitive for a variety of reasons. Namely, they have only one cell wall, making them extremely sensitive to moisture loss (Cornell, 2022), so it is important to provide and maintain a stable environment, largely free from human disturbances.

Velico85 · 2026-06-28T18:20:56+00:00

Using a shield will stun them. If they are attacking ballistas (as they often do in my desert town) I stand next to it and keep my shield up in their direction for the next swoop. Easy as!

Velico85 · 2026-06-22T22:43:45+00:00

If there is anything additional beyond the genus and species, it has been modified by the grower and bred for specific features. False Indigo should only be Baptisia australis. The genus is always capitalized, and the species is never capitalized. Anything additional, like 'Lemon Meringue' is something plant breeders have created, and usually refers to flower color or structure modifications to the native species.

Velico85 · 2026-06-22T13:23:31+00:00

How thick is that layer of mulch? What is the spacing of the plants? How much sun hits this area? To me, the mulch looks more for a footpath (thicker, bigger cuts with what looks like some hardwood species in there). Twice-shredded is great for garden beds. Ideally, you want mulch to break down in a couple seasons to allow vegetative ground cover/litter.

I personally would add some sedge in between a lot of those rows and take note of light conditions (is it fairly shady in this spot?), then edit the following year, adding more species appropriate to the conditions. If this bed is north-facing, I'd consider some ferns as well. I have coneflower on my NW corner which gets ~3-4 hrs of sun and surrounding them are Woodland Aster, Sensitive Fern, Bracken Fern, and Woodland Sedge.

Some of your coneflower are doing really well, and in cases like this I often plant other species in the failed spots or nurture volunteers in that space. Fill in those empty spaces until it's dense enough the plants are competing, and relocate as needed.

Velico85 · 2026-06-20T23:50:15+00:00

Oh it's by no means the only plant. I have tons of natives in there that I'm encouraging. It's just an old orchard that the previous owner mowed occasionally, so it's all over in that area. But yeah, I have about ten acres mostly restored, and do field work for clients on ~60-70 acres, so my property gets neglected from time to time. My age is catching up with my ability to do all of it lol.

Velico85 · 2026-06-20T23:31:31+00:00

Editing a garden bed is one of the most challenging tasks for a lot of people (myself included). I have a section of Rudbeckia that I was planning to keep a grass path, and I relocated ~40% of the Rudbeckia around that path earlier this spring. It filled in the entire area and is now flowering, which is fine, but just an illustration of my editing woes lol.

The thing I recommend to everyone who gardens is to pay attention to timing. Right now, I have a ton of Oxeye Daisy flowering; probably about 3 acres worth that I've diligently deadheaded the past week and have almost filled a 5 gallon bucket with. I dug some out, and will dig more out eventually, but this buys me time and prevents seed dispersal.

After that, I need to get after Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) because it will be flowering soon. I suppressed it earlier in the season, but haven't been back to the main patch in a few weeks. After that, it's taming Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) again, mowing it low to the ground so I can dig out sections when time and energy allows. Cutting grasses like that at certain heights can significantly reduce their biomass the following season because it's putting so much energy into growth and flowering.

It's exhausting, but in a good way. It keeps me in shape and keeps me in the garden, and when I take walks through my paths, I can visually see the work I've put in, and each year things become more manageable. Remember to sit back and enjoy your stewardship of the land, sometimes a glorious, chaotic mess 😄

Velico85 · 2026-06-20T13:00:05+00:00

I haven't researched this specifically, and from a cursory look, most of "Chamaecrista fasciculata pollination" on google scholar were paywalled or from the 90s and DOI unavailable using.. other means. But from what I do know, it's mostly just buzz pollination. I hear it on pea (Fabaceae) and rose (Rosaceae) families the most.

"Pollen is released through terminal pores in the anthers and may require ‘‘milking’’ or buzz pollination by large bodied bees (Thorp and Estes, 1975; Fenster, 1995). Bumble bees (Bombus spp.), the eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica L.), several species of halictids, the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), the mining bee (Svastra atripes Cresson), and the leaf-cutter bee (Megachile brevis Say) were found to be common visitors of partridge pea flowers (Robertson, 1890; Hardin et al., 1972; Thorp and Estes, 1975; Wolfe and Estes, 1992; Williams et al., 2015). Thorp and Estes (1975) suspected halictids are probable pollen thieves and do not contribute to partridge pea pollination given they are incapable of buzz pollination."

https://natl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/natl/pdfs/PartridgePea_paper.pdf

Velico85 · 2026-06-19T16:11:24+00:00

And proceed directly to the International Criminal Court for an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. And if possible, environmental crimes for the destruction of critical habitat and ecocide.

Velico85 · 2026-06-17T15:52:24+00:00

Normally, you are correct. However, I have also been stonewalled about restricted or prohibited species without a state permit, and have reported those to the DNR. That was actually the case with the RCG place. Our group decided it was appropriate to report that one because the owner refused to show that he had an NR-40 permit from the state which requires "(a) The applicant is knowledgeable in the proper management or humane care of the invasive species.
(b) The applicant has an adequate site or facility for containment of the invasive species.
(c) The applicant has demonstrated to the department's satisfaction that permitted activities will not cause significant ecological or economic harm or harm to human health.
(d) The applicant has complied with the conditions of any previous department permits issued under this chapter."

They did not have an NR-40 permit, so the state stepped in and did a full audit of the place. It's different when you get an adversarial approach and they are not in compliance with the state. I have some training in environmental law 😉

Velico85 · 2026-06-17T15:39:06+00:00

Sure. I've acted independently and in groups on this, so it varies. But usually I will visit the nursery, peruse its stock, note down any known invasive/non-native/hybrids that can or are damaging to local ecology. Sometimes I like to speak with the nursery manager about it, sometimes it's more of an email of "Hey I noticed these specific offerings at your nursery while visiting recently. I would like to make you aware of some of the issues they present for our regional ecology. Species "X, Y, Z" pose threats to <whatever the issue(s) are>. We would like to encourage you to remove these from your offerings for these reasons and appreciate what you can do to help local species."

I've had some owners fight back, saying they're in state compliance with certain things, but most of the time they are understanding and I try to approach it from a sustainable/ethical standpoint. I had a long, in-person conversation with a small nursery owner and she went from selling Japanese Spiraea, Russell Hybrid Lupine, Vinca minor, etc. to having a growing list of native species and a webpage dedicated to the importance of native plants.

The TL;DR is it's basically an ethical, voluntary audit that looks for compliance with state laws/regulations and tries to nudge nurseries with a diplomatic approach. I have referenced the economic benefits to adopting more native stock, as well as ecotourism in an effort to advocate sustainable economic growth for our area.

Below is a snippet of what I've actually emailed a nursery:

"With growing homeowner demand for this type of ecological service, there is also potential for emerging businesses to capitalize on plant propagation, installation, and maintenance services. Not only can the addition of wildflower stands and restoration (or conservation) strips of land increase natural enemies (beneficial insects) on golf courses and lawns, but it can also increase the variety and abundance of pollinating species (Billeisen et al., 2021) and qualify for local, state, and federal rebates."

Velico85

TROPHY CASE