Groundhog and Woodpecker

Our fat friend was out munching on fallen leaves this afternoon. As a side note, this rhododendron is slightly behind its neighbors, just coming into bloom a couple weeks behind the others.

I think this is a downy woodpecker on our dead tree in the front, although it was kind of too far away for a certain identification.

Garden happenings

The basil is looking great- the scallions in the middle, less so. They really should have been direct-sown.

This was mint that I threw in the pot after I tore it out of the yard (a battle I continue to fight, but am winning!). I am pleased to have it (contained!).

The marigolds transplanted from seed are growing nicely, though the ones I put in the front were eaten right away - slugs?

The hot peppers and forget-me-nots transplanted from seedlings are still tiny. And desperately need thinning.

Rhododendrons in the back are at their peak, and gorgeous.

Lesson for next year: don't plant anything under what will turn out to be a very healthy, large peony plant! These stock plants are still doing fine, but they're literally and figuratively overshadowed.

Sun patterns - May 23

7:15 AM

9:15am

1:30pm

4:00pm

6:00pm

Birdwatching

Sitting in the solarium and working offers a prime view of the many birds that pass through our yard. There are countless robins, and grackles and bluejays and cardinals, but I have needed a guide to identify some of the others.

Here and below is a Yellow-Throat, a type of warbler, on a rhododendron - which are now coming into bloom

This and below is an Olive-Backed Thrush, a relative of the robin

I have also seen downy and flicker woodpeckers.

Garden happenings

For Mother's Day, a week ago, my request was to spend time gardening. I did, and picked up a case of poison ivy from the patch of shrubs, ground cover, and (belatedly discovered) poison ivy in the front of our house, by the trees by the sidewalk. I look like I have smallpox, and want to scratch all my skin off.

This is the patch with the offending plants. I will forward this picture to our lawn people and beg for assistance.

Meanwhile, I've been doing a little weeding/trimming of the rest of the landscaping. It still doesn't look like much. The lantana plant has perhaps spread the most so far.

Phlox, stock, begonias, geranium. I planted a ready-made "plant pot" with 3 zucchini seeds in it behind the flowers last week. We'll see whether it comes up.

Geranium, begonia on the other side of the front step

The view down the steps. On the right is a peony plant that looks poised to produce beautiful blooms.

I pulled out two of the small boxwoods along the front pathway - the ones I'd haphazardly tried to prune earlier. They were looking more and more dead. The third, visible in the last picture above, still looks mostly healthy.

You'll see a lot of brown debris in the pictures - the trees in both the front and back yard shed an ENORMOUS quantity of those bits. On a windy day, they floated down so thickly they might have been snow.

More planting

Today and yesterday I transplanted my "mini-greenhouse" seedlings.

On the side of the patio in back, I put forget-me-nots and hot peppers….because why not?!

A bed adjacent to the house in back got the marigold seedlings

The basil and scallions went into a planter

And finally, check out my lovely bouquet of lilacs and azaleas.

Spring Planting - Front Yard

Bought flowers today at Metropolitan Plant and Flower Exchange, in West Orange, close by. The staff was very friendly, and the place has a decent - though not huge - selection.

Our tulips remain alive and kicking in the back. Bottom left is phlox, then the vertical row to the right of it is stock, and next row is begonia, then a pink geranium.

Phlox (one of my two perennial selections)

Stock ("midget mix" - there are pink and white in addition to purple

Snapdragon, but alas! They don't appear to snap. Has that quality been bred out of all of them?

Begonia

Gazania. I'm not sure yet whether I like this plant.

Lantana

Wormwood, my second of two perennials. I was attracted by its smell. The varietal is called "Powis Castle," a place we loved in Wales.

Brachyscome. I don't know anything about it, but it is pretty.

This is one of the plants that was already there, but I noticed a tag on it - now we know what it is!

Note the azalea starting to bloom in the foreground, and in the background - white lilacs! Two of them! Already there, not new. UPDATE: they are not lilacs; they are some variety of viburnum.

Gazania and portulaca next to our spontaneous primrose.