Lots of slate-colored juncos have been hanging out in the yard these last few days.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Planting bulbs
SUCH a gorgeous Indian summer day today! The temperature moseyed up to the mid-seventies. I took advantage by planting some of my bulbs along the back wall of the back yard - daffodils and Spanish bluebells. They all called for "full to part sun" so I hope there is enough light for them. I also hope squirrels and chipmunks don't dig them up.
I am making a map, based on the official survey of our property, of where I'm planting stuff, so I don't forget!
I am making a map, based on the official survey of our property, of where I'm planting stuff, so I don't forget!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Fall
'Tis fall. I have read that this is a "mast year" for oak trees, which explains why there are MILLIONS of acorns in our yard. I really should google whether there are any practical uses for acorns.
The leaves are starting to change color in our yard, and increasingly falling, though it hasn't gotten out of hand yet. I bought 30 lawn-and-leaf bags to be ready!
As our mowing people finished their work in September, I also secretly bought a reel mower, and have now mowed two sections of the back lawn after painstakingly removing the acorns. I just kind of hate getting our lawn mowed. I hate the loud mower and I hate, hate, hate their leaf blowers. There was a heated debate on our neighborhood listserv about leaf blowers. I stayed out of it.
My trusty 1947-copyright edition of Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds" has two plates on "Confusing Fall Warblers," and I have come to think of that as its own species, as in "Hey look, it's a Confusing Fall Warbler!" since I guess I have been seeing some of them. But I managed to identify one from yesterday: I am pretty confident it is a Myrtle Warbler, although these pictures are pathetic:
The pine tree behind the driveway has a lot of needles turning yellow and dropping, and I looked this up and apparently it is normal in the fall. It is likely a white pine.
The leaves are starting to change color in our yard, and increasingly falling, though it hasn't gotten out of hand yet. I bought 30 lawn-and-leaf bags to be ready!
As our mowing people finished their work in September, I also secretly bought a reel mower, and have now mowed two sections of the back lawn after painstakingly removing the acorns. I just kind of hate getting our lawn mowed. I hate the loud mower and I hate, hate, hate their leaf blowers. There was a heated debate on our neighborhood listserv about leaf blowers. I stayed out of it.
My trusty 1947-copyright edition of Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds" has two plates on "Confusing Fall Warblers," and I have come to think of that as its own species, as in "Hey look, it's a Confusing Fall Warbler!" since I guess I have been seeing some of them. But I managed to identify one from yesterday: I am pretty confident it is a Myrtle Warbler, although these pictures are pathetic:
The pine tree behind the driveway has a lot of needles turning yellow and dropping, and I looked this up and apparently it is normal in the fall. It is likely a white pine.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Catching up
Summer is for BEING outdoors, not BLOGGING about outdoors. So let us catch up (though it is still almost 80 outside!).
First, before I forget, I looked it up and I'm in gardening zone 7A.
I just ordered some bulbs today, based largely on deer resistance, except for the irresistible tulips:
First, before I forget, I looked it up and I'm in gardening zone 7A.
I just ordered some bulbs today, based largely on deer resistance, except for the irresistible tulips:
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| This was just yesterday, at Reeves-Reed Arboretum nearby. It is small, but lovely, even this late in the year. |
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| Black-capped chickadee, Sept. 17 |
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| Sept 17....what the heck? As if I can identify this bird based on this picture? The point is that there are occasionally brownish birds that pass quickly through, I never manage to get a good photo or even a good look, I don't know what they are (and they're not even all the same kind), and it drives me crazy. Sigh. |
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| I don't know what this flowering shrub is - it was here when we moved in. We didn't even realize it would bloom! It was at its peak around Aug. 23, and just gorgeous. Wish I could identify it! |
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| Look at the size of this fungus! This was Sept. 3 |
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| This just shows that there was a branch that the tree removal people broke on the live tree, and didn't notice, and now it has brown leaves, obvi. I was going to follow up and ask them to remove it and I, uh, didn't. |
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Landscaping envy
I just thought this was pretty. It was a house neighboring one where we were at a party. I liked the trees overhanging the path/patio area. And the ground cover was pretty. This was actually the side of the house; I didn't even look at it from the front.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Frail flowers and flourishing fawns
While the plants in front are doing well on the whole, some of our perennials in back are muddling along.
And if they're not all doing great, this may be one of the reasons: here comes the next generation of garden gourmands! Cute, but naughty.
Unrelated to struggling foliage, I have had my eye on a brown mystery bird when it has appeared very briefly in the yard a few times. It drives me mad not to be able to identify it. I am lately thinking it is a type of wren - perhaps a winter wren? It moves around so much that it's hard to get a good look, much less a photo.
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| The hydrangea's blooms are pathetic. |
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| I guess our chewed-up mystery plants were coneflowers? I think? Not exactly thriving, but at least blooming! |
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| I really should weed. Yeah. I really should. |
And if they're not all doing great, this may be one of the reasons: here comes the next generation of garden gourmands! Cute, but naughty.
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| Two fawns and a doe |
Unrelated to struggling foliage, I have had my eye on a brown mystery bird when it has appeared very briefly in the yard a few times. It drives me mad not to be able to identify it. I am lately thinking it is a type of wren - perhaps a winter wren? It moves around so much that it's hard to get a good look, much less a photo.
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