Hello Spring!

 Song - When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin' Along by Bing Crosby

 

 Mr. & Mrs. Titmouse have been busy making their home a showstopper for 2021.  For two weeks one of them would be in the house tap-tap-tapping all day long as the other one flitted back and forth making sure all was well.  I guess they were hoping to enlarge their nesting box.  

 

I get so much enjoyment from these two and am able to help teach my grandson Henry about birds and their nests.

 

 

A birdhouse in the shade garden fell to the ground sometime this winter - probably by a squirrel - and Mr. B was kind enough to help rehang it with extra screws!

 

It may be too late for the birds to use this spring but it will be ready for them next year.

We have been seeing this small little wren like birds and I found out that they are Bushtits.  They love the suet feeder full of bugs and nuts! They also like the nesting balls I have hanging on our trees.

They work very hard at pulling the cotton out of the twig ball and just when you think they have too much to fly with, they go in for even more!

Even the hummingbirds go in for this nesting material.  They have gone through two balls this month so I just purchased two more along with some refill for the first two!  

Two days ago I woke up to find two beautiful deer in our backyard happily munching away on my roses. In 25 years they have never gotten into our backyard and when I walked out to see the damage they had done I almost cried.  My new tender rose growth, the hydrangeas, new shoots from my sweet peas....gone....now I love deer but not in my garden!  Mr. B and I went out that day with deer repellent and sprayed the yard.....I have two more bottles coming in the mail today!  Yesterday I opened the front curtain and there was a big ol' turkey on my front porch.  He didn't do much damage and I was glad that Henry got to see him and now walks around the house saying "gobble, gobble"!

One more beautiful troublemaker in my yard - hawks!  Just while I was typing this post I saw him fly into a tree right outside my door.  I see you Mr. Hawk trying to hide behind the wind chimes!!!

 

"Enjoy the little things in life for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things."

--Kurt Vonnegut

 

 

Spring Castle

Song -  Wildflowers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

A beautiful spring blooming clematis in the gardens at Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds.

Proper Distancing

Song - Mother Goose by Jethro Tull

Above - This is NOT proper social distancing....

...and this is PROPER social distancing!

The geese have been enjoying our roof as well as our neighbors.

Here comes Spring!

Ah, Spring....

Song - The Four Seasons -Spring - Allegro by Antonio Vivaldi

"The first blooms of Spring always make my heart sing."

--S. Brown

Unfurling

Song - Primavera by Santana

Did you celebrate the Vernal Equinox on Monday? It is officially Spring!

Between the few rain showers, I have been enjoying watching my garden awaken as well as the animal life around our home.

The apple trees are full of blossoms

And the big tree ferns are all unfurling

My Freesia's have never had so many buds

 While walking around my garden the other morning, I noticed these dead bits hanging out of a Privet tree on the side yard and when I peeked inside there was a nest.

 Must have been from last year as it is on a bush that I prune back each spring and fall.

Not sure what kind of bird may have created it but I am hoping they will reuse it this Spring!

Meanwhile the Mourning Doves did not visit their nest for a week or so.  I figured that they must have found a better place but......in the last 3-4 days they have returned and mama is sitting on it daily now!

I caught Zipper with his hand in the "cookie jar" (draining the bird feeder) this morning looking very regretful.  I guess I will have to call him by a different name as he is a she.....and she is nursing her babies.  I guess I will have to stop throwing ice and lemons at her too.......sorry little mama......

 Peony's

 Bearded Iris

More ferns unfurling

"Springtime is the land awakening.  

March winds are the morning yawn." 

- Lewis Grizzard

Spring is in the Air

Song -  The Green Green Grass of Home by Joan Baez

Five days ago mama Mourning Dove was sitting on the nest with out any evidence of  babies.

Then this morning, guess who showed up? She was in the nest alone because I think mama was out getting something to eat. I'm going to name her 'lil Debbie Dove.

The Spring garden is full of life.  

The Dogwoods are in full bloom in the shade garden.

The lettuce that Tyler planted last fall is yielding some beautiful plants just ready for eating.

Freesia is bloom in both the front yard and back yard.

The Wisteria is full of blooms and happy bees!

Roses are just starting to burst into bloom.

Hosta's are emerging from their winter sleep.

Dogwoods up close.

 Soloman's Seal fills in the base of the shade garden

Camelia's are just finishing up their blooms.  This plant was left from the original owners of our house and it produces non-stop!  I call them Nancy's blooms.  Maybe 'lil Debby Dove will fly over to Nancy's blooms one day soon?

 Our lovely apple tree is filled with these soft pink blooms.  One of my favorites!

 And of course our lawn is filled, filled, filled with Dandelions.  They remind me of childhood and blowing a wish. 

 Bearded Iris - fist blooms!

 I forget what this ground cover is called but don't these flowers look like they are having a conversation?  And maybe one is sticking his tongue out at the other?

 Even the Japanese Maples are happy that it is Spring!

And here is my little buddy Mika who was walking around the garden with me but then got tangled up in the lemon trees.


"If life gives you lemons, don't settle for simply making lemonade - make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand." -- Elizabeth Gilbert

Petal Pushers

Song - For the Roses by Joni Mitchell

Woke to a beautiful sunrise this morning and decided to take a walk around the garden.  The birds were incredible, singing to each other and to me!

And just as I am writing this post two Red House Finches flew through the open door and into our dining room.  I think they thought it might be a nice place to build a nest! I shooed them back out before they got too comfortable on the chandelier!


Spring must be in the air and romance is all around me. Both yesterday and today two Canadian Geese landed on our roof and did their little happy dance then flew down into our swimming pool. Ugg!  I sent Mika out to take care of that situation and she did it beautifully!  So proud of herself afterwards that she could scare a critter twice as big as she is!

Luckily it wasn't this beautiful Great Blue Heron who was fishing in our backyard creek several days ago! 



On with our garden stroll....

White Wisteria - the scent is incredible!

The Dogwood trees are getting ready to pop!

Little Santa Barbara Daisies are smiling everywhere!

Morning dew on my roses......

Seed pods on the October Glory tree are a beautiful color against the bright blue sky

Purple Wisteria on the arbor in our side yard

Callery Pears are filling the front yard with their billowy blossoms

And it is snowing white petals!

Freesia's are popping up everywhere and scenting the garden

Climbing Climatis are just budding now

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change" --Buddha