The birds

Although I have seen several "murmurations" of starlings while out and about (we're talking in the thousands), few have shown up in my backyard... until the other day.

I'm guessing there were about 200 birds there, feeding on something in the grass. Since then, the temps dropped and snow fell (about an inch or so). Still not many starlings at the feeders, but yesterday the robins stripped those winterberry shrubs in the above pic. The hawthorn tree in the front yard is looking rather bare as well.

In November, my son's girl friend gifted me with an Erva purification disc for the birdbath. I finally "installed" it the other day. It won't keep the birdbath clean of dirt from the birds, but it is supposed to have antimicrobial properties to help limit alga and other nasty things invisible to the human eye. I've read old pennies (pre-1943) also work.

On a non-avian topic, the other non-slip application on the ramp into the shed is failing. My next plan of action is to find something I can screw into the wood. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Despite the long to-do list in my last post, there are a few more things I would like to tackle in the yard this coming season. One is to do something about my non-composting compost bin. I add mostly kitchen scraps to it, but not much is happening, probably because the contents of the bin don't get much moisture. So after I dig everything out, turn it, add some other crap, etc., I will drill some holes in the lid to let in the rain. After all, compost is black gold and free fertilizer.

Frosty

This past week we had several light frosts that have touched the more tender plants, but they were not what I consider killing frosts. Don't tell Mother Nature, though, as she is continuing with her plan to follow the frosts with what we used to call "Indian summer". The forecast is for warmish, dry weather in the foreseeable future.

Two of the ninebark shrubs that were planted in 2023 didn't take hold, so the landscape guy replaced them... with something different? I didn't notice the difference until the shrubs began to turn color this fall - the two replacements are not like the original one. Maybe as they mature, they will look more alike? I don't mind that they don't match, but I like to know what I have.

Original ninebark

Replacement ninebark

A while back, I posted about sticking nonskid strips to the garden shed ramp. As a follow-up, I want to report that the narrow gray strips are not adhering very well. If you are considering nonskid strips, take heed.

This past week, I've been involved with purchasing a new car. For some reason, I find it to be incredibly stressful. I'd rather have a root canal. Or three.

Name that tune

Several years ago, I tried the bird identifying app Merlin and was not impressed. But I decided to try it again. It is much better. While I can visually identify most of the birds in my backyard, their songs frequently escape me.

It's no surprise that most of the birdsong in my yard is from sparrows. Merlin also picked up a black-capped chickadee's staccato cheeps; I located it in the (dead) tulip tree, feeding on bugs. Merlin identified the hawk I hear so frequently as a red-shouldered hawk. Mystery solved.

Of course, that is assuming the accuracy of the app. Ideally, one would visually confirm the link between the bird and the birdsong. A photo would be even better. But I'm lazy and don't want to move from my lawn chair. Or I just can't sight the damn bird. Or so many are LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs) and are difficult to tell apart.

My SO and I took a bit of a hike at Fox Island. Many (MANY) years ago, I participated in a ground water study there, which gave me an opportunity to view the wildflowers over several seasons. My tiny brain has not retained the names of those wildflowers, but we enjoyed them nonetheless.

I have a tendency to plan a project, purchase the needed supplies, then never actually complete the project. Yesterday I actually accomplished one: adding nonskid strips to the garden shed ramp. When wet, the ramp is slick, even moreso when covered with snow or ice.

The black strips were easy to install: remove backing and press. The narrow gray strips were a nightmare. The backing layers separated. My thumbnails are sore from trying to pick at the backing (I eventually resorted to using a box cutter). We'll see which ones last the longest.

This must be the year of the hydrangea. All over town, shrubs are dense with bursting blossoms. My own 'Limelight' hydrangea has joined in.

It looks like it will be a banner year for goldenrod as well.

Below is a photo of the morning sun. I took the picture because the sun was red, but it didn't translate onto the image. Too bad, because it was stunning.

While on the topic of photos, Dropbox no longer is working between my devices, probably because I have been using the free version which apparently is no long free, or free for only a limited time. How best to transfer photos from my phone to laptop now? Well, today I discovered I can link those two devices. It's not as simple to use as Dropbox, but it works fine.

Sounds of spring (weekend edition)

We are having a lovely weekend, if a bit cool, with threat of frost tonight. So my neighbors are out with their various power tools and such. I too decided it was time to mow and trim the front yard, but I'm leaving the back for another day.

Speaking of trimming, I stopped at Lowes to take a look at the EGO trimmers. I hate, HATE, HATE loading the string on my electric trimmer. The EGO ones load automatically. They are also battery powered, so I wouldn't have to wrestle with the extension cord anymore. However, they seem kind of heavy to me. Also, now that the raised beds are gone, I won't have that much to trim. So I postponed that purchase.

Last weekend, my SO helped me disassemble the "rainbow" shed. This shed is a perfect example of my yardening karma. I thought it would be a good playhouse for my granddaughter, but, you know, spiders. Then I spray painted it rainbow colors; the cans said the paint would stick to ANY surface, but it did not stick to that shed. I did store lawn furniture and some pots in it over the winter, but otherwise, it went unused. Because of the flaky paint, no one else would want it, so it will probably end up at the dump. (That piece of plywood was under the floor. It too will be going to the dump.) At least there were no animal burrows under it.


My SO and I also cleaned out the "big" shed. There wasn't much to throw away, just a lot or rearranging. The few remaining vegetable gardening doodads, like the grow bags, went to my neighbor across the street. Then we cleaned gutters: he wrangled the ladder while I did the climbing.

During the week, I cleaned up the beds on the south side of the house a bit. My plan is to move the perennials from the bed by the fence to the new wildflower corner, but I am beginning to think it would just be easier to get new plants. For decades I scrimped and saved so I could retire, which results in this mentality of making do even though making do is sometimes a lot of work. Also, I'm concerned about reintroducing weeds like creeping Charlie into that area after it is treated by the landscapers. Today I potted a clump of rhubarb, which left me with an aching back.

Meanwhile, I continue to spend my children's inheritance at Wild Birds Unlimited. This time I came home with a new finch feeder. Even with a coupon, it was a bit expensive, but it is supposed to be easy to clean and antimicrobial. Right now the house finches are sticking with safflower seed and the sock nyger feeder.

As you can see, the daffodils are blooming. Buds are swelling on most of the flowering trees like the serviceberry and redbud. I just hope tonight's low temps don't damage them.

Can we have a new normal?

Since the pandemic started, many (NOT ALL) of us have been wishing and waiting until we can "get back to normal". Well, that old normal was not all that great, especially for some people and some places. I try to keep politics and social issues out of my blogs - that's not why I write - but some things just cry out to be mentioned. I hope the protests lead (peacefully) to significant change, and the only way to change things for the better is to get involved however we can (money, time, letter writing, running for office, etc.) and to VOTE. If you don't vote, it looks like you don't care, and I can't believe anyone doesn't care about how we move forward from this point. (End of sermon.)

I was beginning to think that the only critters I was going to see at the hummingbird feeder were ants. I fixed that problem by applying Vaseline petroleum jelly to the metal pole holding the feeder. Soon after, I spotted a female hummer. But only one. I didn't know if that was normal (it is), so I looked up some info about hummingbirds at this site. Some friends of mine have been able to spot hummingbird nests in their trees, but my ranch house does not offer the same vantage point their 2-story home does. Caring for a hummingbird feeder is almost like having another pet - the nectar needs to be replaced every 3-4 days. It's for only a few months (she said optimistically).

Speaking of critters, my dog Clio managed to mangle her muzzle and ear, presumably in the torn hardware cloth skirting the shed. That lead to a bacterial infection AND a fungal infection. She was a mess, had to visit the vet, and now wears the cone of shame.

My SO helped me update the skirting around the shed with some plastic trellis. Since I didn't want to lie awake at night, worrying about whether we trapped a nest of baby bunnies under the shed and they were slowly starving to death, we left a gap for critters to come and go. Only later did it occur to me that Finn, my inside/outside cat, could also come and go. Finn was a stray who developed a taste for baby bunnies - he eats them, doesn't torture them - so I decided that was okay. Maybe someday there will be NO critters under the shed.

In my effort to downsize the garden, I moved some of the raised bed frames so that they surround the clumps of big bluestem and rattlesnake master plants near the back of the yard. The idea is to offer the dogs a visual clue so that they don't trample the plants - they like to run along the fence. I, the Toro jockey, will also have a visual clue and will be able to mow that area without damaging said plants. I plan to move some coneflower and rudbekia to those beds as well.

So now I have four islands of weeds in the middle of the garden. The weeds look rather grasslike - I'm guessing it's mostly quack grass. Ugh. I am not looking forward to dealing with that.

Meanwhile, up on the deck, the strawflowers are blooming. The plants aren't very tall, so maybe I will add something to the pot...

...like some zinnias. The seedlings are popping up. Zinnias and sunflowers are some of my favorite annuals. And marigolds, but I skipped them this year.

I was looking through some of my photos out on flickr the other day and marveling over how much better they look than the ones I take now. Back then, I was making more of an effort to take good pics, now I am barely documenting what is going on in the yard, and then only as a reminder because I suffer from CRS (Can't Remember Sh*t). Maybe I'll do better once things get under control (HAHAHAHA).

The trials of March

"Sheltering in place" does not mean one cannot go out in the yard and work on spring clean up chores. The front yard looks relatively tidy, so I've been concentrating on the backyard. If I lived in the country, I would just do a controlled burn to get rid of all the dead plant material, but alas, I am a suburbanite and must abide by local laws.

The dogs have been inordinately interested in the garden shed and now I know why: something (I'm guessing a woodchuck, hence the name of this blog) has managed to breech the hardware cloth barrier I oh-so-carefully-but-apparently-not-carefully-enough skirted the shed with last fall. Some of this damage may have been inflicted by the dogs, though. There are days when I wonder why-oh-why did I adopt these knuckleheads?

My SO suggested we cut up some plastic trellis and use that instead of the hardware cloth. I agreed but have this sinking feeling that an animal that can chew through hardware cloth will have no trouble with plastic.

While a construction crew toils away resolving the neighborhood-wide drainage issue (getting us high and dry must be an essential service), I have drainage issues in my own backyard. The clay soil does not help. Yesterday the ground wasn't too bad, but of course today it is raining AGAIN.

I like to get a pic of the few remaining crocus blooms before rabbits eat them. The snowdrops and snow crocus are already gone, and it occurred to me that perhaps they *have* bloomed before this year, but I didn't notice because they haven't created clumps yet, so come and go without much fanfare.

Last summer I thought I had eradicated the cocklebur, but apparently not. The dogs come in with these things stuck to their collars, then they stick to whatever I am wearing, like Velcro.

I looked through previous March blog posts, to see if this year is different, but no. March is the limbo between winter and spring. Last year my hip was a good excuse for not keeping up. This year, thankfully, that is not a problem anymore. Time to get crackin' - if it ever stops raining.

Hardscape is hard

I don't know if a tractor tire counts as hardscape, but removing one is certainly not easy. Many years ago I gave it an unsuccessful try, then resigned myself to living with it. However, when I suggested my SO have a go, he accepted the challenge.

The previous owners had installed the tire as a sandbox for their kids, so the soil is very sandy. Despite my efforts to humus-ize it over the years, it is still not the best growing medium. Also, the dumb thing is just in the way.

While my SO slaved away at the tire, I whacked away at the nearby raspberry patch. Despite my annual cleaning ritual, this raised bed had become choked with trumpet vine (one plant that should come with a warning label) and red clover. The berry crop was barely worth suffering through the mosquitoes for.

Once we are past the hellish weather of August, I plan to move the rhubarb to a raised bed, then level this spot out. A coralberry bush (which can have an 8' spread) is slated to go somewhere between the raspberry bed and the rhubarb tire. I haven't decided yet whether to plant a new raspberry bed elsewhere.

Another project in progress is the new resin shed. I told my 6-year-old granddaughter that she could paint it, but when she started talking rainbows, I took matters - and a dozen cans of spray paint - into my own hands.

She was disappointed not to be involved in this step, but I didn't want her breathing paint fumes. I'm going to add some definition to the bands of color, then she can add details to her heart's content.

No new beds!

At least, that is what I tell myself when I see a plant I WANT. Today it was Ninebark 'Ginger Wine' at the Home Depot. It needs full sun. The best location for full sun in my front yard is the southeast corner. I've contemplated creating a dogleg bed there. Wouldn't 'Ginger Wine' look nice, with a couple of 'Fire Chief' Globe Arborvitae and a ground cover of some sort? Maybe next year. I need to get the current beds under control.

The best bloomer right now is the blackhaw viburnum, a.k.a. Viburnum prunifolium. It needs a little pruning to get it out of the arborvitae's hair. There are also some interlopers trying to grow right along with it.

We had some frost a few nights ago, so the blossoms don't look so nice anymore. I hope that does not mean no fruit. That would be a repeat of last year.

When the privacy fence was installed last year, I asked the crew if they could raise the garden shed, to help discourage the resident woodchuck. They obliged, but a side affect was difficulty getting the push lawnmower in and out of the shed.

My SO is handy with power tools and there is an odd assortment of pressure treated lumber from various other projects, so he whipped together this ramp. As Red Green says, " If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." (My SO is handsome, too!)

The rain has abated for a few days, the gas lines were marked yesterday, and the other utilities will be marked tomorrow. THEN I will be able to plant the shrubs I purchased in April. Only gardeners get excited about digging holes.

Bed by bed

Anne Lamott wrote a book called Bird by Bird. It's mostly about writing, but maxims for writers can apply to gardeners as well. The title reflects how to attack a large project: bit by bit.

Native sampler

My yard is rather large, which I consider a good thing, but sometimes the sheer amount of work to keep it up overwhelms me. Despite my attempts to make things easier, they seem to get more complicated. But if I can take things one bed at a time, I shall prevail.

Native sampler getting fenced in

For several years I've contemplated adding another structure to the yard, leaning toward a screened-in gazebo. The new fence provides so much privacy now, that idea has evaporated. But my g'daughter has been trying to build a clubhouse of sorts in the bushes. This inexpensive resin shed should serve that purpose, plus give me some place to store lawn furniture in the winter.

Resin shed

The brand/model is Keter Manor (purchased at Menards), size 4'x6'. And it is a BEAR to assemble. It takes two people, and it is especially helpful if one of them is tallish with a certain amount of upper body strength. And power tools. My SO did most of the actual labor while I supervised/assisted. Be prepared to argue over discuss the instructions.

The garden proper evolves, and will continue to do so in the near and distant future. We removed the movable fence, then reduced the footprint by doubling the height of the raised beds and shoving them closer together. I have a reminder on my calendar to take photos from these five perspectives throughout the growing season, so we can track further changes.

Looking SW

Looking NW

Looking NE

Looking SE

Orchard - looking SW

Today it is rainy, so I'm glad I soldiered on yesterday. Not much is blooming - a few daffodils, even fewer crocus, the forsythia. Many buds look ready to burst on the early-blooming shrubs. Hope a frost does not ruin the show.