Out & About – Week 4 – Fertilizer Friday

It’s Tootsie’s weekly Fertilizer Friday and I’m a little late on getting this posted this week because most of the week was drizzly and yucky.  Not a great picture taking venue.  But I caught up today cuz it was back to sunshine and 70+ degrees.  Yahoo!

I found some Datura seeds that I forgot I had taken from my daughter last summer so they went into peat pellets.

From this……

 

 

To this…..

 

To, hopefully, this….

So here’s a peek at what is growing in my yard right now.

The Cyclamen is in a pot and is being taken out in the morning, and in at night.  Night temperatures are still a little unpredictable.

When I hopped in my car to go to the bird supply store today, I grabbed my camera. Just in case.  I’m so glad I did!  Look what I saw for the first time ever!

How cool is that!  I’ll post a few more pictures in my next post because I saw something even more awesome that I would like to share.

If you want to see what’s going on in other gardens around this great earth, pop over to Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday.

P.S.  Guess what?  It’s May!

Earth Day & The Story of Stuff

Do you ever become so involved in your life that it’s almost like you live in a bubble?  I don’t know about you but I know it happens to me.   That’s what happened yesterday.  So I’m “outing” myself.  I neglected to post on Earth Day!   As I sit here with my head hung low, I choose to lift my head up and hold it high and get on with it today.  Because if just one person reads this post and checks out the video and ponders   “Hmmmm…..”, it will have been worth it!   Food for thought.  And you don’t have to be a tree hugger.

The Story of Stuff

Pardon my blunder and have a great weekend.

Out & About – Week 3 & Fertilizer Friday

It’s been a very odd spring here in New England.  Unseasonably warm and periods of heavy rain seem to have sent all things with roots into high gear.  The bloom schedule is way out of whack!  

As we say good bye to these….

We say hello to….

Flowering Almond is  so pretty.  I feel like this is a bit on the early side.

Leopard’s Bane is a true work horse in the garden.  It often blooms twice in the garden.  With this early start it may go for 3!

Grapevines are budding!  I really need to get this wild thing under control.

Coming around nicely………

Foxglove

 

 Hydrangeas   

Lupines

Peony

Oriental Poppy – one of my faves!

Pulmonaria

 

Lamium & Sweet Woodruff

Catnip – is looking good!  For now!  Soon the kitties will be rolling in it with wreckless abandon like a hippy in the 60’s!  And acting just as funky!

My brugmansias arrived from Florida and were potted up yesterday.  Fingers are crossed!

Now these are the most unwelcome guests of all!  Japanese Beetles are very early and I was shocked to find them yesterday. 

 Nasty bugs doing nasty things.  It’s going to be a long summer with these guys!

Well that’s it for this week.  Can’t wait to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods.  Head on over to Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie’s blog.

Out & About – Week 2 – Fertilizer Friday

I love to keep a timeline of what is going on in the great outdoors.  Which plants are blooming as well as the wildlife that emerges or migrates back to the area.  

Last week I was out & about and here are a few of the pics.

In my own yard….

Brussel sprouts!  I was shocked to see this is growing from the last year.   It was the first time I grew it so that was one of my experiments.

Leftover garlic.

And leeks.  And acorns, of course!

This beautiful tree blooms for a very short time every Spring.  Such a pretty addition to the landscape.  I wish it lasted longer!

Hydrangeas are budding.

Tulips & Hyacinths…..no garden is complete without them.

Nor these, unfortunately.

Neighboring towns….

I love this place.  It’s a house on a corner so it’s easy to see the pond from the side street.  It was quiet on this day.  Usually it’s brimming with geese and ducks.

Only one lonely duck on this day.

Then just down the road, this beautiful pair.

I hadn’t been to this pond in quite some time and was delighted to see this beautiful swan. 

 

Her partner was across the pond when I started feeding her but not for long.

 

What beautiful creatures!

We’ve had a very wet spring in the northeast and it hasn’t been very much fun.  

But there is a bright side.

Flowering trees have all exploded at the same time.    I’m happy to enjoy the beautiful sight even if just for a short time.

So that’s what’s been going on in my area over the last week.  I hope you are enjoying the bounty of Mother Earth’s wand too!  I look forward to seeing everyone’s posts on Tootsie’s Fertilizer Friday.

Out & About – Week 1 - Fertilizer Friday

Spring is such a welcome time of year for me.    I love being outdoors.  The first true sign is seeing the crocuses pop through the soil.  But there are others……

Right around the time the crocuses appear, these guys show up.

This year, after the snow melted away, a long forgotten issue resurfaced.Acorns!   Last year was a banner year for acorns.  They.are.everywhere! 

Next to appear in my yard……

Daffodils

Hyacinths

 

Foxglove

***********************

Beyond my own yard, I also like to grab my camera,  hop in the car and get out & about!   I just  need to see what’s going on in the ‘hood!

Forsythia

This one I do not know.  It’s pretty though!

Over by the pond….Weeping Willow?

Trees are budding!

Geese are swimming!

Ducks are nesting! 

A horse enjoying a day in the sun!

Today was a glorious day here in New England.  About 76 degrees!

The kind of day that makes me count my blessings.

Ain’t Spring grand?  These are just a few of the reasons that I like to be out & about!

Now pop on over to visit Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday post.  She has a visitor!