Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day April 2010

Spring has arrived in our garden almost overnight it seems. In this garden, entering it's 5th year under my hand: 2 of which were spent pregnant and by mid-summer there was no bending over for me... There is much to be done to get it in shape before it gets away from me again.

So here we go on this April 15, 2010 Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day on a walk through my garden to see what is in bloom.

Native violets are dispersed throughout the garden...

A random Pansy that survived from the fall 2008 plantings...

Hellebores starting to fade in color but seed pods are growing nice and plump...

Phlox growing which needs a massive cutting and possible move or removal...

The name of this vine and early purple bloomer is slipping my mind at the moment. I have a love hate relationship with this plant. In some areas it stays for now, in others it gets ripped out. Depends on my mood when weeding really...

The crab apple tree out front of the house is in bloom...

...and what a pretty place it is to hang a little gord home for the ever returning Carolina Wren!

Into the wooded areas of the garden for some of mother nature's handy work...

The Jack-in-the-pulpits are starting to make their appearance...

The May flowers and spring beauties are carpeting the floor of the woods...

As are these weeds which I am personally trying to pull out as many as I can every year.

To what end I am not sure, but I want to try to stop their spread if I can...

The lovely blood root plants are getting quite large now and are about finished blooming for the spring. I missed them photographically this year...

And some yellow violets at the woods edge...

Chloe is now 2 and is entering her third summer sharing my garden with me. She is becoming quite the little nature girl too... I couldn't be more thrilled with her interests!

Her new brother Riley, just 3.5 months old, will start to spend some more time outdoors too as the weather warms up...

This year I would like to be more consistent with posting on my blog for the monthly Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on the 15th of every month. We'll see how I do!

I will also be contributing to the Beads-of-Clay Blog mid-month with postings on ceramic glaze testings... I really love working in clay. And seeing people enjoy wearing my pendants, which are inspired mostly by nature, really brings things full circle for me

Make sure to stop by later here or to my Marsha Neal Studio Blog to see how this kiln firing turned out and to see if these flower pendants make it into my Etsy shop...

*UPDATE: Here is one of the pendants that came out of this firing 

(Cutout Flower Pendant in Blue Molasses Glaze):

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your garden...

- Post From My iPhone

Spring Cleaning, Outdoor Style...

Ok, my first picture is of where the fairies in my garden live:




It feels great to spend a little time outdoors, especially when I get some of those forever lingering "one day I want to..." off if my to do list. Wish I could find a good metal rake that the handle or head stays on for more than a few good pulls...



Saturday was spent cleaning out the garden, then weeding, then dividing and transplanting some perrenials.



It was nice to be able to actually see the soil and what new plants were making a comeback this season... Lots and lots of little new plants!!!




And I have my very first Hellebore baby!!! This 'mother' plant has been here since 2006 and the seeds have finally matured into this little one - SO relieved to see them!




This Hellebore is starting to get it's seeds.




And I have started on fixing the garden steps...




They need a little clean-up and plantings now...

Ok, getting bloodwork done... My turn!
-- Post From My iPhone

Garden Stuff

I was trying to think of a name for this post along the lines of: End of March garden pictures of stuff in my garden that really has yet to find it's place or potential... But that was too long.
Then there things that I just see...


So here are some images of stuff from my garden:


Salvaged bird bath garden fairy.


Chimes from my grandmom's garden.



A few rusted hose thingies (put in garden in places to keep the hose from crushing plants as you tug on it...)



Cheapy supposed to be indoor, but has been outdoors for years, decorative gate (has yet to find it's perminent home in the garden...)



Some slab sculptures I made back in school while testing outdoor clay bodies (10 winters now!)



Nephew Dylan Halloween/Fall stick and twine sculpture...



Curly walking sticks (Chloe insists they constantly move about the garden)...



Leaning Pagoda, needs a better footer to rest on this year!



Terra Cotta pagoda that my mom gave me (was in our first house garden and traveled here with us)...



A small river rock which looks similar to a dragonfly wing...

These are just a few of the things out in my garden. Just looking around randomly, watching to see what will grow this year...

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to stop back for another visit to see what is coming into bloom...

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Always...

As I become more familiar with my garden and its inhabitants of the plant variety, I feel that I am more connected to it every spring.

And my garden heart starts to come alive again after a winter of hibernation when I see the Hellebores begin to stretch out from their former year's foliage and unfurl their muted tone and textured petals.




These plants were bought in the spring of 2006. Which was at the end of our first full year in this house.



The first year after tearing out so much overgrowth and unkept surburban typical landscaping...



It was picked because of it's resistance to disease and that deer tend to avoid it.

In the spring of 2007 I had purchased two more of these hellebores, one for my garden and a sister plant for my mom's patio garden to accompany some early blooming pansies. At the time my mom was undergoing treatment for Leukemia, and I wanted to give her blooms to see (it was very early spring). Time was not on her side and we did not know if she would see her summer garden in bloom.

Her plant faded in life as she did, but the sister plant in my garden, the Lenten Rose Hellebore thrives. And although I have tried to disperse the seeds, there had been no new plants.

Until today... I happened upon a blog post by Fairegarden (link below) about Hellebores and the babies, which takes two cycles of cold and warm seasons to develop. I quick ran out into the garden to see if I could see any babies and I think there may be a few...




Fairegarden's Blog about Hellebores: Click HERE

I hope these are new babies... Hope, hope, hope...

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spring is just around the corner!

I just got back from my first weight watchers meeting (part of my plan to live a healthier lifestyle for me and my family) and as I was pulling up the drive, I spotted some bright green growth. Daylillies!!

So as Riley slept, I quick scooted over to the garden to see about the Helleboras...



They are amazing! Under 4' of wet & heavy snow for a couple of weeks, and they are even more beautiful than before!




The moss inbetween the flagstones is looking lush...
Is it true? You can blend moss and milk, spread it around and get more coverage growth? Something to try out...



And above, the tiny, new, bright green tips of the day lillies. Wonder if the deer will eat the blooms before we can get a glimpse of them this year... We'll see I guess!

Thanks for stopping by!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Binoculars

I am so excited that at 2 years of age Chloe likes to watch and listen to birds! I can't wait to start to take long walks with her in the mornings once it gets a bit warmer to see what we can find!

For now, around the house and garden will have to do (and why not!)...


This set of binaculars came with a field guide to North American Birds and field notebook for only $10 at a local discount store. She will get a better pair once she knows how to care for them.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Winter 2010 Blizzard Bird Visitors

This winter we have seen so much snow it has been unbelievable!

We had two huge snow storms within a week of each other, dumping at least 2' of snow each.

Right before the first one hit, I made sure to get some suet and seed into the feeders and here are some of the pictures I was able to get while bundled up inside, looking out our kitchen door...

The last of the suet...

Dark Eyed Junco

They will be flying north soon - they love the colder temperatures!

White Throated Sparrow...

One of my favorite little song birds!

According to my Avian Biology Professor (Dr. Roth) at UD, when you hear: "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody..." a White Throated Sparrow is near...

One of many Mourning Dove visitors to the ground beneath the feeders...

A Nuthatch... They are so fast: tree to feeder to tree to feeder...

A Tufted Titmouse...

One of our year round residents!

The Female Northern Cardinal - what a natural looking beauty!

One of the prettier species of local female birds in my opinion...

The Male Northern Cardinal.

Taking in the sunlight (which is why the shot is hazy)...

Ah, yes... One of the storms dumping 2' of snow.

And you can see why there is so much tree and structure damage from these storms...

That snow was very wet and heavy! This tree had a few branches break. Not sure how severe quite yet...

One evening (Feb 26) as I was going up to bed, I noticed how bright it was outside. The moon was either full or a day off of being full, and with all the snow - it was quite amazing.

And here is a picture of the snow receding - finally!

Spring is on the horizon...

These next photos are a series I snapped with my iPhone from our kitchen door.

Both of our cats are indoor felines, for many reasons... for their protection as well as for the protection of the birds and other smaller outdoor critters...

Peeves will sit all day and watch the birds...

Coming in for a landing...

Happy to have extra seed close by to throw out the door to them...

Notice Peeves head starting to peek over the bottom of the door...

Oops... they saw her...

Love that the camera was able to catch the birds in flight like this - very cool!

We also have our resident Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Red Headed Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and little brown Sparrows around.

Recently we have had some Red Winged Black Birds and Common Grackles stop by. And last night as we were getting ready for dinner, a mother White Tailed Deer and her three (not all hers) yearlings stopped by as well to get some seed to eat... Unfortunately one of the yearlings was limping quite bad with one of his back legs, as if he was grazed by a car. Hope the injury heals and we keep seeing all three yearlings this spring...