It's that wonderful time of the year when everything just wants to grow. The extreme hot and cold temperatures aren't present and the rain is plentiful. In fact, maybe a little too plentiful. I've been working a lot outside, but have to plan everything carefully between the rain storms. The grass is lush and we have to mow twice a week now.
Having gone through one season at our new house, I'm starting to understand the yard a little better. There are invasive plants in every bed, but I think we're making progress against them. We still have poison ivy, but we have eliminated it from several areas. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but for now, here are somethings I saw recently during a Second Look.
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| The pansies I planted last fall are actually gone now. I recently replaced them with begonias. |
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| The iris are almost gone. I've started to divide and move them because they have grown into the fence enough that we can't shut the gate. |
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| The rain brought out mushrooms of various kinds. |
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| I hope the coral bells continue to bloom most of the summer like they did last year. |
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| As I do for the purple sage. |
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| A few poppies emerged above the ground covers to bloom. There are several other flowers in there that have been overtaken. Someday I hope to move them. |
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| I have pulled several beginning oak trees from the beds. I always get excited when I see the acorn still attached. This acorn was gone the next day. Maybe a squirrel come back to claim it. |
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| I showed you this pileated woodpecker the other day. I forgot to mention that it was a female. You can tell by the stripe by the beak. In females, it is black. In males, it is red. |
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| While I recently saw the "rare" pileated woodpecker, the most common bird at our feeder is the house finch. |
Do you know the song White Coral Bells? I learned it as a child. It's sung in a round. Anyway, your pink coral bells made me think of it. :) Such a pretty flower.
ReplyDeleteI also like it when I pull up an oak tree with the acorn still attached. I think that's one of the fun things about having kids--showing them those kinds of things.
Every time I pass by them, I sing that song. However, I never do it when I pass by the lily-of-the-valley which the song is really about.
DeleteOh, I didn't know that. I always sing an old hymn "He's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star ... " when I see them. In my world, everything is a song. :)
DeleteI don't know that hymn, but everything is a song in my world, too.
Delete"White coral bells, upon a slender stalk,
DeleteLilies of the valley deck my garden walk..."
I meant to add. I never thought of it as a song about lilies of the valley until Ward pointed out that is what the words say.
The English Sparrows, considered invasive here, are the most common bird at my feeder along with a few chickadees. I love the woodpecker photos and didn't know how to tell a male from a female. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteAt our old house, sparrows were quite common. Here I only see them occasionally which is surprising since they are considered invasive in this part of the country, also.
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