November Observations: Bye Bye Blackbird

Wonderful, warm November - doesn't that sound odd? But it has been, was. This morning it is 12° F. The first few snowflakes swirled in our sky on November 24. By November 28 the ground is white. I found it unusual to see a Red-winged Blackbird at my feeder. They usually leave for warmer climates by now. Each year I try to record when I think they have finally migrated:

2009: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 2
2010: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 11
2011: Not recorded, but last Grackle sighting recorded on November 7 - the Redwings are usually not far behind
2012: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 28

The first to leave are males in their prime followed by their ladies. The last to leave are usually the young males not quite matured into their full black feathers. Young males are what I have been seeing at the feeders this month.

November is typically described as drab, grey but this Fall it has been anything but.

The red leaves of Pin Oak

Maple Seedlings

Switch Grass

Purple Prince Crabapples

Winterberry 'Winter Gold'

The red Winterberries were eaten before I had a chance to photograph them! This year I've fenced in my young shrubs foregoing the chicken wire wrap. I read somewhere, and apologize for not remembering the source, that rabbits don't like to feel fenced in and a simple gate around your shrubs will deter them from dining. We'll find out if it works.

Fenced in to deter rabbits

First snow

Again, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day has snuck past me. Aside from berries and a few fading blooms of Coral Honeysuckle and Scabiosa, not much blooms for me in November with the exception of this surprise Daisy.

Surprise Daisy bloom

And so "dull, grey" November fades into gleeful, glitzy December. I am thankful to take in its natural beauty before it goes.

Bye bye blackbird. I look forward to your return in Spring.

What's Blooming: Woodland Tulip

Here it is, the 15th, already. What's blooming? Tulips, more daffodils, and snow drops - yes, snow drops. I seem to have a different variety that blooms much later than most. 

I have quite a mix of daffodils, too. While most have faded, the later blooming types have just begun to open.

This frilly white variety also is very fragrant. 

The Forget-me-nots are forming incredible waves of blue this year. Here and there I find them in pink and white. The wild violets add splashes of purple. This whole sea is sprayed with the tiny white foamy flowers of the wild strawberries. Together, they make a wonderful backdrop for the tulips and daffodils.

A favorite this year, are the Woodland Tulips which I planted last fall for the first time. I love their big droopy petals that close each evening and open each morning.

Out front large glowing tulips push up through the phlox, but the dainty little Lady Jane Tulips steel the show.

A tulip fades among the poppy buds.

These short iris given to me by my Mother are another favorite and appropriately bloom for Mother's Day.

The crabapples streetside are in full bloom. Their blossoms vibrate against the green. Now I know why this variety is called Purple Prince.

The dogwoods and columbines are budding and will be blooming next. The Forget-me-nots will pale next to budding Jacob's Ladder. 


Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting garden bloggers bloom day the 15th of each month.

Berry Berry Good!

This year I can finally boast a few berries! Berries attract birds and just last evening a male Cardinal stopped by – a rare, but very welcome, occurrence in my young garden – the cover is not yet thick enough for a Cardinal's liking. Robins are still lingering. Robins actually spend the winters here where there are enough berries and fruit to sustain them. I see them regularly in a nearby state park through the entire winter where there are many dogwoods and chokeberries. (It is the Red-winged Blackbird that announces Spring for me.) The Catbird's calls were closer than ever this year, and more frequent.

My plan is for my garden to eventually offer a natural Winter feast. See, I hope to be able to migrate along with our feathered friends in the upcoming years. The Winters, though beautiful, are just too long here. My backyard birds will be able to feast on berries and seeds still standing in the garden instead of my feeders while I follow the sun. The progress in the garden looks promising.

The wild grapes were very abundant this year. I have seen migrating flocks of Cedar Waxwings enjoying these in the past.

Wild Grapes

Rosa Palustris Hips

Rosa Setigera Hips

Virginia Creeper Berries

Virginia Creeper will attract fruit eating birds such as Chickadees, Nuthatches, Mockingbirds, Catbirds, Finches, Flycatchers, Tanagers, Swallows, Vireos, Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Thrushes through the Winter.

Redosier Dogwood Berries

Cardinal Dogwood Berries

Cardinal Dogwood Berries

Elderberry Black Lace

Woodpeckers, Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Orioles, and Grosbeaks are attracted to Elderberries.

Purple Prince Crabapple

Many birds enjoy Crabapple. So birds, enjoy the berry feast while I feast on, ah, hmm, er ... a bird of a different feather.

I am always thankful for the joy, work, clarity, groundedness, peace, harmony, abundance and enlightenment of the garden and life. Happy Thanksgiving.

Front Lawn Be Gone

This post is the fourth in a sequence of time lines of my garden from the very beginning until now. The bird & butterfly garden being the first, the potager (kitchen garden) the second, and my "nice driveway" being the third.

The front is an area I have worked on sporadically over the past three seasons. It has not been the main focus of my attention but I have made improvements. It wasn't until this winter I was inspired with a plan for this area that I will put into action next summer. Then, it will be my focus and my front lawn will be gone.

For now, I am pleased with the much larger beds and how the plants have interwoven with one another to form a sort of patchwork tapestry of textures and color.

Like most of the village homes in our neighborhood, we had a ridiculously small patch of front lawn – that is now even smaller, thank you. We would not be playing croquet or bocce ball on that small plot in the upper left of the picture collage above, and it was the first of the lawn to go. Clockwise from upper left: before in the spring of 2008, spring of 2009, now, spring of 2010.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: before in the spring of 2008, summer of 2009, now, summer of 2010. I added a Black Lace, Sambucas nigra (a hybrid of elderberry), in the spring of 2009 next to the existing barberry which I kept even though it is invasive. Eventually I am going to rip it out so we can reside the curve of the porch to match our new yet-to-be-constructed back screened-in porch. I will replace it with something native that does not have thorns! I did remove the existing pygmy barberry right away.

The Black Lace is my "Japanese Maple" of the north. It has grown extremely fast and this year has many blooms. I love how its lacy leaves now veil the view from the porch.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: spring of 2008, fall of 2009, now (both bottom photos). In the summer of 2009 I connected foundation bed to the two I had made up front near the sidewalk, and added a small stepping stone path. The plants have really filled in and have nearly covered the stepping stone path.

Pictured above clockwise from upper left: early spring of 2008, summer of 2009, now, fall of 2010. In 2009 I added a small Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas, a tree I picked for its hardiness as the front of our house receives some brutal weather and has cement clay for soil. It didn't seem to be doing well and has since been moved to the back. (It still doesn't seem to be doing well. Either it takes awhile to become established or I received a dud.) In its place is now a volunteer cherry tree that seems to be making it. I made the entire bed along the foundation much wider and added some curves and an inukshuk for guidance.

This spring 2011 two crabapples, 'Purple Prince' were also added street side. I am hoping with time, their branches form a canopy over our walk way leading up to our front porch from the street.

Now we have a fantastic range of blooms from spring through fall. I have planted bulbs each fall: daffodils, alliums, iris, crocus. The foliage is also its own intermingling arrangement of blues, greens and burgundies. Something is always buzzing or fluttering among the display. Eventually the lawn from the house to the sidewalk will be entirely gone. I won't miss it.

What's Blooming

I managed to capture a couple of blooms before our new northern monsoon season began, but today the monsoons arrived. This means wet, soggy blooms. It has been raining for over 24 hours. I have a new rain garden. I have a new pond. Here is a dry species tulip, 'Lady Jane.'

And anemone 'Blue Shades' soaking up sun before rain.

Later blooming daffodils, part of a naturalizing mix from Bluestone Perennials, catch the rays of the sun before bowing to the rain.

My serviceberry tree, laevis, in its first spring did not disappoint!

Carpeting the new woodland edge border are forget-me-nots, more naturalizing daffodils, wild strawberries, and muscari 'Magic Carpet Blend.'

Coming around the northside of our garage/workshop, the bleeding hearts drip with rain.

Greeting us out front are creeping phlox, bright red tulips, ajuga and short iris – all somewhat droopy and drenched.

New this year are two 'Purple Prince' crabapples courtesy of our wonderful village. They dropped them off last week, planted, and staked them. I simply responded to an offer from the village in our local, weekly newspaper. (I have learned that if a newly planted tree is over an inch in diameter it is better to stake it for a year, with a slight give.) With the rain, they are already in bloom. Now I have a blooming buffer from the street.

Annual blooms and the last of my mail orders waiting to be planted. I think it is supposed to rain for the next five days at least ... (sigh).

Garden bloggers' bloom day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. Stop by, see what's blooming in gardens around the world, and add your blog blooms to the list.