Peony Do Tell
Howdy sports fans! I will tell that it has been spring madness around here for a few weeks now. Non-stop gardening, interspersed with bird-watching and splashed with actual paid work. The annual battle of trying to beat back the weeds in the flower beds and get fertilizer and mulch down around things to help them along and keep the weeds from regrowing is an ongoing effort. Progress has been made with a truckload of compost spread and three truckloads of mulch. But we've yet to finish the task. I'm guessing I'm about two-thirds of the way through at this point. About the time I get done with all the flower beds, it will likely be time to start weeding the ones I did first, again. Such is the life of a couple of over the top gardeners.
In the veggie patch things are looking stellar. I just peeked a couple of posts back and the potatoes pictured there are now knee high and the peas are almost to the top of the trellis and flowering. Greens are lush. We have been eating obligatory monster piles of salad and skillets full of cooked greens on a daily basis. Glorious mixes of red and green leaf lettuces, red-stemmed Bordeaux spinach, arugula and cress for the salads. Kale, beet greens, spinach, chard, mustard and turnip greens in the braising mix. Love the first fresh greens of spring!
Summer garden is almost in. I've planted 22 tomato plants, 13 peppers, beans, squash and cucumbers. Basil and nasturtiums. I still want to put out some butternut squash, sweet potatoes, more beans, tomatillos and a few more peppers. Also sunflowers and zinnias need sowing. But I'm getting close. We've been picking and eating sweet red strawberries this week and asparagus too.
Peony Raspberry Sundae
I've waxed poetic many times before about peonies. They are just starting to open and the yard is hypnotic with their fragrance and that of the lilac in full bloom.
Birding during the past two prime weeks for northern migration has been rewarding. My extreme birding brother Chris has been out each morning and calling me once or twice a day with the bird report. When I've been lucky enough to get out there with him we have seen some excellent birds. Most exciting for me are always the warblers and this season was no exception. I have seen prairie, pine, black-throated blue, yellow-throated, common-yellow throat, chestnut-sided, Canada, parula, black and white, hooded, Kentucky and blue-winged warblers. Also in the warbler family; Northern and Louisiana water thrushes, ovenbirds, American redstarts and chat. Veery and Swainson's thrushes have also been in the woods on their way north and the fluting and melodious wood thrush has been calling daily for several weeks. Back for the season to breed are the scarlet and summer tanagers, indigo bunting, great crested flycatcher, peewee, and red-headed woodpecker. It's a great time to be a birder.
I've also been working on promoting the new business and finally finished my website and launched it last week. So hop over and check it out at www.playfulnatureconsulting.com and if you are on Facebook, please like my page: playful nature consulting. Thanks! now I'm off to bed to rest off so I can do some more gardening tomorrow!
