Returns

This post is about the joy of the return. Returns can take many forms. Now is the time of year to see which marginally hardy plants for our area have returned after the cold wet winter we just experienced. One we are glad to see, with about a fifty percent return rate, is the anemone coronaria ‘De Caen’, the poppy flowered anemone.

Planted in the fall here, the bulb/rhizome looks like a chewed up dried turkey foot doggie treat, with hardly any way to tell which way it should go into the ground. But what grows from that is the most lovely of flowers, especially photogenic, as seen in
chuck b.’s bloom day post. This is our first returnee, out of fifty thingys planted year before last.In our last post, the view to the west taken from the garage deck was shown. Here is the view to the east, not as wonderful, for it is still a work in progress. You can see the arbor, ferngully’s remains, the path that needs gravel added, along with some
step type thing inspired by Nan’s paths and walkways post to help with the steep parts. The ramp to the deck had to be removed to bring the twelve foot triple paned one piece patio doors around to the back wall of the addition, not an easy task for six men, and its railing was damaged then. It is not code, without the railing, we know. Indecision combined with lack of concensus about the railing of the whole deck in general has prevented progress from being made in that area. We are like that sometimes.

We have written about the plan to grow more vegetables in this area between the arborvitae and gold mops chamaecyparis. The planting has begun with peas, carrots, onions, garlic, more onions from sets, radishes, strawberries and raspberries all up and growing. Under the white frost cloth at the closest end it is harder to check on the progress. Let’s have a look.

Spinach from direct sowed seed in the foreground and lettuce started in the greenhouse in the rows behind will give us something to munch on soon. The little tent is unsightly but extremely functional, keeping the veggies clean, warm and uneaten by bunnies.

Moving on up the hill, we decide to look in the shed for likely hoes and rakes to present for
Carol at Maydreams hoedown. Since our mystery was solved by the local extension office as to the maker of the mossy nest, we have gone back to the locking method used prior to finding the huge nest, just latching the lower lock, leaving a tiny opening at the top and bottom of the double doors.

The site of the huge nest, taken down and cleaned up. No new activity there.

But wait, above the old medicine cabinet from the house next door that we bought and demolished to build our garage, more mossiness has appeared.

Hooray for the return of the little nester. I was hoping she would come back. Once it was learned that the nest was not made by a rodent of some kind, a breath of relief was sighed. That is the reason the door is not locked up tightly like it was during the mystery, fear of teeth. We have no fear of beak. Just a side note, my wubby mohair sweater that is perfect for gardening is showing up in the mirror. The knitted garment allows for total freedom of movement, being slightly oversized and the wool manages to catch various twigs and leaves, giving me a woman of the wilderness look when out in the garden. I love it.

Here is our little carolina wren mama with a bit of moss in her beak. She would not let me get near enough for a good photo and her mate was in a nearby tree sounding the alarm the whole time I was hanging around with the camera. I wanted to get a shot of her entering the shed, but it will have to be described rather than shown. She hops around on the ground, scuffing up the plentiful moss, grabs some, goes to the pyracantha hedgerow growing behind the shed to check for danger, then flits under the shed, which is resting on four by four runners. I felt sure that there was no opening to get inside somewhere in the floor when she was seen disappearing under the structure, but she repeated that path several times. Then she was spied coming out from beneath the shed at the front and hopping into the small opening at the bottom of the doors. I could barely see her enter, since she was coming from under the shed. Such a tricky manuever. It had been assumed that she flew in from the top of the doors and that is where the camera was focused as I set on the bench in the nearby knot garden. We will follow the progress of the nest and maybe even get to see eggs. Too bad we don’t have one of the video camera setups like
Shirl’s Gardenwatch, we could watch from the house and not disturb her any more than necessary.

Now to cool down from that excitement, we move to the deck where the seedlings are soaking up some fresh air and sunshine in their preparation to live out of doors in a couple of weeks. Our last frost date is April 15 officially, but we have learned from past experience to wait a little longer for the truly fragile plants, like the orchids, to be brought outside for the season. So for now it is the annoying out then in with the trays. While the temptation is great to just leave them out overnight, they must return to the safe temps of the sunroom/greenhouse for just a while longer.

To end the story of returns, just a quick thank you for all the get well wishes received during a brief but sorry sojourn in sickiness. The return to wellness is welcomed and will not be taken for granted, it is promised.
Frances

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