Spring dreams

Everyone in North Carolina is tired of cold weather.  Day after day of chill takes a toll on our good humor.  Hats off to family in the midwest, who have had an especially difficult winter.  This post is for them. 

Take heart -- soon the garden will cast off its drab brown ways.  In early April, sunny yellow Senecio is a shock of color. 

Nearby the colors in Papa's garden are more subdued.  Blue and white wildflowers, Jacob's ladder, Virginia bluebells and mayapples, are in sun in April before the oak trees leaf out.


A month later, Papas garden is a shady retreat.

The walkway to Papa's garden and to the front door of the house is Delaware river rock.  At the beginning of the path are cheerful Johnny jump-ups.

Flowers do not bloom well in shade, but plants with colorful foliage liven up the garden -- gold bleeding heart, red Heuchera, chartreuse hosta and blue hosta.

This trio of hostas invite visitors to sit on the bench and enjoy the birds.

With the sun getting stronger every day, winter cannot last much longer. 
Spring will be here soon.

Birdbath

I read in Carolina Gardener magazine that wild birds do not need to be fed.  Even in winter, there is enough food available for wild birds.  But gardeners and birders should supply water, even if it is only a birdbath, because clean water is in short supply.

Welcome news.

For more than a decade, I set out four feeders with black oil sunflower seeds for the birds. 

But birds never got any.  We have more than our share of squirrels and they can empty a feeder in an hour.  Lisa says our squirrels are big and fat.

Squirrels twist the guards off the squirrel proof feeders.  They gnaw the feeder holes on tube feeders.  Once they chewed the perch off the weight sensitive feeder (made of steel), so it would not close while they sat on their fat furry bottoms and ate with two paws.

This youngster waits under a feeder for crumbs.

I bought a sleek black tube feeder to hold niger seed for the goldfinches.  A few goldfinches came but most ignored the feeder.  The sleek black tube was designed for humans who shop at the wild bird store. 

But every year in late summer and autumn, goldfinches dart through the tangle of black eyed Susans and purple coneflowers in the wild part of my garden. These are already going to seed. 

This year, I set out peanut suet in small feeders, but hungry squirrels tore them down.  I switched to hot pepper suet, and they left the food for the birds.  Bluebirds have been frequent visitors to the suet feeders this winter.

After I read that water is the most precious resource for birds, I felt good about my three bird baths.  Last year, I installed a bird fountain.  I put my radiation mask flower pot on the fountain to give it some character.

A hawk visited our birdbath last week. 

These two squirrels were suddenly very still.  For 10 minutes they did not move a whisker.  I have seen hawks flying in our neighborhood, furry tails dangling from their talons.

I hope the hawks took the big fat ones first.