All through the yard there is a game of hide and seek taking place. Under leaves, under brush, in meadow grasses, in nesting boxes, tiny creatures are hiding. We just have to watch for them, adjust our eyes, and they can be found. Please, do not! pull your milkweed. Even if it is in the … More Be watchful of little ones
Even with the mild to moderate drought we have been living through here in Minnesota, and an extreme thread of 90+ degree weather (the hottest start to the month of June on record!), the perennials have been working hard to produce their blooms. As much as I can water, nothing takes the place of rain. … More My yard in color
Well, the chickadees that roosted in one of the bluebird boxes have grown to a fledgling size. I watched as they fledged, all five spilling out of the box one after the other, fluttering around the height of their home while trying to figure out which branch was closest to land on. Now the box … More Bird Update!
I have always had two bluebird houses in my back yard. Year after year, I’d watch from late March to late April for the distinctive “blue streak” of the male bluebird making its way to the yard, immediately scoping out which box was going to be home for the summer months. The female followed soon after. I’d … More Where are the Bluebirds?
One of the things that I love about Spring is that everything is always changing, beginning anew. There is no stasis. Even though we have seen these scenes play out before, their return to the spring stage is always a welcomed site. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are back! Just last week, I saw one flitting around … More Hummingbirds and Honey Bees
OK, so everything isn’t always idyllic “on the farm.” Little snits and snats, puffing up of feathers, pecks and jabs at rivals, happen with regularity. Lately, I have two pairs of geese that have decided to use my pond as their hang out. Their nesting sites are obviously somewhere else, but they spend their time … More Trouble on the high seas
(Cover photo of peacock taken in Kyoto Garden, London) Now, to more local feathered friends. These birds come to the yard and pond in early spring and beyond and just bring joy to the yard. Most were happy to pose! Look at these plump drakes, After the Mallards come the Wood Ducks. Here is a … More Beautiful Specimens
Assuredly one of the biggest flocking of birds to the yard — a sure sign of Spring — is the return of the red-winged blackbirds. Bold and noisy, sitting atop tree tops in bundles, flying through the sky in flocks, they seem determined to disrupt the harmonious and serene scenes of the ducks and geese … More Red-Winged Blackbirds
Mother Nature can be a real you-know-what come Spring. She becomes the female version of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. From sunshine and 70’s to clouds and 30’s, chilling rains and snowy afternoons, from one day to the next and sometimes, from hour to hour, you just don’t know what weather you’re going to get! … More Love is in the air
This creamy soup is absolutely delicious. It has a soft, velvety texture that highlights the gentle flavor of the white asparagus. White asparagus has a milder flavor, is more tender, and is grown underground in comparison to its green counterpart. Since white asparagus does not get any light, it does not produce chlorophyll, hence the … More Elegant White Asparagus Soup
A Gardener's Diary 