What's your garden like at this time of year?

[Lulav]

if it sounded like a freight train and brought rain and fierce wind, that was probably what they call a rain-wrapped tornado; a tornado enclosed in a shield of rain.
poor robin! glad that you are safe.

Thanks!

Wow! I've never heard of that. There was some really heavy thunder and lightening too. I just kept praying and G-d always hears me and I'm so grateful. We live in a little three house cul-de-sac that was formerly a family compound. When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the US, even though we are 100+ miles in land we were on the outskirts of the storm. We had one of those mini tornadoes touch down and trees fell on the other two houses it took out at least a dozen trees and these were very tall an mature ones, at my neighbors. When they fell they took out the power lines but that was all that affected us. God Is GOOD!

 

[rebornfree]

Glad you are safe lulav!

Regarding the mention of robins in earlier posts. Do they migrate south-westward in spring? Here (in the UK) they seem to be a symbol of winter.

 

[davedajobauk]

Our Robins are here 12/12
and likely DO NOT MIGRATE
I notice that they are very territorial, and guard it zealously
even against much larger birds


It is still a mess out there, both FRONT and BACK

Hopefully, I can make a start in a few weeks
just as soon as they prevent my tummy from leaking out again

 

[pdudgeon]

our robins migrate, going South in the Winter and come back in late February. So do our Mocking birds.
The Cardinals stay here year round, as do the ducks. Some of the Canada geese also migrate, but the
ones that do fly North for the Winter. The ones that hang around here form large flocks, and feed off the spilled corn in
the fields.

the gold finches and house finches stay during the Winter, and the chickadees keep them company.
the bluebirds fly South for the Winter and then come back in the Spring.
The barn swallows arrive here in late Spring and fly back out in August.
Humming birds also migrate in and out accordingly, most of them flying south for the Winter.
They usuallly come back when the daffodills and forsythia are in bloom

we won't even mention the noisy black birds!

 

[afishamongmany]

Hopefully, I can make a start in a few weeks
just as soon as they prevent my tummy from leaking out again

Hello Dave, Sounds not very nice. Relax mate, let the garden do what ever it wants to and concentrate on healing up.
Go Well
><>

 

[afishamongmany]

our robins migrate, going South in the Winter and come back in late February. So do our Mocking birds.
The Cardinals stay here year round, as do the ducks. Some of the Canada geese also migrate, but the
ones that do fly North for the Winter. The ones that hang around here form large flocks, and feed off the spilled corn in
the fields.

the gold finches and house finches stay during the Winter, and the chickadees keep them company.
the bluebirds fly South for the Winter and then come back in the Spring.
The barn swallows arrive here in late Spring and fly back out in August.
Humming birds also migrate in and out accordingly, most of them flying south for the Winter.
They usuallly come back when the daffodills and forsythia are in bloom

we won't even mention the noisy black birds!

Hi Pd, You are blessed with a wealth of birds.
Have you noticed over the last 7 to 8 years, where you are, a large decrease in the number of swallows? Here, this year, hardly a dozen the whole of last summer. When we first came over we would see dozens every day through all the spring and summer. Same with butterflies, just nowhere near the numbers there used to be.
><>

 

[afishamongmany]

Glad you are safe lulav!

Regarding the mention of robins in earlier posts. Do they migrate south-westward in spring? Here (in the UK) they seem to be a symbol of winter.

The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin[2] because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family.

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), a small insectivorous passerine bird, specifically a chat, that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.

Reborn - Have you had a decline in swallows over the years?
><>

 

[rebornfree]

Thanks all for your replies about robins. I can see now that the American ones are quite different to our European ones, and realise that we do have them all year around, and that I've tended to associate them with winter probably because they are often on Christmas cards! LOL!

Regarding swallows - I'm sorry I'm not very good on birds, afishamongmany. I wonder if Dave can answer that?

 

[Daughter of His]

Oh that European Robin is so cute! Right now I'm seeing Blue Jays, a few kinds of woodpeckers, chickadees, finches,cardinals,mockingbirds, doves,
and I'm waiting for the hummingbirds-my favorite.

I got a small garden planted today, hope the seeds do well. I love watching things grow and bloom.

 

[pdudgeon]

Hi Pd, You are blessed with a wealth of birds.
Have you noticed over the last 7 to 8 years, where you are, a large decrease in the number of swallows? Here, this year, hardly a dozen the whole of last summer. When we first came over we would see dozens every day through all the spring and summer. Same with butterflies, just nowhere near the numbers there used to be.
><>

yes, and it's the same with bees and ants. my guess would be a number of contributing factors, like pesticides and habitat changes which would be the big ones,
as well as a lack of food sources (more concrete, less flowers).

That's why I'll be planting with a view to providing a bird and bug habitat when i move. lots of good nectar sources.

 

[davedajobauk]

The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin[2] because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family.

The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), a small insectivorous passerine bird, specifically a chat, that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.

Reborn - Have you had a decline in swallows over the years?
><>

Thanks all for your replies about robins. I can see now that the American ones are quite different to our European ones, and realise that we do have them all year around, and that I've tended to associate them with winter probably because they are often on Christmas cards! LOL!

Regarding swallows - I'm sorry I'm not very good on birds, afishamongmany. I wonder if Dave can answer that?

Swifts and Swallows are very common here
and no, I have noticed any decline in their numbers
especially, in Summer, when they can be seen soaring and swooping
high in the sky, feeding on Flying Ants, Moths and Butterflies

 

[davedajobauk]

our robins migrate, going South in the Winter and come back in late February. So do our Mocking birds.
The Cardinals stay here year round, as do the ducks. Some of the Canada geese also migrate, but the
ones that do fly North for the Winter. The ones that hang around here form large flocks, and feed off the spilled corn in
the fields.

the gold finches and house finches stay during the Winter, and the chickadees keep them company.
the bluebirds fly South for the Winter and then come back in the Spring.
The barn swallows arrive here in late Spring and fly back out in August.
Humming birds also migrate in and out accordingly, most of them flying south for the Winter.
They usuallly come back when the daffodills and forsythia are in bloom

we won't even mention the noisy black birds!

Our blackbirds are NOT noisy.... Indeed they sing complex songs (throughout the night)
But their Evening-song and Morning-song are by-far the sweetest

We have a Song Thrush 'couple' living locally, and I can hardly describe
just how sweet that song is

 

[pdudgeon]

the daffodills are almost all out in full bloom now...just a few more to unfurl themselves. i love how they perk things up.
yep, i'm definitely planting some daffs at my new place come Fall. there are lots of hyacinths there already, but i haven't seen a daff there yet.
It's gonna be fun to discover what hidden plants are waiting to bloom.

I'll be in the same planting zone, but further inland so the Winters will be just a bit more prone to snow than where i am now. and we'll get the rain storms sooner.

 

[davedajobauk]

Blooms have not yet set, on my bluebells / daffodils

The lawns both front and back, are a muddy mess
Vandals, passing by the North Fence
have pulled over, the bamboo trellis upon which is strung the Honeysuckle and Clematis
ie: making yet more work, in-addition to my reinstating the soil support in the back garden at the North-East corner

The new cane I bought for the ARBOR ~under the rambler rose at the North West corner
has been scattered over the ornamental garden in the South West corner of the back garden
As soon as the lawn is able to be walked upon again... I will get out there and at-least do some 'tidying-up'

 

[pdudgeon]

long time no write!
It's definitely Spring here.
all the azalias have bloomed and the early ones are fading away. I bought 5 more azalias to fill in the gaps, and a nice red rose bush for the front planter. was also gifted with 12 Easter lilies from the church (as i know what to do with them after they've bloomed!) so those will be planted in a ring around the rose bush.
I definitely have my planting work cut out for me, but we're supposed to have marvelous weather this week, so i'll be spending lots of time outside.

Forgot to mention that the hyacinths turned out to be wood hycinths (all blue ones so far) and I've got 3 clumps of hostas comming up as well.
They might turn out to be Emperess Wu hostas, (the really big ones) but another month will tell as they get bigger and the leaves unfurl.

meanwhile i'm picking up lots of pine cones as the old ones drop off the trees. wish i knew what to do with them!

 

[Lulav]

meanwhile i'm picking up lots of pine cones as the old ones drop off the trees. wish i knew what to do with them!

I know that squirrels like to eat the pine seeds in the cones. Do you have a feeder you could put them on for them?

Another thing to do with them is to take some old candles that have burnt down wicks but still have wax left and melt them over a coffee mug warmer (also called a candle warmer now too). When melted if the candle is large enough (I'm talking about the ones in large jars) dip the cones in the wax (you don't have to cover them all) and let them cool and harden on a piece of foil laid on top of some folded towels to protect your surface.

You can use these to help start a fire in your fireplace or for camping on a camp fire, they get the fire going real quickly without lots of effort.

 

[pdudgeon]

I know that squirrels like to eat the pine seeds in the cones. Do you have a feeder you could put them on for them?

Another thing to do with them is to take some old candles that have burnt down wicks but still have wax left and melt them over a coffee mug warmer (also called a candle warmer now too). When melted if the candle is large enough (I'm talking about the ones in large jars) dip the cones in the wax (you don't have to cover them all) and let them cool and harden on a piece of foil laid on top of some folded towels to protect your surface.

You can use these to help start a fire in your fireplace or for camping on a camp fire, they get the fire going real quickly without lots of effort.

LOL, so that explains why i'm seeing squirrels in my back yard! thanks for the tips.

 

[davedajobauk]

LOL, so that explains why i'm seeing squirrels in my back yard! thanks for the tips.

They also love Peanuts in their shells (groundnuts)

 

[rebornfree]

It seems like your garden is coming along well pdudgeon.

I've moved my pot plants from their winter huddle, and spread them over the patio area. I've also cut back most of the old growth and whilst the fuchsia is sprouting leaves, and everything else looks okay, I think I might have ruined the antirrhinum. The hyacinths are flowering and the blossom is just beginning to show. I love this time of year.

 

[davedajobauk]

A 'mess'
My body doesn't allow me... I cannot-even contemplate 'trying'

Otherwise, everything is 'GREEN'

We'll see, if I get to stay


Whatever the outcome, will anyway be, my path