Swallows

About 3 weeks ago, I saw some swallows flying over the garden. I rushed and cleaned out all of the birdhouses that are hung on the posts around the garden. I haven't seen them since. They were the scouts who come every year and check out the area. I wonder where they go to tell the others that are waiting to come? How do they know when it is the right time to come? There are a lot of insects for them to eat, so it must be the temperature.

Each year we have been fortunate to have them come and raise their young. It is one of my favorite experiences to watch and hear them as I do my work in the garden. From making their nests, the little ones peering out of the birdhouse, their first flying lessons, sitting on the wires of the garden fence chattering and waiting patiently to be feed, to their soaring flight and swoops down into the garden - it all is a wonder to witness.

One year they nested by our front door. We had a very close connection to this particular family of swallows.They didn't seem to mind us walking by their nest and our curiosity about their activities. One day the nest was empty and we felt sad that they had left. Then a few days later, Anthony walked out the front door and discovered that the little ones were sitting on the dragonfly doorknocker!! We grabbed the camera and captured this wonderful moment. That was the last time that we saw them.

I always wonder if they are the swallows that soar around me when I'm in the Dragonfly Garden.

Snowing in April Again!!

After a week of nice weather and a chance to start cleaning up the garden, it decided to snow!! I quickly covered the lettuce, carrots, beets, and fava beans that are just starting to thrive. I put some mulch around the base of the roses, just in case the snow sticks.

The garden clean up is going slowly, but every chance makes a big difference. I'm still pulling up dandelions and pepper grass. There's a new type of grass that has made its home in the aisles and isn't easy to pull up. I'm not sure how I'll handle managing it. I've pulled out the worst weeds that were near the chamomile carpet in the Heart Room and the Woolley Thyme in the Center Room.

The raspberry patch is continuing to send up new shoots for the second bearing later this summer. I'm happy to see this after almost losing the whole patch last winter due to the ice and rain storms. We lost one blueberry plant this winter and I just replaced it yesterday. I hope it won't mind the snow.

Many people on the island are complaining about the cold spring and the difficulties of getting their gardens started. One woman, who has gardened here for 50 years, said that this is the coldest spring that she can remember.

"May the Farm Be With You"

I was sent this very funny video clip on Organic Food with a Star Wars twist called "Grocery Store Wars". It's very clever and so true. View Grocery Store Wars.

Spring Frost, Snow, Hail

For the last 2 weeks we have had cold weather with snow and hail! We even had 2 days of hard frosts in the meadow. It felt strange to wake up and see a winter wonderland in April.

When I stepped outside to take these pictures, I noticed that our deck was coated with white ice crystals. The bird baths were even frozen over.

By mid-day it warmed up and was really very pleasant outside. I began some clean up of the perennials, but decided to wait before pruning the roses. I learned the hard way, that it is best to prune after the last frosts. It's important to let the cuts on the stems seal otherwise the cold temperature can get into the plant and kill the stems.

I wonder how the wild plum blossoms have managed with the drop in temperatures. The daffodils and other plants haven't minded. In fact it seems that the rise and drop in the temperature is stimulating their growth.

The carrots, beets, lettuce, and fava beans I planted about a month ago are starting to come up. The asparagus has broken through the ground now and is about an 1 inch high. The artichoke plants look very vigorous and are about 2 feet high. The raspberries are leafing out and there are a lot of buds on the blueberry plants.

Dandelions are coming on strong and starting to bloom. I did a thorough clean up of the whole garden. The little unopened buds in the heart of the plant are very delicious and a good spring tonic so I picked a bowl full to add to our salads. I decided to dry a few roots for a tea,too.