Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Is it spring yet?

For me, winter is over when the lady ferns start to pop out of the ground. I've been very anxious for that to happen, feeling like everything will be okay if those lady ferns just return. They usually start to peek up by now and I honestly expected them to come early with this mild winter we've had. At least the bleeding hearts are starting to show.

This area is no longer shady which means these guys won't thrive.

Erythronium oregonum emerges from the ground like synchronized swimmers.

White fawn lily


Did I really intentionally plant these with this distribution? Why not a clump of bulbs, maybe in an odd number, Heather? Sigh.



My flowering currants should be blooming any second.

Ribes sanguineum

The rhubarb is going nuts. I told Greg he has to stick with me until we can harvest some, since I planted it for him. We might be able to harvest some stalks this year but it probably won't be much.


We've had so many birds in the yard, attacking the feeder and frolicking in the baths. They are going to eat me out of house and home. The birdbaths have been freezing over at night, maybe that's why the lady ferns are staying put?


Sadly, the neighborhood cats have been visiting the bird feeder as well.


I can't wait to hook up the hoses so I can spray these predators when they come hunting on my property.


But mostly I would like them to stop using my raised beds as a toilet. I have peas to grow, damn it.

11 comments:

  1. I'm fighting the urge to do a "spring is here there are things coming out of the ground" post. I don't know who I'm kidding because of course I'll do it. It's what we gardeners all live for! As for your ferns I've been out there every day looking for growth from my Plume Poppies ever since Scott posted pictures of his. NOTHING! I think they know we're watching and they're just fooling with us!

    Oh...sorry, one last thing. Did you see my pathetic pictures of the plastic utensils stuck in the ground to deter the kitty's from using my garden as their toilet? It really is working. Looks horrendous (clear plastic helps) but not as horrendous as poop! Plus plastic doesn't smell.

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  2. I know SE always blooms earlier than north--maybe Scott is further south than you? I did see that post--will you remind me next fall to put in forks? I am *totally* going to try it!

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  3. Heather, I have the same problem with the neighborhood cats. I heard that you can sprinkle used up coffee grounds in your flower bed and that is suppose to teach them a thing or two. I guess they don't like the feeling of the grounds on the pads of their paws. I haven't tried it yet this year but when I do I'll let you know.

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  4. Ooh, thanks for the idea--I'd love to hear if it works.

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  5. haha if I ever planted something, it would come up in that same haphazard way. And I love cats, but do NOT want them pooping in my garden. Ew. That's why we keep ours indoors...

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  6. HammeringOurWayHomeMarch 7, 2012 at 4:27 PM

    Today I noticed that a tulip is blooming in our windowbox and the backyard has sprouts coming up all over. I'm just renting while renovating, so no idea what will actually bloom, but it's nice to see signs of spring. NOW, neighborhood cats? They are confusing my future veranda (the one place that brings me pure joy to envision- http://hammeringourwayhome.com/post/15993736003) as a LITTER BOX. They may get away with it for now, during the renovation, but game on when I move in! I will definitely be using the hose-spray tactic. (by the way, thanks for making me laugh, per usual)

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  7. Cats love freshly tilled earth so you're hard-packed veranda will probably be left alone. Plus, your veranda is going to be so magical (seriously, your vision is awesome) that I'm sure there's some sort of protective spell over it. And they're all using my yard, I swear.

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  8. I wish more people would keep their cats indoors. They terrorize the birds, poop in people's veggie beds, and get hit by cars. Keep them safe inside!

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  9. Is it okay to nose my way into this comment stream? My mom uses the coffee ground technique with big success, plus most plants love it! I've avoided it because the grounds are toxic to dogs (and cats too I think) and I can't bear to think of something happening to our silly dog.

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  10. Of course! I'm so glad to know this works.

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  11. Yay...spring is here for realz! Even if we get a couple cold snaps, there's no stopping it now. I'm so bad at planting bulbs (how the hell do people squeeze between all the plants that are still growing to plant them)!?! We have SO many cats in our neighborhood and they just loved leaving little presents for me in the garden. Of course, we're on the same street as a park, so lots of canines leave gifts for us as well...BLURG! It's a weird year, some things are up MONTHS earlier than usual, others are almost a month later than usual...there's really no second-guessing nature.

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