This is a bit of what I was doing on Sunday – mulching a path to that crabapple tree that I discovered behind the house. This area is just off the back of the house and some of the kitchen windows look out on it. It’s at the bottom of a hill (coming down from the back forty) and is often waterlogged after a rain. Slowly – and I mean slowly – I’m trying to do something with it, so it’s not just grass and wildflowers and weeds, and poison ivy – which is everywhere around here. I cleared this path a month or so ago and now I’m adding the mulch. I ran out of it, so I’ll buy some more today.
At the wooded edge of the back forty, there is a wild honeysuckle that is pink. I meant to take a picture of it a week ago and forgot, but here is a hint of that pink color. It’s so pretty.
This climbing hydrangea climbs up the left side of the shed. I planted it years ago and was aware that it might take years for blossoms to appear. Indeed, it took about 6 years. Then I started to see one or two each year. This year, there are more than I’ve ever seen, which makes me happy.
There’s more to this story. Right behind that hydrangea, robins have built a nest, I believe it’s sitting on the window sill/window box. Every time I walk near the hydrangea, which I must do if I take the trash out or go into the shed for any reason, i.e., retrieving the lawn mower, a robin barrels out from behind the hydrangea, screeching at me all the while and then proceeds to fly into the trees with a steady chirp chirp chirp of warning that doesn’t stop until I move away.
It’s becoming a bit tiresome. There is also a bumblebee that has some sort of nest there as well, and he dive-bombs me when I get too close. Between the two of them, I’m under attack! My apologies to my sweet honeybees who I originally thought were the source of the buzzing in my ear. It wasn’t you. I should have know better.
I took that photo very quickly as the robin was not happy with me and I had to get out of there.
After taking so long that I thought maybe it was no more, the clematis is steadily climbing the trellis. Can’t wait to see those gorgeous purple flowers!
And every day, I eagerly visit the poppies to see if they’ve bloomed. I haven’t checked yet today, but rest assured, you’ll be the first to know – either here or on Instagram.
I’m determined to find a hollyhock to plant and I have to buy more mulch, run to the bank, and stop at the grocery store. And do more work outside.
A busy day ahead.
Happy Tuesday.
The birds can be quite aggressive when guarding their nests! Shouldn’t be long until they hatch I hope. Your beautiful, wild and interesting yard . I love how you are sharing it with us. We are having days and days of rain here. We need it but it’s gloomy for sure. Hugs!
A couple of days (today and tomorrow) without rain and then more on Thursday! It’s a gray day here –
Ah…the rewards of living with wildlife! Always have to be careful, don’t you? I have 2 clematis…is that clematises? Anywho…one is blooming wonderfully…the other one, I forgot about. When I checked on it the other day….it had fallen off the trellis…and is now in full bloom laying in a heap. So…question for you…is there a way to detangle this blooming mess? Suggestions? Thanks…enjoy your day! ;)
I don’t think there is, unless you lift the whole thing and try to plop it on the trellis…then maybe it will straighten itself out?
It’s the weirdest thing….it fell off it’s trellis…and is clinging to itself….blooming away. It’s a mass of pretty….just not climbing! I’m thinking of leaving it there…at least for now. At least the other one is behaving! ;)
Maybe that’s a good idea!
I love the variety of flora and fauna on your property. You’ll have a full day of busy-ness, Claudia. What’s your reward after the chores? I always reward myself with some time for stitching or crafting after the chores are done.
Don’t know yet! We’ll have to see.
Fun pictures! In the winter, there is certainly always something to do ~ but it usually cleaning or purging, etc. Fun for a few days, but then I get over it (too) quickly. But spring & summer bring something to do every day which is usually a bit more entertaining. Certainly there is boring mowing, weeding, and dead-heading ~ but the view and the atmosphere is oh-so-much-more enjoyable. Birds and flowers offer much more than dust and closets…. at least that is my experience.
Hope you have a great Tuesday and some fun as you get your errands completed!!
Yes, I agree! Winter chores don’t make me happy like outdoor and gardening chores do!
The poppy bud is such a wonder!
I am always amazed at how bold the blue jay males are…and unafraid. They divebomb me; they divebomb the cats. They let us know THEY own the yard.
I’m still stuck on the trash thing. You have to cart out recyclables, but you have a garbage truck (like for rotten stuff) that comes by your house, so you put a barrel out to the street? I think I misunderstood on a previous discussion about that…that you’d be having to hand-carry/transport stinky trash to another site due to your rural location? Seems hazardous.
No. No garbage truck. We have bins on the front porch where we recycle cans, glass and paper. We have a trash can by the shed where we take our smaller bags of trash from our kitchen trash can. After the individual bags in the trash can outdoors accumulate (usually once every two weeks) we put them in a large contractor’s bag (or two) and put them in the car along with the contents of the bins and we drive to our local transfer station where it is put in large bins for cardboard, cans & bottles, trash, newspaper, etc.
It’s no problem. The trash isn’t stinky. And it’s not at all hazardous.
You’re lucky; my garbage gets stinky fast even though we bag it, bag within a bag. (Gross, I know of neighbors who toss their garbage directly into the city can without bagging it; can you imagine the decay/bacteria; yuck.)
My husband and I seem to accumulate a lot of trash, primarily because we rely too much on the worst kind of food, packaged and processed (a lot of containers; we actually have TWO recyclables barrels; we pay for an extra), which I’m trying to get away from (too expensive; too unhealthy even with best choices), but he hasn’t been here much to do any cooking/grilling, and I really don’t cook much at all; just never have (I suck at it; no ability whatsoever!). I have tremendous admiration for people who know how to cook, do it well…and, from scratch. To me, it’s an incredible skill, for one’s whole life.
When I lived in southeast Texas, suburban Houston, the city trash trucks came twice per week for mandatory garbage pickup. The heat is so intense and humid there; such bad mosquitoes, too. (Big trucks spray the neighborhoods for that, and you don’t want to be outside when they’re doing it.) And fire ants; deadly. Flies; lots of bugs. Bayou and bog. Rain. A bit graphic, but if you didn’t pick up the dog poop fairly quickly after the dogs did their duty, maggots would appear scarily/disgustingly fast in the grass. I would feel very sorry for all kinds of animals in that environment; the ones who never get the opportunity to get out of it. Wildlife, farm animals AND domestic pets who never are allowed indoors.
Where I live in SoCalif, I’ve heard that some people will try to get out of the trash collection bill and claim they make regular trips to the dump (doesn’t make sense; would be more expensive to do that, which is why I think it doesn’t hold water!) but, I will say, even though my small town has its troubles, they really crack down on trash accumulation, at least on properties within the city limits. The trucks come once per week and if you don’t put out your garbage can, you risk being cited. Somebody in our neighborhood didn’t put out their garbage can for two weeks, someone else was apparently noticing and turned them in; wasn’t me! (There’s an older neighbor who has a fear of cockroaches because ONE time she had them although she’s neat and clean; she was convinced they came from a nearby grocery store; was concerned our neighborhood was infiltrated; she went door to door with a note, well-meaning/scared; was probably her.)
The city gives you an option, that if you don’t have a sizable amount of garbage, you can pay for a smaller can, but you can’t not have a can.
Oh well, you have everything under control; glad it’s not a big hassle living out there in the country!
It isn’t. I look on it as part of the adventure!
Claudia,
Thank for the energy & Time you put into this blog for us to enjoy.
Here in S. Fl, I get mulch from tree-trimmers or arbosists. They
re happy to deliver it to save on dumping costs, and reusing it keeps it out of the landfill or incinerator and saes money!
Cara
Typo– sorry. Of course I meant arborists!
xo
You’re welcome. Yes, you can do the same here, but I like a certain kind of mulch that I can only get at a garden center nearby. The mulch I bought today was for the path that I was working on. It’s not worth it to have someone deliver that small an amount of mulch!
Birds can be aggressive if you go near their nest. A few years go my sister was trimming a tree and apparently a bird had built a nest and it started to go after my sister. As far as the bees they are awful and do dive bomb after you. Your Honeysuckles are pretty. I mowed the lawn and trimmed the front today. The grass is growing fast due to all the rain.
Marilyn
Most of the bees around here are just fine – no problem. But this one is guarding a nest of some kind – I think it’s in a hole in the wooden outside wall of the shed. He’s done this before (or another bee like him) and eventually he’ll back off.
The grass is growing really fast! I just mowed part of the lawn today, too.
Oh, I love to see your garden. After years of planting and weeding my husband retired and took over. Now I only look from afar. My daughter needs more attention now than then. Now I spend my fun time in the sewing room. So thanks for the lovely views.
You are most welcome, Jan.
We had Says Phebies (sp) last year and if the babies hadn’t been so cute……that was one dive bombing mama. Absolutely adore the re red trellis. Isn’t grand just being out in nature!
Is absolutely the best, Verna!
I have a tiny little tufted titmouse nesting here again…she is barely bigger than a hummingbird but when she sees you near you would think she was a pitbull..I keep telling her “Mama Bird…Will you please relax…I do not want your babies!” …lol
Same thing I keep saying to the robin! And the bee!
Isn’t it just amazing how determined those little birdies are to protect their young. They build nests and if it is demolished, they rebuild. It is in their nature to survive, to never give up, to protect at all costs. I have never seen nesting birds here, except the pigeons and doves. I know all the other little birdies are building their nests somewhere as there are newly fledged birds all over right now. I’ve been watching a lot of permaculture videos lately and have learned that mulching has many benefits. Happy gardening.
I am continually impressed and amazed by them, Tammy. They are so resilient.
Happy gardening to you, too!
I love the rock in the middle of the path. I saw a movie once where a lady started digging out a rock in the middle of a path. She dug and dug and the rock turned out to be a space craft that had been buried over time. It was huge! And the more she dug the more she became an alien herself. My advice: Don’t dig up the rock.
Ha! You made me laugh out loud!
That settles it. I won’t dig up the rock.