Indigo Buntings

 

Look what a huge breeding range there is for the Indigo Bunting. Are you seeing them?

If not, you may be overlooking them because if they are not in the correct light they may appear as a very dark or black small bird. The blue color is caused by the structure of their feathers refracting light not the pigment. 

 

Indigo Buntings like to be in short grassy areas where there are tiny seeds being produced.  If your lawn gets a little seedy looking after a rain, that is the perfect place. Be sure and check for them right before it is time to mow the lawn. He may be attracted to your niger seed where the goldfinches feed for he is a finch as well. 

They are here and I’ll bet you see one soon.

Clematis

Snowball Viburnum

Azaleas

Iris have begun to bloom.

White Azaleas

Spring is everywhere.

Tall Bearded Iris

Japanese Maples are so pretty when the sun lights them.

The dogwood blossoms have begun to fall from the trees and cover the ground as they flush with leaves that will provide a shady green summer.

Wildflowers and Things

Trillium stamineum/Twisted Trillium 

Dodecatheon meadia/Shooting Star

 Snowball Viburnum isn’t wild but blooming.

The woods are also full of newborns. The largest Carolina wren is at the front of the nest. He’s always ready and waiting to eat.  The smallest is at the back.  Somehow the parents make sure it gets to eat also. They are ever vigilent with a steady steam of caterpillars and the like.  The Carolina wrens built their nest under the Pieris in a container on the deck. Although in the open, the nest is amazingly dry even in a downpour.  There are a lot of leaves over the nest that shed the water out of the container and the water that does enter is fast to drain. While these birdies have a few more days in the nest, five bluebirds fledged today from the bluebird box.

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are migrating through our area. A couple dropped in for a break. They will feed a few days and then continue their journey.

Azaleas are almost in full bloom. More azalea and hosta photos will be coming soon.

Summer Tanagers

have returned to Tennessee. You may have them in your area and not realize it for confusing them with cardinals. The tanager likes to frequent the tops of tall trees. Listen for his call. Then, try to locate him.  The female blends with the leaves. They like to eat bees and wasps.

 

On the front porch an Eastern Phoebe is nesting.

 
The bluebirds could fledge any day now.

It is finally warm enough to open the many petaled Clematis ‘Blue Light’ that has been budded for some time.

 

Morels

Every year we find a couple of small morels in our garden. Edible morels bloom only in the spring. There are black, gray, yellow, and white morels.  We find them in the same area every year. It is a mossy area under a tulip poplar on a southern facing slope on the downside of a couple of old apple trees. They like the cloudy, rainy weather and bloom when the nights are warming up to about fifty degrees. I joined a forum to learn more about them and told hubby. The next thing I know a couple of morels are soaking in salt water to remove any creepy crawlies.  They are also split open to remove anything that may have crawled inside. Doesn’t that sound appetizing?

The long one is about as long as my finger. They can grow to twelve inches, however. The discoloration on the right one is aging but still good.  They must be cooked. You must not eat them with wine or other alcoholic beverages. 

They are completely hollow from top to bottom. The cap is joined to the stem

Who knows, maybe one of these days I may actually eat one but I doubt it. I’m not very adventurous. I prefer to get my mushrooms from the grocer. But, hey, if it is ever necessary I should have to survive in the wild, I’ll know which ones to give a try. 

Donna

Footbridge

Let’s construct a footbridge.

Let’s rest the deck of granite planks on a steel frame just above the surface of the water.

Lets make free standing bronze balusters

that at some angles appear solid

and some angles almost disappear.

Let’s embed LED’s and cover them with frosted glass between the bronze balusters

to make the bridge glow in the evening.

Let it be serpentine.

Voila! An architectural sculpture 

that actually belongs in the garden.

Useful and at the same time a work of art.

Kew

Architect/John Pawson

Sackler Crossing Video

Design is a beautiful thing.