Bird Alert!

How fun will this be!

Project Feeder Watch!
https://feederwatch.org/?fbclid=IwAR0_VTvfnblibUKZkcG3pcIbGFXlS0sXRc7OOCEi4kjkzd9SFBummFojP2w

OMG! OMG! Its Early Spring--Daffodils, Tulips, Iris and Friends

Wild mustard, daffies, and tulips.

Mendax and the varied daffies.

The blooms of early spring--I get so jazzed, like a little kid-- more fun than opening Christmas gifts. This is the best side of 'reaping what you sow' which is usually a solemn warning about wild oats--but in the garden it is wonderful advice for future floral joy.

The bees overwinter here, so I allowed the wild mustard and dandelions to grow. Bees don't considered them weeds--wildflowers , maybe. I will admit to thinning out the mustard, and dandelions in the more 'dignified' parts of the Butterfly Garden to have less competition for water when I plant sunflowers, lantana, and other annuals. The back garden, much more of a Wildlife Refuge, will have lots of whatever 'weeds' (wildflowers?) choose to survive the high desert here SoCal.

Early morning, closed tulips waiting to open.

Iris making a grand entrance.

New tulip bulbs in what will soon be in the vibrant Rose Garden. White House, eat your heart out. Old iris tubers were transplanted 2 years ago and chose this year to be spectacular--Van Gogh would love these!

I purchased collections of bulbs online, called 'English Garden' and 'Cottage Garden.' That's funny, my garden climate is so far from an English garden, and I do not have a cottage, but a little mission style home--but the variety of bulbs are welcome, and doing well after a satisfactory El Nino winter.

Hyacinth--perfumes to whole neighborhood.

Crocus outside Mendax' door.

All the effort in the summer and autumn, the choosing and purchasing online bulbs from around the world; the gathering of bulbs from my garden shelves in the laundry room; the dig-dig-digging during the hot desert days--all is nothing compared to the scent and site of the hyacinth!

Master Liberamens on Tulip Memorial Day.

The splash of color on a late winter's day--crocus and daffodils in February, tulips and hyacinth in March, iris making a royal appearance--very cheerful,
reminding there is warmth and anticipation for spring.

Anemone--also red and white.

Crocus, intense, tiny beauty.

Grape hyacinth.

I sort of have a 'Chef's Garden,' I say sort of, because I am truly not a chef or even a particularly good cook. But I love to grow herbs, garlic, onions, working on greens. Just the smell of the mint and rosemary is worth it. But I digress. I plunked some flower bulbs in my backyard herb/veg area--so while  I wait for Tre Verde--spinach, chard, and kale--I have hilarious flowers and very pleased bees.

Early spring in the herb--oops--bulb flower garden. My funky little solar water fountain looking to catch some sunlight is in the center.

Happy Presidents' Day--Thanks to the Primrose

It isn't that easy to have a red, white and blue color bowl for President's Day here in Zone 7b. 

But thanks to the lovely, hearty primrose, here we have a lovely display. Happy President's Day1 Who is your favorite president? 

Most folks say Abraham Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson or Teddy Roosevelt.  But my #1 is John Adams.

Plant 'Rescue'--Buying A Christmas Tree Eleven Months Early

Meet Gael of the Whimsical Wind

Christmas Tree 2017! I 'rescue' trees and plants--this one was 50% off this week. I will baby it all year long and around Thanksgiving put it in a jolly planter, take it with me to Las Vegas to celebrate the holidays with my grown kids--then one year from now--Jan. 2018--will plant it in my yard to stretch and grow. Christmas Tree 2009 is now about 25 ft tall in the backyard! My friend suggested I name this one--so it is Gael of the Whimsical Wind. (can you tell I'm a teacher and a writer?)

Days Like Today Is Why I Plant It Forward

Dreary, rainy few days before Christmas. Waiting for spring.

We have literally hundreds of flower bulbs inground concentrating on blooming this spring, starting in about six weeks. If you have experienced the glory of screaming yellow daffodils in February or jolly red tulips in March in the midst of the grey, grey, grey of winter---you will joyfully plant it forward.

Added many more bulbs this year.

Crocus

Last year provided such magnificent incentive. So lovely, and even sweet smelling.

Here are some shots from last year--wish I had smell-a-blog for the hyacinth.

In our growing zone (7b) crocus blooms first in the very early spring, then daffodils, then tulips, iris and hyacinths. Or when they feel like it.

Little jonquils.

Nature is sometimes unpredictable.

Daffodils

Tulips, simple and fancy.

This autumn, I have invested in many new bulbs for groups called 'Cottage Garden,' 'English Garden,' and, what you would expect for a gardener in the Mojave Desert, bulbs for rock gardens. Many of these will be new to me--loving the anticipation and challenge.

Irises, Van Gogh

Along with bringing bright beauty during winter days, bulbs

Early Iris.

 help with preventing erosion, and the early blooms are great for the bees who overwinter with us. The bulbs of the early spring flowers will multiply every year. Gardening is, obviously, an excellent STEM project for classrooms. Having a resilient garden of bulbs that comes back every year is a great project for students. How marvelous to expect the recurring success of blooming daffodils or tulips every year as you go through your school experience. And a bulb garden is so easy to plant and nurture. Teachers--how can you resist doing this? And of course, the STEAM asset of a bulb garden--not only are some of the most famous paintings by artists like Monet and Van Gogh been of bulb flowers, but what a lovely chance for students to create art of their own, dear flowers. How cool is that?

Beautiful to look at, beautiful to smell! Hyacinth.

Squash...watcha gonna do?

Tra La, Its May!

Roses blooming and our Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Family comes out to visit our Certified Butterfly Garden

The magnificent, extreme activity of  spring in the garden makes me hysterical with beauty overload!
All the hard-work investments of autumn and winter explode in growth, life and action. All the days of hole-digging, bulb planting, raking, and mulching fade in memory with the elaborate sensory extravaganza of color, scent, and burgeoning growth that includes plants and garden critters.

I know where the ladybugs live!

A residential wildlife habitat encourages plants and critters to thrive. I've spotted my ladybugs--on rosemary, in the pine tree, and looking expectant on a sunflower leaf.

  Our familiar butterflies have greeted us, the Cabbage Whites that love the bright blue of the lobelia. I have lots of blue in my garden just for that reason. Here is one on our apple tree-that's where it sleeps at night, or in the grasses. We have the habitat for the several types of butterflies to go through their life cycles.

Happy to help, earthworm.

Sowbugs doing their thing.

We have such a huge community of lovely earthworms, I call my yard the Mexico City of Vermiculture. 

 And they have been prospering in the composting over the winter--leaves, paper, tidbits from the kitchen--paradise for them and their fellow biodegraders: sowbugs (pillbugs.)

Early Iris.

We planted lots of bulbs in the autumn, and were rewarded with lovely colors and delicate blooms in the months February through March. Here are early iris. We had narcissus, daffodils, tulips and crocus, too. I plan on a special post about all these when the late iris shows up.

Heavenly color.

 I have been spoiling the butterflies with a variety of blue flowers. These are delphiniums. But truth be told, they aren't fussy. They also love dandelions and wild mustard. Of which I have much!

Busy morning in spring.

In our area, the hummingbirds remain all year. But they are overjoyed in spring! The fruit trees, this one a 35 year old apricot, are enthusiastically blooming!

Bee-ing busy.

 The bees are also always with us, but very much appreciate all the new blossoms! We have a couple thousand different varieties her in our area. I must confess I have let the mint grow crazy just to please the bees!

Peach jam?

We are optimistic about fruit on our little dwarf tree-please, peach, really try!

Pass the Tajin!

I started squash and other veggies very early indoors, so we actually have zuchinni in April!  Amazing!

Peace out!

 I realized growing roses is far from rare--but what a boost of sensory beauty every year! Eyes and noses blessed. Too bad they don't sing. Don't tell the other rosebushes, but I kind of favor the Peace Rose.

I am not too stuck up to hang a store-bought basket of butterfly-bee-hummingbird-pleasing flowers. The sweet smell is marvelous! The color and delicate shapes are too, too pleasing! Tis spring! Tra la!

A hanging basket with the sweetest smell.