Thursday, March 1, 2012

My Garden Notebook - March 2012



It is March 1, and I am documenting the developments in my garden every month on the first of the month.


I have spent a lot of time lamenting the non-winter we have had, even beseeching Old Man Winter with a letter. Although there are officially a few weeks left in winter, I do not think I would welcome Old Man Winter after March 15. With the advent of blooms and sprouts, my garden is whispering a call to behold the display regardless of time and to tend to its needs.







I will miss not having a true winter this year. If the weather had been more consistent with temperatures only varying 20 or so degrees, it would have been easier to embrace the early spring. However, the temperatures seemed to be unpredictable, and I was unable to feel settled on any one particular seasonal path.




It is odd to me now as I think back on those days when I loathed winter that I am now yearning for that encapsulation and that solitude that winter often provides. I had relaxed into it, embraced it, looked forward to it. It is a season that offered me and the garden rest and replenishment. This year, that season did not arrive. I am left to wonder why and if I and the garden will fare well as the year progresses without having our winter. And yet, I know, that everything happens for a reason even if I may not understand what that reason is.




Stats

Gardening Zone: 7a
February High Temperature: 100 degrees F
February Low Temperature: 18 degrees F

Precipitation: 3.73 inches

Wildlife

I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count earlier in February. What birds did you see in the garden? These are my counts:

Turkey Vulture - 3
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Mourning Dove - 5
Great Horned Owl - 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Blue Jay - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 5
American Robin - 2
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Song Sparrow - 1
Dark-eyed Junco - 7
Northern Cardinal - 2
Common Grackle - 5
House Finch - 5
American Goldfinch - 11
House Sparrow - 3


American Goldfinches
 
I sat out in the early morning when many of the birds are active.


Red-bellied Woodpecker


I finally was able to get a glimpse of the owls, but they were too far away and moved too quickly for me to get some photos. I have seen two Pileated Woodpeckers in the woods beyond our property, and I have not been able to get a photo of them...yet.

Blooms, Sprouts, Yield

Most of my daffodils are blooming throughout the garden beds. A few buds remain to keep the blooms going for a while.



The blackberry lilies (Belamcanda chinensis) have come through the soil. This is my first experience with blackberry lilies. The seeds were given to me by a fellow Master Gardener. I will be watching these with curiosity and wonder to see how they behave throughout the growing season.



The hydrangeas continue budding despite some of the cold temperatures at night. And the hellebore are blooming.







Other plants in the garden have heard the call of spring and have begun their spring growth.



Gelsemium sempervirens - Carolina Jasmine



Cornus florida - Pink Dogwood




Knock-out Rose



Yarrow


There is a lot of budding and plants breaking through the soil. The long view does not show all that activity. I see the daffodil buds...



The sedum ground cover is transitioning to green from brown in some areas of this bed.



The vegetable garden continues to yield cold weather crops in these milder temperatures.  I set out the tarps to dry from the morning dew during the day after covering the vegetables on cold nights.



I found these roasting pans with clear covers in a store clearance bin. 



They are perfect for indoor seed starting. I planted some snowpeas, and they have sprouted. 



I open the cover in the morning and spray the soil or the seedlings with water, and place the cover over them at night to keep the warmth inside--as a mini-greenhouse.



The broccoli has begun to flower because of the warm temperatures. I snipped these heads for harvesting. They are still good to eat. I have cauliflower and cabbage heads developing in the garden.



These took a bit longer to develop than the broccoli, but I am thrilled to see them. We are still eating lettuce, kale, napa cabbage, and mustard greens.



Completed Garden Chores

Pruned Raspberry Bush
Sowed snowpea seeds (variety: Avalanche) indoors

Garden Chores for March

Trim liriope
Test soil
Weed garden beds
Spread lime
Spread compost

Observations

I have seen more signs of vole activity near the birdfeeders, and I have been diligently working to prevent them from damaging any young trees. I stuffed the entrance holes with small sharp granite chips and castor oil pellets. It has been two weeks since I did this and things seem to be improving. There has been no new activity or any activity in the existing holes. Later, I will clean this up and cover the area with soil, keeping the granite chips in the holes. Besides deterring the voles, it improves drainage on the slope.



Product Reviews

I bought these two squirrel-proof feeders early this year, and they are not completely squirrel-proof. The squirrels often visit this one (Metal Haven Bird Feeder) in the mornings or evenings attempting to nibble as much from the tray as possible. Although they do not really eat very much, they have knocked it down a few times. Luckily, the top is very secure and food does not escape, but food does escape from the feeding holes when it falls.



And this feeder (Vista Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder) has a pressure sensitive perch, but they find a way around that by gripping the side hardware. They have also knocked this one off of the branch a couple of times which empties it of all the food.

Here, a squirrel is waiting and looking before he jumps...




and the jump...



These crafty critters are incredibly intelligent, and although their intelligence can be frustrating at times, I am often brought to laughter. I may need to invest in a squirrel-proof pole to keep them from the feeders altogether.


What is in your Garden Notebook for March?

I will be linking this post to the following blogs:

Angela from Bumble Lush hosts Best and Worst of My Garden. This month my birdfeeder problems as well as the strange garden weather offer my worst, and for me, the budding and blooming hellebore and daffodils offer my best. Visit her to see what other gardeners offer as their best and worst in the garden this month.

Helen of The Patient Gardener hosts End of Month View. This monthly meme is where garden bloggers share their garden views for the end of the month.

Also, Town Mouse Country Mouse hosts First Views. This monthly meme offers an opportunity for garden bloggers to share their garden first views for the month.


Christine and Barbie of the The Gardening Blog host a monthly meme Garden Bloggers Harvest Day that features the harvest of gardeners.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Earth Day Celebration Coming in April

I am planning to have the second annual Earth Day Reading Project blog meme to celebrate Earth Day 2012 beginning on April 1. The Earth Day Reading Project is a month long blog meme where bloggers are asked to share what books inspired them to live more sustainably and post it to the meme. Because there are some bloggers who participated last year and already shared what books inspired them to live more sustainably, I will add another category that will allow them to continue to participate. I will be doing things a bit differently this year to make it easier to participate and refer back to the books mentioned in the meme. All the books from last year's Earth Day Reading Project are listed here.


© copyright 2012 Michelle A. Potter

69 comments:

  1. hello Michelle, I have really enjoyed reading your month and sympathise with the strange weather, 100 degrees F in January is high!
    I love your first photo it is quite beautiful, enjoyed seeing the long shot photos of your garden as well as the close up of plants, spring is springing, it must be so nice to have been able to pick fresh veggies all winter,
    I'm interested in your using caster oil pellets I've never heard of them before so can you say a little about how they deter the voles and are they any good in rabbit holes?
    we don't have squirrels on the island but the american grey squirrel is a problem on the mainland, as well as early settlers taking things from here to you they also brought things back here, both of which are now problems in our repective countries, when I lived down south in a flat there was a park near by I used often and at lunchtime local workers would go to eat their sandwich in the park, the squirrels would beg for food and some would even throw things if you didn't share your lunch, Frances

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    1. Hello Frances. The 100 degree weather was in February, my mistake. Still, that is quite unusual. I hope to do a post on deterring voles in a week or two, and I will outline my experience with castor oil pellets and other deterrents. I am not sure if they deter rabbits, but it would be worth a try. If you have any success with it, let me know. I have not tried using it against the rabbits. In my garden before we had the fence, I used Tabasco sauce as a deterrent against rabbits. It works but must be reapplied after rain. Tabasco sauce is helpful against squirrels as well, but, again, you must reapply it after rain. I like squirrels and rabbits, but I have had a time with them in the garden for various reasons. I try to do what I can and accept the rest...it is not always easy, but I tire of my frustration.

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    2. hello Michelle, I know just what you mean about being tired of your own frustration, I like the rabbits but for the burrows they dig, a couple of years ago I had problems when a pair kept trying to dig under my house, I pour water down the hole just incase they are in it before I block it, the water makes them come out rather wet but not harmed, some plants they eat recover like the daylilies but some don't! I read that chilli powder keeps them off but like you say it needs redoing after rain and with our wet winter that just isn't an option, I look forward to your vole post and will see if I can locate some caster oil pellets, I'll let you know what happens, if it works I'll include it in a post too, Frances

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  2. W Twoim ogrodzie już więcej wiosny widać, niż u mnie. Zrobiłaś piękne zdjęcia kwiatom. Sporo ptaszków odwiedziło ogród i mają śliczne zdjęcia. Wiewiórka jest urocza. Pozdrawiam. *** In your spring garden now more visible than in me. You took beautiful pictures of flowers. Many birds have visited the garden and the beautiful pictures. The squirrel is adorable. Yours.

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    1. Thanks, Giga. Spring is here early, but it will be nice to start working the garden again. I had the windows open today because we had 70 degree F weather. It was very nice to smell the odors of the garden and hear the breezes.

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  3. I know what you mean by the winter - I think its unsettling when we havent had a certain season, we need the rhythme that we get with the seasons to settle us.

    Thanks for joining in with this meme

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    1. Helen, it has been unsettling, and I will have to move on. Today was very warm, and I began to savor the early spring. I hope not having a true winter does not wreak havoc with the balance of nature as we move forward.

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  4. Thanks so much for linking in to my Best/Worst. Temps from 18 - 100F?! That's nuts! Sorry to hear about the birdfeeder problems. I've watched my neighbors fight with squirrels using their bird feeders. They now have a feeder that looks like a white canvas bag. It's perforated enough for the birds to reach through with their beaks to get seeds, but the squirrels cannot. I don't know the name/brand right now, but I can ask them.

    I'm so impressed that you know so many different bird types! I've seen finches, cardinals, and blue jays in my garden and wish I could photos of them like yours.

    My To Do list for March is mainly comprised of seed starting tomatoes and peppers, and potatoes! I can wait until April for squash, beans, etc. I'm looking forward to the garden season!

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    1. I am curious about that particular bird feeder...sounds interesting. I will most likely get a pole with a squirrel baffle and hope that works. I am still surprised by some birds with which I am not familiar...I keep learning every day. I have been watching them for a long time...love 'em. I am with you on starting the tomato seeds...I can't wait. Thank you, again, for hosting.

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  5. I love your use of the roasting pan to start seed. I'm a big fan of yogurt containers. We have a hawk that checks out our feeder everyday around noon. I haven't been able to get a photo yet, but we don't have any mice or squirrel problems this year. On a morning walk, the dogs found a squirrel tail in the woods so Mr. Hawk is helping me out with critter control.

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    1. I have a few hawks around as well, but I do not seem them often come into the yard. It would be nice if your hawk came over and trained my hawks how to stand guard. :)

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  6. Your garden, being one zone warmer than mine, is so much farther ahead. I enjoy your words and photos ... reminds me of things to come. Good luck with your feeders, I've found the squirrels extremely persistent this year.

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    1. They have been very persistent. I will keep working to enjoy them without allowing them to have all the bird food.

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  7. I enjoyed reading the review of your garden. We have all the same birds and squirrel issues. I have found that a post with a baffle far enough away from the trees does the trick. I only put seeds that the squirrels don't like in the feeders that hand directly on the trees. I am glad you are getting your vole population under control. We plant everything with chicken wire so they won't eat the roots. I have lost so many plants and young trees to them and this seems to be the only remedy that works. Your cauliflower looks awesome!

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    1. I may try your trick for the pole. The only thing that concerns me is most of my yard is a slope, and they might be able to jump past the baffle. I suppose it will be trial and error as I figure out solutions. The voles have moved...thank goodness I caught them in time.

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  8. Hmm, very tall daffodils or short monk (St Francis?) ;). Your veg looks very happy. It's lovely to see the signs of spring everywhere, even while wondering how the garden will cope after such a strange autumn/winter. Our summer raspberries flowered and fruited gently at the end of our prolonged autumn on their new canes - whether they will have the strength to do so again in the summer as they should remains to be seen...

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    1. They are rather leggy...maybe because of the warm winter.? It will be interesting to watch how things fare with this strange weather.

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  9. I enjoyed your thoughtful reflections on the transition from winter to spring. For me too, it has paradoxically been a more difficult winter, despite the milder weather, and I have been more anxious for spring to come than ever before. The lack of a "real" winter is indeed unsettling. My mind is unable to be at rest and peace with the season. I hope that the weather patterns this year will prove to be an anomaly!

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    1. It will be interesting to see how this non-winter affects the rest of the year. I am beginning to enjoy the warm weather and see the joy of spring. The season seems to have begun anyway...

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  10. I love your bird photography! Squirrels can be quite annoying when they steal the bird food out of the feeders and they are pretty smart and persistent in doing it, I know from my own experience in our former garden. For some reasons that I don't comprehend I rarely see a Squirrel in our current garden, but I am not complaining ;-)!
    Christina

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    1. If I did not see any, I would probably not complain either. And at the same time, I do get quite a few laughs watching them scurry around and get into everything.

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  11. You certainly got a lot of birds for your bird count. Glad they didn't have an 'away day' like they often do for us at bird counting time. I don't have much trouble with squirrels on my bird feeders, the cages are very strong. Interesting deterrent for voles. I read somewhere that coffee grounds work as well, but I've not tried it yet.

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    1. The forecast was for rain that morning, and I thought I might have to reschedule my bird count day. I tried to pick a time--in the early morning--when I would see the most birds so I could give a true representation of what I see around here. It is as if they all awoke at the same time...it was great. I will have to experiment with the coffee grounds...interesting idea.

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  12. 100 degrees? That's hotter than here! No wonder you wrote a letter to Old Man Winter! But, I think he's retreated for the year. I am getting used to the idea that spring is a little early.

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    1. I am getting used to it as well, Holley. It seems this is the pattern and the garden is moving along with it. It was a very pretty day today, a spring day. I enjoyed it.

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  13. Your photo's and blogstory is wonderful. I did also a birdcount but I have not so many different birds as you do. We don't have squirrels in our garden. I wish I had. I think they are lovely.
    Have a great week

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    1. Thanks, Marijke. It is nice to have all this wildlife...I do enjoy it...even if they try to eat all the bird food. Have a great weekend!

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  14. Love your photos of the female cardinal and red-belied woodpecker, as well as the closeups of the Hellebores.

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    1. Thanks, Sherry. I always feel so lucky when I get those shots. The woodpecker does not come to the feeder that often, so it was a real treat to get a good photo of him.

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  15. You have been busy! I haven't been able to get out into my garden much all winter, so I'm jealous. It's either been too snowy or too mucky. Those terraced garden beds are interesting--were they difficult to pull together? This would be a good post to link to the "Lessons Learned" meme, too. I'd love to have you join in. Happy spring!

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    1. Those terraced beds were built by hubby about a couple of years ago. We started with two and built on the rest. I love your meme, Beth, and I am planning to join in next week if that is okay. I have a post planned that would fit in nicely with your theme. Happy spring!

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  16. A day with 100 degrees in February? ! I can't imagine. 18 and 100 is a truly amazing range of temps in one month.

    Squirrels are just unbelievably clever aren't they? And acrobatic.

    There are Pileated Woodpeckers here too but I haven't gotten a picture either. Maybe if one gets really intent feeding on a felled tree...

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    1. I am so glad to have the Pileated Woodpeckers in the adjacent woods. They always are a treat to see. I hope I can get a photo of them someday. They do seem to be very active closer to the yard at this time of year. Good luck to you as well.

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  17. Wow, that's a temperature difference! We participated in the Bird Count for the first time this year, which was lots of fun. The kids loved it! What a beautiful woodpecker - I so wish I could see a pileated one! I have most of my bird feeders on poles with baffles, which work pretty well. They still have to be far from trees and the baffle has to be at least four or five feet up - boy can those squirrels jump! I enjoy watching them though.

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    1. I am seriously considering getting a pole with a squirrel baffle. With the nice weather, they seem to have found some other food sources and have not been bothering the feeders as much.

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  18. Your garden looks good whatever the weather and you must be really pleased with the amount of wildlife that loves it too. The weather in the UK has been wonderful these last few days and everything is beginning to burst into life. It has to be my favourite season - so much to look forward to

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    1. We have had some cold days and some warm days, but things continue to progress towards spring. I am looking forward to it as well.

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  19. Wow, love those bird pictures! How did you do it? Mine always fly away...

    Yeah, funny about winter. We really miss the rain here, but last year it rained well into May and everyone was complaining.

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    1. It is not easy...I just keep trying and finally I get a good photo. I still am hoping to get some photos of the owls and pileated woodpeckers.

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  20. Have an information rich post filled with beautiful images. Winter never really came here as well, but seems to be poking its head in the door again. I was amazed at the variety of birds too. We usually get the hawks, but not one this year. I think because the weather was so mild, food was easier to find.

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    1. I was thrilled to have picked a good morning to count the birds. They went about their business as I counted and wrote the numbers down...it was a lot of fun.

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  21. I am behind on reading blogs but didn't want to miss this wonderful post. I am jealous of your pileated woodpecker as I have never seen one. I really like squirrels and their antics on your feeders sound hysterical. We keep them off our feeders bu feeding them corn on the ground. I can't believe we are now in the same zone 7A, and you had a high of 100 degrees. Where are you located?

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    1. I have thought of feeding the squirrels...perhaps that would be a way to distract them away from the bird feeders.

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  22. Wow, so much going on in your garden and so many fantastic photos. Your stats, did it really reach 100f in February or did my scatty brain get confused. The Winter was also mild in this part of the world, but how I have seen it as a blessing.

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    1. That statistic is correct. I use the weather underground web site to verify my findings.

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  23. Wow! so much going on already. I remember when you installed those tiered vegetable planters - good to see they're delivering already.

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    1. I absolutely love my tiered veggie garden. It has served me very well.

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  24. I understand exactly how you have been feeling this winter. It was impossible to feel settled with the constant temperature changes and I kept waiting for winter to arrive. Now I'm a bit shocked that spring is on its way.

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    1. You said it so well. I was shocked when spring came early as well. It has been a very strange season.

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  25. Those birds and squirrels are so cute and charming, your garden looks so friendly and enticing as well. No wonder those lovely little creatures love your garden...

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    1. I am very glad they like my garden. I create it for us and them.

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  26. It's so great popping by and catching up with your garden notebook entries. It all makes fascinating reading for me as the conditions, the plants and the pesky problem wildlife are so different. Loved our roasting pan idea, by the way!

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    1. Those roasting pans are working out so well. They work perfectly for sowing seeds.

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  27. Keeping a notebook is an interesting idea. It would be interesting to for instance compare rainfall from year to year and temperature fluctuations. What an array of birds visit your garden! I was amazed that you even had an owl on the list.
    It does seem like this past season could be awarded the title "The Winter that Never Was". It has been unsettling to say the least.
    Spring has yet to put in an appearance here. Though the winter has been mild, there is still snow on the ground.

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    1. I am looking forward to comparing this year's garden notebook entries to next year's stats. It surely was 'The Winter that Never Was.'

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  28. Really interesting post, thanks for sharing it all with us. Loved the photo of the woodpecker, we have Great Spotted woodpeckers here and feel so lucky when they come to the feeders. We have the same problem with the squirrels when they managed to jump on the feeders, a question of staying one step ahead of them, but they certainly have brains don't they?!

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    1. They are so smart and crafty. I end up laughing more than anything because they are so funny.

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  29. Your garden is considerably ahead of mine in southern PA; I have lots of foliage on daffodils, but no signs of flower buds yet. I share your feelings about this winter: I missed it, but I would not welcome its arrival at this late date.

    I'm so glad to hear that you are going to host the Earth Day Reading Project again this year; I enjoyed it so much last year. -Jean

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    1. I am glad you are participating in the Earth Day Reading Project again, Jean. I look forward to reading your post.

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  30. You have a lot going on in your garden! We also skipped winter, though that's not so unusual this far south. I do relish those chilly days where I can stay inside by the fireplace and read my garden books!

    We once raised a baby squirrel, and he was very intelligent and as loving as any dog. So we have become philosophical about the squirrels and don't begrudge them the seed.

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    1. I can imagine that raising a squirrel must have been a very interesting and exciting experience. I am thinking of feeding them separately from the birds. I once rescued some baby squirrels that had fallen from a nest. They were so helpless and adorable. I took them to a veterinarian that had a wildlife rehabilitator on staff.

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  31. I've had much the same feelings this year about the lack of winter, but I agree I hope Old Man Winter doesn't respond to your letter now. Especially since it looks like spring has arrived for you with all the buds and new growth. We had a light dusting of snow tonight, but the daffodils are budding, and each day I see signs of more green, so I'm ready for spring, too.

    What a fantastic bird count you had! I had so few the weekend of the GBBC that I didn't even turn in my tally. I think all my birds were hiding out until it was over:)

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    1. I am sorry you were not able to get a good bird count. I was lucky that they showed up that morning. I, too, am looking forward to spring.

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  32. So glad you will have the meme. I will have several books...my garden journal is sparse since it is still winter here...so many wonderful birds and blooms in your garden Michelle!!

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    1. Thanks, Donna. The birds are a joy to watch and photograph. I am glad you will be participating in the Earth Day Reading Project. I look forward to reading your thoughts and impressions.

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  33. The cauliflower looks delicious! Have you enough to put up or only to munch on?

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    1. Thanks, Loretta. I love veggies from my garden. I may grow more next year since I was able to have them throughout the winter season, but I only had a few heads of cauliflower.

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  34. Love your photos and I wish my cauliflower ends up looking like your this winter! Thank you for sharing!

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  35. Hi Michelle - wonderful capture of the squirrel jump! They would make me laugh too, I love squirrels (but I can afford to, I don't have them in my garden). I do have voles though and sympathise!

    I am so with you on the winter thing - I love winter too. But your Spring buds and blooms are lovely. Soon you will be revelling in all that Spring beauty!
    Regards
    Christine

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'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see 'em bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world'
--What a Wonderful World

Thank you for visiting The Sage Butterfly blog. I enjoy reading your charming reflections very much. Have a great day!

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