Owls in Spring (Better Late Than Never!)

In the spring, around February/March we have Barred Owls that nest somewhere in or backyard. I was doing really badly at the time (pre-surgery) and seeing these little guys really cheered me up. They leave the nest before they can fly and I was able to capture one sitting on a branch just a few feet above my head.

Summer in the Garden

Hello friends! I want to share some lovely pictures with you today! I have been away having surgery on my spine to fix the discs in my neck; it has been quite a journey for me. I had surgery in May and I am still not right but I am improving. In spite of all this I still managed to get out into the garden and throw a few seeds down and keep things watered, but the weeding and tending not so much! Things have just gone as they wish. Hope you enjoy the pics!

 Zinnias and sunflowers have been my favorite summer flowers here in Georgia since I started my garden. They grow so well from seed and attract so many birds, butterflies and other insects. I would definitely recommend them for anyone in the south looking to feed the birds without investing in seed and feeders that just get destroyed by the squirrels anyway!

These little Goldfinches love the sunflowers; they are so light the stems barely bend under their weight. Unfortunately they are very jumpy- I had to hide behind a trash can for quite a while to get this pic!

 

This is a little princess doll I made for my neighbor to thank her for bringing me meals during my recovery. I copied the basic design from a tutorial in Prims Magazine by Candace Wirth and tweaked it a little to make it unique. I love making gifts for people much more than keeping them for myself.

A Little Cheer

Well, we're in the middle of an ice storm here in Georgia- to those up north that means it is a little cold and there is about an inch of snow on the ground- pretty serious stuff! Of course, I'm worried about my plants, I just put out seeds! Because we had snow a few weeks ago (for one day), I didn't really think it would snow again. The ice is hanging so heavy on the trees and bushes that limbs are breaking and I lost my 6 foot tall big leaf magnolia that was growing in the woods. On the bright side, I decided to put out bird feed yesterday and the birds are loving it, its been fun watching them. And...I made a wonderful discovery! Did you know you can buy mini freeze dried marshmallows all by themselves?! I had no idea! Now you can add as many as you want to your hot chocolate, no skimping!

Mosaiculture

Mosaiculture is a cool new gardening trend in which artists and horticulturists create beautiful sculptures using a variety of plants. First, a frame is built from chicken wire or netting and filled with soil. Next, plants are arranged on the frame according to their color and texture, creating abstract or lifelike designs.  The following images are just a few examples from the mosaiculture display featured at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this past year. Many of them are quite large but don't let that deter you from experimenting with your own designs. After all, Chia Pets are a very simple form of mosaiculture, and one could get quite creative with mosses, catnip or wheat grass, and miniature cacti. I am thinking of trying my hand at mosaiculture this spring by creating an oversized mushroom or toadstool. It will be a few months before it gets warm enough out, but winter is a time for planning, so I can dream ;)

Let me know if you have tried mosaiculture at home and how it has worked for you; I'd love to hear it!

The Little Things

Hello World! Spring is in the Air!

Wow, its been a really long time since I've updated this blog! I've been having some pretty bad cervical spine issues these past few months that have been causing really intense physical (and emotional!) pain. I almost stopped doing everything I enjoy doing, and for a while I was reduced to a sniveling lump. I even thought I was going crazy for a minute. My GP tried all kinds of pills and steroids (which helped me to blow up like a cow) before I finally went for an MRI and was told I needed surgery for bulging discs. Well, I'm not buying it! I am going to try to do everything I can to heal myself; and yes this is possible since I (luckily) don't have any nerve damage yet. Knowing the problem has helped me to start taking it more seriously instead of just trying to push through the pain like I was doing before. I have good days and bad days but this is not a pity party!!! With the world coming back to life outside my door I decided to get out my camera and capture some of the beautiful spring ephemerals blooming right now; blink and they'll be gone! So, without further adieu, toothwort, hepatica, trillium, blood root, and elusive morel mushrooms, show thy selves!!!

 The image above is toothwort, sometimes called birdsfoot, the roots taste somewhat like licorice and they will numb your gums, an old remedy for tooth-ache!

If you are in to mushroom hunting there are many guides around Georgia who can take you on a hunt and help you identify these beauties correctly. While morels are prized and quite valuable (up to $40lb) there are many false morels that can make you very sick. Also, please don't pick Trillium flowers!!! These flowers have a complex seeding process (it's done by ants) and picking one will not only destroy the root system, it will prevent the flower from reproducing. You can NOT seed trillium's by yourself, so take pictures instead!

Happy Spring Everyone!!!

Trillium

The early evening star

The muse of three ivory words

Tied to one gravity of reason—
Tied to the gold pollen
Of birth and rebirth and rebirth.

The trillium and all her creamy luck
Equal in truth—unbiased, measured, even
And blooming silver on all three faces
Of muse. Serving sincerity
On all three plates of heaven.
The trio of power, wisdom, clarity
Paralleling the blonde expressions
Of stars—and the outstretched
Limbs of stars—
Blooming and bedding against
A warm cliff—Soft on a poetic landscape;
Unfolding
On a precipice, leaning clear over its demise:

--Masiela Lusha