Be still my heart

This time of year sets my heart racing, my blood flowing with a whole lot of drooling and ewwwwing and awwwwwing. I walk into a nursery and just stop and stare, totally mesmerized.....taking in all the smells and colors and sounds....and I'm not talking a kid nursery.....no siree! We're talking newly grown, happy, full, beautiful plants; Plants that are just crying out for a new home, some place to spread their roots and reach for the sun!
Oh the self control it takes to not just fill a cart or two or three....for my garden has so many bare spots and is just crying out for a color punch! But I am not falling for this Spring fever...it gets me every year. But this year I know better! All those perennials that are hiding under the mulch and soil, just ready to pop out at any time.....they need their space. The markers I so cleverly placed last fall did not make it through the winter, so I will be surprised and reminded of these hidden treasures as they make their appearances. Oh yeah! And all the seeds I have scattered, and the re-seeders that are planing on showing up again, in some random spot of their own choosing. So.....I will definitely not buy anything right now!

Okay......alright......It's not my fault!

And I didn't even buy this one......a friend brought it over!
So I know....I probably need counseling, or..............I can just blame my husband. He calls me the ultimate Earth Mother and bringing in new baby plants is just part of my makeup. So there! Ha! Justified! There's a little justification dance going on right now!

Coming home after my "not buying" excursion and it being a most glorious day...with sunshine....I decided to peruse the garden and see what's going on, what survived the winter and what "chores/fun" will be arising in the next few weeks....months.....etc....etc...etc.....
The survivors........

 The cabbage just seems to be getting happier as the days go by.

The kale was a delight all winter long....but it is hard to wait to cut down the daffodils that are no longer blooming.....apparently they need to keep their leaves for a while to do some important work so that they will bloom again next year.

The amazing broccoli (so glad for spell check.....I always want to spell it brocolli) got ignored and went to flower before we harvested.....but flowers are so wonderful in all their glory!

The dill is all perky just waiting for the swallowtail butterflies to arrive.

This little broccoli guy just came up on his own in the crack of our brick pathway. Way to go little guy!

Our early spring bloomers and popper uppers are hard at play just doing what they do best....the early risers get the bees!

One of my early projects was to reclaim my leaky birdbath......so Voila'.....

And set out the 100% cotton yarn for home building materials for the birds.

And keep the compost cooking.....

Frame the really cool dragonfly picture in the really cool frame....

And put out the newest addition to the growing garden family of whimsicals....

So yes.....I am ready....and waiting....but enjoying each and every moment before, during and after.....Loving life and living fully and walking in my earth mother shoes!

Cacophony of Life

I'm going on about 4 years with a certified wildlife habitat yard in a fully populated suburban area.

That means that the wildlife have food, water, cover, and shelter for raising their young. Some are a pleasure to have around, some are just doing the things that they are required to do to survive, and some are just plain weird....but all so strangely beautiful.

You might be sitting on the deck with a cold one, thinking you are all alone.....but no....there is a whole micro world going on if you just open your eyes to see it.

There is just so much flying, hovering, creeping, leaping, fluttering, oozing, hopping, spinning, munching, biting, chewing, stinging, eating, pooping and sleeping going on all the time. The births and deaths.....living and dying....and all the crazy mating rituals right there, possibly in plain view.

So take your kids, your husband or wife, a friend or just yourself outside and sit and observe and listen and live a little beyond the walls of your house.....it will make you smile!

And you might find you are bringing something interesting and entertaining to this "other" world.

And don't be surprised at what unusual and cute wildlife might show up at any time...........

If you plant it they will come......

I have just taken a tremendous leap into a new decade (for me). I didn't really want to except that the alternative was something I wanted even less. Aging has always been something my parents and grandparents did.....but not me.....heaven forbid! I still tear up the AARP card invitations that come almost weekly in the mail because it just makes me feel like I'm taking a stand and being that rebellious teenager and that I'll just show them......and as long as I don't look in the mirror I can almost convince myself (but the spinach in the teeth can be quite embarrassing).

And I still daydream of joining a summer league softball team and looking really good in a bathing suit....sigh....
But...the good news is that time seems to slow down or stop in the garden and in my little bitty slice of heaven surrounded by suburbia I am ageless!

So....my garden got a lot of fun birthday presents this year since I was in birthday denial and my sweet family and friends weren't quite sure how to deal with that....or they tricked me somehow by giving me really cool gifts to put in my favorite place...hmmmmmmmm...

Now that things are starting to speed up in the blooming department, I am anticipating my winged friends showing up more and more often. I've got my passionvine planted and established, my dutchman's pipevine has kicked into gear and I have two more coming in the mail. I've got pentas, salvias, cannas, hyssops, catmints, scaveola, red hot pokers, cleome, basil, cosmos, mexican milkweed, and oh so much more. The sun is shining, the bees are happily doing their thing and I am just waiting.......

So dear friends, the fennel is waiting.....the dill is available.....the rue is anticipating.....It's time to Party!

Oh and one more really cool unexpected birthday surprise showed up on my front porch........

Best birthday ever!