Choice Morsels

A bunch of photos today! I walked out by the Bluebird house, since it's been quiet, but I could see Mrs. Bluebird's little face just inside the hole. (They build the nest high, so she could look out.) So, I think she's still brooding the eggs. Once they hatch, though, there should be a bustle of activity with both parents. ****** Goldfinches! I was delighted this past week to see a Goldfinch family in the feeder this week!  Two pair, one a lighter color male and the other much brighter. Most birds in this area nest early around here and bring there offspring to the feeder "restaurant," but I read American Goldfinches nest later then other birds, usually in June or July. So, I yet may see them bring youngsters to the feeder. Florida and a wide swath of the Deep South is the American Goldfinch's is mapped in the bird book as their "winter range." And I certainly do see them at the feeder in Jan & Feb in their winter-drab olive green colo...

Here in Florida it's time for spring yard work, even though snow is still falling elsewhere! We got a few bedding plants from both Lowe's & Walmart last weekend. Garden Pics today are some of the new purchases: Pictured below are Million Bells (pink flowers to left) and a   new Mexican Heather (to right) I'm particularly fond of the Million Bells. One of these is already planted in the large container garden out front. I had to add a new day lily to that same container this year and it has a orange-pink tone, so I thought the pink Million Bells would be a nice change. And New Hydrangeas! The photo really doesn't do justice to the beautiful range of pink to purple to dusky blue these heads are! I have just blue or just pink, so these will be different. If you remember, I mentioned two Azaleas out front died and I intended to replace them with Hydrangea's? These are them.  So Hubby dug out the dead Azalea roots for me, which were on eith...

It's raining today, so any of my plans for working outside got put on hold. We scheduled a A/C system check for today and a guy is here doing that. I'm sitting here, freezing with the A/C on, while he's doing that. Burrr. Also new is we added an ice-maker water filter to the back of our frig. Why? Well, the Pex pipe used to replumb gives the ice and faucet water a slightly plastic taste, kind of like water tastes after getting warm and sitting in a plastic cup overnight.  It doesn't smell. Just tastes. We hope it will wear off in time, but in the meantime--filtering.  The garden looks so pretty in spring, when it's fresh and so much is coming into bloom! So, I have 3 garden pictures to share today: First, this beautiful trail of sunny yellow & white Million Bells  in my front container garden: It's Latin name is Calibrochoa. Here in the Deep South, Million Bells can winter over. This plant did. They make an excellent "spiller" in eith...

Today, I mowed the front yard and put down some top soil in a couple places that needed it. I also planted the two Million Bell plants (latin name: calibrachoa) that I  purchased about 10 days ago. I'm trying a different location then in past years. They seem prone to mildew if overly wet from rain or watering, but I have a one pink one that keeps coming back year after year and even survived the 16 degree freeze. So they can be a very good investment for the perennial garden.  I also noted my Queens Tears Bromeliads that lost all their greenery to this winters deep freeze are showing signs of new growth along their root bases. (Mine live outside in a dry, shady location. The girl who gave them to me kept them in pots outside as well.) Shows just how tough a "tropical" plant can be! Today's garden pic is a rare & lovely picture of one of my German Iris that decided it wanted to bloom this year: Gorgeous! This one has been a no show for at least ...