Birds, Squirrels, Rabbits, Oh My!

                                                          

                                       Birds and Butterflies are attracted to simple pleasures:
                                                 food, water and shelter,
                                                                                     Oblige them.



     Seems we are having our share of rainy days this spring  but we may wish for the rain if our summer turns out to be a hot dry one. So I guess we have to take what we get and make the best of it.
     I actually don't mind since I have work that needs to be done inside and the rain makes it easier to accomplish that.

      Like my Poppies it is now my Peonies  that are hanging their heads. Peonies are so pretty, with their mass of petals and intoxicating scent but they do not fair well in the rain. Drooping down, they look as sad as we do to see the rain.

Mom, Dad and baby Robins

      
 When the rain comes so do the worms and the
Robins. You might remember the Robin I had in my yard, the one that was using my basket lining for it's nest. Well, I have had a Robin family in the backyard the past few weeks and I am guessing it is the same one, with baby in tow. They have been eagerly searching for worms with great success.

Baby Robin

      We used to have a very large Silver Maple in our yard but unfortunately we had to have it taken down. It was a great magnet for an array of wildlife and I have been trying since to recreate the lure without the tree.
      We did put in a Weeping Japanese Cherry which is  proving to be a draw for the birds and now the squirrels.
      I got a new feeder this year which I hung in that tree and it seems it has attracted more than the birds.  Now I have had lots of experience with  squirrels but it still amazes me how persistent and flexible they are when they want something. Here is a picture of one squirrel just hanging out, having a snack. He eventually managed to knock the feeder to the ground and had a feast.
      As the saying goes, 'be careful what you wish for'. I did say I wanted more wildlife!!

        I also have several bird houses and there are a couple that the birds seem to favour year after year. I have had two families of Sparrows so far this year, each with a couple of babies.
        In the backyard house only one of the babies survived but he was very entertaining. As you can see in one of the pictures he is hanging out of the opening, waiting for his breakfast. I guess they were too long in coming so he dosed off. I thought for sure he was going to fall out.

Having a nap

     Over the past several years we have had Mourning Doves nesting in our yard, I haven't seen them yet this year. One year they nested in one of my hanging baskets. When I watered, they would just sit,  watching closely but never moving.  They are such calm and gentle birds and I love hearing the cooing sound they make. Hopefully they will decide to come back.
     The Cardinals and Finch's are frequent visitors but I am hoping to attract Orioles and Hummingbirds this year. I have two Hummingbird feeders and a orange holder for the Orioles so here's hoping. I also have planted my flower beds with plants to attract the birds. One of the biggest successes has been my Butterfly Bush. The butterflies love it and I have had a couple of Hummingbirds over the past couple of years. Another great plant is Globe Thistle, the Finches love it.

Orange holder

Hummingbird feeder

      
    Now  I know a lot of people do not appreciate having Rabbits in the backyard. I actually don't mind because they are so darned cute. We have two babies that would fit in the palm of my hand and really are adorable. I just wish they would share better. You know, leave at least half the plant for me, why eat the whole thing there is plenty to choose from.
     There seem to be certain plants they love, Delphinium, Clematis, Purple Coneflowers, to name a few. I usually protect them by placing a collar around their base and that does seem to help but this year they seem to have found a few new ones they like. I came out the other day to find one of the rabbits chewing on my Bachelor's Buttons. I guess he heard me coming and he froze as rabbits do, with a flower in his mouth, talk about being caught red handed. I have to admit it was pretty cute.
             

  
     There are always a few animals we don't want in our backyard, like the Racoons or the Skunks but we can't have it both ways. The good with the bad, that is true in all of life isn't it.
     It seems I got what I wished for and I hope the wildlife keeps on coming. So if you want to attract wildlife to your backyard, plant a little extra, that way you won't miss what's being eaten. Expect them to take what they think is their's, they don't know the difference and it's there for the taking.

Happy Gardening!
                                        

The fragrant garden.

Lavender garden.

                                  
                    "When you walk through 
                          a fragrant garden
                       it's like listening to a 
                              Symphony."
                                           -Mike Shoup



    
                                  
                                              
                                                               
                                   
                                    
                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                      
 I spent the last three days in the garden and am happy to say I have finally finished edging, turning soil and weeding. Not that weeding is ever really finished but it feels like it if only for a day.

 I have what I like to call my 'Zen' garden, it consists of ground covers, grasses and flagstone. I have a stone bench, a Buddha,  and a fountain. It was meant to be a quite spot in my yard, a place of peace.

  Now I have found in the spring it has become the last place I want to go, I seem to avoid it and leave it to the last of my garden chores. Yes, it is a chore.  

My 'Zen' garden.

 I leave some of my grasses, the ones with winter appeal, until the spring to cut back which has proven to be difficult at best. The plants seem to grow quickly in this garden and by the time I decide to clean it out it is very unruly. Then, I leave it longer because I can't bring myself to go in there and yes then it
has grown even more. So all that said, it is now finally cleaned out and it looks really good, even peaceful.

Peace

 I was also pulling a few weeds out of a step that is a bed of ground cover yesterday. My dog was close by not paying to much attention until I was among the Lemon Thyme. She came over very curious trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. She had her nose in the garden bin smelling, eagerly looking for something good to eat. She does the same to the lavender, sticking her head right into it and giving it a shake, she also loves the mint, basil and tomatoes.

Step filled with ground covers.

                                                                 

 Scent. It has been said that smell is one of the strongest triggers for memory. It is one of my favorite things in the garden.  I love to plant Lemon Thyme in a place like the step or my 'Zen' garden so when I lightly tread on it, it will emit a lovely lemon scent. As I mentioned I have Lavender, a whole bed of it and I love to run my hands through it just to get that amazing smell. Another favorite is Pineapple Sage, it has such a strong scent and a beautiful red flower in the fall. I usually plant it among my flowers so I get to enjoy it whenever I am working in that bed.
  If for nothing else but for their scent I suggest you plant some herbs. Be it an herb garden, potted herbs or a few tucked in with your flowers, you will not be disappointed. So go out and plant a fragrant garden.

Happy Gardening!