On Friday another vestige of Winter was banished from the cottage with the arrival of William, our chimney sweep - no top hat and tails, not armed with those Mary Poppins era brushes - just a very powerful vac, less romantic but probably cleaner and healthier for him........and us!
A clean safe chimney ~ a fresh hearth ready for Spring decor.
More Spring Cleaning to get done ~ but so hard to stay indoors when the garden calls.
The wood pile was topped up in Autumn and we used perhaps two thirds of the lovely burning seasoned oak - you can see there's enough leftover to provide a jungle gym for squirrels and a perching place for our garden birds, also a buffer from our neighbor's parked boat. Please move that monster to the lake, soon!
Weekend stop at the garden center.............my senses started reeling. So hard not to buy new plants when they all look so pretty and perfect. Due to our drought they are stocking loads of low moisture plants. We're allowed a little weekly watering time again but it's sensible to plant these offerings for future water conservation.I did have to buy one plant which of course loves water, a Nikko Blue hydrangea. This was to replace the one by the front steps. That plant gave me literally hundreds of gorgeous blooms each Summer for over 12 years and then was zapped so hard by the late Spring frost last year it just couldn't revive so I dug it out. Hopefully this replacement will do well.
Low moisture plants I brought home and planted - fountain grass, creeping yarrow, pink sea thrift, a mini-leaved stachys I have not seen before - such tiny soft 'bunny ears'.
Update on the front porch Carolina Wrens:We have four baby wrens in the nest by the front door! At first I could only see two so was quite surprised, and thrilled, when two more stuck out their little beaks crying for their parents to bring a snack. In this picture you can only see three clearly. The parents are very attentive all day long, flying back and forth with beetles, moths, small grubs. I hope so much that they all make it and if I've timed it correctly they will most likely fledge around Friday of this week.
I so hope these babies survive and grow into beautiful wrens like this. They are such chirpy fun little birds to have around the garden.
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I've been a lurker on your blog for a while and just want to say what an enchanting place this is to visit. Your posts always put a smile on my face.
ReplyDeleteAbout your Spring Cleaning post, I love the name of the Chimey Sweep Company, Ashes to Ashes. How perfectly fitting! I'm also in awe of your find,creeping yarrow. I'm not familiar with this.
Thank you for posting the picture of your gazebo. What a perfect spot for tea, reading, painting, or just relaxing. We're chilly this morning in Central Kentucky but are looking for temps to climb to the upper 60's to low 70's this week. That will get me to the garden center for sure.
Have a cuppa for me!
I so enjoy your pictures and blog! The grounds around your home are gorgeous and don't show the drought you've had. Spring has certainly arrived where you are; bits of green are poking through the ground here yet snow flurries are off and on again.
ReplyDeleteI've never had birds next so close to our home ~ and to see those lovely baby birds! I'm rooting for them.
Your little babes are so sweet. I hope well for their future.
ReplyDeleteWhich garden center did you visit? I'm going to have to make a trek over to Logan's soon. I picked up a few pots of ivy this weekend. I can never have too much ivy.
It's chilly here this morning, but I have the day off of work. Taking it easy and enjoying it.
You've inspired me to tackle the many items on my own spring cleaning list. I've been going about it in rather a lazy fashion until now.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful post. We had Carolina Wrens in a wreath on our front door, a couple of years ago.
I like my front loading machine, but it does take awhile to get through the cycles. We have a top loader at the lake and it seems I no sooner start a load of clothes, when they finish! I haven't tried blankets or quilts in the front loader. I've heard they'll do fine, but I always save those things for when we go to the lake.
The "laundry room" at the lake is in the hallway, behind sliding doors. It's just the washer and dryer with a shelf overhead. Hmm, I think I might work on that.
Pat
Hi Mary The garden center is beckoning me to go and buy something too. Sorry you lost your hydrangea. I love Nikko Blue too. Mine is a huge bush and it suffered a terrible setback from that late frost but I didn't lose it. The little baby wrens are so adorable and what a great shot you got of them. The finch hasn't been back to check out the fern again so maybe we won't get a nest after all.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening!
Rhondi xo
Love the name of the chimney sweep company "Ashes to Ashes"
ReplyDeleteThat is so amazing to see a wren's nest in the planter....wow! I too hope they all make it safely into adulthood.
I am enjoying a kind of pseudo gardening by reading about what everyone else is doing this spring around the country and the world too.
Aren't those little wrens the sweetest? I bet that mother was putting up quite a fuss when you were taking the picture. You are a few weeks ahead of me with your flowers. But you are fueling my garden itch into a full blown scratch! :)
ReplyDeleteThe little birds are so sweet.....all mouths....hungry and waiting to be fed! I am so anxious to start mt weekly visits to the garden center.....not long now :-) Rosie
ReplyDeleteThis is my first visit to your site and how I loved your post! You covered so many things in it without overdoing. Great writing! I loved looking at your new flower purchases and about your little wrens.
ReplyDeleteI have wrens where I live and one Mr. Wren comes and sits on the posts of my Deck and sings his heart out in one direction and then does a quarter turn and sings in the next direction and keeps it up until he has covered all four sides of the post. In just a short while Mrs. Wren comes along and sings with him. I take pictures of them and I can always tell when he's out there from how loud he sings.
Love your blog..will return soon for more. LOL :)
I can't get any house work done this time of year, my garden just beckons me. And I can't walk into any garden center this time of year for under $50. Your little wren family is so cute, I love those little birds! xo, suzy
ReplyDeleteOh, what sweet little baby birds! Thank you so much for sharing that lovely picture.
ReplyDeleteYou have me in the mood to shop for more plants! As you know, we are having colder temps tonight. I hope our plants will be okay...
Lynn
Can you grow lavender there? Once it is established hardly any watering is needed.
ReplyDeleteWhat dear little creatures! I hope they make it to adulthood. Keep away, pussycats! XXX
ReplyDeleteDo hydrangeas do okay there with the dry conditions? Here they are extremely thirsty plants. If you miss watering them they droop and too long means they die. I moved a few shurbs to the cottage and am toying with the idea of a hydrangea in the opening but afraid we are not home enough on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteHow adorable your little baby wrens are! What a treat to be able to watch them so closely. It will be fun to watch them grow.
Hugs ~
Heidi
Ahh the baby Wrens are so adorable!
ReplyDeleteI was in the plant section in Lowe's the other day and really had to talk myself out of lots of plants. We too just have a small window when we can water (25 mins 3 days a week on certain days) and I'm sure by the time summer rolls around we'll be back to now watering.
Manuela
Wow, I'm impressed that you know how early they fledge! Somehow I thought there was only time for a couple of families per summer, but at this rate, one can reproduce every couple of weeks! Great!
ReplyDeleteOh I love it..i'm jealous..no nesting yet..I had them last year!!
ReplyDeletewoohoo..Deena