Giving Winter the brush.........

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.