 |
| The Lemony Lace elderberry was looking just perfect in the evening after a rain shower. I can’t say enough about this great plant that has such amazing texture and color. |
Despite all the time I’ve spent in the garden recently, it still looks pretty shabby. The weeds are flourishing and I’m trying not to add mulch this year (it’s an expense I’d like to avoid if possible this year) so it’s a constant fight right now. I did get the bed on the north side of the house divided in two with a mulch path and I’ll show you that once I get it planted up a bit more. I’m happy with that change.
 |
| The ‘Ann’ magnolia I planted last year is blooming and looking lovely. I have ‘Bluebird’ clematis growing up it and frankly, it’s a bit overwhelming for poor young ‘Ann’ so it will get a pretty aggressive pruning after it finishes flowering. It will be just fine with a bit of a chop although I’ll sacrifice some flowers for next year. |
The annual garlic mustard weed nonsense continues. I’ve done pretty good staying on top of it this year, but white flowers (which means seeds) are starting to pop up on the perimeter of the property and I always feel bad about “sharing” that with my neighbors so I need to get out there and take care of that.
I’ve planted very few things so far because I’m waiting for the soil to warm up just a bit more before I start plunking annuals in the ground. Most are hardening off now and I hope to tackle some of that project over the long holiday weekend.
It’s still too early to plant tomatoes here, but I did get some kale, celeriac and parsley in the ground (in addition to the things I direct sowed several weeks ago). I’m trying to have pretty veggie gardens this year, so I’m trying to space things more appropriately and maintain lines vs. my habit of plunking stuff in wherever in the past. And that’s why I noticed something strange in one of the raised beds last night. There was a mound of soil that I know wasn’t there the day before. When I went to investigate, I found feathers sticking out.
(WARNING: Pictures of parts of birds follow)
 |
| Hmmm, I don’t remember planting that. |
Ew.
With hands fully gloved and tool in hand I started digging and I realized this thing was buried pretty deeply. It was big! I believe it was a chicken wing. The neighbors have (um … had?) chickens so that makes some sense, but why in the world was it buried in my garden?
I did a little googling and apparently foxes are known to bury parts of their kill that they don’t immediately consume to come back for later. There are at least a handful of foxes in our neighborhood (they are welcome residents because they keep a good handle on the rabbit and rodent population), so again, I’m guessing the culprit was a fox.
 |
| I didn’t dig that hole. |
I dispensed with the wing and smoothed my garden over last night. And then I came out this morning to find the celeriac a bit disturbed and a rather significant hole dug where the wing had been. Apparently whatever buried that wing did indeed come back looking for it. I so wish I had a trail camera to set up in the area. Now I wonder if he or she will be back again. I really hope this doesn’t become a habit because gross, plus that’s not going to be easy to grow veggies there.
That’s the update from my garden. What’s happening in yours? Isn’t it fantastic to be consumed by gardening again?
8 Responses
WHAT???? And here I thought having all the neighborhood cats using my garden as their communal litter box was bad.
I feel your pain with the "expense I'd like to avoid", but OH is it a struggle not to buy.
🙂 gwingal
Being in the zone is a wonderful thing! Trouble is everything else suffers … housework ??? what's that ???
It is wonderful to be gardening again!
Your elderberry looks fantastic, by the way! I've got a couple of 'Black Beauty' elderberries that I love. Now I'm trying to think where I could put a lemony-gold colored one!
Also–so gross to find the wing!
We've had foxes show up in our area lately and one ran through my garden last week. It didn't dig any holes but I'll be on the lookout! But I really hope I don't find any dismembered creatures. Love your magnolia!
And I thought I had it bad with the squirrels digging up my veggie seeds and 'planting' maple keys!
I love reading gardening blogs in different parts of the country because the climate contrast is just funny to me. You mention waiting for the soil to "warm up" a bit in your neck of the woods. Ha! Hell, in Austin, if you haven't done all your spring planting by Memorial Day, (really, by late March) you're in for a hard fight to keep things alive through summer. Regional differences are so fascinating! But we've had an especially mild spring this year with a lot of rain, so my garden (of mostly native and adapted perennials) is still in full spring bloom. Just give it a couple of weeks and the rain will stop and I'll be struggling to keep my new additions alive. Summer here is like winter for you…I can't wait for the first fall cold snap to hit!
It is fantastic and like you I've had little time for blogging. Having had a month out for injury at the worst possible time of year it's a real struggle to catch up. Thank goodness the weather is (mostly) on my side. Enjoy your garden (chicken wings excepted), it's what it's all about.
I wrote a bunch of posts the other day and scheduled them to post automatically. But i need to write my last order review for Friday. After being sick for three weeks I am gardening like a maniac and loving it. All my Clematis seem to bloom before June.