It's Here...

It is officially Spring. The temperatures are hovering around 40 degrees, up here in the North Country but, it is sunny, and the sky is very blue. Most of the snow has melted and bits of green, leaves and buds, are peeking from under old leaves.
The deer are herding up and I have seen as many as 15 deer, grazing together, in a nearby field. I sprinkled "Repels-All" Granules on all my gardens yesterday. It is a non-toxic but, very smelly, nose stinging repellent that lets the deer and other critters, know immediately that these gardens are not a food source. After I rake and tidy up the gardens I will reapply more granules. Then as new growth begins I will use Repels-All spray. The spray lasts about 3 months, I only respray new growth on each plant. The spray and granules are made by Bonide. You can check them out on their website. There are many excellent repellents on the market today, but the key is to be consistent. The product I use works well against deer, chipmunks, raccoons, skunks and rabbits. I have also found that it deters Rose Chafer Beetles and Japanese Beetles.

Counting the days...

Until I can dig in the dirt once again, until I can rake up the tons of shells from eaten sunflower seeds. Until I rake the leaves which mulched the tender perennials. Until I can put down new cedar mulch around trees, shrubs and walk ways. Until I can prune, clip, trim, mow, rake, hoe, weed, bemoan animal and insect infestation, and garden again. I really do love every minute of it because, just when I think, maybe I should just "forget about it", a new bud, shoot, leaf or bloom catches my eye, and I give thanks to a loving Creator for the beauty and magnificence of another glorious gift, and the ability to still kneel down and give thanks and garden again.

Breaking Free...

Brooks, Creeks, Streams and Small Ponds are breaking free. The bondage of winter ice is broken. March appears to be leaving like a lamb. The sound of trickling water can be heard as I walk along a country road. Remnants of ice still cling to rocks surrounding the cascades. But, in just a few days Calendar Spring will have arrived. The temperature were warm again today, and fog enshrouded the meadows and the nearby woods, as snow still lingers. In the gorge icicles hung like wet tissues to the rock walls. The cornfield, also fog enclosed, hides returning Geese. Only their voices could be heard through the denseness.

Getting there...

The temperature is 66 degrees Fahrenheit, the snow is melting, but there is still about 2 feet covering the ornamental grasses. March is the time to give the grasses a buzz cut, so as soon as I can find them I will cut them back, to about 8 inches. Yesterday there was an Robin in the Walnut tree. My husband and I took a walk to the swamp, and in the meadow near the swamp, we saw a large flock of Robins. They flew up to the Sumac Trees and began eating the berries. The snows have melted in the town park and a cacophony of returning Spring bird songs could be heard.
The Mallards, that managed to find food and open water, and didn't migrate are now clothed in Spring feathers. In honor of St. Patrick's day I guess you might say this Mallard Male is wearing the "Green".

New Beginning...

The Vernal Equinox is fast approaching, and now is the time to go to the swamp. That is where I find my favorite Spring flower. The Spring bird I favor, granted a little strange, is the Turkey Vulture and my favorite Spring flower is Skunk Cabbage. Symplocarpus foetidus is pushing up through the muck and snow to adorn the swamp, in the North Country. Perhaps in your area it bloomed in February. It is very alien in appearance. Its' shell like spathe varies in color from green to burgundy and surrounds a heavy spadix, bearing flowers containing both stamens and pistils. This is a "son before father" plant, in which the blooms arrives before the leaves. The leaves become extremely large a have a foetid odor if crushed. I also enjoy Crocus and Snowdrops but, Skunk Cabbage has panache.

Very Determined...

The photos of the tree damage and the enormous pile of wood chips were created by one very determined Pileated Woodpecker. Dryocopus pileatus is an amazing crow-sized woodpecker. It is black with a flame red crest. It is the bird that "Woody Woodpecker" was fashioned after. You might be giving away your age, if you too remember this cartoon character.
Pileateds' have been known to make rectangluar holes in a tree, then after a year or so, return to the tree and built a nest of the opposite side of that same tree. In the meantime insects have taken up residence in the first hole so, there is a "pantry" of food just on the other side of the tree for the woodpecker.