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March 17, 2016

This And That


Hell-o everyone.  I hope you are all enjoying this time of year as much as I am.  We've raked up a ton of oak leaves this week, so the shade beds are running over with good, free mulch.  We've also put out several yards of pine bark mulch.  I planted my vegetable garden...string beans, peppers, cucumbers, several varieties of squash, carrots, radishes, okra, etc.  I sat out my tomatoes that I started from seed, and also some Romaine.

I planted 21 tomato plants in all, some in boxes along the fenced garden, a few inside the fenced area, and the rest in a new garden area.



This is what they looked like a few weeks ago.  I don't know that they're any better than buying plants uptown, but it's just a satisfying feeling growing them from seed.



Onions, tomatoes in the background, and my new Passion Vine on the inside of the garden.  



Romaine



I love saving seeds from the garden, like this okra...it's been hanging in my garden shop since last fall.  It only takes one pod to plant an entire garden.  This is the 'Cow Horn' variety.



So, I'm saving flowers for a later post...today is birds again.  There are a pair of Osprey building a nest on my neighbor's antennae, when chicks arrive I'll post a photo.





The other cool thing happening now is we have two pairs of  Wood Ducks nesting in our boxes.  These two were roaming around the yard, looking all pretty.



Spring 2013, before I was blogging, we got to see the little ones emerge from this box.  The next three photos were taken in 2013, with my old camera.  They nest here every year, but we have never been lucky enough to see them come out again.  My husband just happened to be in the yard when the mother flew in and called her chicks out.  I grabbed my camera and was lucky just to see the last one bailing out of the box.  The whole thing only lasted five minutes, so you can see why the event can easily be missed.  

2013 Photo



2013 Photo
Beating a hasty retreat to the water with her ten ducklings.



2013 Photo
And away they go...



This is the box the other pair uses.



He is so perfect...he looks like a decoy.






Gray Catbird, male.



Female



Face off.



Goldfinch



Last one, I promise -  Brown Thrasher.





Happy gardening during this most lovely time of year.





12 comments:

  1. The start of your veggie garden looks wonderful!!! Do raccoons mess with them at night?

    Love the little duck family and the adult ducks too. Hope you will get to see babies this year.

    I have Cat Bird visitors too and little finches but not those yellow ones that you have. Plus I have the usual blue jays, cardinals, doves, mockingbirds, and a couple others.

    Keep enjoying our lovely spring weather ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, we're actually bothered more by armadillos than raccoons, as far as the garden goes. The raccoons are notorius for digging up the turtle eggs though.
      Birds and butterflies are just part of a garden, another layer of beauty.
      I hope you're enjoying your spring too. _Janice

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  2. What a treat if I had wood ducks nesting and hatching nearby that would simply be the coolest every. They're my favorite.

    Carole @ Garden Up Green.

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    1. Hi Carole. I've got to agree with you, although we have lots of water birds around our place, the wood ducks are my favorite too.

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  3. Wow, thanks for sharing all the pics. I had some goldfinches (I'm in Tallahassee) a few weeks ago but none of them were so colorful. I also like your cement block garden. I just made one out of railroad ties, maybe my next one will be cement blocks.

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    1. Glad you visited...always glad to find another Florida gardener. The thing about the goldfinches is just about the time they get really beautiful, they leave us. For years we planted in the ground, but what a great difference in our plants since we went to raised beds.

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  4. Hello Janice! Your veggie garden is going to be wonderful - lots of lovely things you have growing there. I just love all your beautiful bird photos. How wonderful to have the Ospreys so close. It will be great to observe all the activity and maybe see some chicks. The Wood Ducks are adorable and you have two pairs - that is just great. You have obviously provided the perfect environment for them!
    As always a pleasure to visit your lovely garden.
    - Kate x

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    1. Hi Kate! We are certainly enjoying the birds this season, there seems to be a bumper crop of them. I hope you're planning to have a great weekend. _Janice

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  5. It is so satisfying growing from seed. You are sure to have a wonderful veggie bed. Do you pickle your okra or cook it?
    The birds are stunning, especially the thrasher!
    Thanks for sharing such loveliness.

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    1. Hi Daisy! If it were up to my husband, we would dredge it in cornmeal and fry it every time. Occasionally, I lay it in on top of my conch peas right before they are done. I have never tried pickling it.
      Enjoy your weekend! _Janice

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  6. Hi Janice, There's so much going on in your garden. How wonderful to have two duck families and nesting Ospreys. It's fun to watch the new ones as they grow. Your veggie garden is off to a great start. What would will you do with all your tomatoes? Do you can or freeze them? I like growing them from seed, too. The seed varieties are much greater than plants you can purchase at the stores. Do you grow heirlooms? And before I forget, your passionvine is a beauty!

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  7. Hell-o Susan! I freeze my tomatoes, as a matter of fact we have already used all that I put up last year. They make anything you put them in better than canned ones from the store. Then there's always fried green tomatoes, and sharing a few with friends and family - you know. I'm not growing any heirlooms this year, just Better Boys and Beefsteaks. Maybe I'll try something different in fall, when I have more room in the garden. Can you recommend any good heirlooms? _Janice

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