Going wild and truly wild

These pretty primula and the hyacinths were planted in a small garden created by a left over pile of triple mix a few years ago. I also planted four trees in it. Three of which are doing very well. But the grass has begun to overtake the flower beds, and I'm inclined to allow it take over now as all the flowers are bulbs and make a lovely showing through the grass in spring. They're going wild.

The only disappointing thing about this photograph is that the colour of these flowers is really a more intense purpley-blue which glows in the late afternoon sun. My camera just doesn't translate blues well.

And then there are the tiny flowers that are truly wild. These are but one example - dog tooth violets or fawn lilies  also called trout lilies. They are called dog tooth violets apparently because their bulbs look like dog's teeth and trout lilies because of the brown mottling on their leaves, similar to brown or speckled trout.

This photo shows them closing up for evening as we walked along the edges of a field and saw many batches of them  late yesterday afternoon. When they are in full sun, their petals turn back and they look like tiny little yellow day lilies. They will bloom as long as it's cool and bring bright yellow splashes of colour to woodlands and hedgerows.

Hope you have splashes of colour or perhaps some truly wild experience this weekend.

The gangs all here

Evening sun caressed the lawn and trees and the birds gathered to have a late snack before settling down for the night. I was surprised to see the rose breasted gros beak, purple finch and goldfinch all gathered on the feeder, the soft sunlight making them seem to glow.

This feeder has been through the mill. Raccoons have taken it off it's hangar frequently and tossed it to the ground breaking off the roof and cracking the sides. Weather - an always uneasy guest - has also taken its toll and it needs a refreshing paint job as well as I think, a larger tray and certainly some repairs to its sides.

The birds don't care. This, along with a tube feeder of sunflower seeds on the east side of my home, is the most popular of the feeders for the small birds. Occasionally the grackles will sit on the edge driving away the rest of the birds - they are so greedy - and this year so plentiful. Four blue jays also are regular visitors when there is seed on the rail, but mostly it's the preferred feeding station of the finch gang.

This spring has brought many more of the small birds to my feeders. It's been cool and they need the extra fat found in nyjer and sunflower seeds. I've had several different kinds of sparrows, fox, white throat, song, white crowned. As well the juncos and chickadees continuing to visit this year. It's such a delight to also have the other birds return, meadow larks, tree swallows, a lone bluebird dropped by, and the warblers are beginning to pass through. The air is filled with song. Soon it will be warm enough for one of my favourites - the hummers to return.

And then there is the garden.

Slowly but surely grass has overtaken many of the small gardens around the property. And just as slowly maybe not quite so surely, I've been pulling it up. It's a process. It's a joyful process since it grounds me and fills me with the feeling of nurture and nature especially as I listen to the water burbling in the pond, the birds' song and soft breezes. And of course there are my two silly dogs playing chase and pull with a torn and favoured stuffed toy.

May this day bring you all good feelings wherever you are.

More signs of spring

Yesterday I posted an amaryllis that had been a Christmas gift and received a comment back from a new friend Mindy Milburn (her blog is Mindy's 365 day photo project) in the US. She reads my blog as I read hers - (she takes great photos by the way) and in her comment wrote "...No one needs more signs of spring than you..." which is true, much as I love winter, I'm ready for spring now.

So she inspired me to post signs of spring that come from my own backyard - not yet of course, these sweet little primula and hyacinth are well under the snow... but they are cheerful and remind me that spring is not too far away. My brother saw a robin and predicted spring would come today - but of course we will have more big storms... on the other hand it's well above freezing of 0C here today, and the birds are out in huge numbers... maybe they know something we don't? Likely another storm, but perhaps not one with howling winds and tons of snow.

On the other hand if we get that kind of a storm, I'm going to put on my skiis and go out in it. Time to stop being a wuss and enjoy what I get today. And I'm also going to look at my beautiful orchid that now has four of the 46 buds open... and I'm going to search out more spring pictures to remind me that it really isn't too far away now. Maybe I can even find someone who's boiling off sap to get maple syrup - that's one of my favourite late winter activities... such a sweet treat.

How do you celebrate spring being not too far away?