Hubby and I are feeling better – just sniffly. Now that the local weather has gone from toasty warm to cold again, I’m not sure if I’m dealing with allergies or a cold. All the same, tea is my friend and I won’t let a sniffle keep me from enjoying the beauty of the new season!
I went for a hike earlier in the week. I was hoping to photograph some birds or squirrels for my new Project Noah account. The birds were singing but I wasn’t able to get close enough. The squirrels must have been asleep. I didn’t leave without having a lovely time, of course. Just being out in the fresh air makes my soul dance. Each time I head into the woods, I’m excited to see which plants are popping up. I was absolutely delighted to see my old favorite – the trout lily. Just leaves for now, but the flowers will show themselves soon. Since I was very young, I’ve taken the trout lily as a sure sign that winter is over.
 |
I was also lucky enough to spot an owl pellet. I used some twigs to dissect it and found four tiny skulls inside. Shrews, maybe?
 |
Springtime always gets me excited about my garden, and there’s been some developments on that front as well. A couple weeks ago, I planted some of the seeds I ordered from Pinetree Seeds . It’s amazing how quickly they grow… Despite last week’s heat wave, the danger of frost isn’t over. The fun thing about a container garden, however, is that when I feel ready to transplant, I put the seedlings in a bigger pot and leave it inside – all safe and cozy! I bought several self-watering containers on sale last year (a deal too good to pass up) and the green guys look so pleased. If you’re looking into starting a container garden, self-watering pots are amazing. If you aren’t lucky to find some on sale, they’re very easy to make.
 |
| Alibi Cucumber |
 |
| Snow peas |
Another favorite part of spring? Seeing and hearing the song birds. This lovely song sparrow serenaded my porch today. Sparrows are probably not often considered fine singers compared to their more colorful cousins, but this specimen produced a beautiful song! Thanks for a great beginning to my vacation, little guy!
 |
Author M. A. Phillips 
Oh, I love songbirds! My backyard is filled with them–probably partly in thanks to the birdfeeder XD
And gardening…we’ve already mentioned our mutual love of it on twitter, but I have to say it again: I love gardening ❤ I have tomatoes that I grow every year from seeds and I can't wait to plant them. I'm just waiting for the last frost since I start them outside in the ground because I SUCK at transplanting stuff. Whatever I transplant usually dies 😦
You sound like me – I’m just gaga for plants! I’ve got some tomatoes growing in the art room (which has fantastic southern facing windows). Nothing beats a homegrown tomato!
You know what’s funny? I love growing tomatoes and I enjoy them on pizza and I like tomato sandwiches (with lettuce), but I don’t like eating tomatoes by themselves! The consistency of them or something bothers me. *shrugs*
The two plants I have yet to have that I’ve been wanting for a few years (trees not included!) are a rose bush and a fuschia and I am DEFINITELY getting them this year!
Rose bushes are on my list this year as well. I’m planning to order a couple vintage varieties from http://www.vintagegardens.com.
Sweet!! I am in love with bright pink ones and am hoping to track down a bush sporting those ❤