Not At All What I Was Expecting.....

Well, today's post was supposed to be about the bluebirds in our garden. I went out to the box this morning to take photos of the four babies that hatched this week and this is what I found! I was shocked, surprised and saddened.
Our bluebirds have had the roughest time this year. Between other birds trying to make nests in their box and the mockingbird couple, that also have a nest near the garden, that have been trying to run the bluebirds off. I'm not sure what's up with that. They usually get along.
A month ago, there were 4 eggs in the nest, but they disappeared. I wondered if a snake had gotten in and eaten them. I guess I was right.
I'm not quite sure what kind of snake this is. Chicken snake? Rat snake? I posted a couple of photos on flickr onto a snake ID group. If you know what kind of snake this is, please let me know.
He/she dropped to the ground and took off under a shrub before I could get a hold of it. Now, I do love snakes. I used to have a Boa named Clyde when I was a teenager, and I know that they need to eat too, but it makes me sad that it ate the bluebirds. But that's nature for ya.
Until next time.....
UPDATE:  I heard back from the flickr group. My guess was correct. It's a rat snake. Also known as a chicken snake.

Wordless Wednesday

Garden Notes ~ Late June

Wait. What? Late June? Already? Please slow down there summer!
It's been a busy week in the garden. I finished mulching everything, then spread wood ashes and manure. Now all we need is an afternoon thunderstorm.

The garlic is harvested. We put it under a tree atop wooden pallets to dry. I've got one eye on the sky because if it starts to rain, I have to get them into the garage.
Rattlesnake pole beans are starting to climb.
Tomatillos, resembling paper lanterns, are floating throughout the plants.
Cucumber blossoms. I'm eagerly awaiting my first cucumber sandwich. I live on those in the summer.
A section of the Roma tomato bed; staked, suckered, mulched and fed.
Dixie speckled butter peas. Excellent shelling peas.

I need to spend the afternoon in the studio, packing orders that are scheduled to ship tomorrow. Guess I better head that way.
Until next time.....

Good Morning Summer

Early morning
Quiet
Cool
Peaceful
Sunrise
Summer
Welcome

Wordless Wednesday

Mid June in the Garden

I love June in the garden. The spring crops are coming in, or are already gone. The summer plants are coming into their own. It's not too hot yet and we're getting the perfect amount of rain. The garden changes drastically from day to day. It always looks so lush, just begging to be photographed.

I got our tomato plants, staked, mulched and suckered. John and I are in two different camps when it comes to suckering them. He does it. I don't. This year I decided to learn how to do it. Just because. So the other morning he showed me. I'm still not sold on the idea, but at least now I know how to do it. Do you sucker your tomato plants?

This morning I finished mulching. We've had 3 hot, dry summers in a row. If we have another one, the mulch will help hold in whatever moisture the plants receive. Plus it helps keep the weeds down. And it's nice to walk on, since most of the time I'm barefoot out there.

Here a few pics from the past week.
The lavender is beginning to flower. I love, love, love walking by the shrub and brushing up against it.
The first squashes are coming in. That first picking is always the best!
The echinacea is beginning to bloom.
Lettuce! Salads and sandwiches come alive with fresh, sweet lettuce.
Tomatillo plants growing on metal trellises in the foreground. The background is a perrenial bed.
And last, but not least, the Celebrity of the garden. This looks like it might be our first ripe tomato. Eventually.

Well, the garden has changed alot since I took these photos. Stay tuned for garden updates.
Until next time.....

Strawberry Season

Strawberry season has been incredible this year. The berries are sweet and juicy. I froze enough whole berries to use throughout the year. We've been eating our share of fresh ones, plus the usual strawberry muffins, pies and ice cream.
I can only hope that the rest of the growing season will be as fruitful!
Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

Through The Fog

We woke up to the most beautiful fog covered landscape this weekend. I grabbed the camera and headed out to the gardens to capture the moment. It was early in the morning. Quiet and cool. Just me, my camera and the plants.
Then yesterday it rained on and off all day. We got enough rain that I was able to easily pound in the stakes for  1/3 of our tomato plants. I'll head out early tomorrow morn before the sun gets too high to stake the rest of them.
Weather perfection weekend. Yep, that's what we had.
Until next time.....

Wordless Wednesday

Welcome June

It's hard to believe that we're heading into the 6th month of 2013! Wasn't it just Christmas?
I took the month of May off from my Etsy shop to enjoy Spring, work in the garden, camp up at Crystal Lake and do some non Etsy work. It buzzed by. Even though I left my shop open, I didn't do much in it. It was nice to step away from the computer for a month. I need to do this more often.
I have a June Clearance section in the shop. You can find it here. I will be listing new things as I find the time to do so in between gardening.
Take time to stop and smell the roses. Pictured above is a bouquet from our White Dawn climbing rose that is in full bloom right now and smelling oh so good.
Until next time.....