Last night the noise of farm machinery and the pungent aroma of liquid cow manure let us know that a change was being made in the neighborhood. The meadow to the east of our lane was being transformed into a corn field. Today the manure has been turned in and the corn has been planted. The sky is blue and the weather perfect for spending the day in the garden.
We have a couple of diabolically small weeds that pop up everywhere. I would be thrilled and surprised if I could get all these pulled before they go to seed again.
This is the other weed that really give me grief. Both kinds are flowering now. We had a particularly bad patch of these pests surrounding a lavender plant just outside of the stone square. I parked my garden cart for a seat and proceeded to fill my bucket with weeds. I was enjoying the fragrance of the clove currants as I worked. I was quite surprised to hear a familiar buzzing sound. I looked up and there very close to where I was working was a male ruby throated hummingbird sipping nectar from the clove currant flowers. A second bird buzzed past me too fast to get a good look. For 2012, May 5 is the date for the return of hummingbirds to the garden. Seeing them was a thrill and I guess I have my pernicious weeds to thank. I spent the rest of the morning weeding here and there while Ed worked on the peas.
A huge bunch of crows in the spruce trees were making an unbelievable racket. I watched them for several minutes hoping to see the cause of the uproar. The din lessened somewhat as I moved closer but it did not stop. The trees are thick and I could not see anything . As I turned away the raucous uproar resumed. I never did see what had those crows in such a tizzy.
Lots of red admirals are still flitting around, but I was surprised to see a humming bird moth on a Japanese honeysuckle bush. I know they are supposed to have two hatches a year, but I usually don't see them until the Monarda is blooming. It's likely they have been there all along, I just never noticed them.
After lunch Ed and I headed to the back with the garden tractors. I took the old tractor and the garden cart and Ed drove the new machine with his grass catcher. It was time to make a little hay while the sun was shining. While Ed was mowing the flat open area, I went down and mowed the path that goes nearest to the pond. I have not been back to the pond for some time. This winter was tough on the trees back here. Many of them have been wind thrown during storms. I miss the way the pond used to be, but change is the natural order of things.
It's pretty wild back by the pond. In this wet area plant growth gets very tall. Clumps of yellow flag are growing fast, but no flowers are in evidence yet. After my side trip to the pond, I joined Ed up on Amy's meadow. He had the grass all cut and a load of clippings ready to transfer to the garden cart.
While he drove his clippings to the front to use as mulch, I gave using the grass catcher and the new tractor a try. I was breezing along fairly well until my hat blew off. I stopped just in the nick of time.
The hat was just under the front of the grass catcher, but had not reached the machinery. I'll need to wear a hat with a chin strap next time since to properly fill the catcher with grass, more speed is needed. I headed to the front to get a start on dinner while Ed finished the haying project.
Now the tools are put away and it's time for a little relaxation. Tomorrow looks like another great gardening day.
1 comment:
It was a lovely, blue-skyed May day here, too, Becky, except an Autumn rather than a Spring one. Other differences were that no hummingbirds visited (it's a long way) and that I didn't do anywhere near as much work as you!
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