Here Birdie Birdie Birdie

We've had an unusually large bird population at the feeders this spring. Not unusual birds, they are all common to this area in the summer.

Hours before the big rains, most all of our birds have been feeding on the sunflower seeds. This is rather surprising because they typically would rather eat insects and seeds from the yard in the spring.

I had once read if it's going to be a long and severe storm, birds would come to the feeders for their fill. If it was going to be a short-duration storm, they would wait it out. Apparently, the person who observed this behavior was spot on.

It's also been a hard spring on the baby birds. I've seen several, after storms, that were apparently blown or washed out of nests. And even though birds' feathers naturally shed water, they've looked pretty soaked to the skin after the rain finally stops.

When the wind gusts to 40 - 50 mph even our big old trees do a lot of whipping around. Birds who build in the top of trees must have a thrilling, or more likely scary, ride.

Birds at the feeders this month:
Blue Jays, Cardinals, Red Headed Woodpeckers, Gold Finches, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, wrens, House Finches, nuthatches, American Tree Sparrows, Dark-Eyed Juncos, White Crowned Sparrows, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and I'm sure others I've not identified. The robins, doves and Brown Thrashers feed in the seed catcher or on the ground under the feeders if it's really going to be a nasty storm.

I've seen more blackbirds and starlings stay around the yard this year. Usually they move through and out in early Spring. Fortunately, they're pretty much staying in the fields with the Killdeers and hawks.

I've always kept seed in the feeders near my computer room window year round because I enjoy watching them but the amount they eat drops considerably in the summer. It started that drop until the heavy rain storms began.

Other nesting activity:
A Brown Thrasher couple has built a nest in the honeysuckle that twines over the end of my clothesline. When they started, it was a relatively quiet area but it's a mere five feet from the edge of the screened back porch and close to the area I've been landscaping. Brown Thrashers are pretty shy birds and this has been a hard adjustment for them.

The "little in size but big in personality" wrens are not shy and often nest near porches. They seem to have a particular fancy for porch wreaths, hanging baskets, and other man-made decorations. Most often it works for me as I enjoy watching their parental skills and hearing their large vocabulary of songs.

Other activity:
The bats came out of hibernation only to be greeted by cool nights and storms.

I've already seen several types of moths and butterflies in the gardens. Last night we had a "June Bug" on our screen. Not only are the flowers blooming about fifteen days early but apparently all nature is on warp speed this spring.

Predictions:
Friends shared the prediction that once we get past this wet spring, drought will set in for the rest of the summer. If that happens, those of us who get everything planted or transplanted during the wet spell will be glad they at least are getting an easy good start. New perennials will still need regular deep watering the first year, especially trees and bushes. Potted and hanging planters may need daily watering if rain becomes scarce.

Today:
But today, the yard is lush with greenery and things are growing bigger than ever before. Even the most skimpy transplant appears to be taking hold. Today, all things look bright. Isn't it great to have the optimism of a gardener??

Staying Beautiful All Summer

This old copper boiler contains sage, a small cherry tomato plant, parsley and petunias.

This is a tomato plant by the back door.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” - Erich Fromm

Recently, I did a garden presentation for the Kewanee Business and Professional Women. I had some herbs & discussed how to use them in garden pots. Potting generated quite a few questions and I thought I’d share some of the answers with you.

I focused on using pots for herbs and vegetables because of the diverse ages and time constraints of the group. Most health and time limitations still permit enjoying some basic fresh vegetables and herbs if done in pots.

Following are suggestions for those who can’t do hard labor or take a lot of time with a large garden.

The Pots:
· Don’t use little pots because they won’t allow root growth and will dry out too fast.
· If you don’t want to purchase a flower pot, re purpose a copper boiler, old canner, etc.
· Unglazed pottery will need more watering.
· All pots should have drainage holes.

To Fill:
· In large containers, fill about 1/3 with crushed aluminum cans, plastic milk jugs, or shipping peanuts. (The exception: tomatoes do better with all soil.)
· Next a thick layer of newspapers touching all sides.
· Add potting soil that contains fertilizer and some kind of moisture-retaining substance.

The plants:
· It takes less work if you use vegetables that won’t get huge or need staking.
· Herbs may be planted with a few flowers.
· Leaf lettuce forms a nice border.
· USE the herbs & vegetables to keep them producing and bushy.

The process:
· Add a one inch layer of wood mulch after planting.
· As the season and roots progress, the plants will need more water.
· Water until it runs out the bottom, then stop until next time.
· Fertilize with a liquid type three months after planting and continue monthly until frost. Fish emulsion is my favorite (Don’t use if you have cats-they may dig in the pots.)
· Pick your produce as soon as it’s ripe to keep the plant producing.

Additionally:
· Add color to your pots by adding peppers, curly or colored leaf plants, a Wave petunia, sweet potato vine, varieties of herbs, or a geranium.
· A small glass ball, statue or other garden ornaments can brighten all green plants.
· Pots sitting in full sun produce more.
· Pots placed near a water source & where they’re seen helps you remember to tend & use.

Creatively potting your favorite food allows you to eat well even if you aren’t up to tending a large garden.

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” Edwin Way Teale

Midwest Monsoon

From the WQAD Facebook page. I doubt anyone reading this isn't aware of major flooding because of the rain last night.

Although we had a little over two inches, most everyone around us had from 4 to 6 inches and upwards. Storm sewers, creeks, rivers and ditches have overflowed. Fields, again, have gullies with topsoil loss. Burlington (in purple) had serious flooding. Geneseo has businesses flooded and evacuated a trailer park. The entire town of Monmouth had serious water in basements due to storm sewer overload. The interstate and several state and county roads were closed earlier today because of water. Check out the WQAD pictures for more on mudslides, road sink holes, and especially if you're thinking of driving around. Any place low has standing water whether a parking lot, road or yard.

Not sure what this will do to crops and gardens. If the weather warms, a little wind and no rain, they might do alright. Otherwise, anything standing in water for very long will have the roots smothered and the plants will die.

Those who have organic mulch in standing water will eventually have to assess if it needs to be removed because of mold.

Plants with rhizomes and bulbs may be at the most risk of rotting.

Every area of the world has their dangerous and destructive weather events - the Midwest is no exception. Historically, these events have been happening forever. Historically, they are no worse in recent times. I tend to be of the group that believes we simply know more about these events, the access to on-site and minute-by-minute reporting and more people to talk about them is making it seem worse. Each new generation experiences these events for the first time and are usually taken by surprise and equally amazed at the power of weather forces.

Of course, knowing it is typical doesn't make it any easier to clean up the mess, ride out the storm or, at it's worst, deal with the loss of life and property.

Here's to a sunny dry weekend, folks.

Daylily Photo Contest

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin are in the Great Lakes - Region 2 Division of the American Hemerocallis Society.

Region 2 members are invited to participate in a photo contest promoting daylilies and photography. What a better twosome!

Most of us who have daylilies in our gardens or simply enjoy them wherever we see them, find it difficult to resist taking photographs. I've finally stopped making so many prints and now store my photos on an external PC hard drive.

Granted you must be "into" daylilies to belong to the AHS but the benefits are many, including this photo contest.

Contest hint: Read the directions carefully because most garden photo contests have little particulars or specifics that must be included to be considered. This one wants daylilies in the landscape with a place to sit. And although the yellow daylilies below make a pretty picture, according to the rules, they would not qualify.

Don't be afraid to enter garden or flower photo contests IF they are associated with reputable groups. Don't enter any contest where you must pay something to enter, where you loose your rights/ownership of your photographs or where you must submit any financial or secure data.

If a contest, which is otherwise secure, would like to retain sole use or future ownership of your pictures, I suggest you weight the pros and cons of their stipulation carefully. Sometimes this is alright for what you're doing and at other times it is basically stealing your photographs.

Many contests only offer the photographer and gardener satisfaction that others appreciate their efforts by publishing the picture or by awarding prizes. For most, that's good enough!

Dancing With the Stars

We had a very wet growing season in 2009, as a result some things prospered (such as pine trees) and others drowned and died (such as some iris). Pines were definitely the perfect dance partner for rain.

Once you think you know exactly what a plant needs, the weather turns and it's a different dance entirely.

The spot you worked so hard to make it drain, has to be continually watered the year of the drought. The music plays, the song has changed.

The year of the early warm spring allows planting fields and gardens in April. We all know we'll have crop maturity early enough to fill our baskets and grain bins. That's when Mother Nature waltzes through with hail in her eye and wind in her dance steps.

For farmers, it's the reason for crop insurance. For those of us who garden for beauty or to add to our recipes, it can make or break a good year.

Unlike those who depend on their crops for livelihood, we can fill our dance card with a different partner every song. Do you realize there's a whole lot of people out there that have never heard of a dance card, let alone know it's use? But, back to crops and weather.

The key to a successful yard is diversification. If I had a yard full of only pines, there would be years when my yard would be very bare because of continued drought or disease. I've lost pines but since I've planted many different varieties of trees, I never loose everything.

Same with flowers and garden plants. A variety will not only keep a weather or disease problem from eliminating all outdoor enjoyment, it will enrich the ecosystem to sustain a more diverse group of plants, animals and insects.

So, even thought you may be madly and totally in love with one plant type, I wouldn't bet my prom shoes on just that one kind. It's a sure way to have to sit out the dance.

You know how fickle dancers - aaa - er - I mean plants can be.

Photo of Maxim Chmerkobskiy from ABC's "Dancing With The Stars".

Fun in the Sun

Had a good laugh after church when we were discussing our new supply of manure and the joke evolved, "You know you're from a small farm town when you stand around after church discussing manure."

My husband put aged manure down in the new bed that developed after we had to have the foundation in that part of our old house replaced. That meant tearing up and moving everything, letting it settle over winter, putting down edging and now improving the soil. Today, it's in pretty good shape and everything moved into place.

Through a series of events, I found multitudes of flower seed I'd gathered or been given over the past several years. I decided to throw all of them (except the hundreds of apricot pits - what was I thinking) on the manure bed among everything I'd transplanted. They're all seeds from annuals I really love and if even one comes up I'll be amazed. It does give them a better chance of living than sitting in plastic bags in the garage...

I'd also bought a bag of a dozen canna bulbs at the Salvation Army last week for $3. They appeared to be healthy and was able to get those in the ground today - I'm betting on lots of rain next week to get everything started.

It didn't get cold enough last night to do any damage to plants - very thankful. It means the farm crops that are already up didn't get damaged either - double thankful.

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Check out the Sunday Peoria Journal Star's garden contest. To enter, it costs three photographs and a drive to Hoerr Nursery in Peoria. The info and application are also on their web site.

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There's a new flower / antique shop in Galva owned by Abby Hathaway and her grandparents. It's in the vicinity of the grocery store/vet offices.

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Others in the near vicinity:

Diane Nelson's Prairie Country Gardens has plant sets. Sunnyfield Greenhouse always has hundreds of choices. Dew Fresh Market has plants until they run out - some pretty awesome asparagus ferns among others.

Frost and Freeze Warning Tonight

OK, let me start by saying this entire weather informational note came from Anthony Peoples' Blog, weatherman (do they still call them that?) for WQAD. I thought it important enough for all area gardeners to put it here just in case you miss it other places:

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Frost & Freeze Possible Sunday MorningMay 7th, 2010 by Anthony Peoples

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Saturday, May 8, 2010, 7:06 a.m.

"Things are not looking good for area farmers and for people, like me, that put our crops, plants, and flowers out early this season.

After the warmest April on record in the Quad Cities, record or near record low temperatures are expected tonight and a frost and freeze is possible early Sunday morning. (The official record low in the Quad Cities is 32 degrees tonight.)

With high pressure building in overhead Saturday night, skies will clear out and temperatures will drop into the 20s and 30s.

A “Freeze Warning” is in effect from 3-8 a.m. Sunday for the following Iowa counties: Cedar, Clinton, Dubuque, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Muscatine, and Scott, and the Illinois counties of Carroll, Jo Daviess, Rock Island, and Whiteside.

Temperatures under the “Freeze Warning” could fall into the upper-20s Sunday morning.
To the east and south of those counties, a “Frost Advisory” is in effect for the Iowa counties of Des Moines, Henry, Lee, and Louisa, and the Illinois counties of Bureau, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, La Salle, McDonough, Mercer, and Warren. Temperatures under this advisory could drop to 30-35 degrees by Sunday morning.

The “Freeze Warning” and the “Frost Advisory” means that temperatures will be primed for frost to develop or for tender vegetation to freeze for several hours in the pre-dawn hours Sunday. Any plants not covered are susceptible to being damaged or killed.

However, there are two things that could work to our advantage and keep temperatures up a few degrees. First, and most importantly, the winds will have to subside to almost calm tonight. Also, some computer models are indicating some high cloudiness, which might work to keep temperatures from really bottoming out tonight.

I’ll continue to monitor the trends today and have an update later. However, it doesn’t look good. I would definitely cover whatever plants you can by sunset to help hold in some of the heat for the plants from today."

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Side Note:

A new little garden shop opened in Galesburg on Seminary Street almost across the street from Innkeepers Coffee Shop. It's called the Garden Station. We had only a short time to stop and browse but it has very healthy affordable annual plants, very friendly, and some unusual things.