Continued cold weather and heavy overcast; I think we've been about 10 days without more than a glimpse of sunshine. Not as cold yesterday and today, we got into the mid-30s yesterday. Snow cover is still about 97%; here in my garden it's only melted on the driveway and paths.
I'm seeing a lot more birds at the feeders and I'm refilling them twice a day. Today I have to replace one of the suet cakes. I've noticed a lot more of the "woodpecker" type birds the past few years. I did a little research and found that there has indeed been an upsurge in these bird species due to the Emerald Ash Borer infestation that has virtually wiped out the native ash trees in Pennsylvania and across a lot of the country. The borers provided abundant food for these birds, so the bird population increased. Whether they can keep the borer in check is still not known. I hope so. It's heartbreaking to drive up along Route 30 into the mountains and see thousands upon thousands of big trees, dead. I pray we never have a prolonged drought and a fire breaks out; it will be devastating with all that dry timber standing.
My brassica seedlings, artichokes, carrots, parsley, peppers, and tomatoes are all doing very well. I did a second seeding of two heirloom tomato varieties a few days ago; no germination there yet. I was sorry to see that somehow I neglected to save seeds for Cherry Belle, one of my favorite heirloom tomatoes. I'll need to scout around and see if that variety is still being sold.
I found a very nice set of plans for a small hen house that I think I can use/adapt for my planned bantam house. I went thru the work bench in the basement to see if I could find any of the hardware I'd need. Came up with two sets of salvaged hinges, a brand new latch, and a couple of hook-and-eye sets, plus a handful of usable wood screws. We inherited the entire contents of my dad's workbench and so we've got jars, cans, and an old ice cube tray full of "this and that." I love going thru it. I always find something that I have absolutely no idea what it is or why Dad saved it. I never toss those mystery items, although I will throw out anything that's just obvious trash (empty plastic packages, broken knobs, etc.). The funny thing is, I invariably do find something I can use. A few weeks ago, the handle on my stainless steel compost bucket came loose because the small screw that holds it on fell out and was lost. I scratched thru the old ice cube tray and found exactly the screw I needed! Thanks dad!
I'm hoping that with the plywood and lumber that I got for free from the lady who's moving, plus some of this reclaimed hardware, I can build the bantam house for very little money AND use up some of the "stuff" we've had laying around here for decades. There are 8-foot lengths of 2x4's up in the hen house that R. took off the deck because they were getting a bit worn for handrails but that are otherwise in perfect condition; they've been standing up there collecting dust for years and I'd like to use them up.
Finally, this is a very nice video of a springtime garden, it's about 12 minutes long, so get a cup of coffee and settle in. No annoying background music or chatter, the camera work is a little amateurish but not migraine-inducing. (I've learned that you can slow down the playback to 75%...makes the vid a little more gently paced.)
https://youtu.be/WBN-CzbZMYU
Discussions:
| Thread Title | Last Reply | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| An ENGLISH country garden in Spring. by microb | Feb 17, 2021 7:13 AM | 1 |
| Woodpeckers and more .... by PAgirl63 | Feb 15, 2021 12:35 PM | 0 |
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