View Large On Black Wrens built this nest in our broken porch light while we were away on a trip one spring. When we came home they abandoned the nest. This is the way we found it in the light fixture. You could do an "I Spy" game with this nest -- look for all the different things they used to build it. :o)
Learn all about a simple way to try growing your favorite plant using the Kratky method! All you need is a few simple supplies!
Hobby farm advocate Jess Nestor from Our Wren's Nest Farm tells us how White Scallop squash adds seasonal fun to her Ohio-based venture.
Sew a simple and fun cell phone holder for your office inspired by our fun feathered chicken friends! This project takes less than an hour!
I suppose that after a time (perhaps even a relatively short period of time) of living shut up inside of dwellings separated from the world around them the human race discovered it missed living among, well…other living things. It would be interesting to research how far back the evidence for "houseplants" goes. Long before the easy-care orchid varieties began hitting the general market with serious intent, tropicals cultivated for their foliage alone have long been a favorite choice to bring indoors and are widely available practically everywhere these days. But just as my heart aches to see video of parrots in the wild, a smaller but equivalent pang hit me when I recognized in the Longwood conservatories many plants I have tried with more or less success to keep alive in my own home. To see them in conditions more suitable to their actual needs was eye-opening. Bears Foot Fern. Yeah, "rabbits foot" just doesn't cover this six (seven? more?) foot tall behemoth… Eek. My gorgeous little eight-inch birds nest ferns didn't survive the transition from fresh, humid summer air and consistent watering outside to the dry, less-than-pure indoor air and sporadic fall watering. *sniff* This was a typical birds nest specimen for the gardens; note the basic bricks for scale. (*waaahhhhh*) Occasionally you find dessert-plate size staghorn ferns for sale in the garden section of big department stores. As incredible as they are, I resist the temptation to bring them home, knowing that I haven't a snowball's chance of truly "rescuing" them. There is no possible way on earth I'd be able to get one to stay alive long enough to grow, let alone grow to this size. (Even looking so frost-bitten it was impressive. And it wasn't the only plant in the conservatories looking worse for wear after the rough winter we've had. I can't imagine the effort and what it costs to heat literally acres of glass buildings.) Your basic and fancy philodendrons at maturity under proper conditions--yes, no matter how long the vines of your philo or pothos, they will forever remain "youngsters" for all of us folk who lack greenhouses… One of the starts-out-large philodendrons showing its true splendor. If you have one of these giant climbing philo or monstera species, please do not trim those aerial roots it sends out! Stick them back into the plant's pot. (A local nursery even gave their specimen's aerial roots their own water saucer. Very clever that, I thought.) Getting a bird of paradise to bloom in a typical household setting is one thing. Getting one to this height is something else entirely… One could be forgiven for thinking the commonly cultivated variety (that I managed to get to multiple leaves and about five feet in height before killing) is a miniature. But I doubt it. These were well above my head; the zoom lens fails to give the true perspective here. Although not a typical houseplant--it's more geared to the yard--elephant ears is one of the few super-sized plants that can achieve full growth for any attentive gardener.
While working outside for hours and hours in the last two months I have had some great wildlife interaction!..Well, my action has been mostly with the camera. Sometimes it's hard for me to get any work done because I see the need to grab the camera....... I noticed this Carolina Wren sitting here and when he flew away I took a closer look....sure enough, there is a nest being constructed in the old water can. It wasn't long until it was obvious the couple was working hard, looking for material (in abundance in this backyard) to build their nest. Also apparent is the fact that they are particular. A lot of time goes into the search. Eventually, they return one by one, with some new building material. In the meantime I am standing just far enough away to not scare them off. Holding as still and quiet as possible, with a camera posed at the ready, is as tiring as hard yard work. Sometimes my neck or arm would start hurting so bad I would have to give it up and rest awhile. This is not one of my best pictures but is the only one that shows both of them at the same time. Hopefully, I can update the progress here in a later post. Larger birds - White Ibis. These are in abundance in my area and often are seen pecking in yards or walking up the street. They hang around in groups of about a dozen. I counted thirteen this day. They cause no trouble that I am aware of and I always like to see them. And, even bigger birds, walking up my side street - wild turkeys. This has been a daily sight lately. The grass IS greener on the other side, in my neighbor's yard. They have a habit of going through my yard to and from an uncleared lot next door. He was ruffling his feathers in this picture, but he is a huge turkey!! A smaller one. They travel in groups also, about a dozen or less. They peck around on the ground but, don't dig or scratch enough to do any damage. They do like to eat my periwinkle blossoms, though! Back here I am hoping they are eating the camphor tree seeds. If so I won't have to pull up hundreds of baby camphor trees! Of course, I have many assorted kinds of small living things too. This one is on a mustard greens leaf. I surprised this guy (and myself) one day when I moved a bag of potting soil and exposed him to the wide world. He stayed in the same position long enough for me to go inside, get my camera and take the picture. Quite often I will take a picture from a distance and when I look at it on my monitor realize I got a bonus subject. Chameleons are a part of my everyday life. I hardly notice them and they pay little to no attention to me. They will never get on you (one time in all my years in Florida) and would get off quicker than they got on! This one is on the outside of the back porch screen. Sunning on little Justin's head. Like I said, anywhere and everywhere and no problem - live and let live! The same can be said of the squirrels. Although they are pretty aggravating when they dig in a flower pot!! I really surprised this one. He had no clue I was just a few steps away and this is what I saw when he realized I was there. Another close encounter on another day. When he realized I was a few steps away he put his paws on his chest and thought, oh my goodness! She is close enough to get me!!! We have several different types of butterflies. This one is the Longwing. On a Penta blossom. I don't see the Queen as often as some other types. I leave most of the milkweed that reseeds and comes up on its own. It is a great butterfly attractor. The Monarch count has been down but I am seeing more than I did for awhile. This is a skipper. I believe a silver-spotted skipper. I have seen more butterflies including, swallowtails and sulphurs but didn't get pictures. I probably should have made this into two posts but I will be taking more and more pictures and will be back with more wildlife. And, I especially want to keep you updated on the new wren house.
Sew a simple and fun cell phone holder for your office inspired by our fun feathered chicken friends! This project takes less than an hour!
Free instructions for building or selecting a safe nesting box for birds (wrens).
Free instructions for building or selecting a safe nesting box for birds (wrens).
Sew a simple and fun cell phone holder for your office inspired by our fun feathered chicken friends! This project takes less than an hour!
