Our World Tuesday and End of the Month View April 2013

Welcome to my world!

The Hummingbirds

The first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird arrived on April 13.

Now at the end of the month we have about 20 birds.

Standing in the shadow of the porch and shooting towards bright sunlight created this silhouette.

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The Vegetable Garden

I built a new bamboo trellis for my pole beans.

It was thoroughly inspected and approved by Big Jay (a cat scan!).

In the background you can see the place I am preparing for tomatoes and peppers.

40 Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans planted on April 15.
The germination rate was 80%, I planted the gaps on April 26.
Marigolds are supposed to ward off insect pests.
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We have been picking lettuce for our salads for a couple of weeks.
This container was sown with lettuce, carrot, and onion seeds on February 18th.
Subsequent plantings in March are growing very slowly.
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The Wildflowers

The native wild ferns are unfurling their fiddleheads at the edge of the woods
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Of course, Thistle is an undesirable plant. Look at all those sharp thorns!
We mow them down after they bloom.
Even wildflower enthuasists find them difficult to love.
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But I am sure everyone loves these tiny wildflowers - Violas!
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The Flower Garden

The Iris are beginning to bloom

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We have been blessed with April showers - just a fraction over 7 inches (18cm) this month.
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The Wisteria has recovered from last month's freeze (lost all its first buds),

and is producing the most amazingly fragrant flowers.

The butterflies and bees love it!
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The promise of things to come - Azalea buds!

Happy Gardening!

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French Marigolds April 28, 2013

SOOC, French Marigolds, Tagetes patula

I bought these as companion plants for my tomatoes.

They, supposedly, repel insect pests and attract butterflies.

Have a beautiful day!

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Sky Watch Friday April 26, 2013

Sunset, April 22, 2013, Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA
The Heavens declare the glory of the Lord!

Happy Sky Watch Friday!

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Eastern Sweetshrub Wednesday April 24, 2013

This post is for Outdoor Wednesday and Wildflower Wednesday.

Calycathus floridus

Eastern Sweetshrub is sometimes called Carolina Allspice or Strawberry Shrub.

Usually only 5 or 6 feet tall, Sweetshrub can grow up to 10 feet.

The flowers have a fruity aroma.

To me they smell like apples.

 Native to the Eastern United States, they seem to enjoy the dappled shade under my pine trees.

Their cousins, Calycathus occidentalis, can be found in California and Oregon.

Calycathus oil, distilled from the flowers, is used to make perfume.

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Visit Gail at Clay and Limestone for her great meme Wildflower Wednesday: Click Here!

Even if you can't get outside to enjoy the great outdoors today,

you can still visit this wonderful meme, Outdoor Wednesday: Click Here!

Late Season Daffodil April 2013

Late-Season Daffodil, April 14, 2013, SOOC

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Happy Monday!

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Crane Fly for Camera Critters and Weekly Top Shot April 20, 2013

I was photographing these Maple Tree seed pods last Saturday.

Pretty, aren't they?

Look what I found - a Crane Fly!

The adults are short-lived, fragile insects; it is not unusual for a leg to break off.

The larva stage is considered a pest becasue it eats the roots of grass.

An infestation of the larva can damage a sports field or golf course.
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The most interesting thing (to me) about this insect is the small knobbed structures

behind the wings called halteres.

They act as gyroscopes to help the Crane Fly in flight.

Other names for them include:
May Fly, Daddy Longlegs, Mosquito Eater, Gallinipper and Gollywhopper.
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Have a wonderful week-end!

Other than adding my name,

both these photos are SOOC

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Relax! Its a Ruby Red Tuesday April 16, 2013

Come, sit down, and rest awhile.

Think happy thoughts.

Invite birds into your garden.

Enjoy a good laugh!

Look for pictures in the clouds. Is that an ocean wave?
Can you imagine a surfer there?
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Now that you are rested, buy more plants, and get busy adding them to your garden!

Happy Tuesday!

All these photos were made at the Home and Garden Show,

New Albany, Mississippi, USA, April 6, 2013.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into my world.

To see other bloggers' worlds, Click here for Our World Tuesday!

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day April 2013

The northeast corner of Mississippi, USA, zone 7

The Hellebores are still holding on to their blooms, though their colors are beginning to fade.

They began blooming in January, very pale, with deeper colors in February and March.

Kerria Japonica 'Pleniflora'

Kerria is a bright, cheerful shrub whose ambition is to take over the entire garden

Red Buckeye Aesculus pavia

I've heard it said that when the Red Buckeye blooms, its time for the Hummingbirds to return.

Our first Hummingbird this year showed up on Saturday!

I do believe the same ones return each year, after wintering in Mexico.

Japanese Magnolia sometimes called Saucer Magnolia or Tulip Magnolia

There are very few blooms on the Japanese Magnolia this year.

We had a hard freeze with heavy frost just as it began to bud.

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Everything here is covered with pollen from the Pine Trees.

Even the Pansies have pine pollen on their faces.

Viola sororia

The back yard is full of small Wild Violets that are kin to Pansies, both being Violas.


Claytonia virginica

Another wildflower, Spring Beauty, is running down the slope to the barn.

Their dainty little blooms are about the size of your thumbnail.

Preview of next month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.

This white Clematis is the first to bud and bloom each year.

My darker colored Clematis vines are several weeks behind this one.

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

To see what is blooming around the world,
visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens: Click here!

 

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home - April 13, 2013

Coccinellidae, Ladybug , Ladybird, or Lady Beetle, April 12, 2013

Have a wonderful week-end!

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Sky Watch Friday April 12, 2013

Beautiful skies last Saturday
A great day to go to the Home and Garden Show in New Albany, MS, USA
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Lots of interesting crafts

This guy is ready to fly off into the wide blue yonder.

Have a wonderful week-end!

To see skies from around the world, visit Sky Watch Friday:  Click Here!

First Lettuce! April 11, 2013

Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce sown along with onion and carrot seeds on February 18.

I knew they would be much too thick.

I've been eagerly awaiting them to get big enough to be thinned out.

This morning I pulled out 9 lettuces to leave more room for the rest to grow.

The onion is from an onion bulb planted last year.

Though the leaves are small they were perfect as a base for tuna salad,

with thin slices of the onion and store-bought baby carrots.

A delicious light lunch!

Visit Veggie Gobblers to see what others are growing and eating: Click Here!

ABC Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday April 10, 2013

M is for Multi-
.... many, multiple times, composed of many like parts

An old multi-paned window recycled as a photo frame.

Multi-colored art for the home or garden

A multi-level waterfall to enhance the garden.

These photos were made at the Home and Garden Show in New Albany, Mississippi, USA

April 6, 2013.

Happy Wednesday!

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Our World Tuesday and Ruby Red Tuesday April 9, 2013

On March 23 my husband and I went to the Memphis Area Master Gardeners Spring Fling

in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Gardeners were displaying their best photos.

There were hundreds of wonderful Arts and Crafts for sale.

Some lucky birds will have beautiful mansions to nest in.
But seriously now, would you hang these works of art out in the weather?

Wheeled shelves of plants for sale were parked wherever space could be found.

Isn't this a beauty!

There was a booth promoting recycling.

The back of his shirt says it all: "Don't Trash Our Future - Recycle"

To clean up the Junk Yards - make Yard Art!

Isn't this the most beautiful way you have ever seen to recycle light bulbs?

This 'Salad Bowl' was one of the door prizes.

We didn't win it, but we didn't go home empty-handed.

I bought a cookbook, and we won a rain gauge and a Frisbee. 

Hope you are having a Beautiful Tuesday!

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