Spring 2014

The eastern columbine are in full glory... Spotted a hummingbird visiting, but didn't have a camera handy... really miss the camera that lived in my pocket, it recently died :(

Saw a big wild turkey walking through my yard in the rain yesterday... didn't have a camera handy for that either.... What do you do in such a situation...

Torn between wanting a photo, and wishing critter was in the oven... What's a good way to trap a wild turkey?

More reds... the coral honeysuckle is eluding my attempts to get a decent photo.

Virginia bluebells

The evening primrose is doing so well that I pulled up several plants to eat... I was disappointed... tasted a bit strong to me... I prefer the winter harvested ones... A friend liked them fine. 

Here's what's left...After eating them for dinner.

Here's the wisteria next door... Nasty invasive stuff!

Spotted this hackberry (Celtis laevigata) on the property line... while I was shooting the wisteria... has to be the nicest one I've ever seen!

Hackberry is an important wildlife tree... Host plant for a number of butterflies as well as providing fruit for the birds...

Lyre-leaf sage... Pretty, but too successful for the garden... seems like a dynamite turf alternative... I've been pulling  it from the garden... while encouraging it in the yard.

The cat catches voles using the same moves as the foxes on the nature channel... Unfortunately she doesn't immediately consume them like the fox... I feed her too much... there'd be less torture if she was hungry...

Emerging asclepias tuberosa.

Monarda punctata seedlings

eutrochium breaking dormancy

Flat woods plum (Prunus umbellata)

Read a post by Ginny Stibolt recently who complained about her inability to purchase these...
I was kind of surprised, as these produce inedible fruit... tiny bitter plums... Maybe I could stew them?