April 2013

I don't have as many blooms as I did in April 2012...  Spring in the Ozarks came about 6 weeks earlier last year - I even had Irises in bloom around the 15th of April. This year, however, is probably more of a normal year. I do have a few early spring flowers in bloom. The daffodils are still going strong (especially the white varieties) and many of my faithful perennials are showing their colors.

The weather has finally warmed up to the 50-70°F range, but we're still in danger of frost until the first week of May. And.. it's definitely been windy! Check out Ester's wind-blown feathers!

Here are a few of the blooms I've been enjoying... ♥

Forsythia

Spice Bush (native!)

Bleeding Hearts; maybe one more month until they're in  full boom.
 Stylophorum diphyllum 'Celandine Poppy'

Hellebores; Also a little slow to start blooming, but now they're going strong!

Pulmonaria 'Lungwort'
Its flowers are short living, but the foliage stays looking nice through most of the season. Another bonus of this plant - the deer won't eat it!

I took a break today from the market chores (Rebecca's Bird Gardens) and I finally started cleaning out the garden beds and pulling a ton of weeds. My hens were by my side helping as much as they could. ♥  I have about decided to construct a large fenced-in area for the chickens. I'm getting tired of the girls scratching up my mulched paths in my butterfly garden. And there is the issue of chicken poop - all over the deck and driveway... I love allowing them free range, but restricted foraging may be in their future.

Even though I have countless birdhouses around my property and I'm surrounded by mature trees and shrubs, a couple of birds have built their nests in the strangest places.

A house finch constructed her nest in a Christmas wreath that I failed to take down. Now the wreath has to stay another month or so until her young ones are ready to be on their own. She is actually not the best mother...  She leaves her eggs anytime we are in her sight.

An example of a great mother bird is the Carolina wren that is nesting between the battery chargers in my husband's workshop. She is very protective of her brood and she rarely leaves the nest; even when there is - drilling, nailing, sawing going on right next to her. She's such an cute bird (and full of personality) that we don't mind her taking up residence for a while. :)


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