Just the back yard!? Nah, I want the front and side yards landscaped in natives too.



Thursday, December 25, 2014

I'm Still Here...

Countless times since August, I planned to post something...but I always felt I needed to post things from earlier or summarize what I'd been doing lately.  It is now near the end of December, and I'm going to just post about today...hopefully, I can somehow post some highlights from this past year as well in the coming week.

Yesterday, it was unseasonably warm (it may have hit 58 degrees, I'd heard...but it was at least in the low to mid 50s), and, although the temperature is dropping today, I think we had a high of 45.  I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and get in a walk--not enough to counteract the holiday eating marathon I've been engaging, but it sure felt good.

As I've been doing for months, I ended up collecting seeds from the roadside.  Here is a bouquet I gathered today:


Along with the evening primrose, Monarda didyma, and grass-leaf goldenrod, I got a little cattail fuzz (from various plants to ensure genetic diversity) and some winterberry holly (Ilex verticulata).  The holly has rapidly shot to the top of my list--now that I'm encountering it in nature, I'm really enjoying its beauty.  I can't wait until mine are old enough to produce berries--of the 5 bare root seedlings I put in years ago, only one did not succumb to the rabbits, deer, and my neglect.  I hope to grow the rest from seed of the local genotype (the bareroot came from a Pennsylvania nursery).  I've had success with seeds...but have yet to try the seeds of berry-producers.

After arriving home, I took a couple shots of a white pine tree that I put in a couple of years ago...it is actually less full now than when I put it in--the mugwort took over and shaded it out. I call it my Charlie Brown tree--I thought today was a perfect day to post it.

Speaking of Christmas, my husband and I--oh yeah, Jeff and I eloped back in November ~SMILE~--open gifts on Christmas eve at night (when we exchange gifts...which we did this year).  He got me a game cam!  This is something I've wanted for a while...and I'm thrilled to start playing with it.  I really look forward to when I capture shots of wildlife that have been visiting our yard undetected--in the cover of night or when I'm not looking. :):):)

Thank you, Jeff for a most thoughtful gift.  ~hugs~