Thursday Thirteen - February 1. 2024
Thirteen photos from the garden.
1 - The first viola, a self-seeded volunteer.
2 - A clump of wild violets.
3 - Wild strawberries are blossoming.
4 - Creeping wallflower is starting to bloom too.
5 - Another crocus, this time a white one.
6 - The flowering quince buds are opening.
7 - The wild grapes have turned to raisins! A few lesser goldfinches pecked at them, but largely they went uneaten. At least I can be pretty sure I don't have any rats around right now.
8 - One perfect knautia flower.
9 - A neighborhood oak. This may be a pin oak. I think that because growing up we had a huge one (well, it started small, I have photos) in the front yard. Every year so-called "tree" experts would knock on the door and ask my parents if they wanted the "dead tree" cut down. Pin oaks do not lose their brown autumn leaves until the new spring ones grow and push them off. It was easy to tell the true "experts" from those that knew nothing! Unfortunately, after my parents were gone, and the house sold, the tree was cut down.
10 - Autumn crocus in its spring garb. It's not really crocus. This bed is being removed, so now that I know where the bulbs are I can mark the area to dig when they die back.
11 - One of the hardy geraniums still has autumn color. This one didn't go dormant like Rozanne. I don't know what this one is called, I bought it bareroot in a mixed lot.
12 - The first ladybug of the year! There were actually two on the same tattered coreopsis.
13 - I discovered a fourth praying mantis egg case! I don't recall seeing more than one or two adults in the yard last year, but there must have been more. I don't know whether to hope these new ones stick around or not. If they do, it means I have food for them And they do eat beneficial insects, not just pests. They can even eat hummingbirds.
There you have it, my thirteen. Let's see yours! Anything goes, just make it thirteen. It doesn't have to be photos, it can be a list of your favorite foods, or things you've been pondering.
We have Asian lady beetles. They look like lady bugs but are invasive. I spelled the word "beatles" at first before realizing it. No flowers here in VA yet.
ReplyDeleteI find one or two a summer. Side by side they are quite different, but alone they do fool you. I can't believe they were actually imported to this country on purpose! And they are actually considered, by the USDA, to be "beneficial insects." Even with them stinking and staining walls and fabrics!
DeleteIt looks like your garden is doing well even for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI just took two days of sun to do it! And, today is sunny again!
DeleteA beautiful garden and photographed so well!
ReplyDeleteLoveliness!
ReplyDeleteWow, I am so jealous. No flowers here in the Mother of Presidents state.
ReplyDelete