OK, I’m a day early, but what’s a day amongst friends? Summer starts tomorrow in the northern hemisphere, bringing an end to a spring with gardens in my part of the world bursting with more colour that normal (it seemed), more ravenous insects than normal (it seemed – lookin’ at you, aphids and Gypsy Moth larvae!), dryer than normal (a fact, although the garden so far hasn’t minded much) and cooler than normal (also a fact, although I haven’t minded that at all!). I think for me, one of the most thrilling things in my garden this spring has been the birds. Robins, in particular, have become less and less afraid of me and have hung around a lot, building nests really close to the house, eating bugs and worms, waking me with their song around 4:00 every morning (and then, mysteriously, going silent around 5, as the sky starts to lighten). I’ve also enjoyed hearing geese, swans and loons as they pass overhead, and I’ve been enthralled and a bit afraid of the three humongous wild turkeys that have been passing through the yard recently. Anyway. It’s time for Six on Saturday – six things happening in your garden right now, a theme started by the Propagator, where you can find scads of other Sixes from around the world.
Before I go – just wanted to share a couple bird shots. I’m not a good bird photographer. At all! But I did mention robins and wild turkeys so thought I’d share. On Friday I posted a few pictures of my Clematis texensis ‘Gravetye Beauty’ blooming a lot earlier than normal. Yesterday I realized a pair of robins have started to build a nest in the middle of the thick vines covering the tutoir. And on Friday morning, while I was in the middle of a video meeting, I looked out the window to see the three turkeys calmly strolling across the yard. I wish you all happy strolling this weekend!
Nice flowers these snap peas! Do they scent? Great to see gaillardia and coreopsis in bloom already. Have a good first day of summer ! 😁
I’ve never smelled anything from the pea flowers…the coreopsis is quite wonderful, popping up all over…
Loving all the bright daisy flowers, I have only just become a gaillardia fan and now I’m smitten!
They’re so tough, yet beautiful!
Our Gaillardia and Coreopsis are beginning to fade; there are as many seedheads as blooms at this point! Of course they began to appear in March, so there’s that. In fact, I often see our native Gaillardias well into the so-called winter months. I’ve found them in January, without knowing if they were late or early bloomers!
After this initial flush I’ll also get Gaillardia blooms, here and there, till frost. Quite lovely and unexpected to see in October!
Interesting.. I have been seeing wild turkeys this week and the Gallardias in my garden are flowering and going to seed. Think it is day length? I like your mish mash bed especially with the cup of coffee.
Coffee every morning with my walk around!
I do the same thing..
It took a second, but I saw the robin. I looked in the wrong picture, with the turkeys. What is a ‘tutoir’?
It’s the three legged structure the Clematis is growing on…like a tripod..maybe tuteur?
I sort of figured that, but did not know. That spelling appears on Google. Apparently, the French know what it is. Why do the French speak Quebecois?
I love daisy like flowers and am very taken with Coreopsis even though it is yellow! The best thing about a garden, I think, is when birds and insects come in and I love the sound of birdsong.
I’m loving waking up to birdsong. Even at 4:00 a.m.!
Yes, they do start early!
Scans is a fine word! Il try to use it at some stage.
Great that you appreciate the birds in your garden, Chris. Lots of stuff that you have planted obviously attracts them.