Tuesday, June 22, 2010

When the Sun's Out

Finally summer has arrived, it's shorts and T-shirt weather today. A perfect opportunity to go out into the garden and see what's been happening.

Nestled in the grass next to one of the garden boxes, a bird has made a home. The inside diameter of the nest is a little smaller than a tennis ball and the mother looks somewhat like a black capped chickadee. It seems like an unusual place for a perching bird to build a home.

























The first dahlia buds of the season are ready to burst open. I can hardly wait for the dahlia bed to bloom into full color. For me, all the colors from the dahlia's really say summer is here.

















Oh yes! The Meeker raspberries are ripening. I found five and immediately ate them all. They were delicious! The salmons berries are also looking good.

















The nemesia flowers are this spectacular orange outlined in red. They are planted with the lavender and I'm sure the two flowers will look spectacular together.

















The incessant rain we've been experiencing has really taxed the fruit trees this season. I have 18 trees and I'll feel lucky if I get a handful of plums and apples. Here is one happy apple.

















And one super unhappy, moldy, cherry. I'm wondering if I should pick all the cherries off the tree to prevent any diseases from hibernating in the soil when they drop. I see research in my near future.

















The rain and cool weather has also caused the peppers and egg plants to struggle as well.


















Our new batch of chicks have grown into five hens and a rooster. Our rooster is the big, black bird on the right.  I'm thinking it might be interesting to keep him around and let a hen hatch some chicks, but I'm not sure the family or the neighbors will appreciate a crowing rooster.

3 comments:

  1. How exciting on the bird's nest! We haven't seen any in our yard yet... maybe next year.
    Your chickens look awesome hanging out in the yard. Our 7 chicks are so far at 4 hens and 3 roosters-- unless there are more we aren't yet aware of. Boo.
    Hopefully this new round of sun will stick!

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  2. Birds do pick some strange places for nests sometimes. Luckily no predators have found it. My Dahlias are really behind this year, yours are so much further ahead. I also noticed our apple tree looks sparse, lots of leaves but little to no apples this year.
    It does feel like Summer has finally arrived.

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  3. darling nest - such an honor to have one in your garden.

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