In Kalamazoo we have robins year around although we don't see them often. I have seen them near the suet feeder but usually they sustain themselves on the crab apples or berries left during the winter. Recently I saw a flock of them on the tree in driveway circle that has small fruits on it. It … [Read more...]
My Poor Zebra Grass – Too Much Snow! And Maybe Too Much Fertilizer?
We have gotten a lot of snow and ice and icy snow this winter. My poor zebra grass (Miscanthus) is showing the effects! Here it is all sprawled over coated with ice. It looks like a sad sea creature washed up on shore. This grass is vigorous and picks itself up after the ice melts or the … [Read more...]
How to Keep Birds Alive During Bitter Cold Winter Days
Birds can fluff up during the cold and survive - if they get enough to eat and if they can get water to drink. This weekend brought bitter cold, wind and a foot of snow to southeast Michigan. It snowed about 8 inches Saturday night. Sunday morning was quite pleasant with no wind and mid 20s and I … [Read more...]
Trees After An Ice Storm
Ice storms leave trees and shrubs, cars and roads all coated with a layer of ice. Sunday morning we woke up to a beautiful scene with trees all sparkling under a layer of ice and yesterday they were even prettier with a bit of snow. This is Sunday morning. Can you see the ice at the tips of … [Read more...]
Milkweed Puffs – Seed Pods Beaking Open Indoors and Out
Last time I walked out back the milkweed seed pods were bursting open, sending white downy fluffs everywhere. The milkweed flowers are a light dusky rose lavender color and they bloom in big flower heads. The plants are about 3 feet tall and will grow even where it's pretty dry. Our field … [Read more...]
What A Surprise! Finding Beauty in Wide Open Fields and Hills In Our Backyard
When we were house shopping we had several criteria: location, layout, quality, setting and price. We found houses that met one or two of these but all five together? Elusive! Setting is the most intangible. We wanted someplace that felt like a home, that had something pretty to look at … [Read more...]
Enjoying the Arts! Art Hop in Downtown Kalamazoo
We're lucky in Kalamazoo to enjoy a community that values art. Every June the Kalamazoo Institute for the Arts puts on a major art show in Bronson Park with quality fine art and fine craft, plus there are exhibits at the KIA and the local colleges, Western Michigan and Kalamazoo College. In … [Read more...]
Moving Means a New Garden – Flower Gardening in Our New Home
We moved here October 2011. The former owners didn't have a flower garden, only a few small spots with flowers. I needed much more room for the flowers that we took with us. Dave and I picked out our favorite phlox from our old garden. Then he divided most of the peonies and daylilies, dug up … [Read more...]
Fall Is In the Air – Early August 2013 – Summer So Fleeting
We've had a beautiful summer this year. I hope yours was too. It was hot only about a week, with a few days that bounced into the high 80s for a few hours. Evenings were cool, great for sleeping. We noticed many individual branches that had turned red or gold when we drove up north before the … [Read more...]
Hillside Around the Corner on My Lunch Time Walk – Magical Hills
I love hills. Midland, where we grew up, is flat, flat, and yes, really pancake flat. Dave and I moved a little ways out of town where our backyard sloped down to a creek. Heaven. We loved having the little hill. When our son was younger he would take his sled to the top of the steps, slide … [Read more...]