Spring in our Garden

We are still working on our garden and have a LONG way to go before it looks the way we want. March the 25th will be our one year anniversary in our new home. Here is a look at some small improvements we have made and what is going on in the garden:

Pots of Annuals for color

New growth on the Rising Sun Redbud

Pot full of Impatiens that overwintered

First Love Dianthus

Spanish Lavender

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Rain Drops

 

We are getting some wonderful Spring rainfall. Should be a great wildflower season.

Bacon and Egg Candy

When I saw these on the internet, I knew I had to make some. I love a good salty and sweet combo. The recipe is pretty easy and the cuteness factor is pretty high.

Bacon and Egg Candy Recipe:

1 package M&M's (sort through and pick out all the yellow ones)

1 package white chocolate chips, melted

1 package pretzel sticks, broken in half

Directions:

Melt chocolate in the microwave or by tempering it on the stove, stirring constantly. Let the chocolate cool slightly (the "yolks" will break if the chocolate is hot). Line several baking sheets with wax paper. Spoon approximately a tablespoon of the melted white chocolate on the wax paper. Place a single, yellow M&M, blank side up, in the middle of the chocolate. Place the pretzel sticks on the side. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes or leave at room temperature until chocolate has hardened. Remove candies from wax paper using a knife or an icing spreader.

Enjoy!

Little Miss Wren

A couple weeks after Christmas, I was on the hunt for something to spruce up the front doors. I purchased two lovely Spring wreaths from Hobby Lobby and my husband quickly hung them up. Within minutes of the wreaths going up, my husband informed me there was a bird in the wreath. This comes as no surprise, since this being my childhood home, I'm well aware this is a favorite nesting place for the wrens. Sure enough, a tiny stick was purposely placed in the wreath. I could just see  little miss Wren announcing to the other birds, "Mine!" I watched as the wrens feverishly built their nest. Within days, the nest was completed and the eggs had been laid. I counted four, which I know is sort of an insurance policy, since sometimes not all the eggs hatch or not all the babies make it. Nature is tough!

Miss Wren did have a choice in which condo she choose. Condo 1, on the left, is basically the door we NEVER use. Or, she could build in Condo 2, the door we go in and out of a couple of times a day. Of course, she choose Condo 2! Now we have to give her a "courtesy knock" each time we open the door to make sure she flies out of the nest and NOT into the house.

With the arrival of the wrens nest and the blooming bulbs around town, I know Spring is on its way. Guess we better enjoy it because it is short lived in South Texas before the summer heat and humidity kicks in. Hope you are enjoying the early Spring!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I feel as though I've neglected my gardening blog lately. Hopefully, my posting will pick up in the spring. Recently I've been posting more frequently on my food blog: The Chickpea Chickadee.

Would love to have you follow along. Please be forewarned there are some duplicate post on both blogs. 


Hope you have a fantastic Valentine's Day! My dear hubby already gave me my V-Day gift. It was a butter dish, at my request. I think as I get older, a practical gift makes more sense. Plus I got tired of looking at the old plastic tray from the fridge that held our butter.

Moth Mania

Polyphemus moth

We had some pretty interesting moths at our old house. I was lucky enough to spot this Polyphemus moth hanging out around my spider lilies. At first, I thought it was a brown leaf fluttering in the wind. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a huge, beautiful moth. This is one of the  largest moths in the moth world, with its wingspan measuring at 5 1/2 inches. The name, Polyphemus, is Greek in origin. The notable eye spots is where the name comes from, the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. Those distinctive eye spots are key to this insects defense mechanisms. They serve to resemble a predator's own predators. Imagine a bird swooping down to catch this moth, only to see a face of a large owl...Yikes!! Can you see the "owl's face" in the picture below?

Owl's Face on Polyphemus moth

The markings on the wings are gorgeous. The wings are tinged in a light, iridescent pink color, which almost resembles women's eye shadow. The eye spots have deep black, shimmering blue and canary yellow coloring. I only spotted this moth twice in my former yard. I only hope that in my new backyard there are many more moth adventures ahead.