Although Baltimore Orioles are native to our area, they are not commonly seen. In years past, we’ve had a few. But none stayed. Finally, we have a nesting pair (at least). Both the male and female show up at our jelly feeder several times every day. When the male came, he even visited our sunflower seed feeder, which is very unusual for these nectar-eating birds. We hear him singing his beautiful song all day, just a few yards west of the house. We’re hoping for a batch of babies hitting the feeder in weeks to come.

We were surprised to see this male oriole eating sunflower seeds.
The oriole is getting his beak cleaned off after visiting the jelly feeder.

Will finished spreading manure on the Sand and Central Gardens. But, today, he’s busy digging comfrey from the edge of the Sand Garden. Two years ago, I told him not to till the edge of my comfrey bed, next to the garden. Of course, he did. Now we have a thick bed of comfrey in two spots in the Sand Garden. Comfrey is quite invasive, along with being a nice medicinal plant. I did not want it in the garden because of that. Oh well, stuff happens. While he was shoving our old cow manure piles into more manageable piles, the wet clay and manure clogged the tracks of the dozer. He took our pressure washer down there to clean it out. Well, it did clean the tracks — Will, not so much! He came up to the house looking like mud man. So cute!

Gee, who has been spray washing the dozer?
Oh well, it’s good for the complexion, right?

The greenhouse plants look awesome now. I can’t wait to get them set out in the garden! But wait, we will. I’m sure we still have a renegade frost waiting out there, somewhere, to surprise us. Two nights ago, it dropped down to 33 degrees F! Big difference from 80, a couple of days ago. Our fruit trees are blossoming, and it looks like it should be a good fruit year. Especially nice are our Hansen’s Bush cherries. We love the way they set cherries all up and down the branches. Cherries, that make the best jam and preserves. Can’t wait! — Jackie

11 COMMENTS

  1. It’s our favorite time of the year and the busiest too!
    LOL! Poor Will.
    Where could I find Hansen’s bush cherries? I’ve never heard of them.

  2. orioles are beautiful! :) fortunat to have a nesting pair.
    my husband too, tends to plow the ‘dont plow area ‘ up :(
    spring has defiantly arrived in your neck of the oods!

  3. You know you have a real man when he is covered in stuff and still smiles. Here in Maine, I am waiting to plant as well. We had that renegade frost a couple of years ago and people did not pay attention. They cried in their pretzels and beer the next day. There were not enough replacement plants at any of the local stores. Mine were tucked away and safe. Northern states have such a short season we can’t even begin to start over so it pays to be patient. Can’t wait to see your garden this year!

    • It’s SO hard to be patient, even though you know you’re doing the right thing. I’ve see lots of folks in the same boat as those you mentioned. I do feel sorry for them, but, then, they do it the next year too!

  4. I never comment because I am not a gardener but I do enjoy reading about your effort and success. I just HAD to say what a great photo of Will with his smiling mud splattered face. Good thing he kept his mouth closed…lol!

  5. Orioles are SO beautiful! By contrast, Will not so much this time!
    Our crazy weather here in Spokane, WA is a roller coaster this spring. But I got brave this year and planted bare root raspberries and am awaiting my red current plant to arrive in the mail. I am hoping the raspberries don”t take over the world so I have isolated them to the side yard, east facing, against the house. The currant will go in the same general area… maybe. I hope they are good bedfellows. I could perhaps plant the current bush separately tho. I am concerned that those raspberries might invade or crawl all over the current bush? I probably should give the current elbow room…
    So little space, so many plant ideas!

    • Yep, raspberries are pretty invasive sometimes. You might do well to plant your current somewhere else, if you can. I thought Will looked pretty cute, all splattered with mud and manure. I hope he didn’t have his mouth open when he was spraying…..

  6. I too will attest comfrey (why does spell check NOT like it lol) will come up wherever it wants. We transplanted some from our old house, the deer love it. Another couple of loves to come up in the garden area are catnip and native sedge. Time for me to transplant some plants that are not abiding by staying in their allotted area.
    Another volunteer tater (which makes three) is up. It might not get mounded based on its location. Being patient for the yellow squash to germinate (direct sown). I’ve learned to be patient.
    We occasionally have orioles but they must eat bird seed/sunflower & safflower seed plus whatever is native. We welcome the birds, bats, possums, and turkeys – all bug eaters. I’m sure a fox or two but they are quite elusive and we rarely see one.
    Did you hose Will down before he came in the house LOL. All I can say is it happens.

    • Yep, it does. And, no, I didn’t hose Will off before coming into the house. He’d have had to strip buck naked to do that, as ALL of him was filthy. He just scraped off his boots and ran for the shower. Hey, it’s a farm house! lol

  7. It’s been lots of work here too. We are fencing in the garden much better this year and Scott hauled in about 10 spreader loads into the south end of the garden so we can put up the fence. I pulled all the fencing out of the garden so we can till it under this week/weekend. It needs it. But I had Mullen show up in the garden so I’m digging it out. I was sure excited to see that!

    I am going to redo all my beds next to the house. They need it. I have one that has had volunteer pansies and I am going to avoid that bed. I love the surprise of flowers that comes up!

    • I do too. Except for the mullein! A few years ago, I had one plant show up. I thought it was neat so I left it. Then it went to seed and now we have it EVERYWHERE. I chop it out whenever I find it now.
      I’ve got three flower beds that badly need redoing. I’m not sure how that’s going to go, but I do have hopes!

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