My last post was about how El Nino was basically a bust. I wrote that mid-January. Then we were hit with two big storms with unheard of amounts of rain. So be careful what you wish for. Where I live, we were lucky to have steady but moderate rain. As I looked out my office window, I noticed my fig tree that is planted in a large container listing to the right. We moved it over on a brick and saw that the ground had sunk about 10 inches. It is a heavy plant. I filled up the hole with more dirt. About a week later, the ground there suddenly gave way and we now have a large sink hole. We covered up the area waiting for it to dry out. That rain was followed by another four inches of rain.
Meanwhile, between rain storms, I go out and trim the grape vines. It’s a big task and takes more than a few days to do it. Plus, if the vines are wet, I need them to dry out a bit so I don’t spread a fungus from the dampness. Pruning the grapes is really important to ensure the quality of the grapes. I never take off nearly enough of the canes which means I have to do that work after the grape vines start to flower. The cats follow me as I trim the vines and toss the wood in the center of the yard to pick up later. My one cat likes to fetch them and bring them back to me. I tell him he must have been a dog in a past life. It is hard work but a pleasant task to spend time with the vines. There are several old gnarled vines that should be removed. They were never trimmed properly years ago and they just wrap in and out of the wires. Once the vines are bare, I feel I can finally see where they go and I am just going to have to be brutal with pruning them out this year. It might be that we have less grapes than usual but the vines will be healthier in the long run.
The birds have really perked up their singing. I can’t tell what kind of bird it is, but I hear one call out to the other birds. I’ve tried answering it myself but never get the return response. Instead, the bird sounds panicked. Perhaps it is the cats roaming the yard with me. These cats no longer hunt. They are well fed and don’t pay any attention to the birds at all. But of course, the birds don’t know this. I have only seen finches and sparrows at my bird feeders. Occasionally we get a pair of doves that feasts on the seeds that fall on the ground. The crows hover nearby and call out. They especially love my big Chinese Elm tree in my front yard. It grew so tall during last year’s record rains. I wonder it if will take off again this year. It is a beautiful tree and hosts several bird nests during the year, including the crows. I am quite fond of the crows, even though they are very loud. I leave Brazil nuts out for them but I need a sturdier feeder. I use a small, empty bird bath. When two land on the feeder to eat, it tips over and they fly off squawking. The birds I haven’t seen lately at the Towhee’s. They are little ground birds and the chatter more than sing. I often see them in spring making low nests in my hedge. Their nemesis is the mockingbird and blue jays that swoop in to eat their eggs. The hedge really protects the towhees from them..
The one thing missing so far are the sweet peas. They have yet to come up except in a little patch off the side. Every year as the pods form after the flowers, I take the seeds out and toss them on the ground. This usually results in a profusion of plants the following year. I am still hoping for a sweet pea forest like I had last year. Perhaps when it warms up a bit, the pea vines will show themselves. It is a quiet time in the garden. We lost two more rose bushes this year, and I am not inclined to replant new ones. Out of the eight rose bushes we had when we moved in, only three remain. I am planting native plants instead that are easier to take care of. The birds actually like them better, and I don’t get entangled in the rose thorns.
The rain has gotten all my freesias blooming. I feel like we are a month away from more flowers like the red clover and some of the early spring flowers blooming like to borage above mixed in with firesticks. Once that happens, the bees will pick up. Because I disperse several kinds of seed mixes for the bees, butterflies and birds, I never know what I am going to get as all the seeds don’t take. I like it that way. It becomes more like a meadow than cultivated garden.
I wrote this mid-February but took some time to edit. I will post for March soon.
Reflections Outside My Window 