Yes, spring has arrived in Biscuit Hollow. Probably the first wildflower of the spring, coltsfoot is in bloom. Judging from the cacophony of bird song early mornings, most of the songbirds are back. The phoebes are back in their nest over the garage light. The slate colored juncos are checking out their nest over the bedroom window. And I even saw a bluebird. The turkeys have returned from their valley wintering sites and I saw several toms strutting their stuff for the hens.
And planting season is under way. Several weeks ago I frost seeded clover in a number of areas. After pulling some invasive autumn olive shrubs, this weekends planting chores included planting 210 trees: Norway spruce, blue spruce, white pine, concolor fir, fraser fir, and balsam fir.
Yes, spring has arrived in Biscuit Hollow. Probably the first wildflower of the spring, coltsfoot is in bloom. Judging from the cacophony of bird song early mornings, most of the songbirds are back. The phoebes are back in their nest over the garage light. The slate colored juncos are checking out their nest over the bedroom window. And I even saw a bluebird. The turkeys have returned from their valley wintering sites and I saw several toms strutting their stuff for the hens. 
And planting season is under way. Several weeks ago I frost seeded clover in a number of areas. After pulling some invasive autumn olive shrubs, this weekends planting chores included planting 210 trees: Norway spruce, blue spruce, white pine, concolor fir, fraser fir, and balsam fir. 
3 comments:
What do you mean by "frost seeded"? Bill was wondering how you keep the deer from eating your trees? Mom called from S. Carolina this morning. She is visiting Dick and Clara and surprised Uncle Skip and Aunt Anna by showing up there. Clara had told her that they were coming so she decided to take a trip there. She will be heading back home tomorrow.
Wow, Mary Lou must be feeling a lot better.
I'm glad to see pictures of spring.
Did you have help planting all those trees? I have a vague recollection of helping my dad plant a ridge full of trees when I was younger, so much younger than today. (whoops. old person musical tangent there.) I think I worked for the first fifteen minutes and then whined until the job was done. It was surely more painful for him than for me.
I was glad to here that Mom was able to adventure to SC. That is so Mom. Course I didn't find out until after a fitful night's sleep because she didn't answer her phone at 9:00 the night before. But something told me just maybe she was on a lark. And she called me the next morning to let me know where she was.
No help with the Christmas trees. Just me. And yes, it was painful. Especially the next three days.
Bill's question about the deer is a good one. I don't keep them from eating the trees. I knew it would be a risk. They especially like the Fraser firs. Last years trees were free, so I took what I got. This year was full price so I was a little more selective about the species. But I doubt without building a high fence that I'll be able to grow grade A trees. Maybe the spruces, especially blue.
Frost seeding is simply broadcasting the seed on the ground in late winter, real early spring, to take advantage of the freeze/thaw action of the soil and spring rains to get seed-soil contact. Thus minimizing plowing, discing, and other expensive, but no doubt more successful, seeding methods. It works particularly well with clovers, not so much with grasses.
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