It seemed so long for Spring to finally get here. At last ... green leaves on the trees ... green grass ... and some perennials finally starting to flower. It was a long winter. Fortunately, it wasn't super cold or very snowy. Makes me wonder though if we are in for a very HOT summer. It's been quite awhile since we've had one.
Finally saw my first Hummingbird of the season a few days ago. I put 2 feeders out. Not a lot of action yet, but I know it will come. I had been feeding the regular wild birds all winter. I'm on my last bag of birdseed, so when it's finished that will be it until next Winter. Early on it was a mix of Bluejays, Sparrows, Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse, and Juncos. Some left as the Winter began to fade. I especially miss the Red Cardinals. they are just so beautiful! I'm glad to see the Robins though. To me they represent --- SPRING. I did have a new visitor recently, a rose-breasted Grosbeak. I had never seen one before! Just beautiful! He only stayed around for about a week. 
We do have squirrels galore!! They can be such a nuisance. My fault really ... they eat the birdseed, too. Hopefully, they will move on when I stop putting the birdseed out.
I live in gated community and about a year ago the house across the street from me became an AirB&B. It's been fine so far. No problems with visitors.
The development is very strict about their rules here. I love when we get - OUT OF STATERS! Real City Folk! We have a lot of wildlife here ... squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey, skunks, deer, hawks, as well as the occasional Eagle or two. The best though is ... we also have ... Black Bears! The bears become more active after late Spring into Summer. They don't stroll aimlessly around the neighborhood, but you do see them occasionally. Our section borders on state gamelands, so they really only venture toward the development to occasionally hit the trash cans the night before pick-up. If you hear dogs barking up a storm at night, there's a good chance a bear could be making its rounds.
Slowly have been doing a yard clean-up. Things look pretty good. Today, I put fresh potting soil in some of my planters. I started some flowers from seed and will transplant soon. Hoping for the best. BUT - I have cut back on my pots. And -OMG- I resorted to using artificial flowers for some of them! Hey, I don't have to water or feed them. And they ALWAYS LOOK GOOD! 
Well, that's about it. Some photos below! Enjoy!
JANE
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In photos
The deer is a very pregnant doe. She visits everyday.
The landscape photo is the Delaware Water Gap from the Jersey side.
The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak - if you've never seen one.
Hello my gardening friends,
I bet you're wondering ... don't trust April???? April? What? Huh? Who's ... April? APRIL is a ... real pain! She can't make up her mind. One day she's happy and warm ... next day she's cold and icy. She is very fickle. Yes, I'm talking about the month of ... APRIL.
And she's bringing SNOW. AGAIN! That "horrible word" ... at least in the month of April, it is. Yeah, I know ... Spring snowstorms are not all that unusual in late April ... especially here in the Poconos, but it's REALLY NOT WELCOME! PERIOD. I want to dig in the dirt in my garden beds ... not shovel the snow in my driveway! Well, Ms. APRIL SNOWSTORM is coming tonight and staying until about noon tomorrow. She's bringing maybe 6-8 inches of snow ... very wet snow with her. There is one saving grace though ... it's supposed to be in the low 60's by the end of the week. The snow will be gone quickly. And ... GOOD RIDDANCE!
Anyway, on to more pleasant things. Not much happening in the garden. The daffodils are starting to flower ... and the coming snow won't bother them in the least. All the garden beds have been cleaned up (winter's leaves) for the most part. Once it warms up a bit, I just want to put down and work in some fresh garden soil in a few spots in my garden beds.
I did do a bit of winter/spring sowing in plastic containers (clean water/gallon milk containers ... take-out food containers, etc.) but nothing's sprouting just yet. I'll probably post a few pics of what's hopefully growing in them in my next post.
Still feeding the deer and the birds. Will probably stop in the first week of May.
Well, that's about it for now. Posted a few pics for ya!
Happy gardening,
Jane
I finally got out today to putter in the garden a bit. Temps are in the mid-60's and partly sunny. I have clumps of daffodils all over and the tips have shot up quite a bit within the past 2 weeks with the warmer temps. I raked out the leaves around them and fed them with a bit of granular all-purpose fertilizer. I also did the same for some Siberian Iris plants, Foxgloves, and Peonies. It's supposed to rain later tonight and tomorrow, so the plants will get a good soaking.
The other day I went through my packets of flower seeds that I saved from last year that I hadn't used. Got some Oriental Poppy and Foxglove that I can 'Spring sow" using the Winter sowing method. Later in the season when they are large enough, I'll plant them out for "bloom" next year.
I also have some Heavenly Blue MG and Moonflower seeds. I love Morning Glories & Moonflowers, but the last few years I haven't had much luck with them. Up here in the mountains, we have a relatively short, cooler growing season. They bloom so late in the season, that, sometimes an early frost will kill them before they even have a chance to flower. If anyone has any suggestions for an annual flowering vine that will grow on a tall trellis and bloom sooner, it would be greatly appreciated. 
Oh, another question? Anyone here know anything about Little Miss Kim Lilacs? I planted one in a back corner of a garden almost 4 years ago. It's gotten larger, looks healthy, but it hasn't bloomed at all since I planted it. Anyone have any idea why it hasn't flowered?
Well, that's about it for now. I also posted some photos ... Enjoy!
Hello All,
Less than 24 hours til March 1st. 20 Days til the first day of Spring. Gosh, I'm chomping at the bit. I know ... I know ... March can be a crazy month weather-wise. So can April. I can't give you the year, but I remember a Mother's Day with snow flurries. Oh, well. Just gotta go with the flow.
Now the days are getting longer, and that makes me happy. I know a lot of folks start seeds indoors, but I don't really have the room ... nor the desire. I've gotten to the point where I want to do ... LESS. The last few years I've bought annuals for quick color, and occasionally, some perennials. With perennials, I look for easy care and a WOW factor. And my other "go to" are hanging baskets. Water them, feed them, and let them bloom their heads off!
I gotta say though, I do occasionally experiment. Last year I had Coneflowers I had grown from seed bloom for the first time. They were the tall, common pink ones. They did great! Late last Fall when they had gone to seed, I pulled off the seed heads and scattered a lot of the seeds all over where the others had bloomed, as well as in a few other spots in other garden beds. Curious to see how they do this season.
There's not much that really goes on in the early Spring in my gardens ... except Daffodils! I love Daffodils! They usually start their show come April. They are just so bright and cheery! And the deer LEAVE THEM ALONE.
Well, that's about it for now. I've also posted some pics. Hope you enjoy them!
Happy Gardening,
Jane
SNOW. Loved it as a kid! I grew up in Queens, NY. I remember spending almost all day outside after a large snowfall. With my friends, I remember sledding down hills wherever we could find them. Being "city kids", we didn't have many places to go. We would sometimes go to a local park and look for any type of "Hill". At one park I remember (Juniper Valley Park) there was a baseball field at the bottom of a fenced in area. The hills that sloped down toward the field were PERFECT for sledding. It would always be crowded whenever it snowed. There was also a place to go sledding right on the avenue where I grew up. Everyone in the neighborhood called it NANNY GOAT HILL. It was basically a dump site filled with garbage. Whenever it snowed heavily (about 8 inches or more) it would become packed with kids and sleds! It was DANGEROUS, but we were kids. We didn't know any better. And if our parents told us NOT to go there ... well, you know. In one ear and right out the other.
COUNTRY SNOW DRIFTS. Away from the city element, drifting snow is beautiful. As the snow falls, the landscape becomes a wondrous thing. A blanket of white peaks and valleys soon begin to cover the ground. There is a quiet stillness in the air. A sense of calmness .... Magic.
CITY SNOW PILES. Living on a busy avenue was not the same as living in the country. City snow plows created our snow drifts. Piles, sometimes 5 feet high, soon became forts and tunnels. Store owners would chase us away, but that wouldn't stop us. As soon as they went back into their shops, we'd all be back again.
SNOW BECAME AN ART FORM. When I was a junior in high school, I was able to take a Photography course. I loved it! I can still remember on SNOW DAYS when I had off from school, I would take my little instamatic camera (the kind with the little film cartridge you put inside) and go out and take pictures. I went down to Juniper Valley Park and took lots of pictures. Then I would take the finished cartridge, take the film out, and develop the photos at school. We had our own dark room, fixative trays, etc. Fond memories ....
SNOW PRESENT DAY: NEGATIVES: I hate to have to shovel it. Hate when we have an icy mix that coats it. I hate SPRING snowstorms.
SNOW PRESENT DAY: POSITIVES: It's PRETTY when it first starts falling. SNOW ON CHRISTMAS EVE/CHRISTMAS DAY is a PLUS. Love watching DOGS PLAYING in it! It's a GREAT ART FORM! for PHOTOGRAPY OR PAINTING. It's usually DONE by MAY.
Well, there you have it! As always some photos - with snow this time!
