Nature Red in Tooth and Claw – and Stinger

  • Post published:08/28/2012
  • Post comments:3 Comments

Frank, a natural creature,  is red in tooth and claw. He has caught a few of the many rabbits that have been marauding my garden, and gardens all over Heath this year, but he doesn't usually bring them in doors. This rabbit was mortally wounded. It was amazing that it had so much energy to run around the kitchen.   I  went out to cut flowers for an arrangement for church and I became the prey.  I got…

Deer – Come and Gone

  • Post published:08/13/2012
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Deer have come and gone in my garden. Our gardens (and house)  are essentially in the middle of a large field bordered by woodland. The deer population crosses the field and goes down to our Frog Pond. Very beautiful when they are not hungry and there is plenty of forage. But are they satisfied? Earlier in the spring I did not see any deer in the garden and I thought perhaps I had planted so many deer resistant…

Athol Bird and Nature Club Garden Tour July 15

  • Post published:07/12/2012
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As Athol celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Athol Bird and Nature Club celebrates the gardens of Athol, 12 in ’12 – a self-guided tour of 12 outstanding gardens on Sunday, July 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Four themes dominate this tour: the drama of glorious gardening and natural rock, the surprise of secret treasures, the bounty of home vegetable gardens and locally grown food, and the ecology of gardens that appeal to birds, butterflies and other…

Fox went out on a chilly afternoon

  • Post published:02/11/2012
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I was about to start cooking yesterday when I looked out the kitchen window and saw my chickens all a-flutter and one in the mouth of a fox. A healthy and beautiful red fox. I opened the window and started yelling and banging my frying pan and lid. Everyone really got excited. The fox dropped the chicken and had trouble finding the hole in the chicken fence, but finally pushed his way through. The chickens went flying in…

Our Frog Pond – er – Beaver Pond

  • Post published:02/08/2012
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For more Wordlessness click here. For more about beavers, their habitat, and the revelation that they can build lodges on pond banks click here.

Christmas Extended – For the Birds

  • Post published:01/10/2012
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Christmas celebrations end for us on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. The wise men have finally arrived, the last gifts have been given and the party is over. But maybe not quite. When I take the Christmas tree down, I put it outside and decorate it for the birds. The ornaments are simple, but tasty, peanut butter smeared into pine cones and then rolled in bird seed.  A tie can be ribbon, yarn or twine, no…

Good Berry – Bad Berry

  • Post published:10/29/2011
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When I walked through the garden the other day I realized how many red berries I have in the fall. Three years ago I noticed for the first time that my holly, ‘Blue Princess,’ and my cotoneasters had finally started producing berries. That berry production has gotten more prolific and beautiful each year. Hollies are dioecious plants, which means they need separate male and female plants to cross pollinate and produce fruits. While there are many holly cultivars…

Do You Feed the Deer?

  • Post published:08/20/2011
  • Post comments:4 Comments

It’s been a rough year for the vegetable garden at the End of the Road. There was lots of rain in the spring which was great for all the gardens. Then rain became scarce and if I have learned anything in my years of gardening it is that vegetable gardens need regular watering to thrive and be productive. However, a new problem this year was bunnies! We haven’t had problems with rabbits in the past, but this year…

Stop Thief!

  • Post published:06/17/2011
  • Post comments:6 Comments

Over the past couple of days three of my 6 fancy chrysanthemums and some morning glory seedlings in my  little circle garden (which guards our mower from a huge boulder) have been eaten or pulled out. At first I couldn't figure out who would pull two of the mum babies out and hide them, but we have got bunnies around this year - for the first time. I never thought bunnies liked mums.  Or morning glories. When I…