I SPY

Walking back to the parking lot...

 one of the peacocks was making quite a commotion. 

 

Can you spot him?

 

No?  Ok, can you spot him now?

 

 

 

Well, here he is, high up on the tree branch....

 

 

Peacock Family

Baby is turning into an Adolescent. 

Entire family was out at the feeders this morning.

 

 

Not the best picture, but to get them together was like hearing cats..

or well peacocks!

 

Momma Duck - Part II - Nesting

 

 

Followed (to be) Momma Duck for the next week to see where she would end up.  She had created a nest earlier in the spring beside a cold frame near the greenhouse.  That nest was discovered by a predator.  Everyone was hoping she would pick a better nesting spot this time.  Glenna was the one who first spotted her tucked next to the brick wall in the courtyard.  Everyone agreed that this was a good spot away from predators, but how about visitors?  She seemed to blend right into the wall.  I walked right by her once.  Using feathers and mulch, she made herself quite a nest next to the begonias.

 

 

 

 

It would seem in the next few pictures that she was saying hello or go away, but in fact, when those bricks warmed up in the heat of the day, she started to pant.

 



 

 

Here I would just say she looked like she needed a drink of water, but wouldn't leave the nest in the heat of the day.

Momma Duck - Part 1

This story starts as part one of ten.  An exciting experience from last year and a marvel to me that I was able to document the entire event as it took place over time from conception to baby ducks swimming in the pond. 

 

One day last spring, the Rose Garden Crew was taking a break under the tree.  I had as usual been snapping some photos of the peacocks, so coincidentally, my camera happened to be on my lap. 

 

A cry for help goes unheeded ....
 



... and then it happened

I just kept snapping pictures ...

... as the rest couldn't decide to watch or look away.



We all felt sorry for the poor thing ...

... though none of us made effort to help.

And then it really happened ....

and just about the time you wanted to look away ...



... about fifteen seconds from the first moment ...



.. it was over.

Master Gardener Training & Snowflakes

My Bestest Bud Kathy and I are taking the Master Gardener Training.  Our name tags actually say "in training."  Todays training was a full day scheduled at Kingwood Center.  Ms. Mona did the first half of the day with Propagation and Chuck Gleaves did the afternoon with Pruning.  It was a cold snowy day.  The kind I wish I was just hanging out at Kingwood taking pictures of the fat fluffy snowflakes instead of being in class.

Here is a  picture of what a snowflake looked like in Kathy's hair.

 

And here is a cluster of snowflakes on a Magnolia Bud

 

 

 

Seed Propagation

 

The following pictures are actually from a facebook post I did of Mona last year transplanting seedlings.  It shows one method of propagation we learned during training that day. 

 





Seeds are started by filling a 4 in. pot with seed starting mix. After wetting the mix thoroughly, seeds are sprinkled evenly in the pot. Watered gently, to get seed to soil contact, seeds will germinate in three to five days with a plastic bag over the pot in a sunny location.



Remove seedlings from the 4” pot by using a pointed stick. Carefully poke down in the soil to allow the seedlings to separate better. Be careful not to break the root.

 

Gently hold the stem of the seedling being careful not to pinch it.

 

Lift gently to remove seeding from small pot.



Transfer seedling to tray by making small hole in soil.

With the stick, gently help the root into the hole.

Move the soil to close the hole and repeat till tray is full.  Then water gently to get good soil contact with root.

 These are pansy seedlings.  They will take two months to mature enough to plant.

 



Dr. Seuss's Garden

 

Sometimes as I walk Kingwood, I stop in my tracks and think to myself, I have been transported to Dr. Seuss's Garden.  My last encounter was in the Greenhouse with the Sensitive Plant.  But again just yesterday in a walk from Kingwood Hall to my Jeep, I experienced it again in the Perennial Garden when I saw this seed pod. I pay close attention, because Dr. Seuss's Garden only shows itself for brief periods of time. 

 

 

Grape-leaved Anemone

A. tomentosa

Robustissima

 

Here is a picture I took of the flowers last September.

 

 

 



A Winter meet Spring Encounter

Today it was a sticky snow day at Kingwood Center.  The gates are closed, but I was up at the house for a meeting, so I took the opportunity on the walk from the parking lot to the house to take a few pictures.  Kingwood in the snow is such a beautiful thing.

Winter Aconite blooming under a draping of snow.

 

 

 

Indian Runner and Peking hanging out on the pond.