What a gorgeous day we had here today. It was like summer with all the beauty of Spring. Took a tour around the yard today just to see what was up. We've had a pair of mallards in the creek and they were back today. When I went out the male was wandering around under the bushes.
Then he joined his mate in the water.
We went to a native plant sale on Saturday and Ray has been planting our purchases. One of my favorite is this bunchberry, which we hope will spread as a ground cover along the creek bank. I love the color and shape of the leaves.
My two trilliums are blooming. These are also natives and are my favorite spring wildflowers. I hope to have more of these along the creek as time goes by.
The rhododendrons are starting to bloom.
Here's Gracie checking out the paving stone project that Ray has been working on. This will be a little paved area off the front porch, from which a nice pathway will wind down toward the creek.
Can you see that one of the bricks has popped up right in front of the fish block. There is some kind of critter that has tunneled under there we think. A couple of the blocks and a bunch of the sand was pushed upward. I will stain the cast blocks when they are all in place. I think it is looking great, don't you?
There is a lot to be done all around the yard. This birdbath (for drunk birds?) was left by the previous owners. It has to go.
I finally worked out how to get the patina on my copper-roofed bird feeder. I have been hoping for several years now that it would appear naturally, but it needed some help. This is how it looked in February. When I asked here a couple people suggested I spray it with vinegar or muriatic acid. I tried the vinegar, but it did nothing. Last week I got on the internet and looked for info about producing a green patina on copper and found instructions for spraying it with vinegar and salt. Eureka! This is what happened after only two spritzings.
Now that's what I wanted.
Glorious day. We had Sofia running through the sprinkler late in the day and this season's first dinner on the deck.
I hope you had a great day, too.
Young children and sprinklers make such good companions!
ReplyDeleteTrillim became my favorite wild flower when we lived in CCC. They grew profusely in our wild backyard. I've heard they grow here but have not seen any.
ReplyDeleteWhile you are enjoying record high temperatures we are enjoying weather much like a normal spring misty Portland morning -- chilly and wet but bearable.
I love trilliums too. :) And thanks for sharing the tip on the copper patina. I have some post caps with copper on them that have refused to patina. Now they'll look great!
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that people use for the patina is natural yoghurt. Your garden photos are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love the quilting on the bunchberry leaves.
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