Princess Alexandra Of Kent
I noticed bird droppings on the patio yesterday. Huh? How did those get there?
Aha. Tucked away behind a chunk of grapevine wood:
A Mourning Dove pair, Zenaida macroura, had been raising two chicks right next to the patio door without me noticing. I noticed the adults were frequently in the area, but did not spot the nest.
Aww!I have noticed a few plants flowering in the garden. In context:
Hunnemannia snuggling up to a chair under the pergola: The Hunnemannia come up where they want to come up, not where I want them to come up. They don't transplant, unfortunately. 'Bishops Castle':Peak Hippeastrum 'Apple Blossom'. As good as they will get...which isn't bad:'Golden Celebration':Learning how to grow Hakonechloa macra in my climate--I'm a little proud of that. Found the right spot after several moves:One of the Foxglove seedlings that never got going last year got going this winter and has flowered without any additional help. Cool!
Sweet Pea--not sure which one this is:'Molineux':Leucospermum 'Yellow Bird' grown from a seed:'The Ambridge Rose', of course:'Tropical Lightning':'The Endeavour':Oh Yay a Peony! This is 'Misaka'. It's planted in a different area than the two which are still just emerging: 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh':'Valencia':There you have it, Doves 'n Roses. Easter which is an adaptation of pagan celebrations of spring is about rebirth and newness. The garden is celebrating. I'm still trying to finish mulching.
My brother is closely monitoring a pair of doves nested in the eaves of his roof too. I often discover a pair or two but I've yet to see any this year. All your roses are beautiful but that 'Tropical Lightning' rose is downright gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI've seen nests elsewhere but this is the first next to the back door. They don't seem to mind me re-potting plants on the patio.
DeleteI wish 'Tropical Lightning' was a little more generous with flowers, but that color combo is out of the ordinary.
I concur with the 'Tropical Lightning' being stunning! Oh, wow, and a Leucospermum from seed? Roughly how old is that now? I imagine it must of needed a lot of coddling at first.
DeleteMourning doves are one of my favorites — their coo is so soothing to my ears. Today I did a little googling and was surprised at how much information there was and their symbolism: "Mourning doves symbolize peace, love, and spiritual connection, often seen as messengers of hope and healing. They can also represent loss and mourning, but their presence is generally interpreted as a sign of comfort and new beginnings." That about sums it up, doesn't it? Clivias are one of my favorites too, though mine are the traditional bright orange. They're putting on a nice little show right now. I just planted a mess of deep red Kalanchoe blossfeldiana in the narrow strip boardering the path to my front door. They were on sale for a very nice price at one of the grocery stores. I think they'll do well there. Time will tell. Your hunnemannia are so pretty, and so tall.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize they would grow that tall. I like that poppies have a mind of their own — "I will live and bloom as I darn well please, and you will like it." Little hippie boho flowers. And the roses! Oh my. I imagine your garden smells divine, with all those gorgeous roses and those sweet peas. Do you, of an early evening or quiet morning, ever just sit and inhale all the wonderfulness of your garden? Elizabeth
The early morning cooing of the doves. Lovely to wake up to that. (Tho more often it's Boris yapping for breakfast two hours early). I like to walk around and sniff the garden. I generally spend the longest time with the 'Cara Cara' orange when it is flowering--nothing beats the scent of oranges in bloom. The Mexican lime flowers don't seem to have any scent at all, but the foliage smells wonderful. Lavender, Myrtus communis, the Trachelospermum will flower soon, all besides roses and sweet peas. I like a smelly garden!
DeleteThe K. blossfeldianas are getting pretty impressive. Must be hybridizers at work. I'd love Hunnemannia up on the slope mixed in with the Lupines, but the Hunnemannia don't want to!
Mourning doves are one of my favorites. I find their coo very soothing, and they're lovely little birds. Just out of curiosity, I did a little googling this morning and was surprised at the amount of information, and their symbolism: "Mourning doves symbolize peace, love, and spiritual connection, often seen as messengers of hope and healing. They can also represent loss and mourning, but their presence is generally interpreted as a sign of comfort and new beginnings." That about sums it up, doesn't it? Clivias are one of my favorites too, though mine are the more traditional bright orange. They're putting on a nice little show right now too. I planted a mess of deep red Kalanchoe blossfeldiana I found at a local grocery store, for a very nice price, in the strip bordering the path to my front door. I think they'll do well there. Time will tell. Love your hunnemannia — they're so tall! I didn't realize they would get so tall. I really like that poppies have a mind of their own — "I will live, grow, and bloom where I darn well please, and you will like it." Funny little hippie boho flowers. And the roses! Oh my, the roses. My absolute favorites. I imagine that your garden smells divine, what with all the roses and those delightful sweetpeas. Do you ever, of an early evening or quiet morning, just sit and inhale the gorgeousness of your garden? Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteOh my, the doves are so sweet. Your roses are always perfection, the garden does look like it's celebrating!
ReplyDeleteNever was able to see one close enough to see the blue ring around their (the Adult's) eyes. Birds and their little details, so beautiful.
Delete"A pair of Mourning Dove... tucked away behind a grapevine wood". This is such a pleasant discovery when wandering around the garden. Almost every spring I'm thrilled to discover birds nesting somewhere in my garden. On those years I don't, it's probably because I'm not observant enough.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of Hunnemannia and chair under the pergola. I got to thinking of that area that you renovated a couple of years back. How is it coming along?
Chavli
Well all the bird doo underneath...I have some clean up there. The chicks fledged and were gone Sunday afternoon. Saw one later in nearby shrubs, looking rather forlorn, but it was in the same area yesterday, looking more competent. And so it goes.
DeleteWill have to post photos of the pergola area. It looks pretty good! The plants look happy. You can see the Apple Blossom Hippeastrums flowering from the chair if you turn the chair a bit.
Correction: Monday afternoon, not Sunday.
DeletePlease don’t stop. Our world needs more beauty and intellect. Your blog has both in spades.
ReplyDeleteAnd your bromeliad / alstroemeria combo is superb!
Horticat