Design your garden for the birds and Bees....................

It is a time of looking through seed catalogues and choosing the plants for this year. Lets keep in mind that the wild things need our help. The bees and the birds need help. How about planning your garden with a purpose?I think this year I need to reassess my plan. I thought I was planting enough to attract the birds and bees to my garden as well as butterfly. I didn't see hardly a one as far as butterflies go. I have milkweed by the side of the road. I think I will move some into my garden this year. Maybe the snow and salt from the road does something to it because I have not seen any Monarchs on it. So...........I have a garden by the side of the road on the other side, we live on a corner. That became an eyesore last year. That will get stripped and I think I will sow wildflowers there after some tilling and weeding out.

I also thought about a Knockout rose. That should give lots of colour all year. It wont get tall and weedy looking either. So Thats the plan for that part this year. Lots of colour, maybe that will draw them in?

I also think I will try one in a large container. Anyway, this year I can't spend a lot of money so it will be a lot of transplanting. Seeing to the quality of the soil and investing in some planters to give height to some of the areas. The roses I planted last year did well, so maybe this year I can put another rose in that spot. I don't see a lot of bee activity on roses though.
I have a lot of Bee Balm but its getting thin now. I need to reseed and replace some of that with some new plants. Those are very popular with the bees. I dread all the digging and transplanting but it will be worth it. In Spring I tend to have the enthusiasm until it gets hot.

Another flower that faded away was my Daisies. Now the Black Eyed Susans seemed to do well last year. Some of the white daisies in planters did OK. The ones in the garden did not. I must need to get the soil back in shape. I wish I had help. No one else has any interest whatsoever in the garden. The Echinacea didn't last and I had several colours so I have to believe not enough sun for them.So I will replant in a different spot.

The Foxgloves did well last year and I put in a new one. I do hope they come up again. Several plants got moved forwards to get more sun and maybe with that and some good fertilizer they may thrive. I don't want to loose everything. I think I will put in more shrubs in places I pull stuff out, flowering shrubs just make life easier. Especially if I put them in tubs that give height as well. So garage/yard sales this year will be a quest for containers to use in the garden. The pine trees will get cropped and that will bring in more light, so containers under there will add interest. I will bring one of my old farm ploughs around to fill in some space as well. Old crates and things like that can hold plants, just fill with that coconut matting to stop the soil eroding. Got so many ideas
I just can't wait for Spring.

January 2017 ...........

It has been awhile since my last post. Not a lot to tell. The garden sleeps. The birds have apparently been happy with what nature provides, they have not been around very often this winter. The Squirrels on the other hand. There were 8 out there today. Black and grey.


They even have the nerve to build their house in my tree.

Laura was here the other day and counted 7 nests (called Dreys) surrounding my back yard.

I hate to scare them away they need to eat too but, phew!!! they sure eat a lot. I didn't get a picture today of any black ones but this morning there were at least 6 black ones. They really don't fight with the greys any more than between each other. They must also inter breed I think. At least I think I have seen some being extra chummy.
Well the birds have been staying away pretty much. When they do come I fill up so they have plenty. Today the Titmouses (haha) were here. They are one of my favourites. I love the big bright eyes.



Cuteness overload

The Blue Jays come. It's funny but one flys over and then you hear the word go out. Then the flock comes in for a good feed.


I had a Nuthatch show up today as well.


This guy seemed to be wondering what the heck the blue thing was

Well tomorrow I am hoping to go out and look for some good pictures out in the county. Laura is not working and we fancied a drive out to see what we can find. Maybe I can find something to post here. WHo knows, It's supposed to rain in the afternoon but we sometimes get some good pictures when it rains. So stay posted I will see what I can find.