"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Still waiting.

I waited and waited for some birds to show up yesterday, I guess it was too windy.  The only birds around were the chickadees that have a nest in the birdhouse behind the pond.  They are so fast going in and out I didn't even try to take pictures of them.  Maybe they know I have a zoom now, and are playing hard to get.  Instead I took a walk around the backyard and path area to see if anything new was blooming.  I think I may have some new flowers for May Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th.  

Of course I found another Columbine in bloom, still quite a few with buds including the big yellow one that always blooms later than the rest.

A walk down the path towards the pond.  The bare area against the fence will be filled with a large lavatera and other perennials.  I'm hoping lavatera 'Barnsley' will make a return, but just in case I planted a new one close to it.  The fence will be replaced sometime this summer, it's very old!

This is a new clematis 'South Cross' growing up the shepherd's hook with the hummingbird feeder that you can see in the previous picture.  'South Cross' is supposed to be attractive to hummingbirds.  I'll find a spot for a clematis to grow up on just about anything!
Over the weekend my husband took the girls to look for tadpoles.  They were so excited that they found some in a marshy area just down the street from our house.  We set up a bowl for a temporary house for them.  When I looked at them I realized they weren't frog tadpoles.  Look at these feathery gills and little feet.  Can you guess what it is?  This is something my sister and I used to find growing up.  We actually grew up in a house just 2 blocks from where I live now.
It's a baby newt!  We looked up some information on them and what they eat.  We have some big rocks at the bottom of the bowl that they rest on. Hopefully when these guys are bigger they can move into the pond.
I changed some things on my blog.  Please let me know if it's difficult to read or see any of the elements.
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29 comments:

  1. Such lovely pictures. I love your blog and really enjoy the slideshow on the sidebar. That's funny about the newt!

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  2. Your garden is beautiful, I see the rabbit you won. Great idea with the clematis on the shepards hook. The only thing that is hard to see on your blog is the white lettering on , You might like these stories. Everything else looks great!

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  3. Your blog looks great! And I like the research you did on the newts. I never would've known. And guess what I posted on this morning? Growing a clematis up something. :)) We must quit meeting like this. Ha!

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  4. Yup, I have to agree with Darla on the white lettering. I never look at these so did not notice at first. ttyl

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  5. Your garden looks great! And newts are so cool. Good luck with them.

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  6. The garden looks lovely. I love old fences with flowers growing on or in front of them. The blog looks nice, but it took a while to download all the background. I've had to change some stuff on mine because my 'thumbnail' photo wasn't showing up on Blotanical due to slow downloading. Just a thought.

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  7. There is alway something of interest in our gardens to take pictures of. I am rather fond of columbines, and have just bought two more.

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  8. I don't know where to start everything is so pretty. I looks so welcoming like we could just sit and talk. I love the view toward your pond, it reminds me of a spot in my yard. =D Have a great day hun....Brooke

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  9. I Love your old fence - loaded with personality. How cute that the girls got newts. I don't think I know what they are - I'll have to look them up.
    You garden is so beautiful. Doin' good with that new camera.
    Same here not many birds lately since I'm anxious to get pics of them. Still just my little hummingbirds sitting on the feeders any time of day! Did get pics of a dragonfly yesterday I'll be posting!

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  10. I love that we can both grow columbine, even though our zones vary greatly.

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  11. Columbine rank up there with iris and roses as my favorite flowers. Their structure is so delicate and colorful. Ours are about to bloom and will be the natural, wild kind that grow in Iowa. Very hardy once established.

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  12. I love your pond and the raised beds on the side of your house. Beautiful pictures too!

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  13. I love your pink and white columbine. Your garden looks lovely!!

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  14. Everything looks so nice! That baby newt is so cool. I didn't know they started out looking like a tadpole. Fun for the girls for sure!

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  15. Bilbo is in Canada :)

    Go check him out and leave a comment

    http://hereontheprairies.blogspot.com/2009/05/welcome-to-winnipeg.html

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  16. That is a really striking white clematis Catherine! I've never seen one like it before. I think you must really like them. Did your 'Josephine' show up yet? I think your yard is gorgeous, old fence and all. Like everyone else, I think the weathered wood adds charm. Fun stuff about the newts! I remember these from growing up on the east coast. I haven't seen a newt in Colorado tho. I'm hoping for tadpoles someday in my pond too.

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  17. The columbine is beautiful. And what a gorgeous yard you have. I know it must be so pleasant sipping a cup of coffee or glass of wine on the patio and admiring your beautiful place. Becca

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  18. Mildred - Thanks, that slideshow took me so long to figure out. I haven't seen many tadpoles, but I knew this one looked different.

    Darla - I'm hoping there will be lots of flowers growing up around that cute rabbit. I'm trying to change the Link within, but so far no luck. I think it can have black print, but haven't figured it out yet.

    Tina - I had forgotten about newts until I figured out what this one was. I hope they'll like our pond. They're from just down the street.
    Deutizia, clematis and I wonder what tomorrow we'll both be thinking of :)

    Zach - Thanks. Newts really are neat. I just need to wait until they're big enough to not get eaten by the fish.

    Sheila - I actually like the weathered look of the fence too, I'm just afraid it'll blow over. I'm already hoping our new fence will hurry up and weather.
    Thanks for you input on the blog background. I hadn't thought about that.

    keewee - Columbines are always a spring favorite of mine. I hope you will share pictures of yours!

    Brooke - Wouldn't it be fun if we could sit and visit in each others yards? At least we can enjoy them from the internet.

    Linda - They are in the same family as salamanders except they spend all of their adult life in the water. Hopefully I'll have pictures of them when they fully develop. Still not too many birds today. A junco and a crow. Are they all in hiding?

    Dirt Princess - You're right. It's fun to see what does and doesn't grow other places. I'll go look for Bilbo today.

    L.D. Burgus - I'd love to see what the wild ones near you look like!

    Deb - Thanks! Those raised beds have been great to garden in!

    sweet bay - Isn't it pretty? I have quite a few pink and white, but some are ruffled and some more of the common looking kind.

    Heather - I didn't know they did either. I just thought it looked really strange. I think they are called tadpoles too.

    Kathleen - Still no call on 'Josephine'. I may just go back in and look for it. I hope you get some tadpoles too. I'm really anxious for a frog to show up here. They aren't far away, they just need to discover our pond.

    Becca - I can't wait for it to be wine or margarita sipping weather here! It is a great place to sit and enjoy the garden and the pond is the firs thing you see.

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  19. What a lovely space you got there, Catherine! The columbine looks awesome! Though your hunger for birds aren't fulfilled yet, finding a newt must have been quite exciting. Hope the baby finds home in your beautiful pond.

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  20. I love the clematis! It's so different. Reminds me a little of peruvian daffodils.

    That shot of your yard with the pond is amazing. Perfection!!

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  21. New camera? New blog background, new baby newts! You are all about innovation these days. Looks great! Hope the birds slow down a little bit for you soon. They are probably really tired from fetching food for all the little nestlings!

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  22. Chandramouli - Thanks! Yes it was pretty fun to find something so unusual. I hope they will like the pond too.

    Ginger - It's a different flower, I thought it was really pretty. I hope the hummingbirds do like it.
    The pond area is really filling in now. Soon the "sunny" side should start having more flowers.

    Karen - I felt ready for some change :) I think the parent birds really are busy going in and out, no time to pose for pictures!

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  23. Your garden is positively gorgeous! Can we come for a playdate sometime?! The newt is a great find. I keep hearing a frog near our fountain but haven't spotted him yet. Hope you're having a lovely week. Oh, what kind of camera did you get?

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  24. Love Newt! Where did the birdies go? I'm off to take a bunch of pictures tomorrow for a local garden center. I hope my battery keeps on keeping on. I've had the same battery about 3 years.

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  25. Your pond area is looking gorgeous - I'm quite envious and it's made me keen to get on with mine again now that I've just about finished the major veg planting splurge!

    I was clearing the bottom of our pond in preparation for the tea house legs going in soon(oh yes!!!)and I disturbed lots of taddies and a couple of fully grown newts - or the same one twice! Sadly I also fished out a couple of dead frogs - I think the hard winter did for them. I've just got to hope some of the taddies make it to frogs.

    The columbine and clematis are fantastic! Great photos.

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  26. I just love your columbine! One of my favorites. :) We get owls in back of our house that I am always trying to photograph. It never fails... if you have the camera handy, there is not a one to be found! Your gardens are beautiful!

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  27. Melanthia - Thanks. I think we could find time for a playdate :) Probably in the next week or two would be good and maybe we'll even have a sunny day this time.
    The camera is a Canon Powershot SX10 IS. I really like it so far.

    Anna- Have fun with your pictures! I've never had batteries that long! What kind do you have?

    Nutty Gnome - I hope you have pictures of your veggie garden!
    It's great that the frogs and newts have found your pond. I bet you'll have lots of frogs next year. Wish a frog would find mine!

    Liisa - How neat to get owls! It does seem when you're ready to take pictures they all disappear. I hope you're able to catch one soon!

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  28. I LOVED the Columbine shot...I don't have pink ones....just beautiful!

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  29. The Retired One - Thanks! It's hard to take a bad picture of such a pretty flower.

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