Here a Seed, There A Seed~

Whew! We've been having Santa Ana Winds this week with warm temperatures. However, when we woke today they were gone and I hope we've seen the last of them until fall. For those of you not familiar with these irritating annual winds, they blow through southern California from fall through spring.

The National Weather Service defines Santa Ana winds as 'strong down slope winds that blow through the mountain passes from the high desert.' These winds, which can easily exceed 50 mph, are warm and dry and can severely exacerbate brush or forest fires.

We've lost roof tiles and window screens during the overnight howling gusts, and one year we awoke to find our backyard fence had been blown over! 

Since all was calm today, I decided to do some light gardening. I planted Pansy seed around the Poppies.

  Pansies have long been flowers of remembrance. Indeed, they have often been placed upon memorial markers.

 

Handyman lugged the potting soil out from the garage for me so I could plant some bulbs in our new rooster pot. I found this charming pot at JoAnn fabrics, of all places, and it was sixty percent off! Originally $34, I bought it for $13.99.

It has handles, which is unique, and also has a raised rooster on both sides. I planted Gladiolus bulbs in it. I think it would look fabulous full of Chrysanthemums in autumn, don't you?

I have a Gardening To Do list :

• plant Sweet Pea and Hollyhock seed
• plant Morning Glory and Four O' Clock seed
• add one or two plants to the Fairy garden (seen on the right, above)
• cut back spent Iris
• plant our old, non-working fountain with flowers
• clean bird baths
• decide if we are going to replace dying Jasmine vine or prune it and hope for the best

  

Named for the shape of their leaves, gladioli – from the Latin word “gladius,” meaning sword – have a history than spans from Africa to the Mediterranean.  Symbolizing strength and moral integrity, gladioli also represent infatuation.

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National Wild Bird Feeding Month~

I get a kick out of the assortment of things celebrated each month~ February happens to be National Grapefruit Month, Cherry Month, National Embroidery Month and Wild Bird Feeding Month, among many others!  It is simple to feed 'backyard' birds and rewarding too. You never know who will stop by for a snack, especially during migration periods. Try these inexpensive ways to attract wild birds to your property~

• coat a pinecone with peanut butter, roll in bird seed & hang.

                                                       

• slice a bagel in half, smear a mixture of peanut butter and shortning on the cut side, then press firmly into bird seed, hang.
• shove a donut or an orange onto a branch
• rinse and dry a paper milk carton, cut an opening in one side about an inch from the bottom & fill with seed. Hang in a tree. You can also make feeders from cans and 2 litre bottles. Click on link for directions.
• let children use large cookie cutters to cut shapes into stale bread, then hang from a string in a tree
• Black Oil Sunflower seeds in a tubular feeder will attract many species
•  mealworms, nectar and fruit are treats for many birds
• the National Bird Feeding Society gives the following recipe for home-made bird 'cake':

Mix 1 cup each of corn meal, uncooked oatmeal, flour, wheat germ and raisins together. Stir in 1 cup of skim milk and 1/2 cup shortning. Place thick batter in greased cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool. Place in suet/basket style feeder.

Don't forget to provide water, shelter, nesting boxes and nest building materials if you really want to attract wild birds. I place dryer lint in mesh bags (recycled fruit/veggie containers) and hang in our trees. The birds pull the lint through the holes of the mesh bag and use it to line their nests. Do not place feeders too close to windows, or birds may fly into them. 

Here is a card I made while thinking of our avian friends~

I used a ScrapFx scroll, cardboard and a small clay tile I made and stamped with a bee~