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Spring is in the air!

February 21, 2017

backyard chickens snowdrops

Oh what a glorious, fun-filled weekend we had! The weather was beautiful allowing for the perfect mix of outdoor time spent sledding, hiking and snowshoeing along with indoor time spent cooking, baking, reading, knitting and playing games. The whole weekend was the perfect way to celebrate Hannah’s 15th birthday.

We came home to 60 degree temps! Spring is definitely in the air. The snowdrops are up and our hens are laying again now that the days are getting longer.

On another note just a reminder that you can follow along more with S & E on my Instagram account where I share daily. I had fun posting over the weekend and even started sharing little videos on my story:)  You can click on my Instagram account (the little camera icon) on the sidebar to the left. 

Feed the birds

February 8, 2017

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After much hinting around about how I longed for a bird feeder to live outside our dining room window, Norah made me this beautiful one in wood shop class. We installed it in the fall,  used a millet seed mix and sat back and watched. Weeks went by but no birds to be found.  I began to get impatient, as I sometimes do, and my family would roll their eyes as I would look out the window each day asking “Birdies where are you?”  I did some research  and decided to switch to black oil sunflower seed. Later that day as I was washing dishes I squealed out loud with delight as I spotted a Tufted Titmouse from the kitchen window. I even called Chris at work to tell him. After that our feeder has seen a flurry of daily activity.

I love the design which has proved to be quite a hit with an amazing array of birds and it’s squirrel proof too! Norah made a beautiful Yew knob that sits atop the roof which lifts up to pour in seed. It has a nice wide lip for bigger birds to perch on while the smaller birds feed inside under the protective roof. I have sometimes seen up to 5 different types of birds feeding at once.  The base seems to be too wide for the squirrels to jump from the pole up to the feeder. I had quite a chuckle one day as I watched one do back flips over and over trying to get up.  I have yet to see another one try. I think Earl must of told them not to waste their time. I told Norah she should patent her  design.

I never dreamed of how much joy this little feeder would bring me. I love how much life it brings to the side of our house. The other day as I was coming home from my morning walk I watched from across the street at a variety of birds on the feeder, on the branches of nearby shrubs, in the flowering cherry tree above and even up in my window boxes. There was a  Downy Woodpecker pecking at the ivy vine growing up our house and squirrels and mourning doves feeding on the ground below the feeder. I am having to fill the feeder at least once a day for all of our new little friends! It will be fun to see if we have some volunteer sunflowers come up in the garden from all of the seed.

I have begun to keep a written list of the birds that visit our little Second and Edgemont feeder. So far we have seen House Finch, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Black Eyed Junco, Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Mourning Dove, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow Finch, White Breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch and White Throated Sparrow.

We are keeping an eye out and our fingers crossed for Oriole, Evening Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager and Cedar Waxwing.

What birds  come to visit your feeder? Any tips on bird seed?

 

Early days of Autumn

October 4, 2016

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June garden

July 9, 2016

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In the garden-May

May 26, 2016

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Happy Spring!

April 3, 2016

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Happy Spring!

 

In the garden

November 2, 2015

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Happy November!

My garden is donning it’s autumn wardrobe with it’s palette of deep burgundy, rust, purples and gold.

The hens are finished molting and are ready for the cold winter months with their fluffy down.

I have slowly begun to put the garden to bed as it is still quite mild. Plants are still producing and flowering among the seed heads and fallen leaves and we are still harvesting a few crops.

It was my first attempt at growing peanuts this year. I grew them in a pot and we just recently harvested a small bowlful. Not a huge harvest but a whole lot of squeals as we unearthed those legumes!

Today I picked all of the green cherry tomatoes left on the vines before the first hard frost hits. I plan to pickle them with onions and horseradish (another crop growing in our garden to be harvested soon).

Chocolate covered mint leaves

August 27, 2015

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Last night after dinner while Hannah and I were sitting on the back porch chatting, she began picking and nibbling on mint leaves from a plant growing in a big terracotta pot. As I watched her, I remembered a fun idea I had read about and told her to pick a small bowl full of the largest mint leaves she could find. Looking a bit puzzled she followed orders while I poured chocolate chips into the double boiler to melt.

My chocolate loving girl’s eyes immediately lit up once she realized that we were making after dinner mints!

Chocolate Covered Mint Leaves

20-30 fresh peppermint leaves
a few handfuls of chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Wash and dry mint leaves. Heat up chocolate chips and coconut oil into a double boiler and stir until smooth. Turn off heat and with tongs or tweezers dip leaf into chocolate and lay on a sheet of wax paper. Freeze for a few hours. Store in an airtight container in fridge.

Pie on the Porch Party over at Terrain!

August 26, 2015

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I’m super honored to be featured over at Terrain today where I talk about a hosting a Pie on the Porch party.

Click here to read all about it.

In the garden

August 22, 2015

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Every year I make quite an extensive list of all that I would like to accomplish in the garden. The list includes the introduction of new plants, transplanting, dividing as well as several infrastructure projects. I am relaxed and realistic about my list and know that we will most likely not get to all of it.

This spring I hit the jack pot when my mother’s neighbor (who was moving) opened up his garden for us to dig up and transplant an amazing variety of plants!

I am happy to report that so far many projects have been crossed off this year. Some, we are in the process of and others are planned for the fall. What doesn’t get done will simply move on to next year’s list.

2015 Garden Plan

:: Incorporate more evergreens in to my landscape

I have planted rhododendron, a few different varieties of Laurel along with Leucothoe, Sweet Bay and Holly.

:: Plant more deciduous flowering shrubs

I have planted several varieties of Hydrangea along with  Fothergilla, Pieris, Nandina, Deutzia and Callicarpa (Beauty Berry).

:: Remove dead climbing rose around kitchen window and replace with autumn Clematis

I have removed the rose. My aunt Patty has dug up an autumn Clematis from her garden for me.

:: Remove English Ivy on house

A big project that we plan to do this fall.

:: Plant a Liriope hedge in front of rock wall

Check!

:: Plant peanuts, broad beans, purple sprouting broccoli and elderberry

I planted peanuts and elderberry. I have always wanted to grow purple sprouting broccoli but have not had luck in finding starts for sale. Next spring I will be sure to order the seeds to start along with broad beans.

:: Plant more flowering bulbs in fall~ Narcissus, Tulip, Muscari, Allium, Crocus  and Galanthus (Snow Drops)

I’ll wait until late fall for sales and deals on bagged bulbs.

:: Prune pear tree

Will do so in late winter.

:: Rebuild back porch

We are almost finished!

:: Build stone wall around the front of house.

This will most likely move on to 2016’s list.

:: Hook up rain barrel

Hooked up!

:: Lay stone path in back garden

This is back breaking work and I have decided to use my “just a little bit” rule with this project. With a pick ax and shovel my goal is to fill 4 buckets with dirt every other day for Chris to haul away. Once the path is dug out we will begin to lay a pile of foraged stone.

:: Build cob oven

Moved to 2016’s list.

:: Rooftop beehive on top of shed

Moved to 2016’s list.

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Welcome Welcome Amy Johnson is a writer, photographer, gardener, teacher, mother and wife living on the corner of Second and Edgemont. She creates space for beauty and simplicity in all that she does.
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