Snow in the garden

Hello there everyone it's Melody Bluebell here with an important announcement - It's snowing at Irish Gardens.   Yup thats right folks it's snowing in October. The Garden Lady was outside today getting ready for this snow to hit.

Garden Lady and Aiden Guy were out saving the peppers as the plants were hit with frost but the peppers were still good.  Look how cute that little guy looks trying to concentrate on cutting the peppers and only the peppers.

Rosa Rusty was seen at the local feeding spot eating just as the snow started.

Then a half hour later she is seen with friends but look at the tree's behind them. Just over 30 min after the snow started the tree's are covered.

Soon after I saw Rosa I saw Garden Lady headed outside to get the mail and saw that now even the roads were covered.

So then as I was enjoying the view of snow while trying hard not to fall off my branch....it was getting heavy with snow the Garden Lady came out and measured the snow.  Although I don't have a watch I am pretty good at telling time and the snow started around 12:30 and when she went out to measure it was 3:00 and it looks like she measured nearly 2.5inches of snow.    Well I am sure that there is a lot more going on around the Gardens so I am going to go and find out what.  I will be sure to post again with more pictures of my fellow friends.

Garden visitors spokesperson with an update

Hello again it's Melody Bluebell here. I wanted to give Irish Lady's readers a true update on how things around Irish Gardens are really doing.  Although she does a good job of explaining things sometimes more is needed.  For example..

 A new resident to the gardens is the Chipmunk family.....they are happily eating all the bird seed....thankfully there is other food for us bird types to eat.

 Although not outside in the garden lady mouse here was set free into the gardens after being found inside Irish Lady's home.

 No that summer arrived our good and helpful friends from the butterfly family have come back to visit and show off their unique beauty.

 An unfortunate site last month was this guy.  Thankfully he was inside the greenhouse.  I know I know we usually eat bugs like these but well this guy was just not appetizing.

 The ever annoying common fly have come back to the gardens.....grrrrr.....they just bug us.

 With the Hosta's in bloom this handsome fella came to find some food.

 With the Aphid issue all but gone a new pest arrived in the gardens....the beetle.  Irish Lady does seem to be working hard to prevent these nasty guys from eating all her roses.

 Today to Irish Lady's joy as well as that of the kids she found these 2 cute little frogs living inside the greenhouse.  As I agree with our caretaker the frogs will stay.  They don't seem to do any harm and they like bugs so these cuties are our newest residents, Mr and Mrs Frogger.

And finally on the list of new residents is this interestingly calm grasshopper.  Bringing joy to the kids as they got a up close look.  James Hopper is welcome to stay for a while he makes me laugh.  He jumps so high and scares the kids with his height that I can't help but laugh.  I almost fell out of the nest today watching him entertain the kids.

So until next time this is Melody signing off.  Have a wonderful week everyone and remember....I like the songbird bird seed mix the best.

Thanks to Rebecca over at The Garden-Roof Coop for posting about a cool event going on this weekend.
The Great Backyard Bird Count.

After visiting the site and finding out just how much there is on that site I got the kids involved.  How cool is this that a simple task of counting birds for 15 min can actually help the birds.  They have a lot of information and even things for the kids to do.  They even have a participation certificate that I can print out and give to the kids.

Stop on over and take a look.  Take 15 min out of your day today or tomorrow and count some birds.

A Word from the Garden visitor spokesperson

Welcome to Irish Lady's Garden, my name is Melody Bluebell, a Garden resident and the spokesperson.  We have many other residents of whom I am sure you will meet at some point but today I wanted to tell you a little bit about our home.

Last year Irish lady became the garden caretaker.  A lovely lady with big dreams.  I could tell she was new to gardening but could also see that she had the potential to do great things.  She always had food out for us.  I expect great things this year.  Nearly every time she went out to tend the garden she had some sort of book with her, a gardening or log book would be my guess.

Spring is finally approaching and I've noticed that a few of last years visitors have become regulars or residents them selves.  The Rusty family seems to be settling in as I see Rosa around the feeders a lot.  Sam and some of his Cardinal buddies are lurking around the trees keeping watch as well.

Another regular is Marlon Nutters.  I am guessing that they live close as Marlon and a few of his other bushy tailed buddies are eating with us almost everyday.  Irish lady's dog Buddy doesn't seem to scare them off anymore either or at least not for very long.  Talk about some brave squirrels.

Before all this snow hit some of us noticed our lady caretaker collecting seeds, measuring, and taking notes all around the gardens.  We are hoping that it means new flowers.  Hopefully some that Katima Kiwi and her Hummingbird family will enjoy, we miss them.

Well the extremely way to chipper Sparrow family - the Chirpee's have just come out to eat and play.  I better go and keep them in line.  Those House Sparrows make such a mess of our food.  Not that Marlon minds but still.

I will be back though, to tell you more about Irish lady and her garden.  Hopefully with no complaints for her.

Until then this is Melody Bluebell the Blue Jay have a great day.

My Garden, My Hobbies in 2010

2010 was a big year here.  We saw lots of new things.  Here are some key pictures from each month.  Making them smaller to load faster so you may need to click on them to see.

January - Started like most January's in the north do....snowy.

February - More snow and snow men.  Falling or splitting Trees and snow banks taller than my kids

March - A little more snow....and then none and the dump trucks cam out to play

April - Spring shows with lovely daffodils.  Mr. Nutters visits from my sisters garden in CA, and many of my winged friends visit.

May - The beginnings of my Gardening adventures.

The kids learn how to plant a tree....











Flowers start to bloom.

Newly planted trees are growing, roses are in bloom, and the Rhubarb is taking root.

Onions start popping up, The construction of the Greenhouse begins. The plants that will be grown in the Greenhouse are started.









And last but not least for this month Greenhouse construction is complete.

June - A Busy Month
Seedlings sprouting just right, then planted in their summer home, my first ever Harvest...Mint










Morning Glories and Moon flowers started their growing, a tomato appears, and I preserved some Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly..another first.











July - Lots of growth happening

The Corn is getting tall, Tomatoes getting bigger, and I started an Herb Garden










The first Morning Glory bloom, the Morning Glories and Moon Flower plants were transplanted, and the tomato plant in the Greenhouse got to tall and heavy to hold herself up alone.











My first Lettuce harvest, Mr Nutters comes back from CA again to look in on my garden, and my friendly birds are back.










Mr. Nutters visits a second time this month but tried to be sneaky about it.  Buddy dog is used as a measuring tool....look how small he looks next to my corn.  And once again Mr Nutters tries to impress me with his stunts.










My first tomato harvest, the corn is now taller than my kids, and the onions were ready.










August - Lots to see and lots to do.

The Corn grows to reach my bedroom window, The Morning Glories and Moon Flowers reach the top of the porch, and finally a Moon Flower blooms












My harvesting skills increase as I begin a collection of dried herbs. And the Carrots are ready and my two eager children gladly helped pick them and pose....

The Morning Glories like the porch and have taken over and really started to bloom, and my tomato plants gets a major hair cut.....it started to touch the roof


September - School begins again and the gardens continue to grow

The attach of the vine is far from over, This Morning Glory vine grew over and under and all around the porch and it's self....all the while producing lovely blooms










The first day of school you just have to bring flowers for your teacher.  More blooms show up every day and the Moon Flowers get a little confused...thus the two vines blooming at the same time of day.  And as fall begins to get closer it's time to learn about seeds, and how to save them.

October - Fall is here

Seeds are ready to be stored, the indoor garden begins to form, and new colors fill the outdoors as the trees begin to make a rainbow.





Seeds are continued to be harvested and new things are learned.

November - Big Changes happened this month

The vines were killed by frost, the first of my Peppers were picked, and tomato plants were moved inside to protect from frost.

Pumpkin pie was made and frost hit the garden












December - The final Month of the year

Major wind storm brings the neighbors carport into our yard, The final veggie harvest of the year, and Cedar shavings are placed over all the gardens for extra protection once winter sets in.

The roof gets replaced after a dusting, Then the snow hits....poor children at play guy, and my little trees turn white



Snow drifts insulate the Greenhouse, snow banks from the porch cover one of my gardens. And the kids get to play in snow half as tall as them....










2010 Sure turned out to be a busy year.  Lots was learned, lots was done.  As 2011 gets underway I look FWD to the types of posts and pictures will be in next years review.