February-March 2008 Newsletter
Ah, spring… The calendar tells us it is few short weeks away. Conditions today say different and it seems the weather can't make up its weather mind. Yesterday, it certainly was spring. Today winter yanked the rug out again as snow falls atop the branches, fences and upon the stubby crowns of soon-to-be-stirring perennial crowns.
Outside the backdoor the suet feeder
is constantly busy. The Red-Shafted Flicker whams his woodpecker beck into the
frozen suet. Looking huge next to the juncos and siskins, he spends about fifteen
minutes each morning working on his free meal. Once he flies away, the smaller
birds rush in to grab the little chips of food upon the ground. Bushtits visit
as a family, at least fifteen of them - maybe more. Being so tiny they can move
through the feeder guards to feast. The Downy woodpecker will show up soon as
well.
Suet feeders help these insectivore birds to survive winter's grip, giving them a substitute for their primary food of insects. Seeds are not for them, they rarely visit the seed tray as they do not have the proper bills for cracking seeds. But in winters past, I have observed the Red-shafted Flicker using his long tongue to pull up crumbs of seeds. Winter can be brutal and unforgiving for the feathered friends of the Front Range. Gardeners who garden toward the native and food producing plants are well rewarded with more birds, and presumably the healthiest and happiest birds, too!
Gardeners have begun to crawl out from
under their winter protection, just like the bulbs will soon be doing. We have
cautiously poked around in a few exposed beds, stirring the mulch and saying
a quiet hello to
the perennials. We have been pruning the fruit trees and a few of the shrubs,
and topping up a bit of mulch
where we can. There is a bit of cutting back to do of the winter interest plants
and grooming of the beds so the bulbs will have a nice stage upon which to perform.
We have a few stray snow shoveling events, but for the most part, we wait for
spring to come with longing. The birds give great encouragement and we can hear
springtime in their songs.
It is still winter, though these warmer
days are full of anticipation and expectation. New trays are being readied for
the seeds for the vegetable garden to start. It is a fickle time of year. We
gardeners never quite know what to expect, but we are observing what is happening
outside the windows to plan our days.
If you have particulars you need to speak with us about, please feel free to call or email! Here it comes!
Fondly, Becky the gardener
Blue Planet Earthscapes 685-0290 rselder@comcast.net
www.blueplanetearthscapes.com
"Everything gardens."
Peter Bane, Permaculture teacher
Blue Planet Earthscapes P O Box 861 Manitou Spgs, CO 80829 (719) 685 - 0290