Spring is approaching!

These are two views taken two weeks apart. The Daturas are all sending out lots of leaves in that beautiful Spring shade of green. Today I planted a bunch of herbs. The upper shot is the more recent one.

 

Spanish moss, Garden, Roscoe

 With the Lady Banks leaves in the background my garden is looking very Japanese these days.

Painted Buntings, garden.

These two are one of three mating pairs of Painted Buntings that use this feeder. I hung a thistle feeder out years ago in hope of attracting regular yellow finches. I never saw one and the seed went bad at record rates. I gave up. Last month I was buying some safflower seed for my regular feeders (bird feeding tip-most songbirds like safflower seeds as much as sunflower seeds, but squirrels won't eat them) when I saw this little, inexpensive, thistle feeder and bought it and some seed. Within a week these two appeared and invited two other couples over too. They are eating machines, spending an hour or more just munching away. They sure are a nice dash of color on drab days. 

Collard plant, garden, Roscoe

 This is what is called a "volunteer", or a plant that sprung from seed that I didn't plant. I have collards in pots they do quite well. I let them go to seed and then prune them and they go on. This plant showed up in the shade, under our Live Oak 50 feet from the nearest plant. So, a clumsy bird dropped it. It is doing far better than my cultivated ones and is in it's 3rd year. The collard greens from it are wonderful and sweet.

Mid jungle, Garden, Roscoe

 A lot of things at work here, Nandina berries, Spanish moss, Confederate jasmine in layers.

Branches, garden, Roscoe

 First little buds

My old feet.

Apparently I am aging from the ground up.