Tanja's Little Corner of The World
A Texas city girl in a small New England town …
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We can’t take the credit for this beautiful garden and yard at our new home, now. This actually goes to the former owner of the house. However, I wanted to show you what’s growing seasonally, and the wildflowers we have in the yard. After all this rain at the Memorial Day Weekend, the Sun came out, and I had to take a little stroll on our new property.
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~ 06/01/2021 ~
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My allergies were acting up, today. I had an itchy nose and itchy ears. When it began to rain, the itchiness stopped immediately. I could go back outside and breathe without sneezing. It was still raining when I captured photos outdoors, and the cool drops felt so good on my skin.
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A devastating byproduct of human growth has been the loss of natural habitats around the world. Wild animals and plants can no longer rely on woodlands, marshes, and ponds — these places have been slowly disappearing to make way for roads, homes, factories, etc. As a result, wildlife that was once thriving is now facing multiple threats, and their populations are dwindling.
That’s when, over time, studies began to be conducted to find a solution to this concerning issue. Since private residential property took almost one-third of the urban landscape in many developed nations, one way to revive wildlife was to plan urban gardens that would be completely wildlife-friendly.
A key organization leading the development of these ‘wildlife gardens’ was the National Wildlife Federation, which began operations in 1973 and has been pushing for a wildlife-supportive gardening method ever since. They’d even conducted 24 studies on the impact of wildlife gardening, which clearly showed that such places do boost biodiversity, help wildlife ecosystems thrive, and supplement natural resources when local plants and trees are planted. These places are also almost always home to twice as many species of birds as areas without such gardens.
People who’ve had their homes and backyards turned into wildlife gardens witness this phenomenon first-hand. They’ve recounted tales of seeing local species of animals along with many migratory birds and butterflies, many of whom return to this safe haven year after year.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/gardening-for-wildlife-month/
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Understanding and valuing nature and all that it has to offer is a character quality we cherish at National Today, especially during National Wildlife Week which takes place from April 5–9 this year. From providing us with multiple food sources to medicinal properties and a flourishing planet to live on, Mother Nature has continued to bless us with the best of the best. However, factors like rapid globalization and industrialization have put an unnecessary strain on the planet resulting in many dangers like climate change, new diseases, extinctions, etc. National Wildlife Week aims to raise awareness about said issues through discussions, campaigns, donations, and such. Just some years shy of celebrating 100 years of National Wildlife Week, the first National Wildlife Week was celebrated back in 1938.
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The last few days, we had a lot of rain and high wind gusts, and it became colder each day. We were supposed to get some sleet this morning. But when I looked out of the window, I saw snow. The ground was too warm. Therefore the snow turned into slush. I was not a happy camper when I saw this mess. On a good note, we didn’t have to deal with fallen trees, power outages, and floods as many people did in other regions in the Northeastern United States. Sadly, some people lost their lives in this storm. And here, I’m annoyed because I can’t work in my garden. 😥 In the afternoon, the snow/slush was gone on our property.
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The earliest connection between flowers and their importance to humans dates back to the Paleolithic Age with the discovery of flower fossils. Similarly, gifting flowers has always been central to life and culture. Across civilizations, flowers would feature prominently in ancient myths and stories. The Ancient Greeks revered flowers and associated them with several Gods.
Flowers have bloomed on Earth and in our hearts throughout history as we know it. They bring an extra spring to our steps. Add color to mundane days. Flowers can convey love, joy, and strength through every season or reason. Their fragrance and beauty bring cheer to anyone’s day.
National Flower Day in March reminds us to pause and appreciate nature’s art. The holiday is perfect for planting more flowers. You could gift flowers to someone or even yourself. It’s a great day for a long stroll in the park or a short hike. To stop and smell the roses, tulips, or camellias. As you soak in pops of color in gardens everywhere, it’s hard not to radiate the same joy.
If you’ve been dreaming of spring blooms throughout the Winter, today’s perfect to prep for spring gardening. This special day helps us get ready for warm weather. The perfect pick-me-up after a long, dreary winter. Today’s excellent for getting our gardens ready for spring. National Flower Day is also an excuse to celebrate big moments and small ones. Gift flowers to someone you love or to yourself as a personal pat on the back.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/national-flower-day/
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For many years, American backyards were purely functional. They were mainly used for gardening since there were few corner stores and market produce. However, after World War II, people had more disposable income and migrated to the suburbs. This brought about a significant transformation in the treatment of backyards. People focused more on the aesthetic appeal of these spaces and introduced ornamental plants and garden features. Also, there was a surplus of materials such as aluminum and concrete, meaning that it was affordable to build patios, pools, and lawn furniture. The backyard grew into a place for leisure and entertaining guests and became an extension of the living space.
The establishment of Earth Day in 1970 renewed people’s interest in growing produce at home. Landscapers started mingling vegetables and fruits with ornamentals in formal garden designs, and “edible landscaping” became increasingly popular. Urban community gardens became more widespread and people picked up an interest in organic gardening once more. Similar to the dooryard gardens of early America, today’s home gardens contain edible plants and herbs. People also include flowers and native plants to add interest to these utility spaces in distinctly American ways.
Before it began to rain, I walked down the hill on our property to look for some plants. Since the last couple of days were warm, I was hoping for something to be sprouting out of the leaf-covered soil. And sure enough, I found snowdrops right below our shed. How exciting it was to see Spring arriving in our yard. I haven’t seen snowdrops since I left Germany, almost a couple of decades ago. The sight lifted my spirit, although we might get some snow on Wednesday, again.
~ 03/07/2022 ~
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Aaahh! The first day of March was a beautiful day. Cool, but with the right clothes being in the sun it was comfortable to sit in the garden for a while. When I let our dogs outside, I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk couple visiting the nest on the tree in our forest. They both were fixing some twigs and brought softer material to the nest. Soon, we will have a hawk nursery. How exciting?!
Later, I walked down to the rim of our forest. However, it didn’t take long until Chewbacca came following me and meowing as he wanted to tell me, that it is not that safe down here at the moment. Well, he’s right. Bruno and his bear cousins will be out of their den and roaming the woods for food soon, again. And they will be hungry. Therefore, my neighbor puts out only a small portion of seeds for the birds. By sundown, the seeds are usually all eaten up. And there is no big concern that Bruno visits the neighborhood. He usually stays in the woods.
The Snowdrops are in bloom, and some of the trees show some flower buds. It will take another four to six weeks until the edge of the Winter is gone in Litchfield County. But, once Spring has arrived, and won’t go anywhere else until Summer will knock on the door. Spring, you can’t come soon enough. I want to start my vegetable garden, soon.
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March Racing clouds and whistling winds,
Author unknown
Coats flapping in the breeze,
Bright kites circling in the skies,
The dance of swaying trees,
The cheerful sight of crocuses,
The first sweet breath of spring –
Just part of all the many moods
The month of March can bring.
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~ 02/11/2022 ~
Bright red with a pointed head crest and black bib, male cardinals are always a welcome sight at bird feeders. Cardinals are year-round residents in the eastern two-thirds of Texas. They prefer thick underbrush for nesting. Cardinals have been expanding their range northward.
Both male and female cardinals sing almost year-round. Common calls include “cheer cheer cheer”, “whit-chew whit-chew whit-chew” and “purty purty purty”. Cardinals eat seeds, fruit, and insects, and are easily attracted to bird feeders, especially those containing sunflower seeds.
Male cardinals vigorously defend their territory. They have been known to attack their reflections in mirrors, windows, and chrome. Sometimes they will even attack small red objects they mistake for other males. Females usually sing after males establish territory but before nesting starts. A cardinal’s nest consists of a tightly woven cup of roots, stems, and twigs lined with fine grass and hair.
Cardinals are colorful, tolerant of people, have pleasant calls, and are easily attracted to bird feeders. That has made them a favorite of backyard birdwatchers all over the eastern half of the U.S. Cardinals may form winter flocks of 60-70 birds. Their bright plumage brings color to our yards during the winter when many other species have flown south.
Resource: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/northerncardinal/
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The sun fought its way through the dense fog in the Naugatuck River Valley. With the rays dancing in that haze, it was a beautiful sight in our backyard this morning.
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~ 02/10/2022 ~
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The last couple of days, we had a warming trend in Connecticut. Day temperatures were 44℉ (7℃) in Watertown on both days. Yesterday was dry; today the rain and fog came in. Tonight, the temperatures will sink with freezing rain will arrive with some snow. Tomorrow could be really slippery. We won’t know if schools are open or closed, until tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, Texas is dealing with a freeze as well. But it is by far not as bad as it was in February of last year. Y’all stay warm, my friends!
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~ 02/03/2022 ~
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This morning, heavy snow fell in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
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We had a light snow day. It made the landscape look like covered in powdered sugar.
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… and the snow is back!
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After the rain and a couple of cooler nights, the leaves have changed within the last 24 hours. We can see a lot more gold in our yard and forest.
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
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There still are a lot of emerald-colored trees in the forest. However, the golden colors become more and more present as the month of October goes on. I just hope we will get some crimson mixed in as well. Nothing in sight, yet. But, I don’t give up hope. It’s still too early to say, how the leaves will be at their peak in another week or so.
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
– 10/11/2021 –
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
– 10/07/2021 –
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
The fog was so dense this morning. Kevin told me, his co-worker ran almost a deer over because it was standing in the middle of the road. He saw it just shortly before he almost hit it. The deer must have been disoriented due to the density. Who knows, what happened to the deer this morning. Let’s hope, it made it safely to its destination. Up at our house, the fog rolled in, rolled out, and rolled in to roll back out. It came in waves until the sun had enough strength to make the fog disappear. The rest was a nice Autumn day.
🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂🍁
Tanja's Little Corner of The World 