Nestled in the Violets

   There are several plants in pots that I just have not found the place in the yard to put them.  The lemon trees from yesterday's post, five large fig trees, some quince trees and a few rose bushes need to be transplanted but finding the space, the right time and the energy to do the work is not forthcoming.  I will get to it some day.  In the meantime, the plants (trees) are all flourishing so I am assuming no harm is being done by leaving them a bit longer.  

  One of the rose bushes that still is pot-bound, is one that I picked up from the local dollar store. It was in pretty bad shape as it had been kicked around on the floor for a few days as nobody wished to by a "broken" bush.  I did.  When I got home, I stuck it in the pot and it has stayed there for a number of years.  Each year, it blooms profusely for the entire summer.  In fact, it blooms all winter.  Perhaps I should leave it in the pot.  

  I was doing a bit of weeding today and noticed that the rose bush had a bunch of wildflowers growing around the base.  Well, I could at least pull them out and move those to a better spot.  Just as I was about to pull a handful of woods violets out of the pot, a pair of wrens started fussing.  Thinking some predator was nearby, I stopped work and looked up to find the wrens.  "I" was the predator!  As soon as I pulled my hand from the pot, both wrens flew down and started work on their little nest!  I have homebuilders in my potted rose bush!

  I guess the wildflowers will stay in the pot along with the rose bush.  A mental note was made to be careful when watering the bush as I sure would not want to flood out the babies!  I do worry, however, as we are to have some terrific storms for the next three days with up to a foot of rain.  Maybe I need to put the umbrella over the rose bush!  Love my wrens!

Don't Leave Me!!

  Don't leave me!!!  Early this morning, quite a ruckus could be heard just outside the front door.  Panicking that a rat snake had found the baby wrens, I hurriedly opened the french doors and stared at the hanging basket that held the nest.  Nope. nary a snake could be found.  Then my thoughts went to the squirrels that are always climbing about the arbor.  Knowing that squirrels are not above eating baby birds, I searched again.  Nary a squirrel could be found.  A hawk, perhaps?  Nope, nary a hawk was in the vicinity.  Something was up, though, as the parent wrens were having a fit in the tomato plants.  So, I tippy-toed out to the garden and was surprised to see baby wrens struggling to learn to fly!  My babies have left the nest!  I settled in on the garden bench to watch.  One, Two, Three. Where are the others?   There were five in the nest,  Wait!  I see one snuggled down under the rose bush.  Number Four!! Where is Number Five??  Try as I might, Number Five could not be found.  Disheartened, I figured the noise I heard was Number Five being attacked by some predator.  

  Since I had not had my coffee yet...hey, I even forgot to slip on shoes...I headed back inside.  Number Five lumbered around in the brain as I made coffee.  Taking the mug back to the doorway, I stood looking out at the nest.  Poor Number Five.  It saddened me to think that, though I pulled the mama and nest through the tropical storm, I was not there to help when the littles left the nest.  Poor Number Five!  

 

  Suddenly, "Peep".  Huh?  "Peep"  I had to look.  Gently, I pulled the basket aside and peered into the nest,  Yep!  Number Five was nestled deep inside!  Whoa!  Little One!  Get yourself in gear, Buddy!  The others are going to leave you behind!  "PEEP!"  Then, there was fluttering by my head!  Mama Wren returned to urge Number Five from the nest.  "Come on, Lazy Bones!", she seemed to be saying!  Number Five stretched up to the edge of the nest and tumbled to the ground.  Mama Wren hurriedly met him and encouraged him to the tomato plants.  Once inside the branches, he felt braver and was hopping from limb to limb.  Go, Number Five!!  Catch up with your siblings!  Now, the nest is empty and my heart feels happier!  Hopefully, all five will continue with their lessons and not meet up with some dire fate.  It is out of my hands now!  

Critter House!

  The greenhouse is alive and kicking!  First, Mama Wren has hatched her little brood and is now as busy as can be trying to feed those hungry tykes.  She and Papa Wren dart in and out of the eaves as they come in with bugs.  At first, they were a bit leery of my presence but it did not take them long to realize that I meant no harm.  As I worked in the plants, they worked at providing a meal for their little ones.  Soon the greenhouse will be filled with chirps of the tykes.  Ahh, the beautiful music of wildlife!  I am in hopes that the wrens will continue to nest in the greenhouse.  This could be one of those win/win situations for both the birds and me.  They can have a safe place to raise their little ones since it will be out of inclement weather and also out of most predators' reach.  I can have a builtin insect control system!  A family of wrens can do a fine job of ridding the greenhouse of most of the destructive insects that love to munch my plants.

  Then there are the ickier bits of wildlife that inhabit such a place. Spiders!  I have no qualms about spiders residing in the greenhouse as long as they keep their distance.  They, too, do a fine job of keeping the place pest free. Like I said...as long as they keep their distance...a good, healthy distance!  Today as I was potting a few cuttings from the begonias, I found one spider that insisted on being a tad too friendly. No matter how many times I tried to shoo the critter away, he kept trying to hitch a ride on my arm.  That, my friends, is too close.  After several attempts to make him leave on his own, I flipped him out the door!  He was not overly happy with this new arrangement since it was raining and he landed directly in a puddle of water.  Unless this critter finds his own way back home, he now resides in the fig tree.  There, he will be ok until I have to pick figs!  We will most likely meet again and I will flip him into parts unknown!  He had better be careful and not push me too far as he may meet his demise in a not too nice way.

  And here I was under the impression that my greenhouse was for raising plants!  Birds and spiders...what next?