Monday, March 31, 2014

Of Strawberries, Flowers, and Birds


Strawberries.  Luscious, red strawberries by themselves, or sliced with a little sugar.  I love them and I'll eat them any way you want to serve them.  I've been finding them at a good price lately. 

When we lived in the country, and our children were very young, we had a nice-sized strawberry patch.  I remember one day I went outside to check on our daughter, who was probably 6 at the time, and found her in the middle of the strawberries.  I asked her what she was doing walking on the strawberry plants and didn't we tell her not to do that?  She replied, with her hands behind her back, that she was only looking and about that time I saw something red fall to the ground behind her.  I had to smother a laugh, because I would have picked one or two to pop into my mouth myself!  

We are thinking of planting a few strawberries this year.  I saw an interesting way of planting them using pallets.  If you grow strawberries, do you plant yours in a raised bed, garden or some kind of planter?


We had a really nice weekend.  BG (the hubby) and I did a little shopping Saturday and I spotted some beautiful purple Hyacinths at Home Depot.  One of them just jumped into my cart and begged me to take it home.  Oh, the scent wafting through the house is wonderful!  

It warmed up to a very nice 70+ degrees yesterday.  I see the Stella d'Oros and Salvia are coming up along with the Peonies and other flowers.  I'm hoping the Coneflowers survived the winter.  We have 2 garden plots.  One of them is still very wet and it will be a while before it can be readied for spring planting.  Did I mention that we had a thunderstorm and hail a few days ago?  Yes, it's spring!  

 
I keep the finch feeder filled all year long, but the other feeders will be taken down as soon as I know wintry weather is over for sure.  The Goldfinches are beginning to get their color back. 

Yesterday, I realized while refilling the feeders that I haven't seen the Dark-eyed Juncos lately.  I suppose they've headed back up north for the summer.  I've spotted at least one pair of Bluebirds and believe they've begun nesting in one of the boxes we have up for them. 

What are your plans for this last day of March?  Where did this month go?  I can hardly believe tomorrow is April 1.  Look out for those April Fool's jokes!  

Until next time...

37 comments:

  1. Sounds wonderful there, the Goldfinch is a cutie.. And the flower look lovely. We had a bit of snow yesterday, I wish it was warmer and sunny. Enjoy your new week!

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  2. What a sweet story about your daughter and the strawberries. I think the bird photo is nice. I LOVE purple hyacinths. They smell delightful. ENJOY!

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  3. Love that sweet memory of your daughter in the strawberry patch. Who could blame her? :)
    I usually keep my birdfeeders up all year, but recently heard that it isn't necessary during the summer months as they can find so much natural food. Think I might take them down for the summer this year. How exciting to have the bluebirds setting up housekeeping in your nest box.
    It is hard to believe that March has marched on by. I'm knee deep in decluttering. Currently it's the cookbooks.

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  4. my parents had a strawberry patch as a kid. it was so fun to go out & pick them. i love fresh strawberries. ( :

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  5. sweet little bird and i laughed at the walking in the strawberry. as a child mother would take me with her to pick strawberries,they had a friend with huge fields of them. my bucket took forever to get full, one in my mouth one in the bucket; we live in strawberry country here, so this time of year they are really reasonable and good.
    love the beauty of your hyacinth and i don't think i have ever smelled them...

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  6. We have a row of strawberries in our garden and have thoroughly enjoyed them for the past few years!

    How exciting that the bluebirds are building in your nest box! They are such beautiful birds. It will be fun to watch them.

    Do you have any April Fool's tricks up your sleeve? :)

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  7. we still have goldfinches down here (extremely late!) and i've not seen any hummingbirds yet. our bluebonnets FINALLY began peeking out the last couple of days and i mowed the entire yard for the first time on saturday - at least a month late! weird delayed spring.

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  8. What a sweet story about your daughter Cheryl!
    Sure funny how those things jump into that cart, isn't it?
    It is truly Spring there-lucky you

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  9. Oh I can't wait for strawberry season! I'll be visiting a "pick-your-own" farm just as soon as they're ready!

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  10. Morning, sweet story about your Daughter. Those Strawberry's look so luscious, yummy........can't wait to Se the little Finches, make me happy, Blessings Francine.

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  11. We love strawberries too, but I do not grow them. We had an unusally weekend. One day snow the next very warm.

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  12. Wow--how neat it would be to have a Strawberry Patch. I love fresh strawberries... YUM. Don't blame your daughter for 'eating' some!!!! ha

    Our Goldfinches are getting their yellow back too... Love those little birds.

    We have some purple hyacinths in our yard... Beautiful color.

    Maybe Spring is finally coming to our area this week... I hope so since it has been a LONG winter and a crazy one!!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  13. Right. Looking out my windows will be all the joke I need!

    Pallets sound like a fun way to grow strawberries. Anything to get them up from the ground so you don't have to bend so far.

    No birds that I've seen yet. I recommend that they hang out with you for several more weeks!

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  14. My mother in law had a huge vegetable garden and it included a strawberry patch. Our kids loved to pick berries on a hot summer day. Thankfully there is a U-Pick nearby where I get my berries. I'm looking forward to that! It's still very much winter weather here and we are under another severe winter storm watch today. I hope the strawberry plants didn't get winter killed! Have a good week, Cheryl.

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  15. we had some really good strawberries the other day. i also like them dipped in a little powdered sugar, yum! i think i need a hyacinth!

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  16. That's funny because a friend of mine saw strawberries planted in concrete blocks and is trying that this year. I want to do it too.

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  17. Oh yes...the signs of spring are finally all around us! Your strawberry story reminded me of one my husband tells of when he was a little boy. It seems he wanted to present his mother with a bouquet.He had gotten into someone's strawberry patch and picked off all the blooms he could find! lol! I have seen them planted into a short wall made of concrete blocks... planted in the holes of them. Maybe I will plant some!

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  18. I know...March flew by! Whoosh! I planted strawberry bulbs in a pot and in the ground a few weeks back. Still nothing. :( Argh. xo Jen

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  19. I plant my strawberries the traditional way in a long row across the garden. I am hoping to keep it about 48 inches across. I still have them under mulch! If it ever gets warm enough at night I will rake off the straw.

    I have seen a few bluebirds in the yard. I hope they use the nesting boxes this year.

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  20. I do not have a garden as such,only a few flowers. I like how the Hyacinth jumped into your cart.I thought that only happened to me.LOL

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  21. I just noticed that my strawberry patch has been taken over by Henbit but so has my whole yard. I just came in from mowing my yard for the first time. Less for grass and more for weed control. Beautiful day. I do believe Spring is here.

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  22. This is a good goldfinch picture!! We only get the juncos in the dead of winter. Most of the strawberry patches we have been to have long rows that are raised up for the plants. Then there are trenches around it.

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  23. Hard to believe that tomorrow will be April 1st... Lots of jokes will be happening!!
    I love the smell of hyacinths...So sweet! AND....oh my, those strawberries are absolutely gorgeous and so tasty looking... Would love to have some right now, with sugar.!
    This post is certainly sweet and full of fragrance.

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  24. It sounds like perfect weather where you are. Flowers and strawberries . . . lucky you! The thaw is happening here, amazing how fast the snow melts away!

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  25. Gorgeous pictures and strawberries!! We still have Juncos Cheryl!

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  26. Hi Cheryl!

    Cute story about your sweet daughter! I love strawberries - especially with a little sour cream and brown sugar. I dip the strawberry in the sour cream, and then in the brown sugar, just a tad...yummy!

    I used to have strawberries, but took them out due to an infestation of "hobos", a poisonous spider that we get in our neck of the woods. Very similar to a Brown Recluse...eeek! I had a Border Collie who loved starwberries, and would eat all the ripe ones before I could get them picked!

    I am so looking forward to Spring! We got 7 inches of snow yesterday - it will be gone soon, but I really need some warm days!

    Love your pictures today!

    Hugs,
    Barb

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  27. I am sure hoping our blue birds come back this year. We've had them two years in a row. The gold finches have returned here. I can't wait to sit and watch the birds feed. Blessings for a great week. xoxo,Susie

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  28. ooohhhh Cheryl, things jump into my shopping cart all the time. I could not have passed that hyacinth up!!

    I plant most of my vegetables in large pots and have done very well with that!! Strawberries always feel like summer, I like my sliced with a lot of sugar ;)

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  29. I am allergic to strawberries...I used to love them! I think they grow well anywhere mulched with straw to help control weeds:)

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  30. I can hardly believe that it is April already. I guess time flies when you are having fun
    I loved the purple flower; it is just beautiful. We are spotting a few birds coming back. However, it snowed yesterday; so spring hasn't sprung here yet.
    We have a strawberry patch that only produces once a year. I didn't know there were more than one variety. We may take it our and plant the ones that produce for longer.
    Well dear friend I am taking a blog vacation so I will be back.
    Blessings and hugs for you!

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  31. Cheryl- Just wanted to tell you to have a good time while you are away. I do understand- xo Diana

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  32. I'm kinda hoping your today's post was an April Fool on us. But, if not, I WELL understand the need to put down the computer and get some stuff done! I'm savoring my little rest time this afternoon. ;) Good luck with all your projects, Cheryl. blessings ~ tanna

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  33. I grew strawberries in a long planter pot when i lived in NY. I would get a nicer size crop twice a summer! I don't think they would fare well here--too many rabbits and squirrels and I guess event he deer would eat them.

    It looks like Spring is taking hold where you are. Enjoy your computer break, Cheryl!

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  34. Love the spring photos, Cheryl, and the story of your daughter in the strawberry patch. We grow strawberries on raised rows using black plastic and tube watering, good luck with yours.
    Enjoy your spring break.
    Sue

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  35. Although I don't crave fruit, preferring to get my sugar fix from muffins and cake, (a naughty habit that's tough to break!), strawberries and cherries are two fruits that I love. What fun it must be to have your own strawberry patch, ready for picking whenever you one's taste buds desire!

    Enjoy your mini vacay away from blogging; always a good idea to take a break!

    Poppy

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  36. I would like to plant strawberries too... but I am thinking of not planting as much as I have in the past. Just don't have time to keep up with gardening this year.

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  37. We used to pick strawberries as children and eat them too. :)

    I wish they sold the small containers at our grocery store. I've only been finding big ones lately (the last couple of years).

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