Everything Grows in a Circle

What I Like About Spring

Strawberries--One More Time

I have tried growing strawberries for several years, but it never really paid off. Usually, the birds and the slugs ate my strawberries before I did. I tried growing them in straw, I pampered them, but I never managed to fill one tiny bowl.

Finally, I let the strawberry patch get over-run with oregano, which is much more satisfying to grow. It grows much like mint. Try not growing it!

Yesterday, I went to a local fund-raising plant sale. The weather was lousy and the turnout was even lousier. I kept looking around for plants to buy, and found a bunch of potted strawberries. Anyway, I bought about 18 plants for 6 dollars.


This morning, we decided t build a raised bed to grow the berries. We used a ground cover, sawdust, compost and some fine soil. I planted out all the berries. At least the birds and the slugs will have something to munch on.

Aparagus!

Finally, the asparagus are coming-up. We have been eating it morning, noon and night. We had poached eggs on asparagus, asparagus soup with homemade whole wheat bread and grilled asparagus.

Soon we will get sick of eating asparagus but right now, it is tasting pretty good.

The Robin and Miscellany

This was the first time, since I got back, that we have had three sunny days in a row. It is raining again, but the weekend was nice. Digging in the garden seems to be getting harder. We are getting to the tougher sections, where the crab grass has colonized. We will probably only dig-out the sites where we want to plant, instead of trying to dig it all. In which case, we really are very close to completion.

A few days ago, I noticed a robin had built a nest in the gazebo. I had read that nesting birds will take the shells of the hatched eggs and fly some distance away from the nest, and let the shells fall there. The theory is that the inside of the egg is very visible, so the birds dispose of it so it won't attract predators.

I do love robin eggs. They are very remarkable. I am not sure what camouflage the bright blue eggs provide, or that they are less noticeable then the white inside of the eggs, but whatever the purpose, the blue shells are beautiful.

Anyway, I guess the eggs have hatched, as I spotted the robin, darting in and out, with a mouthful of worms. It must be a good worm season for the birds. There has been so much rain, that the worms have to come to the surface in order to avoid being drowned. But when they get to the surface of the soil, the robins nab them. It is a wonder that there are any worms left in my garden.