This Too Shall Pass

John and I were recently interviewed about what we do during the winter and although he would much rather be lolling on a beach in Kauai since he's developed an extreme distaste for winter, I rather look forward to each season with winter being no exception. I may have to amend that at the end of this winter if we continue to be walloped with one storm after another.

In winters past, John and I have been able to get out on milder days to putter around in the garden beds, cutting back perennials that we didn't get to in the fall. This year, however, the beds have remained under a blanket of snow. Instead of working in the hoop house cleaning up plants and checking inventory, we have had to remove layers of snow to keep the plastic from collapsing.Weathermen often seem dumbfounded as to what the weather is going to bring next until the event actually occurs. A "light dusting" has translated into 5 inches, leaving them to scratch their heads wondering why that happened. Now that we have just entered into what is normally our snowiest month, there is no telling what is in store for us next. As I write this, branches are crackling as the wind blows against their ice laden branches and plenty of fresh kindling for our wood stove has fallen to the ground. We lost well-established trees, shrubs and perennials over the hot dry summer and know there will be many more we have lost that will have to be removed come spring.
Deer have eaten the Manhattan Euonymus next to our well for the first time since we planted it decades ago (on the bright side, it needed a good pruning anyway). Mice have feasted on a number of plants in our hoop house and we have had to wage a war against them.
Please don't view these as complaints, merely observations. Others are far worse off and we have contended with Mother Nature numerous times over the years. The one thing I am sure of, we will plant anew to replace beloved plants that we lost and even though she is showing her wrath now, Mother Nature will bless us with her beauty once again in the spring.

Think Spring!
Cheryl

Wildlife Comes Alive at Pittsgrove Farms

New Jersey gets a bad rap for being a mafia ridden, wasteland of industry and highways. Those of us that live here know why it is affectionately called the Garden State.

We have always embraced the nature of Hunterdon County. This year more than ever (probably because we are outside more than ever) we have seen all kinds of wildlife. From orange-winged orioles to the occasional fox, we get to experience the wonders of Mother Nature beyond the blooming iris, peonies, and other perennials though they sure are nice too.

Just today we came across a running box turtle, (very slowly running, but running nonetheless by turtle standards), a flying gray heron, many many frogs, and a nesting Killdeer.

The Killdeer, which is named for its loud piercing "kill-deer" call, is a rather unusual bird as it is comfortable nesting close to humans and often make nests on the ground. What makes this bird even more interesting is its broken-wing act. When humans or predators come near, the Killdeer will pretend to act injured in an effort to draw the predator away from its nest. Despite the evolutionary genius that has help ensure that its young survive, it is quite funny to watch as it looks something similar to a country line dance by a bar patron who has had a few too many.

Can you find me? The Killdeer remains camouflaged in the overgrown daylily beds. Pardon the weeds, but how would you like it if someone started ripping up your home?

The Killdeer, who has made a home in our daylily fields, lives close by to the frogs. The frogs have made the small pond near the driveway home. For years, the area next to the entrance to Pittsgrove Farms was a natural wet spot that filled after even a short drizzle. Instead of letting it remain as an overgrown ditch, we have transformed it into a pond filled with waterlilies and frogs, and surrounded by Siberian iris, Japanese iris, water iris and wet tolerant perennials.

A pretty nice ditch - the water lilies have just started to bloom next to the pot of very old papyrus. In the foreground, Ruffled Velvet Siberian iris comes into bloom.

In hopes of making the area an even greater refuge for our plants and animal friends, we plan on extending the natural pond by simply defining the edges more and adding some plastic to maintain the water during the dry season. After all, isn't it nice having company in the garden?

Rippit! Ribbit! A frog sunbathes on the rock behind some blooming iris laevigata variegata.

Creeping Jeremy sneaks up on the frog for an extreme closeup, as it sits on a rock laced with water-loving Creepy Jenny.