More "migrants" arriving

Every day is getting a little warmer and yesterday I moved all the pots

from my bedrooms into the greenhouse. 

Finally my bedrooms look like bedrooms again!

During the chilly nights I will cover them up with plastic.

Not very pretty but effectively keeping the plants 

warm during the chilly nights.

And, I realize that I have to clean out a lot of junk

that has accumulated during the winter. 

These are also the days where I still have some 

time to go "birding" with friends. 

I got into that hobby last spring and I have to admit that I am 

pretty much hooked now. I find it very relaxing and it gives us so much fun walking

the various trails together and keeping an eye on bird movements and calls.

My husband thinks I am a little too "crazy" about it.

A bird is a bird, right?

Here we did not see any birds but the frogs were making 

a lot of noise and warming themselves up in the bright sunshine.

Above we saw several Turkey Vultures circling in the air.

They look a little like "batman" to me.

On our walk across the campground area we found

a Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Today I accidentally looked at my feeders and there was 

another new migrant arrival: Chipping Sparrow

And finally I climbed onto the kitchen counter top

to take a shot through the kitchen window.

In the Hawthorne tree outside I discovered

a Eastern Phoebe.

Last year it arrived April 15.

Soon my jobs as landscaper and at the motel will take over again

and my time for birding will be severely hampered.

Have to make the best out of it 

as long as I still can.

Who will arrive next?

Translation 

__________________________________________

Jeden Tag wird es jetzt wärmer und ich habe heute endlich alle Pflanzen, die im Schlafzimmer überwintert haben, in das Treibhaus bringen können. 

Jetzt sieht es im Haus schon wieder ordentlicher aus. Damit sie nicht frieren werden die Töpfe am Abend mit Plastikfolie abgedeckt. "Hübschhässlich" aber wirkungsvoll. 

Hier muss ich übrigens auch noch aufräumen, stelle ich fest.

Ausserdem habe ich gerade noch etwas Zeit mit ein paar Freunden auf Vogelsuche zu gehen. 

Damit habe ich im letzten Frühjahr angefangen und dieses Hobby hat mich total "gepackt". 

Wir pirschen entlang verschiedener Wanderwege, lauschen und suchen nach Bewegung in den Zweigen. Es macht uns sehr viel Spass auch wenn Peter glaubt 

ich hätte jetzt eine "Meise".

Vögel sind doch nur "Vögel".

Unterwegs haben wir auch die ersten Frösche gesehen und gehört. 

Sie wärmen sich nach dem kalten Winter im Sonnenschein.

Über uns kreisen "Gänsegeier". Hätte nie gedacht dass es hier solche gibt. Ich finde sie 

sehen ein wenig wie "batman" aus.

Auf dem Weg über den Campingplatz finden wir ein "Indianergoldhähnchen".

Jeden Tag kommen jetzt neue Zugvögel zurück. 

Heute habe ich die erste "Schwirrammer" der Saison an meinem Futterhäuschen gesehen.

Dann bin ich noch auf den Küchentresen gestiegen um ein Photo 

durch das Küchenfenster zu schiessen. 

Draußen im Rotdornbaum sass nämlich die erste "Phoebe". 

Im letzten Jahr habe ich sie schon am 15. April photographiert.

  

Mir bleibt nicht mehr viel Zeit die Vögel zu beobachten bevor die Saisonarbeit 

mich davon abhalten wird und deshalb muss ich die Zeit die mir bleibt 

nutzen so gut es geht.

Wer wird als nächstes ankommen? 

October chores

The first cold October winds are chilling the air. 

Nights are getting pretty cool. 

High time to think about 

winterizing the garden.

No, it didn't snow here, yet.

While there is already talk about the first snow storm in the province of Alberta we are a little better off here on the East-coast.

That's how it looked like today! Way better.

There are still flowers blooming in my garden but time is there to give the flower beds the final "hair cut".

 I did the one's at our local Motel last week, 

 and today I emptied out all their hanging baskets and window boxes. 

I very much like the idea of "recycling". 

Subsequently all perennials got a spot in a garden bed for the winter, and all tender plants were repotted 

and were waiting to get into the "warmth" of my greenhouse.

I was quite busy all day transplanting and carrying pots around, 

but by late afternoon I got things straightened out.

For the time being the can stay here. I have to get them all into the house for the winter, though. That will be quite a challenge.

Now there is only the garden furniture to store away. 

But that is a task for another day.

_______________________________

Auntie's translation

Mitte Okober ist die Zeit den Garten winterfest zu machen.

In Alberta gibt es den ersten Schneesturm 

aber bei uns ist es noch relativ mild und grün. 

Einige Blumen blühen auch noch in meinem Garten

Letzte Woche habe ich den Blumenbeeten beim Motel einen "Haarschnitt" gegeben, und heute wurden alle Hängekörbe,

 Kübel und Balkonkästen entleert. 

Da ich immer gerne Pflanzen wiederverwende wurden die mehrjährigen Planzen zum überwintern in Blumenbeete gepflanzt. 

Die kälteempfindlicheren habe ich umgetopft und in mein Gewächshaus gebracht. Nach und nach werden sie dann ins Haus überführt. Nun brauchen wir nur noch die Gartenmöbel zu verstauen. 

Aber das ist Arbeit für einen anderen Tag.

Green thumbs

"Long time no see", and that's a fact. 

I have been absent for quite a while. 

Not that I couldn't have posted about something, 

but I thought nothing was worth while writing about.

Now, gardening is important, at least it is important to me. 

That's what has happened:

This year my gardening season started early in March. 

That was possible because we stayed at home this winter.

I soon found out, it was not early enough. 

I should have started some of the seedlings in February already. 

Well, that will be the plan for another spring.

As I said, I stared out in March. 

Searching the internet I found several "hacks" that I tried. 

One was this: glue tiny seeds on kitchen paper or toilet paper and be ready when the season starts. Just a little dab of flour/water paste keeps the seed in place. 

After several hours of drying the seed rolls were marked and stored in an empty coffee container. Ready to roll out when the time is right.

I was very lucky to get 2 special small green houses this spring. 

They are a generous  gift from one of my neighbours. 

Thanks to that it was very easy to keep the tiny plants 

warm and cosy during the cold winter days.

In April I started out in the out door green house, that hubby build for me last fall. 

Some of the plants survived the cold nights there under an extra layer of plastic 

and on top of a heating mat. 

Now, at the end of May things are really looking somewhat like a nursery.

Lots of vegetables and annuals are crowding for space. 

Our camper awning was re-used for shading the new plants. 

They easily can get sunburned.

I also created new window boxes from last years plants 

that over-wintered well in our house. 

See, that's were I found out that I could have started out in February.

That way the plants would be blooming already by now.

Now I have to wait another couple of weeks 

before I see the flowers.

Others plants are already transplanted into the garden beds. 

This year I use a fabric cover to keep out the beetles and 

protect the young plants from the still cool nights. 

Tomatoes, melons, beans and corn have to wait until the middle of June. 

They stay inside the green house for another couple of weeks.

Better play "it safe than sorry."

All in all it has been fun and that's how it should be. 

More about my "hacks" and the results in a different posting.

One more task done

NOV 19th and still blooming! 

I was so tempted to let it go on for ever.

One of my Geranium plants

But the days are getting shorter and darker, 

and for another two month, or more, 

there will be no chance of growth here in my greenhouse. 

Therefore I decided: today is the day.

I manned myself up and took all planters apart. 

The begonia corms are now dry and will be stored on cardboard, 

in a dark cool spot.

Begonia plants are getting prepared for a
slumber in the basement.

All geranium plants are reduced by a third, and placed in our light, cool entrance. 

I forgot to take a photo of that place, but I will bring it up soon. 

Watering is reduced so that the soil is nearly dried out. This, and the 

low temperatures  should start dormancy. 

In a few weeks time these plants will be hung upside down 

in our the cool, dark basement until I can revive them come March. 

The debris was gathered and moved to the compost bin. 

I could have started new plants from the clippings, you could argue, 

but I lack enough window sill and lights to be able to do that. 

Debris destine for the compost bin

I have only one clipping, taken from a geranium with white flowers, 

that is growing roots in water right now. 

I hope to keep it growing throughout the winter season.

It is hard to let go of summer. 

There are still flowers on my Calendulas (Marigolds) outside. 

After I had cleared and organized my greenhouse 

Some hardy Calendula are still showing flowers

I picked some of the flowers and went inside to 
to bake peanut butter cookies.

Comfort food. 

It seems so long until spring will be back again. 

Peanut butter cookies right out of the oven!

Lots of dark, snowy days lay ahead. 

I have to find something positive in that picture.

_____________________________________

Auntie's translation

Im Gewächshaus blühten noch immer die Topfblumen. Aber

heute habe ich mich aufgerafft und sie fürs Überwintern 

zurecht gemacht. Geranien und Begonien sind jetzt

so trocken dass ich sie im kühlen, dunklen Keller

lagern kann. Hoffentlich klappt das.

Die Reste wanderten auf den Komposthaufen.

Draussen wachsen immer noch Calendula. Davon habe ich

mir ein paar Blüten mit ins Haus genommen 

und dann zwei Bleche Plätzchen gebacken.

Man muss sich ja irgendwie trösten.

Jetzt kommen nur noch die Monate mit den langen, kalten Tagen.