Friday, May 8, 2009

Photograph love . . .

You know I love to save photos to my computer. Here are some favorites.


A nest full of baby robins. Feed me!


A wonderful attic room.


A simple country kitchen that I like.


A great path.


A wonderful French Normandy home.


I like this office a lot. I would want a window though.
I once had a closet office similar to this and loved it.


A wonderful Connecticut courtyard.


A nice kitchen with a blue painted floor.

Do you have a favorite? Happy Friday...enjoy your weekend.



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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Welcome toads to your garden ~ Tutorial for making a toad house . . .

Gal Friday just emailed me that she found two toads while digging in her garden today. She is busy making toad homes right now from broken flower pots.

Download PDF instructions here.

Picture and instructions via Garden Gate Magazine.

"Don't throw the smaller pieces of broken clay pots away. Those smaller pieces that have a hole in the top make wonderful homes for spiders, who are among some of a garden's best tenants. Invite them in!"
This wonderful tip was sent to me via email from a reader. Thanks, Mayo.



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Further adventures of the toad in the toad house . . .

I put the toad I found in the garden in this toad house on Saturday. He was nowhere to be found until I looked again yesterday...and there he was!


This ceramic house was purchased at a rummage sale last year.


I tipped it over to get another photo.


I posed him on the ladies mantle.


When I put him back inside he hopped to the opening and peeked out.

I hope he stays and I think he will. A whole week of rain is the perfect weather for him to get settled in. Happiness is a resident toad. He will have lots of bugs to eat later in the summer.

You can make a toad home yourself by breaking an opening in a clay flower pot and turning it upside down. Instructions here.



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Sunday, May 3, 2009

A Pileated Woodpecker and a toad . . .

The most exciting thing I saw while working outside yesterday was a pileated woodpecker. It was pretty tame too. My digital SLR doesn't have a long enough lens so I grabbed my point and shoot with the 10x zoom. This giant Woody Woodpecker never fails to thrill me. He is huge and almost prehistoric looking. His call is pretty crazy too. He was attacking an old tree stump on the ground.


Pileated Woodpecker


I finally have a resident for my ceramic toad house.


Group of Jack in the Pulpits.


Chives about to bloom.


A very large antique cement herb marker for Rosemary.

I haven't been to the garden center to buy any plants yet this year. Still weeding, spreading wood chips, getting out pots, hooking up hoses, putting out chairs, etc. It is nice to be outside again after the long winter. I seem to be doing most of my photography at the end of the day too.

That's about it. Enjoy your Sunday. Thanks for stopping by. ♥Rosemary



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