https://www.bestcpmnetwork.com/wm8r0f4h?key=71e22323cafc6f23c987737c78d66ca2 Dan's Gardening and Birding Blog: Simply Photos - Project Feederwatch and Fall Garden Cleanup

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Simply Photos - Project Feederwatch and Fall Garden Cleanup

Welcome back.  It's hard to believe that this coming weekend will be the 6th week of Project FeederWatch .  I have enjoyed it as always, although the lack of snowfall (prior to today) has limited the birds so far that I have observed.  With today's snowfall and onset of winter conditions, I have already noticed an increase in the number of bird species visiting my feeders.

In this post I will share a few photos I have captured thus far.  It's a challenge to get good photos, as it requires a great deal of patience at times.   As I mentioned above, I have observed a limited amount of species to date.

In case you missed my last post regarding project FeederWatch, it can be viewed in the right hand margin of this post as a "Featured Post".  That post will give you all the specifics you would need if your want to participate in this great project.


Hungry Blue Jay


Dark-Eyed Junco


House Sparrows


Fall Garden Cleanup

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Even though Winter is settling in, I am sharing a few photos and information from the fall garden cleanup process during Late September and October.

It is important to care for your garden in the Fall, so that in the Spring it will be easier to get it ready for planting.  It will also help to ensure that next year's garden will be a success.

The main chore in the fall is obviously to remove the remaining plants and to till the soil.

It is good to leave a few decomposing plants to till into the soil as the organic matter is generally good for the garden with one notable exception.  If you had plants affected by blight, it is recommended to dispose of those plants completely to help prevent it's return next season.  For more information about early and late blight, refer to this post from 2014.

Another important aspect is to amend the soil.  If you compost kitchen scraps and other organic matter, that is excellent to use to enhance your soil,  Since I don't currently compost, I use chopped leaves and grass clippings, which also add nutrients and character to the soil.  As a rule, organic matter not only adds nutrients, but also improves the soil consistency in a way that allows it to retain moisture better and to prevent it from hardening in harsh conditions during the summer.


Lower and Upper Gardens Ready for Winter


Upper Garden


Fading Sunflowers


Farewell To Fall


In my next post, a look at some new seed catalogs that already are arriving for 2018!



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