Random thoughts of Terry Hamblin about leukaemia, literature, poetry, politics, religion, cricket and music.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Dandelions
I have just been round the garden and uprooted 17 dandelions. While there I counted 44 different types of flowers blooming. Although I don't know the names of them all, and some were weeds, they included the last of the cherry blossom, the first of the apple blossom, plum and almond blossom, the dregs of the daffodills, narcissi, tulips, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, cyclamen, two different species of periwinkle, several heathers, violets, daisies, buttercups, azalias, a prunus, a species of flowering laurel, bluebells, forsythia, purple and magnolia colored magnolia, hazel catkins, pyrrus, forget-me-nots, polyanthus, primrose, honesty and camelia. In the greenhouse strelitzia and geraniums. There wer near to bursting buds on the lilac and the clematis. Only two birds, though, a blackbird and a robin. And one squirrel. Gray.
This weekend we got the first rain we have had in months. It may help some things to sprout here, but it sounds as if it is gorgeous there. Sitting here in my home office, I have been watching two squirrels chase each other around the yard, up and down trees. We have lots of robins, mourning dove, and sparrows. But they have to be wary of the cat that also roam around here.
ReplyDeleteI forgot berberis. Two examples in a rich golden yellow.
ReplyDeleteOur birds have been out in force in California for a month or so, even though we have had a very wet spring.
ReplyDeleteI saw a yellow bumblebee yesterday, improbably flying and staring at me as I was staring at him. I've never seen a yellow one before.
Unfortunately, the mosquitos are also out in force. My goal is to have zero bites, so I use repellent all of the time, except in the heat of the day, when they really seem to be absent.
When it hits 105 degrees, they are much less of a problem.
The concern, of course, is West Nile Virus. A deadly affair for CLLers, I assume. I haven't heard of any CLLers getting WNV. I wonder why? Is it just a rare disease, coupled with a rare cancer?
I know I am in the minority, but I like dandelions and don't pull them. Actually, given my lack of gardening skill, I don't pull much of anything except tumbleweeds and goatheads. On the brighter side, the hummingbirds are back a little earlier than last year.
ReplyDeleteSaw my first butterfly today.
ReplyDelete