Planting Season Rules via leaf out and flowering of trees and perennials

 I found these great rules/observations for planting season:

1. Wait for apple trees to bloom before planting bush beans.

2. When the apple blossoms fall, plant pole beans and cucumbers.

3. By the time the lilacs are in full bloom, it will be safe to plant tender annual flowers and squashes.

4. Transfer tomato seedlings to the garden when the lily-of-the-valley is in full flower.

5. Full sized maple leaves signal time to plant morning glory seeds.

6. Peppers and eggplant can be transplanted when the bearded irises are blooming.

7. When peonies blossom, it is safe to plant heat-loving melons, such as cantaloupe.

My Loon Survey on Caesar Pond is about to begin

Hooray! I will be going out in my Pond Prowler to start my first yearly survey of loons on Caesar Pond. I am so excited! Citizen Science is so important in helping scientists keep track of all facets of nature. This is the information that I will be collecting about loons, through the season, for Lee Attix (Loon Conservation Associates.)

Common Garter Snakes have come out of their winter hideaways!

I do love snakes. And, garter snakes are one of my favorite species in Maine. 

They have lots of places to hibernate in over the winter such as rock crevices, holes, rotten wood, and even house foundations. This one is soaking up warmth from the rock that has been baking in the sunshine.

Did you know that their diet consists of 80% earthworms? Cool!

Signs of Spring - Coltsfoot flowers

Some of the early signs of spring are the appearance of the first roadside flowers in our neck of the woods. Coltsfoot flowers grow in waste areas and alongside roads and railroad tracks.

They have a single flowerhead atop a stem that has reddish scales in early spring. There are no leaves present at first. They will appear after the flowerhead is very mature.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is in the composite family of flowers. At first glance you might think you are seeing dandelions! But, that stem is what clues you in that this is a different flower. This particular flower has yet to open fully.

Dwelley, Marilyn J. Spring Wildflowers of New England. Down East Books, 2000.

Mosquitoes have arrived way early!

 Say it isn't so! Mosquitoes have arrived. We should be approaching Blackfly season before mosquitoes, but not this year!

Bird Songs Interactive

 This is sooo cool! Go to this Minnesota Bird Songs website, follow the directions, and turn up your volume! By the way, we have all these birds in Maine.

It looks like this:

Bee Season will soon begin

 Bee prepared for Bee Season! Know your bees!

Your Mind Is A Garden

The Goodwill Librarian on Facebook

Ice Out on Caesar Pond has occurred!

Looking north on Caesar Pond

Yahoo! Let the boating season begin! 

The ice melted so fast over this last week as we had several days in the upper 50's and low 60's.

Tick season has begun

 Ugh... I was hoping for a few more tick-free weeks, but no...our greyhound buddy, Cherise, had a tick on her today. UGHHH!