We have a "garden journal" in which I write auspicious garden-y events ~ like when we see hawks in the backyard, or spot the first St. John's bloom, or pick the first pepper.
april 26
2008: first hummingbird of year spotted
2009: first lawn cut of the year (push-mower)
may 9
2008: spotted first male goldfinch of year on nyjer thistle feeder
june 13
2008: first california poppy bloom
july 5
2008: 24 blooms on one sunflower plant; first brocolli for dinner
2009: spotted first hummingbird at feeder
august 6
2009: first pesto made with garden basil; 6 goldfinches at once on thistle feeder
september 5
2009: monarch butterfly passed through garden
october 22
2010: first moonlit stroll with mittens on
...and for today ~
november 6
2010: first ice on the birdbath, spotted at 10:30am
7 comments:
What a neat thing to do! I think I may try this, since I am always wondering at about what time the first birds of spring, and the crocuses appear. Got a LONG time before it happens again, but I just may do that this year! Thank you for the inspiration!
it reads like a poem.
now i kind of wish i had a garden. it would inspire me to learn more about birds, else mine would read like: spotted brown bird on feeder. spotted different brown bird on feeder. :)
What a lovely idea. It seems so nice and homely to do these things. Almost Victorian as well.
lisa ~ it's fun to see when things happen each year: like spotting the first hummingbird is always pretty varied. We actually do it through the winter too, since we get strange birds visiting (I would be really excited to see cedar waxwings), and sometimes large snowfalls.
elizabeth ~ it's true that there are a lot of little spotted brown birds, but it's also fun to learn their little differences. :)
sundari ~ thank you, I like that idea. It's just a simple, sweet way to chronicle and look back and compare and remember. :)
I love the idea keeping the journal it seems comforting and I think in this high tech age we could all use a little comfort. Thanks for sharing
oh, this is such a beautiful idea! When I was little my grandfather taught me about all the birds, that stopped by at his garden.. he knew what they eat, about when they come back from Africa and which one stay here. He died 10 years ago, and I think that I'll start to write this journal about this utter majestic garden that he left behind. I think that those little notes will be a great hommage to him.
Thank you for this idea! :)
donna ~ you're welcome! :)
nuša zupanc ~ that's awesome! whenever I see cardinals I think of my grandmother, her favorite bird. I do hope you start a garden journal; they build richer and more complex each year, as you start to see the cycle coming round once more, and events overlapping on the same days.
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