Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Tuesday in the Swamp

We've been out working in the yard some more, have to get it done before the really hot and humid weather gets here.  I did more flower planting, I just love how it's looking out there.
Mac has been cleaning out the bed in front of the house.  It had really gotten overgrown and you couldn't see the statue or the birdbath we have there.  He got slowed down though because when he was raking at the back of the bed he ran across a copperhead snake, poisonous of course, so he went to get his gun to shoot it.  When he came back it was gone and rake everywhere he couldn't find it.
As long as it's away from the house I'm ok with that, gotta share the environment even with critters we're not really fond of.
Speaking of critters, beavers have moved back into the lagoon out back.  They were there years ago, but moved on.  They gnawed down several of our trees and we had to wrap the smaller trees in chicken wire and paste others with chili paste to keep them from taking them down.  This time they're after the palmettos Mac has been nurturing.  They gnawed off a good number of fronds and dragged them to the water, looks like they're planning on building a den.  Well, not with out palmettos, Mac will cover them up so they can't get to them.
Squirrels have been coming to the bird feeder on the back porch and one day there was even a raccoon eating out there.  Well one one them, don't know who, knocked the feeder over and broke it.

That's life in the swamp, if it's not one critter it's another.



You can see Rebecca again

Fresia just planted this year

A Lily I planted last year




Lima beans Mac planted last week

New Guinea Impatiens

A baby orange

Elephant Ears and Coleus

The Japanese Garden Mac is making for me

The side shade garden



























25 comments:

  1. Wow, I can see you have been doing a lot of work! Copperheads are not the snakes you want to find in the garden and I hope this one disappeared for good. How did you happen to name your statue Rebecca? We have almost the same one except ours is bending over and we named her The Lady of Shalotte after the poem. She was buried under a huge azalea I was pulling the vines from and I dug her up.

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    1. She was named that at the place we bought her from in California.

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  2. Janet, I'd be packing with a Copperhead close by! But your flowers are beautiful and the backyard is very inviting.

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  3. You have a beautiful garden, or should I say - zoo!
    xx

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  4. So lovely to see your garden. Wow to the beavers, although I can imagine they are a nuisance if they keep gnawing your trees!

    It was fabulous day here today, but absolutely freezing about 5 - 7 degrees Celsius.

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  5. I think Mac needs to be carrying a glock with him at all times now that summer is here.
    It is very summer here and the rattlesnakes, wolf spiders scorpions are out.
    The Rattlers pretty much stay away but the other two ! ! !

    cheers, parsnip

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  6. As long as the snake doesn't try to talk you into eating any fruit.... :)

    Do you still have an alligator (or was it a croc) in the lagoon? How do the beavers get along with it?

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  7. Your beds look nice, worth the effort!
    We keep the grass down around here, not wanting the bad snakes.

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  8. So much wildlife, it can be a challenge living alongside such critters at times, especially when you're making a nice garden and they seem to want to thwart your efforts.

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  9. Your garden is full of interest what with snakes and whatever. I had a very colourful snake in my garden, in an area where snakes don't exist. It stayed a few days and moved on. It was thought to be an escapee pet from somewhere. Don't know what I would do if I saw a Copperhead.

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  10. It's certainly different from the temperate northern hemisphere! Fascinating. The worse poisonous critters around here are probably local wagging tongues in the village - though we do get adders, Britain's only poisonous snake. Love the images.

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  11. Goodness, you just never know what you may find in your garden!

    I love the flowers, nice colours and also the statue named Rebecca.

    All the best Jan

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  12. Oh dear, I'm glad he saw the copperhead before he accidentally stepped on it, or got too close. I can almost guarantee that it was raccoons that ripped down your bird feeder. They have that to mine many times over the years, to the point where I have pretty much stopped putting out seed.-Jenn

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  13. You tickle me calling your place the swamp, but with all the wildlife, you must really live in or near the woods. I am scared to death of a copperhead and watch every step I take out here. We have killed a few. Your flowers are looking pretty.

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  14. You have some unusual and quite scary wildlife to deal with in your swamp. Squirrels have broken a couple of our bird feeders recently and they eat such a lot of sunflower hearts meant for the birds. Your flowers are lovely:)

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  15. Eeek... a poisonous snake! I'm not great with anything like that. (To be honest, I'm even scared of UK spiders!!) Jx

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  16. I am not sure I would be comfortable with snakes in the garden. All your hard work is certainly paying off your garden is a delight.

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  17. Not sure how I'd react to getting close to a copperhead snake. My Fitbit would probably blow up with the kind of heart rate it would register...

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  18. Your garden is looking good and colourful because of a lot of hard work, enthusiasm and creativity. You have a calm attitude re. poisonous snakes! We're not keen at all in encountering similar creatures when working on our Italian land. Wishing you a good day.

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  19. Your garden looks terrific, Janet. It feels so good to get out there and clean things up at the beginning of the season, doesn't it? Watch out for that copperhead! We have rattlesnakes here but I've never seen one in the neighborhood. I keep my eye out on the hiking trails, though. Hope you have a good weekend.

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  20. I don't think I could calmly mention that there had been a poisonous snake in the garden!!

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  21. Before I forget ~ I love the new painting and header. And critters.....not for me. I happy with the small lizards that visit my balcony...that's big enough for me. HaHa

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  22. Your gardens are lovely - such pretty, tropical blooms! Living with critters is a way of life for me, too. It's thrilling to see them (well, maybe not the copperhead!), but they can do some serious damage, too. Chicken wire and electric fence are always in my arsenal :) Love the little statue. x Karen

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  23. Oh dear, a copperhead! We've run into them in our gardens too. Usually they don't survive the encounter. Your gardens look so nice. Still working on getting mine into shape.

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