Still Spring Garden at Gloaming
The light in the garden is magical at twilight, in the gloaming hour. These photos were taken at sunset, and hardly convey the beauty of the hour. Loretta B shares this reminiscence from childhood:
“Every day my grandmother would sit on the porch at dusk, in the gloaming. One day, when I was a little girl, I sat with her and started to ask a question. She took my hand and told me to be still. She said that in the gloaming hour, the spirits of the living and the dead could communicate with each other. If I listened carefully, I might be able to hear them.”
Sandy B tells what she is doing to make birds feel more welcome: "Did you know that many bird species use winter shelters and stay in our area rather than migrating each season? It's true! Birdhouses as well as evergreen shrubs and trees protect our garden friends when the temperature drops. Our gardening team tries to provide small surprises for these permanent residents. We hope to become familiar with individuals as they become familiar with our presence. With that in mind, we added a bamboo cylinder house in the second level of our main garden space.
As a surprise on a day with temperatures in the mid 70s on Thursday, the wonderful shepherd's hook bird feeder, which was a gift from the children's program, was filled with delectable bird seeds. The birds noticed immediately and spread the word that the buffet was open. Many different species shared the bounty!
Closer to the garden entrance two strings of cotton cord with a fresh supply of plain popped corn were added to our dogwood tree. Birds and other residents of the garden may enjoy this unfamiliar treat.
Alongside the popcorn is a nesting ball of twigs, wool roving, and short, colorful ribbons. Yes, these are also used during cold weather to insulate particular protective shelters chosen by certain types of birds. These bits of color may also help us see where they've chosen for a winter shelter in our garden.
Another new point of interest in the garden is a woodpecker feeder in the cherry tree. This hanging feeder was made by Tim P from a piece of cherry wood which may make it hard to find among the branches. He drilled large holes all along the feeder and these holes were filled with a combination of peanut butter, lard and bird seed. Now we'll see how long it takes the woodpeckers to find it.
Anytime you visit the garden, during any season, please consider taking along something to help you observe the plants and animals. You may be able to observe our chipmunks, our turtle, Tilley, or any of the many bird species living there among the beautiful plants. We hope you enjoy it.