Marcia, really, really pretty! I see you like Black Eyed Susans too! (At least without my "cheaters" on - I think that is what I'm seeing!). I have them across the front of my house and love them, as do the Gold Finches when they go to seed.

Here are a few of my favorites:

My favorite Clematis:
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/BarbaraSchuler/100_1021.jpg

A container from last year:
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/BarbaraSchuler/100_3299.jpg

One of my favorites in the garden: Shasta Viburnum
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/BarbaraSchuler/100_2819.jpg

Don't look if squeemish... A praying mantis eating one of my hummers!!
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/BarbaraSchuler/100_3478.jpg

Marcia, your photo got me looking back through my pics and all the sudden, I can't wait for spring! I'll be bitchin' as soon as it gets too hot, so I'll keep my paws crossed for a nice, long, mild spring.

 Quote:

Don't look if squeemish... A praying mantis eating one of my hummers!!
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt227/BarbaraSchuler/100_3478.jpg

How the heck did you manage to get this photo? Wow, that had to be a site to see. Did the praying mantis consume the hummer really fast?

I just happened to look out my kitchen window one morning and saw something under the feeder but couldn't tell what it was. Walked outside and was shocked to see this large mantis, maybe 4 - 5" long, grasping the little hummer. At first I tried to free the little guy, but then realized even if he wasn't dead, he was going to be soon - the mantis had already gnawed a little hole in his stomach. I went to get my camera and took a few pics. While sitting there watching him, the mantis actually grabbed a few tiny feathers and literally "spit" them out in my direction!! LOL! He eventually was done and dropped the hummer, so I got him to climb on a stick and moved him to another area of the yard. Two days later, I noticed all the hummers flying around the feeder but not landing, and lo and behold, the bugger was back - hanging on the side of the feeder. Smart bug.

I'm still thinking about doing some vegetables this year. I was thinking about container gardening.

But my lilys have already broke ground so I've been working out there already. It's a pretty good size, and I've been weeding, turning the soil and mulching like mad.

Roses are fertilized.

I picked up some sunflower seeds and I want to plant them. I got the bigs ones that I'm going to put in a circular bed and then add the smaller ones around them. Just not quite sure where I'm going to put the bed yet.

Oh, we did add a couple of fruit trees and a couple of bottlebrush bushes. I love the bottlebrush.

 Quote: barbara schuler

I just happened to look out my kitchen window one morning and saw something under the feeder but couldn't tell what it was. Walked outside and was shocked to see this large mantis, maybe 4 - 5" long, grasping the little hummer. At first I tried to free the little guy, but then realized even if he wasn't dead, he was going to be soon - the mantis had already gnawed a little hole in his stomach. I went to get my camera and took a few pics. While sitting there watching him, the mantis actually grabbed a few tiny feathers and literally "spit" them out in my direction!! LOL! He eventually was done and dropped the hummer, so I got him to climb on a stick and moved him to another area of the yard. Two days later, I noticed all the hummers flying around the feeder but not landing, and lo and behold, the bugger was back - hanging on the side of the feeder. Smart bug.

 Quote: barbara schuler

I just happened to look out my kitchen window one morning and saw something under the feeder but couldn't tell what it was. Walked outside and was shocked to see this large mantis, maybe 4 - 5" long, grasping the little hummer. At first I tried to free the little guy, but then realized even if he wasn't dead, he was going to be soon - the mantis had already gnawed a little hole in his stomach. I went to get my camera and took a few pics. While sitting there watching him, the mantis actually grabbed a few tiny feathers and literally "spit" them out in my direction!! LOL! He eventually was done and dropped the hummer, so I got him to climb on a stick and moved him to another area of the yard. Two days later, I noticed all the hummers flying around the feeder but not landing, and lo and behold, the bugger was back - hanging on the side of the feeder. Smart bug.

LOL!OMG! too funny! That is one smart bug... going for those hummers.

 Quote: Marcia Blum

I dig under all of my fall leaves into my vegetable garden to improve soil. Got to get to that soon, since I didn't do it last fall...

I'll still throw a few inches of compost down every year, but I'm going to plant daikon radishes when the growing season is finished. Smother them with compost and they will add quite a bit to the soil for the next season.:smile:

Your garden looks wonderful.:smile:

Since I moved almost 4 yrs ago my back yard (corner lot) is to small for a veggy garden but I've been trying to get this place up to par with perennials. I move 20 -30 hosta from the old place with a lot of woodland plants.Those are outside the yard next to the garage (shade garden in the making)
The back yard is for the birds, butterflies and hummers. Looks ragidy with the perennials and annuals but that's fine with me.
Right now the bird feeders are full of House finches, goldfinches, Juncos, Cardinals, titmice, chickadees, numerous different sparrows and a Coopers Hawk that occasionally thins out a bird or two.

Barbra,
I love that Shasta viburnum. In the almost 4 yrs I've been here I planted that and Summer snowflake,a Juddii viburnum (great smell), pink Florida Dogwood, Redbud (Hot pink, not the typical lavender) Pagoda dogwood, Bloodgood maple seedling and lord only knows what else.
I moved a 7x7 Oakleaf hydrangea(Snow Queen) from the old place. That was my fav and I couldn't leave it.
Starting from scratch at my age is sort of depressing.
The Praying mantis is my fav "bug" but they can play hell with the butterflies. I haven't had any here big enough to tackle the hummers....yet.

Clematis Ramona?

Still a little early for the garden,snow needs to stop first and the ground to warm. Still can start seeds though.Beautiful pictures Michael,the plants look so healthy. I would like to see Barbaras garden after it grows a little. Love seeing green life in the winter,Spring is coming. I will be growing several varieties of leaf lettuce,carrots,tomatoes,roma type for salsa and paste.

I like to grow montauk sweet corn,large ears and very sweet.Also butternut sguash. I would like to try rasberries this year for the first time.Can not wait to taste fresh vegetables again.Some early seeds/Users/fredrickgee/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2011/Feb 6, 2011_4/IMG_2116.JPG