Notes Celebrates Two Years

It has been two years this week, since my first post on Notes from a Cottage Garden. My, how time does fly! In honor of the occasion, I thought I would post some photos of my Spring garden, currently in it's prime. I have so enjoyed the tulips this year, especially since I have been mostly house-bound for 3 weeks with a case of Pleurisy, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the lung. It is very painful and can take from weeks to months for recovery, with rest being the only effective treatment. It is difficult to rest when I want so badly to be working in the garden, but low energy levels have kept me from doing much. The colors in the garden have given me cheer while I recover, and I hope to be gardening again soon!

I planted these tulips in the front bed of my kitchen garden last fall. They go by the name 'Daydream', and the color is just amazing! This is a completely unretouched photo, taken on a sunny day. The tulips look like they are ablaze with fire! They started out mostly yellow with a few orange streaks, but now they are mostly orange. The foliage is sort of wimpy, but I can put up with it... in exchange for the beautiful blooms. :-)





This photo shows the front portion of the garden, off the patio.... with the rock gardens in the background. I added a new tulip bed last fall, just behind the smaller, rustic looking birdhouse. (I left this photo a larger size, so you can click on it to see things up close.) If you look carefully, you can see a sign in the front garden bed which reads "Mom's Garden". It was given to me by my children for Mother's Day many years ago, so is very special to me. In the very back of the photo, nearly covered by trees, is our very rustic chicken coop. One of my favorite beds is behind the birdbath, shown in the next photo.

This bed is home to grape hyacinths along the front, with mini daffodils in the middle. (I have forgotten their name, but they are so cute!) In the back of the bed are Tulips called
'Pretty in Pink'.

And look who came back this evening for a visit, to the same place where he made a mess a few weeks ago? None other than
Mr. Pheasant!

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Origin & History of the Tulip

The tulip is a wildflower said to originate from Persia. In the 1500s, tulips were extensively cultivated in Turkey, and because of their resemblance to the "tulbend" — a turban worn by Turkish men — were called tulipan.

In 1562, tulip bulbs from Constantinople reached Antwerp by ship. Before the turn of the century, tulips had been such a rarity that only the wealthy in Holland could afford them; consequently, tulips became a status symbol for the rich. However, by the 1620s, buying and selling tulips became an activity for merchants, and "tulip madness" ensued. Tulip trading crashed in 1637, throwing Holland into financial ruin. After the Dutch government enforced strict laws for cultivating and selling bulbs, the tulip became the national emblem of Holland.

A Not-So-Pleasant Pheasant Sighting

The male pheasant is a beautiful and colorful bird, and we often enjoy watching them on the hillside near our house. I've tried without success to get a photo of them, because they are so cautious and scare very easily. So I was quite surprised to look out the window a couple mornings ago and see one in my flower bed!

I have a a bird feeder hanging on a tree branch above this bed and apparently some seed had fallen unto the ground. This rooster and two hens were just a-scratching away there! They did damage to some newly emerging tulip bulbs I planted there last fall. You can see some of the broken foliage in this zoomed shot, just to the right of Mr. Pheasant. (A side note: These particular flower beds are formed with natural basalt rock we have here in GREAT abundance. I guess you could say we are taking advantage of our natural resources.)

Here, Mr. Pheasant has sensed my presence in the window, and is standing at attention, ready to take flight. The females had wisely disappeared by now. I'm glad to have at least gotten a photo of this elusive creature, and I don't think the tulips are so badly damaged as to not bloom, though they may be a little raggedy. In the mean time, I will be moving the bird feeder, to hopefully avoid this happening again. The Ringneck Pheasant is named for the white ring around it's neck, but I confess I may have had some other impulses regarding the term ring neck. (Ha) On a happier note....if you click to enlarge the photo, you can see some soon-to-bloom daffodils, to the left of the fencepost.

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A few Pheasant Facts :

* Roosters will range in weight from 3.5 to 4 lbs

* Hens will range in weight from 2 to 2.5 lbs

* A typical rooster accumulates a harem of three to seven hens

* After hatching, pheasant chicks immediately begin growing flight feathers, and are capable of short flights at 2 weeks

* Pheasants do not migrate, they stay relatively local all year long

* On flat ground, a ringneck pheasant can run at speeds of 8-10mph

* Pheasants can fly up to 48mph

* Pheasants main predators include: Fox, Raccoon and Skunk (as chicks) and Man, Fox, Hawks and Owls

* Pheasants eat berries, seeds, young shoots and insects and prefer open country with
brushy cover

* Through most of the growing season, pheasants can survive on the moisture they
consume in insects and the morning dew on vegetation

* During the summer, insects comprise considerably more of the chick's diet and weed seeds
more of the adult's diet

* Pheasants are in the Phasianidae family and are cousins of Quail and Partridge

* The spring ratio of hens to roosters is usually about 3:1

* 30% annual survival rate and only 2-3% of population lives to age 3, whether they're hunted or not

* Pheasants, a native to China, were brought across the Pacific in 1881 by Judge Owen Nickerson Denny in an initial batch of 30 (with 26 surviving the journey)

Notes Celebrates One Year

This week marks the one year Anniversary for "Notes from a Cottage Garden." My first post was made on April 27, 2007. I've learned a lot since then and I must say I have enjoyed my venture into the blogging world.

A big THANK YOU to each one who has visited my blog, read my posts, left nice comments, or generally encouraged me along the way. A special thanks to my dear daughter who talked me into in it the first place. :-) I've had a great time meeting and interacting with many new friends who share my love of growing things, and have especially enjoyed the virtual visits to your gardens!

Sending you all some flowers from my Springtime garden.....

Tulips 'Isle De France'

Raindrops on Tulip

'Pink Charm' Daffodil

Muscari Grape Hyacinth

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"Friends are the flowers that bloom in Life's garden."