March | 2016 | Willow House Chronicles

Archive for March, 2016

Sunday Snapshot: Easter River

Posted in Sunday Snapshot, tagged river sunset on March 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Easter River

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Sunday Snapshot: Wings

Posted in Birds, Sunday Snapshot, tagged Canada Geese, snow geese on March 20, 2016| 1 Comment »

Canada geese and Snow geese

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Sunday Snapshot: Rainy March Day

Posted in Sunday Snapshot, tagged cornfield in spring, foggy day, misty day, spring rain on March 13, 2016| 1 Comment »

Rainy March Day

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Outside My Door

Posted in Birds on March 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Just days after I spotted the first returning red-wing blackbirds, they have been joined by a host of others. The chattering of a large flock of birds greets our ears any time we open the front door, as the birds give voice to a new spring season.

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Seedy Saturday 2016

Posted in Garden, tagged gerta's organic gardens, Seeds of Diversity, seedy saturday, terra edibles on March 7, 2016| 2 Comments »

seeds

Once again, the gardening season is at hand. I like to get things rolling by attending a local Seedy Saturday event. Last weekend, I made the drive up to Ottawa to join other gardeners in the joy of anticipating our return to the soil. A number of venders of heirloom and organic seeds and supplies come together to offer attendees, pictured above, a cornucopia of seeds. It would be possible to order the seeds by mail, but the buzz of excitement makes attending Seedy Saturday much more fun.

I mostly go to get a selection of tomato seeds. Last year I didn’t bother, and missed trying new varieties. This year, I purchased eight varieties from Terra Edibles and Gerta’s Organic Gardens:

Black and Brown Boar
Berkeley Tie Dye
Winterkeeper
Dancing with Smurfs
Pink Boar
Allegheny Sunset
Druzba
Persimmon

Seedy Saturdays are a project of Seeds of Diversity, an organization dedicated to encouraging the preservation and cultivation of heirloom and endangered varieties of food crops. You can locate a Seedy Saturday near you by visiting their website.

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Song of Spring 2016

Posted in Birds, tagged migratory birds, Red-winged Blackbird, return of spring birds on March 6, 2016| 4 Comments »

redwing

Yesterday morning, as I was standing by the kitchen window sipping coffee, I thought I heard a red-winged blackbird call. I stepped outside to listen and look, but found no evidence of the bird. This morning, however, there could be no doubt. A dozen red-winged blackbirds were waiting outside the door when I went out to fill the bird feeders today. Hurray! It’s official! Spring is here.

Red-winged Blackbird return dates at Willow House:

2016: March 6th
2015: March 21st
2014: March 15th
2013: March 10th
2012: March 3rd
2011: March 10th
2010: March 10th
2009: March 7th

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