Hopalong Hollow....

Hopalong Hollow, where the Blueberries grow sweet, and the moss feels soft beneath your feet.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

We know Spring has Arrived in the Hollow when...

We know Spring has Arrived in the Hollow when:
 you need a  really good perch to be on the lookout for  "the CRANE".

  and when the Mistress turns you loose in the strawberry beds
 leaving you to cultivate the earth to a fine, granulated and perfect soil.
.
In fact, everyone on the farm is cultivating.

 You know spring has arrived when Mathilda tries for the umpteenth time to hatch the dozen or so eggs for whom she has so carefully prepared an ivy nest .
(I Hope, this time, they hatch for you sweetheart!)

 In early Spring
the Wisteria is incredibly laden with blooms and the hypnotic buzzing of the bees,
as the heady fragrance fills the garden.

 It took 8 years for the Wisteria to bloom like this.
This plant was the reason the Lord of the Manor built the huge Pergola.  It worked!

Spring  HAS arrived  when the seed packets overwhelm me.... How can I plant all this stuff?
 WILL I plant all this stuff?

Well, Spring MUST be here for sure, "the CRANE" has arrived!

  SEE??!
How do you recognize Spring at your place?

34 comments:

  1. It's heading on to summer, so I know spring has sprung by the things I still need to do. The gardens have nearly grown so much I can't fit anything in except for maybe a few annuals. Im looking for some today. I have no plan this year, so I hope it looks pretty in spite of me. The Lord does look pleased with himself. My Great Blue Heron has a partner this year. The first time I've seen that.

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    1. Donna, that crane or heron, whatever it is... is so comical looking. She ( I am assuming) walks up and down our creek and causes a big commotion among-st our birds, who don't quite know what to make of it. That is excellent that your gardens are stuffed, that's the way we like em!

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  2. it's all so beautiful! and wow, the wisteria!!!

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    1. Thanks Jaz, your garden is looking great already.

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  3. Lord of the Manor did good, and so have you. Lovely garden in spring, the birds are hilarious in your strawberry bed.

    Here, spring for me is when I can sit outdoors without cozy socks on.

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    1. Yes, those socks are stashed for at least 7 months! Those Peas did a good job for me, I planted 14 strawberry roots in that bed and they are already thriving....but the bed is now barricaded from the birds.

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  4. Loved this post showing spring springing at your place. The wisteria is oh so beautiful and The Lord of the Manor did a fantastic job building the pergola. Love that photo of him standing there in all of that beauty.

    Happy Spring to the both of you and all of your critters, FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, I guess you have Spring and summer all year long! Great for your roses.

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  5. At the moment my tulips are in bloom, then come the lilacs . . . Spring is so colorful and glorious. I love your Pergola and Wisteria. Your husband did a great job building the pergola, it looks very strong and has such lovely architectural lines. Your grounds and animals and fab:)
    Happy Springtime.
    Connie :)

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    1. Connie, we think elephants could dance on that Pergola and leave it intact!

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  6. The Hummingbirds are back and the Wren built a nest in the greenhouse, the babies have fledged already, other bird young are showing up daily...the grass has needed mowing twice already...temperatures are in the 80s some days...we turned our AC on this past Thursday....I love all the ways you know Spring has arrived...hope the Duck hatches some eggs this year.
    Mama Bear

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    1. Hey Mama Bear, your baby bird and nesting activity reminded me of a sure sign of Spring. The barn swallows ALWAYS add another floor to a mud nest they've built in the corner of the eaves of the porch. It is 7 stories high now! Love that you have a nest in your greenhouse, that is so appropriate.

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  7. Your Hollow is such a busy place now...and beautiful! When the Cowboy announced this morning that it was time to fertilize the hay meadows, I asked how he knew. He said that the squeaky floor board just outside our bedroom door had quit squeaking. It was news to me. Best wishes to your sweet Mathilda!

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    1. Now that is funny! Who could've known the floor would stop creaking in Spring! In the future you will always listen for that sign of Spring.

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  8. Ah Jeri - I am loving the arrival of spring at your place. We too know it has arrived because Virginia Bluebells are in full swing as well as the weeds :)! Have a great day friend. Hugs!

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    1. Oh I love those Virginia Bluebells more than any other bluebell. Years ago I bought some roots and they've been slow to establish; I await the day of seeing them flourishing under the Mulberry trees.

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  9. As always I love seeing your garden. Spring arrives here--officially--when all the white-flower bushes in our woods bloom. It's truly a sight to behold!

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    1. I see Cathy, by your older posts, that you cherish the delicate pink primroses; I love those sweet little flowers.

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  10. Jeri, your wisteria pergola is a sight to behold! It's perfect for the sturdy wisteria vines!
    I know it's spring when everything blooms at once on our property-- Along with the inches of pollen. ♥

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    1. Yikes, that pollen! My eyes are itching just thinking about it. Your Azaelia bushes are marvelous!

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  11. OOOOOOO JERI LANDERS, spring has barreled into your world! It's coming here....slowly AND early! The forsythia is out, so are the magnolias. On Easter Sunday, we went to the lake and saw and heard the loons, geese, mallards. I even saw an eagle that morning on our BLOCK! YES! The bunnies are out in full force, with one in particular who acts as a sentry on our front steps. YES! He is our protector! teehehe

    Your wisteria is divine.

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    1. We have 2 bunny sentinels....but they are of concrete. Your's is more fun!

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  12. Dear Jeri,
    First I have to say what a beautiful job the Lord of the Manor did building this magnificent Pergola, and the Wisteria is gorgeous!

    I hope Matilda has some luck this spring with her eggs, poor dear.
    The Hollow is such a beautiful place to see, no matter what time of year, but spring is exciting..
    Off to see the posts I have missed. Happy spring dear friend.
    love ya!
    Penny

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    1. Penny, I won't forget when I was helping him to wrestle that peaked roof on the pergola, I kept telling him it was never going to work out... but he was right and I was wrong.

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  13. What are the peacocks perched on? I spend too much time poring over your photos and wishing I could smell and touch all I see here. Thank you.

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    1. Those peas are perching on a weeping mulberry tree... you should see it when it leafs out!

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  14. Oops! See? I become engrossed and forget. Sure signs of spring here? Nature's orgy and the aftermaths. Everything's mating, reproducing, being birthed, renewed. Everywhere I look this year. This is one of our best springs since we finally had a true winter; the evergreen-ness of here died and turned a winter dun. Green is back and color is!

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  15. Jerri, your place is simply beautiful, a fairyland! Peacocks cultivating the strawberry beds! How pretty is that!! I have tried and tried to grow wisteria. It does great in the pot, and is easily rooted, but once I put it in the ground, it dies. :( Your wisteria is gorgeous.

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    1. Our problem with the wisteria is just the opposite, once it gets a foothold, (it literally does grab the ground for yards and yards, it can be difficult to control). We have another wisteria, climbing an arbor, which I have to wrestle with to keep it from engulfing our roof!

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  16. I live in a large city, so my favorite sign is the mockingbird that moves in during the Spring.

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  17. Suz, lucky you, we don't often see mockingbirds here.

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  18. Dear Jeri, I apologize for being a rather negligent blogger in the past month. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at your recent posts this evening. Your creativity just dazzles me! How beautiful the Hollow looks during spring!
    I will be back again soon. xo

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  19. Frances, I've been negligent myself lately. Hope your Spring is as lovely as ours!

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