Spring Fauna and Flora

It’s now late spring here in East Tennessee and my personal ‘farmer’ and ‘livestock manager’ has been busy!  Despite all the construction in our neighborhood, for now we still have a wooded lot on one side and another behind a portion of the back of our home, plus a little strip of woods which we believe will stay put. 

In any case, Laurie has been plying the birds with food…seed, suet cakes and of course, sugar water for the hummingbirds.  In addition we have several birdhouses in place.  All of these factors combined mean that we have lots of birds visiting and nesting. With young to feed, those suet cakes in particular are going fast!

This cardinal decided to build a nest in the Japanese maple just outside Laurie’s western focused ‘plant room’ window.  The cardinals hang around here a lot anyway, seeming to love hiding in the magnolia trees and in the loropetalum bushes in front of the house.  Perhaps she chose the maple because the loropetalums are still recovering from this past winter and they aren’t providing much cover…

In any case, we kept the curtain drawn in an effort to give the cardinals a chance.  They later abandoned the nest, probably when the lawn service blew off the adjacent sidewalk.

This was the bright and cherry spring-time wreath that Laurie hung on our front door…but it didn’t stay there long!

Look closely at the wreath… We had to take it down after we discovered that a wren family started a nest on top of it!  We have learned from past experience that wrens living or hanging out on wreaths can lead to home invasions!  We have had several instances of wrens flying inside the house when we opened the door in the evening.  We/Laurie always recovered the ‘invaders’ without harming them but with our high living area ceilings, it is a stressful situation for us and the wrens.

Every spring we are visited by a number of red breasted grosbeaks… Grosbeaks are seed eating members of the cardinal family.  The males have black heads, wings, backs and tails…with a bright rose colored patch on their white breast.  These birds winter in the North American tropics and we are on their migration route and right up against some of their prime breeding territory in the Appalachian Mountains.

Yes, this is an indoor plant but I included it anyway.  Laurie’s Christmas cactus is obviously seasonally confused but we always welcome its blooms…

If you follow my blog, then you may recall this earlier photo showing a variety of plants that Laurie purchased for her ‘planter farm’, most of which is ensconced on our back deck.  So…where did these plantings end up?

As you can see, we have 2 planters right at our front step.  They are now populated by a number of mixed annuals to include those ‘spiky’ cordyline red sensations.  Unfortunately, the 2 small boxwood bushes adjacent to our walkway did not survive a string of consistently cold days this past winter.  We will have to replace them…

This planter is right next to where our front sidewalk starts at our driveway.  Thanks to the special plant identifiers, you already know that these are lavender plants.  There are 47 known varieties of lavender.  Bees love these plants!

Lavender plants produce essential oils and English lavender is used in pastas, salads, dressings and desserts.

There are several planters/large pots on our back deck.  This one contains 'creeping' thyme and French tarragon.  Thyme is most often used with savory dishes such as roasted meat, vegetables or fish.  Tarragon is one of the 4 key herbs in French cooking, especially with chicken, fish and egg dishes.  Tarragon is sweeter than thyme but it’s also quite ‘minty’.

Thymes are related to the oregano genus and it is indigenous to the Mediterranean region.  The variety most often used in cooking is ‘Thymus vulgaris’.  The Romans used thyme to purify their rooms and to lend an aromatic flavor to cheese and liquors.  In the Middle Ages the herb was placed under pillows to aid sleep and to ward off nightmares.  Women often gave warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed that they would bring courage to the bearer.  Creeping thyme is frequently used as a ground cover and it is considered invasive in some areas.

Among its many uses, Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink named Tarkun.  This drink is made from sugar, carbonated water, and tarragon leaves which give the beverage its signature green color.  This beverage is especially favored in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. 

Basil boxwood plants now occupy this particular planter.  These compact basil variety with its small leaves make it to resemble a boxwood bush… This ornamental herb has great fragrance and flavor.  The leaves can be used in pasta dishes, soups and pesto.

The green plant is sweet basil or Genovese basil.  The generic term ‘basil’ is generally associated with this variety.  It is estimated that there are as many as 150 species of basil.  Most of the culinary basils are cultivars of this basil.  The purple basil is more clove-like, a little spicy and can be used in salads.  All basils are high in Vitamin K.

The ancient Egyptians and Greeks believed that basil would open the gates of heaven for a person who is passing on.  This herb has religious significance for the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to sprinkle holy water.  The Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian and Romanian Orthodox Churches all use basil in their ceremonies.

This container is home to a variety of herbs.  The low bright green plant at the right is marjoram.  It is a perennial herb with sweet pine and citrus flavors.  It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as a symbol of happiness.  It also has been used by Sephardi Jews in a ritual medical tradition or practice.  Marjoram or its oil have been used to treat a wide variety of ailments.  In cooking, it is used to season soups, stews, salad dressings, sauces and herbal teas.

At the left, she has planted some sage.  It is a perennial, evergreen subshrub and it’s a member of the mint family.  It has been used since ancient times to ward off evil, for snakebites, to increase women’s fertility and more… It has a savory, slightly peppery flavor.  Sage is notably present in Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisine.  In the USA and Great Britain, it is traditionally used in stuffing and with roasts.

The small low lying grouping of green at the front of the photo is germander.  While it doesn’t seem to have a culinary use, it is said that it can be used to treat inflammatory conditions including fever, arthritis, gout and digestive issues.  On top of that, it survived the winter and it produces nice flowers that our bees love…

The variegated leafs in the middle of the photo belong to lemon verbena, a species of flowering plant that is native to South America.  Another telling name for this plant is ‘lemon beerbrush’.  It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 1600s and it was cultivated for its oil.  Lemon verbena leaves are used to add a lemon flavor to fish and poultry dishes, marinades, salad dressings, jams, puddings, Greek yogurt and beverages.  The leaves are also used to make herbal tea and to flavor liqueurs.  They are also frequently used in potpourri...

Rosemary is also a member of the sage family.  Rosemary was first documented on cuneiform stone tablets that date back to 5000 years BCE.  It is known that Egyptians used it in their burial rituals.  Rosemary was considered sacred to ancient Romans and Greeks as well.  The plant is used as a symbol of remembrance during war commemorations and funerals in Europe and Australia. 

Rosemary leaves are used as a flavoring with foods such as stuffing and roasted meats.  Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine.  Although they have a bitter, astringent taste they do complement many cooked foods.  Rosemary oil is used for fragrant perfumes or in incense to mask other odors in a room.  In addition, it is used in shampoos and cleaning products.

…and so ends our tour of Laurie’s garden pots, for now at least.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave