Hunting in the Garden: Where Plants, Animals and People Cross Paths

This week I am writing about home. If you need help to imagine my little brick house on the edge of the woods, perched on a south facing slope and looking out over what I fondly call meadow, then take a look at our tour Barbara Martin Pennsylvania USA here. The panoramic photo was taken in early spring, but I'm sure you'll get the idea just fine.

If not, just imagine all the short stuff in front grown up big. That's because it's primarily a hefty herbaceous border in the front, so that things like the ornamental grasses are now taller than I am. So are the sunflowers, as are the hops vines and more. Anyway.

I love my garden. I love my woods. I love the critters there.

The woods are full of oaks, hickories and red maples. The black gums, dogwoods and Virginia creeper are fading already. The redbuds do not seem to be coloring much this year, but in the garden the crabapples have made a fine crop and the Ginnala maple, burning bushes and smoke bush tree are all glorious. The forsythia and spirea are showy, too. So are the golden barberries for a change — maybe they like drought.

I started out this morning to assemble a late season garden ramble report. Sort of a survey of what's still blooming or showy in the garden at my house after the frosts. Just outside the front door are violas and petunias. Further along are some salvias, sweet Williams, a vibrant red honeysuckle, more assorted dianthus . . . some stray purple cone flowers and rudbeckias and then asters along the woods edge and . . . the hardy cyclamen are in full bloom and . . . my list got longer and longer. The double white achillea and the chives are fantastic, as are the gaillardias for some reason I can't fathom. The mums are good — I planted them about four years ago and these are the few who decided to stay.

Anyway. It was cold this morning so I had on shoes. As I ambled through the garden adding to the list (close to fifty entries on a casual walkabout), I realized I was ducking at loud noises and I realized I had unthinkingly put on my dayglo orange hooded sweat shirt. And I realized I was watching along the road for parked vehicles belonging to strangers. Hunting season has begun.

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