On Saturday afternoon the skies turned black and thunder rolled. The house went dark. The heavens opened and Nature raged around us. Punishment came to mind. For what, I've no idea, other than perhaps to remind us we are small and weak in many things, and that there is something much bigger and stronger out there always at the ready to knock us down. Strength is a power I find harder to have and hold onto as I age, both physical and emotional. As the water rose around the back garden I wanted to cry as I watched the small river split in two and torrents of rainwater race down each side of our property, washing away everything in its path, pooling into a pond by the gazebo and then flowing down the driveway to the street.
Of course it's calm now and oh so green and lush with leaves and blooms. Gentle New Dawn pale pink roses clamber up the back fence, along with nameless red and deep pink ones, so thorny it's best to leave them than try to pick them. The heady perfume of blooming yellow Jasmin bowls me over as dusk approaches and I stand poking my head into the now huge expanse of vine covering the side fence, intoxicated in a good way. Then I visit the other also huge mass of white Jasmine on the back fence where the raging water came through, and sniff again that lovely fragrance.
We've given up trying to stop the water ourselves, it's a job beyond our capabilities. It flows under the fence from the neighbor's sloping land behind us. It's really just a major problem in severe rainstorms, however today a 'land solutions' professional will hopefully show up as promised to look at the problem and give us some ideas as to how to rectify it!
This morning. . . . . . . . . green and glorious, however there's news on nesting birds. Despite all I said earlier about keeping the finches away from the Boston ferns on the front porch, guess what happened yesterday. While we were both away from the house for several hours, a pair of finches started constructing their nest in one of the hanging baskets! We considered removing it as there are no eggs yet, but felt it was really a wicked thing to do after all those flights back and forth with building supplies! Nests are pieces of art, woven and constructed with love and hard work.
The finches have chosen us and we should feel grateful.
We do feel grateful as we are big time garden birders.
So, they can move in and start a new family.
Obviously they didn't read that NOT FOR RENT sign!!!
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Your garden is so beautiful Mary! ☺
ReplyDeleteThanks dear Rain. It gets a bit harder each spring growing season when there is so much to be done - right now it's looking good prior to our very hot summer weather when things struggle - me included, haha!
DeleteI wonder if Igor Stravinsky got it right. He might have been a bit pagan, but he was certainly influential in the ballet world
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Delete"The ballet was first performed by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at the Theatre du Champs-Élysées in Paris on 29 May 1913 and famously caused a riot. Many people in the audience were so outraged by Stravinsky's avant-garde score, and Nijinsky's choreography, that they thought it seemed like the work of a madman."
I would have loved to have been there that night, wouldn't you?
Oh you are a much nicer person than I! ☺️ Happy birding!
ReplyDeleteNot true, knowing you all these years I've always thought of you as a lovely lady - we still have to meet!
DeleteI hope that land solutions expert is able to offer a solution to your problem. It would be heartbreaking to see those unwanted rivers raging through your garden. Your post has reminded me of how that same storm started the day here on Saturday. I think I'll do a post about it this afternoon. Very scary!
ReplyDeleteI think the finches know a good thing when they find it. I do know how the eggs can attract those dreadful snakes so can see why you prefer they not set up housekeeping so near where you sit on the porch. I'll keep my fingers crossed that won't be the case.
Kim dear, finch heaven here I guess - hanging fern just across from an always full "squirrel proof feeder" (questionable!), two freshly filled bird baths. . . . . . . .and me waiting at the dining room window to scream "snake"!!!!!! OMG, please not again this year - my old heart may not take another 5 foot fat black one slithering across the porch towards the eggs yet again!
DeleteThat's the thing about nature; it does not "punish" or "reward", it just IS.
ReplyDeleteAnd you did the right thing in leaving the finches where they have decided to nest; I guess a hanging basket is too good a place to be missed for their purpose - it's like custom-made for their needs.
What lovely evocative photos you share Mary, to depict a powerful storm. I am sorry you have flooding problems and hope you find a good solution which preserves your beautiful garden. The finches sound so cute, taking the chance to build a nest in the ferns. Soon there will be tiny birds for you to watch and photograph. xox
ReplyDeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteWell, as I started reading this, it was getting real dark and the thunder is rolling. We've had heavy rain and thunder and Pieter has been pestered out of his planting white petunias in the planter boxes along the driveway's retainer wall. The Gold Lantana's that were in there since 2019 did not come back this year.
As for keeping the water out of your yard, Pieter did did a trench several years ago and then used solid concrete blocks on top of the concrete foundation in the ground. A heavy job but since he did that, and placing the picket fence back on top of that 'retainer' wall—the neighbor's water running down towards us was stopped in its tracks.
A constant battle against Mother Nature!
True, things look lush after such tropical rain showers but it also whacks down so many leaves, from the Southern Magnolia for instance. Our yard crew early in the week mulched them all and it is full again!
Life goes on and we do as good as we can.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mary ... you are an incredibly talented writer and photographer! Wishing you luck solving the 'water flow from neighbor above' problem.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary, Love your green surroundings. Your garden looks especially rich and exotic this Spring. We are just now getting warmer weather. Daffodils are beginning to bloom.
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