Worry is like a rocking chair, it's gives you something to do but gets you nowhere!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Stuff..

It was a great gardening day yesterday..Planted some seeds and moved some containers around, in doing so I almost grabbed this guy or should I say gal? Looks pregnant to me. Does anyone know it's name? I couldn't really tell if it was hairy or not...see the markings on the legs? Click to enlarge and tell me what you see.Yesterday afternoon as I walked out of our front door I noticed all of these spider webs in our front lawn sparkling in the sun. Will this be the gardening year of the Spider for me? I have been bitten by a Brown Recluse before and that isn't any fun at all.

This morning I found Leucojum aestivum: Summer Snowflake or Giant Snowflake
Amaryllis Family
Zones 4 - 9
Zone 9 blooms in late Autumn and Winter, Early Spring everywhere else.
Southerners should stick with Summer Snowflake--Gardener's up North can grow Spring Snowflake and Snowdrops..courtesy of http://www.floridata.com/
Another variety of Narcissus- Daffodils are opening--Ice FolliesThe Liatris Bulbs are popping up.
I put a birdhouse with some Sedum in my garden mailbox...upon further inspection I noticed
a House Wren has been busy bringing construction supplies to build a nest. See in the way back?

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Today I am Thankful that my attempt at "whimsy" in the garden benefits nature.

26 comments:

Becca's Dirt said...

Sounds like a good day to me. Wish I could have joined you. So glad to see more babies coming up. Love the mailbox in the garden. You can make anything look good in the garden.

Unknown said...

I see some big spiders up here in NJ but damn! I planted Leucojum Aestivum - 'Gravetye Giant' in the Fall and am very anxious to see it sprout. Hopefully it is as advertised and can handle my frequently wet clay soil. Thanks for the photos!

Amy said...

Wow... all those spider webs. I am not sure about the spider. You have some pretty spring blooms. I love all your stuff! (not sure about the spider, though)

Skeeter said...

The spider gives me the creeps! Yikes, I am more afraid of them then snakes! I can ID most snakes as harmless but the spiders are too small and I just stay clear of them if possible. I am sorry you were bitten as I have seen first hand what they can do to an arm. I worked in a pharmacy and we had a client that was slowly loosing his arm to a little spider bite. It was rotting away so I think that is why I am so scared of them today.

I am so mad at myself. I picked up an old mailbox at the Goodwill store last week and then set it back down. I almost bought it but thought that $3 was a bit much as it was beat up a bit. Now, I so wish I had gotten it for some whimsy and a nest!

Today I am thankful for the singing birds in the trees…

Lois said...

What a perfect place for a nest Darla! That is so cute. I don't know much about spiders except that I'm deathly afraid of them.

imac said...

Great post Darla, love your spider and the webs, together with all your other shots.

Robin Beck said...

Hey Darla,
Wow, bitten by a Brown Recluse!!!I bet that wasn't very much fun at all. I'm deathly allergic to bees and have been stung 4 times -I carry a big kit(4 epi pens, syringes of Benadryl, steroids, and inhalers) to save my life everywhere I go.
That spider almost looks like a one I saw on a show about Australian spiders that are very deadly-I doubt that is what it is. The markings look the same-It's has beautiful markings that's for sure. We tend to get some major webs here in Seattle too. I saw a hummer once go up to a web and pluck out the spider in mid air-I think it needed a little protein!

Hope you are having a great week!

Robin~♥

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Darla: Great photos of all the Spring finds. Love the wren nest in the mailbox.
I don't the kind of spider but I'm pretty sure her name is Phillis, She just looks like a Phillis don't you think.

Noelle Johnson said...

Hi Darla,

I love the snowflake...it looks so much like the snowdrops that I have come to love to see from northern blogger's gardens. How wonderful to have a little bird building it's nest where you can closely observe it.

Dorothy said...

Don't know what kind of spider you have there, but it's scary looking! Beautiful pictures promising spring will soon be here.

Patsy said...

I sure like the mail box, and watch to spiders.
Patsy

Anonymous said...

Darla, I made the mistake of clicking on the photo to enlarge it. Eee gads! My rule is if the bug is under a half-inch or so, it's okay. Anything bigger than that and I'm completely creeped out. I don't know the name of identity of your visitor but I'm sure glad you saw him before he saw you.

Leucojum is a beauty. It's blooming here now but I've never had the privilege of growing it myself. The snowdrops [Galanthus] are finished.

I'm thankful that you lived to tell about your run-in with the Brown Recluse.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

That spider looks HUGE! I would've been too creeped out to take it's picture.
I love the Snowflake, I remember you id'd mine for me last year. I still don't remember planting it :)
I love the nest. Those Wrens will build a nest just about anywhere.

Deborah Verhoeven said...

I haven't walked into any spider webs yet this year. I've never seen a brown recluse here, but we get the occasional black widow. The ones that freak me out the most, though, are the orchard spiders. They tend to build their webs across the pathways, and I tend to walk into them. :-O

Beautiful pix. My snowdrops are blooming too.

tina said...

What a big spider! The leucojum is very pretty. I have galanthus here but would someday love to plant the snowflakes. Awesome sign of spring!

Dave said...

The mailbox is a cool idea! The weather has been very nice here too, I'm enjoying every second of it I can. The header picture is very good. I don't know the spider but I don't think it's a dangerous one, but then again I really don't have a clue!

Susie said...

Aren't wrens funny?!?! They'll make a home almost anywhere.

I don't know the name of your spider so I'll just call him scary. I'm not a fan of spiders except the big green garden variety.

Anne Fannie said...

Hi Darla
I love your garden mailbox! What a great idea. Looks like it will house a little family!
All my bulbs are coming up too, can't wait for spring!
That is one ugly spider. I hate spiders too. Its hard for me to spray for them because my yard is a bird habitat.
It was nice visiting you today. I will have to go check out other postings!
~Ann

Roses and Lilacs said...

Your little wren is going to have the cutest house in town:)

That is a particularly ugly spider! I have a 'thing' about spiders.
Marnie

Corner Gardener Sue said...

That is a cool looking spider. I always welcome them in my garden, but in your area, you probably have to be more careful about venomous ones.

This is such an exciting time of year. I had most of my clean up done this time last year, and lettuce coming up. I don't have anything planted yet.

Things are looking great your way. Liatris is one of my favorite plants.

My back hurts from doing things I'm not used to, and then straining it more by not slowing down. I hope it heals in time for planting and putting things away in my kitchen.

Jan said...

That is one large spider! It must have been horrible having been bitten by a brown recluse! I've seen photos and they are not pretty...I'm glad you lived to tell about it;-) I need to put in snowdrops...this fall. I've had wrens build nests in my wrapped up hose, hanging on the side of the house; in front door wreaths; in plant pots hanging on the deck; they aren't picky--and they really should be, because half of the time the places they choose are not safe!

Lisa said...

Have you looked over at whatsthatbug.com?

I think mose spiders do more good than harm. But I'm afraid of Brown Recluses, because they're so dangerous and so *normal* looking. I prefer a big spider that announces itself, over a super-venomous drab brown spider.

Wendy @ Ramblings from the Sunshine State said...

Oh my god! That would have been it for that thing. If I had the nerve to kill it. Seriously, I would have been done for the day. I hate spiders!

Twisted Fencepost said...

Love the sparkly webs picture!
I'm with Fishing Guy.....looks like a Phillis to me!

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