A Recent Visit

HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A BACKSTORY IN VOL 1

HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A BACKSTORY IN VOL 1

HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A BACKSTORY IN VOL 1

I have only been able to take a couple of walks in my nearby parks since March (2020) because the coating on my lenses of my prescription lenses has worn off and replacing them is out of my financial reach at this time.

Unfortunately since the coating is damaged, my glassses steam up constantly when I wear  a face-mask and I can't see where I am going which is very frightening.

I have tried many "home remedies" to prevent the steaming but because the issue has to do with the coating, my battle is endless.

Moreover, due to the fact that I fell last January (which resulted in my  breaking my Greater tuberosity), I am feeling vulnerable when it comes to the prospect of falling, SOOOO... I have had to stay at home more than I would like to, and I miss the parks!

Therefore, my spirits were lifted the other day when I discovered that a lone male House finch was spening some of his time perching on the branches of Ailanthus trees in the courtyard (as evidenced in the imagess atop this posting).

It's Arbor Day!

Since my posting an entry re the eyes of Northern mockingbirds this morning, it has been brought to my attention that today is Arbor Day. It always falls on the last Friday of April, which is today.

Throwback Thursday: "When this old world starts getting me down," I can rarely go "up on the roof" (and now Juan can't either)!

This past Thursday (October 5th, 2017), Juan V came to do his magic in my rooftop garden; and he took the photograph posted atop this entry. As you can see, it's beginning to look a lot like autumn in my garden. The foliage on my Continus Coggygria (Smoke Bush), indicated by the number one in the photo below, as well as the foliage on my Avellana corylus (Contorted Hazelnut), which is indicated by the number two; and the foliage on my Crabapple Tree (indicated by the number three) are beginning to wear their autumn colors.

The circle affixed to the aforementioned image is indicating Juan's shadow as he photographs my garden from the rooftop of the building where I live.

Juan has been taking aerial views of my garden on a bi-monthly basis (during the growing season) since the year 2010. In order to do this, he has to climb up a ladder that is my hallway and thrust open a latch which leads to the building's rooftop.

An Update Re My Crabapple Tree ETC

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WIOB"

So thankful that JV was able to come over yesterday and help me with my crabapple tree that topped over during severe winds that occurred in early April, which I wrote about on Blogger at the time. The "repaired" tree can now be seen on the left hand-side of the image (featuring a partial view of my garden) atop this entry.

It's so great to report the fact that my crabapple tree is now standing upright on her own (just to the north of my bouncer).

My Malus 'Prairfire' (Prairfire Crabapple)

MY ROOFTOP GARDEN

Ever since I helped rescue Super, a migratory bird who is a Northern Flicker, all of my postings, except for one, have been about that injured bird. It is my intention to visit Super at least once a week until he is able to be released from the bird rehabilitation facility on NYC's Upper Westside to Central Park. I would gladly see him more often, but the facility where Super is recovering is very busy. I don't want to interfere with their efforts to help Super or the other injured birds they are treating.

Meanwhile, I am doing my best to maintain my urban rooftop garden and  keep it a haven for the urban birds who have visited it over the years. My garden can be seen in the photograph atop today's Blogger entry. I took the image from the vantage point of a nearby penthouse garden. The picture was taken in 2015 during the late summer or early fall; and Cam, a cardinal who visited me during that time, insisted we include it in the ePub (Kindle) version of our book Words In Our Beak Volume One.

Crabapple Blossoms

MY ROOFTOP GARDEN

The other day (Tuesday, 4-7-2020) in a post on my personal Facebook (FB) Page, I mentioned that I had just remembered that April is National Poetry Month and shared a Mary Oliver, then I made a commitment to post a poem (or lines from a poem) every day (on Facebook) during this month.

Because a strong wind knocked down my crabapple tree last night (as see in the photo atop this entry photo which was also included in a posting story in my Friday evening Facebook post on my business page, I've decided today would be a good time to share the poem Crabapple Blossoms, by Carl Sandburg.

Arbor Day 2018

Today is Arbor Day and as you can see in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry, Mooch and Earl are celebrating it by planting a tree, much to the delight of a bird! Unfortunately, for me, my Arbor Day is being spent with one less tree in my rooftop garden.

Yesterday when Juan V was here to help me with flora placement after I de-winterized my garden, we discovered that my Acer palmatum (AKA 'Shisitatsu' Sawa), a type of maple tree which I have had since 2008 or 2009, had to be  uprooted for the tree had died.

It's May! It's May! (Tuesday's Truths Week 82)

OTHER TULIPS ARE  FEATURED IN VOLUME 1

OTHER TULIPS ARE  FEATURED IN VOLUME 1

Welcome to the eighty-second week of my Tuesday's Truths series, which this week is coinciding with the beginning of the month of May, and as has been the case in bygone years, a song (It's May! It's May!) from Camelot is on my mind.

Friday's Fact: Today is the ninth day for National Poetry Month 2021.

It's Day 9 of 2021's National Poetry Month and as always, Odgen Nash (whose poem is featured in the text-based image atop this entry) has got this. I think of his poem often, and yesterday was far from an exception, upon my spotting a blooming tree (featured within the next sequence of photographs) when I was in Central Park.

I confess that I'm having trouble id-ing this beauty and plan to reach out to the Park's Department for help, but in the interim, any TLLG blog readers out there know the type of tree pictured here?

On another note I have a few trees in my rooftop garden, including a flowering one known as a Crabapple Tree.

Remembering William Shakespeare

When I spoke by phone to my dear friend, VB,  I mentioned to him that we have had a lot of heavy rains this month which I found to disprove the adage,“April showers bring May flowers,” as our showers are taking nearly away chances of May flowers.

He responded by quoting a line from Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare (who died on this day in 1564): “Rough Winds do shake the darling buds of May.”

April is the cruelest month?

Today is the last day of April for the year of 2016. As most folks know, it is a month associated with the adage, "April showers bring May flowers." 

Throughout my years as a gardener, I have made the observation that April showers TAKE AWAY May flowers, and I've written about this a number of times, including an entry I made here on Blogger in 2012.

I've also written about another fact regarding April, which is an observation made by T.S. Eliot: "April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers." 

I was initially reminded (in 2011) of Eliot's quote by a resident of a home where I was doing volunteer work. And indeed in this year of 2016, April has been a cruel month for me, for two persons that I've known since the 1980's have died. I referred to this fact in the post I made this past Tuesday here on Blogger.

By having an interest in people, birds and flora, which are all part of creation that passes away, I am bound to experience the pain of loss, when any living entity passes from this life.

Friday in the Octave of Easter & Arbor Day

Today is Friday in The Octave of Easter; and because it is the last Friday in April, it is also Arbor Day. I've always appreciated Patrick McDonnell's (creator of the Mutts comic strip) "take" re this event and have posted a copy of it atop this entry. As you can see, McDonnell's characters Earl and Mooch seem to know how much birds appreciate trees as evidenced in their planting one, which is appreciated by an avian creature.

I have also planted trees in containers that are in my rooftop garden and have not only been blessed by the beauty they bring to my place; as well as by their often unspoken help to our environment; many birds have come to visit because of them...

Tuesday in the 2019 Octave of Easter

THE STORIES ARE SET IN MY ROOFTOP GARDEN

THE STORIES ARE SET IN MY ROOFTOP GARDEN

It is Tuesday in the Octave of Easter for 2019 and my first day back on Blogger since last Thursday when I notified you, dear reader, that I would be returning to blogging at this time; so, welcome to my 123rd segment of Tuesday's Truths.

I'm not the only one returning to activity: Bees have begun to visit my garden! I have not seen them at my place for years and I'm very grateful for whatever has brought them back! I suspect they like my Muscari which are the purple flowers seen in both images atop this entry.

Sunday's Sentiment: Remembering my Grandfather's Appreciating Trees

My maternal grandfather, Albert Elmer Herman Lewis Melahn, can be seen in an unndated snapshot (directly above) with a tree he had just planted. He died in the mid to late 1970's on this day of January 24th.

Tuesday's Truths WK 41: Honoring Love A Tree Day!

Welcome to week forty-one of my Tuesday's Truths series with a post dedicated to Love a Tree Day,  for, according to Holiday Insights (HI), the event is always celebrated on May16th, which is "several days after Arbor Day." 

I discussed Arbor Day in a recent post here on Blogger; and if you'd like to refer to the entry, please click here. In my Arbor Day blog entry, I mentioned the trees which were once in my rooftop garden, including an Acer shirasawanum (Autumn Moon), as well as a Physocarpus opulifolius (Coppertina).  

In the aforementioned posting, I also discussed the trees which are currently flourishing in my place. These include a bonsai-ed Fig, an Acer palmatum ('Shisitatsu' Sawa), as well as a Crabapple, a Fagus sylvatica (Beech Tree), a Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi); and a 'Tamukeyama' (AKA) Japanese Maple.

The latter of these trees can be seen in the image atop this blog entry. As you can see, the container housing my 'Tamukeyama,' has cracked; so, the tree needs to be repotted. Last week I traveled to Brooklyn to get a replacement clay pot, and I hope it will fit in the stand! I'll find out next week when Juan V comes to my garden to help me maintain it.

Some never get a chance to be May flowers! (This is due to April showers.)

In mid April of this year, I was thrilled to see that the Prairefire crabapple tree (AKA Malus 'Prairfire') which I bought in March of 2016 was flourishing (as evidenced in the photos atop this entry.) And it continued to burst with blooms for a few days as seen below.

However, fifteen days after my tree produced such lovely flowers, NYC, where I live and have my rooftop garden, was the target of heavy rainfall. This occurred for a little over two days in a row with nonstop showers. And April showers took away my potential May flowers!

HEY! HEY! HEY! It's Garden Meditation Day!

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Earlier today I posted my tandem tale for the week and since that time it has been brought to my attention that today is Garden Meditation Day.

According to Holiday Insights (HI), "Per C.L, Fornari, the creator of this special day: Garden meditation day honors the fact that when we're working in the landscape we have the opportunity, if we choose to take it, to let the rest of the world fall away." 

Therefore. in honor of Garden Meditation Day, I've posted an image atop this entry which features a partial view of how my rooftop garden looks on this "holiday."

Arbor Day 2021

I’ve had my dear crabapple tree (a detail from her foliage is featured in the image atop this entry) growing in my garden since March of 2016 and she continues to bring me pleasure. 

This year after a rough winter, she came back in March and I wrote about this fact here on Blogger. Moreover, I published another post about her this past Friday.

She is one of the the four trees growing in my place (the others are a Beech Tree, a Japanese Larch and a Japanese Red Maple).

#ClapBecauseWeCare Session 24 ETC

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

The 24th Session of #ClapBecauseWeCare took place last night (Sunday, April 19th) and through my long camera lens I discovered that someone in a building northwest of me has put a banner (see photo at the top of this entry) on his balcony in support of the on going #ClapBecauseWeCare movement to pay homage to first responders, front liners and essential workers who are keeping everyone as safe as possible during the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amenities In My Garden For Visiting Birds (Including A "Water Cooler")

Juan V was here today to work with me in my rooftop garden. The results of our labor can be seen in an aerial view of my urban garden atop this blog entry. The picture was taken by Juan. Fortunately we finished our work before the severe thunder storm hit NYC. The kiwi vines that wrap around the railing that surrounds my garden were beginning to grip both my Crabapple Tree as well as my Chelsea Larch, which could ultimately have uprooted those trees! I truly needed Juan's help doing this as I'm still recovering from the accident I had in mid May.