Today is LOOK FOR AN EVERGREEN DAY!

Today, December 19th, is a holiday! Everyone in the know, which is surely you, dear reader, is aware of what this date signifies. According to a number of sources, today is called Look for An Evergreen Day! Both Holiday Insights and Melinda Meyers state that December 19th is National Look for an Evergreen Day. Meyers advises her readers not to "worry if (they) already have (their) holiday tree; (and to) take advantage of this unique holiday (by going) outside and (looking) at the evergreens in (their) neighborhood."

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.

My rescue tree rescued me.

THE STORIES IN MY BOOK SERIES ARE SET  MY GARDEN

Twas the night before the night before Christmas; and I found myself disappointed about having no tree. For the past several years, I've had one in my rooftop garden and in a number of cyber venues, (including posts here on Blogger), I have discussed how I've decorated it with white lights as well as  bird feeders.

I think my not having a tree when it was the night before the night before Christmas would have come as a surprise to Juan V, because the last time that he was here to help me do our winterizing ritual in my garden, he firmly predicted that I would get one. He even left a space for a Christmas tree with an easy to access a power cord to use for any lights that I might hang on it. All of this can be seen in the image atop this entry.

The thought of having no Christmas tree for the array of wild birds who visit here and who have used my various Christmas trees to keep warm over the years made me sad. And I dare say that members of the avian community have come to count on it.

My rescue tree was fit to be tied (sort of). Wednesday's Wisdom

Yesterday was Boxing Day and a woman who lives in the building directly across the courtyard from me came over to my place with her friend who has traveled to NYC for the Christmas holidays. They helped me string lights on the Christmas tree which I have in my rooftop garden. (This tree is a rescue as I mentioned in a recent entry here on Blogger.)

The results of their welcome labor can be seen in the photo atop this entry. I've affixed a red arrow (left) to the image to indicate a plug (right) that leads to a power source which will accommodate the lights on my tree topper. I hope to put it up in the coming days, but first I need to find a way to secure it to the tree because it gets very windy in my garden.

UPDATE on my "rescue tree."

It's the last day of 2017, and, as I stated in my early morning blog entry, I will be publishing a few postings today. This day marks seven days since I rescued an abandoned Christmas tree (which was in a stand) from the streets of NYC during the morning of Christmas Eve.

I "reported" this news here on Blogger, after I found the abandoned tree. I also published a follow up post about this. However, it was only yesterday, six days after my find, that I realized a "chunk" was missing from the bottom of my "find." This is indicated by the red arrow (right) which is affixed to the two images atop this post. Both pictures feature my tree (standing in my rooftop garden) after the snow "landed" on it yesterday, making the missing branches noticeable.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

The last time I posted here on Blogger was 12-5-13, twenty days before Christmas, and, now it is already the sixth day of Christmas, a day when someone's true love gave to them among other things) six geese a laying . . ."

While I do have a true love, he did not give me six geese a laying, but my visiting crocodile (pictured above with six Christmas trees atop his back) reminded me that on this sixth day of Christmas, I do not need six geese a laying because in the main room of my studio apartment, I have six Christmas trees a standing . . .  

My crocodile is correct, for in the main room of my apartment, I do have six trees a standing. Three of them are in my armoire as seen in the image below.

And you may recall, dear reader, (from previous posts here on Blogger), members of casts of characters "hung" out for the Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons in my armoire for it has become a place where whimsical characters have designated as a place to meet 'n greet, to network with one another, and to save me from taking myself too seriously.

The Lighting of the Actinida Kolomikta and Actimidia (Kiwi Vines) Soirée: Alternative to Crowded Tree and Menorah Lighting Celebrations

Happy December! There are so many celebrations this month, in New York City: many tree and menorah lighting events mark the onset of Advent, Chanukah, and Christmas.

This past Friday, November 26th, 2010, the Friday after Thanksgiving, (which I referred to as Blue Friday in a previous post), the South Street Seaport had a ceremony for the lighting of their Christmas Tree beginning at 6:00 PM. 

The sportscaster, Jill Martin, played hostess to the festivities, which included a marching band from Brooklyn, characters from the Big Apple Circus, and jolly old Saint Nick. I'm told that Saint Nick posed for photos at no charge while performers who included Darlene Love and The Big Apple Chorus sang traditional holiday songs; and they were even joined by Rudolph (with his nose oh-so-bright) as well as Frosty The Snowman.

Wednesday's Wisdom Perching Birds' Footwork

The images atop this blog post have to do with an exotic Canadian Palm tree that I've had in my rooftop garden since Christmas time. The first picture is one that you may recognize as I included it in a prior entry here on Blogger, and it was taken before any snow fell for the 2016-2017 winter season.

You might also recognize the second and third photographs as they are included in an entry here on Blogger that I published this past January. The "traditional" Christmas tree seen in the third image (towards the top in the center) was taken down in February, but my Canadian Palm Tree is still standing in the southwest corner of my rooftop garden.

I got both of the trees from Sébastien, who can be seen in the image below,

on the left side of the photo, and he proclaimed that the Canadian Palm tree along with all the (Christmas trees he sells) is Gluten Free.

The trees were delivered to me by way of his cart,

and I requested that he leave the tag (stating EXOTIC CANADIAN PALM TREE) intact. My request has proven to be good for my visiting birds, for a number of them have used the palm tree's tag as a place to perch while enjoying suet from a basket-like bird feeder that I've hung on that tree, as evidenced by the photos below.

I'm having a BLUE Pre-Christmas Season.

THE STORIES ARE SET IN MY GARDEN

For the past five years I've had a Christmas tree in my rooftop garden. I've always decorated my Christmas tree with lights and have hung ornaments that are bird feeders filled with suet which I replenish on a frequent basis.

My standard has been to put up a Christmas tree anytime between December twelfth and December seventeenth, then leave it standing until mid February. This way the array of wild birds who visit my garden will have a place to keep warm during the coldest winter months as they nosh. The Christmas tree seen in the picture atop this entry is the one I had last year.

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.

Is Spring of 2013 FINALLY, FINALLY springing? (PART TWO of FIVE) ASK MY SIX TREES

Welcome to part two of my series (which I introduced in this past Friday's post here on Blogger) where the "things" I grow will answer the question: Is Spring of 2013 FINALLY, FINALLY springing?

Today my six trees and I will weigh in with their answers and we'll begin with the opinions of my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi) followed by the thoughts of my 'Tamukeyama' (AKA Japanese Maple).

Then (in no particular order) my Lemon-Lime Cypress Twins, Acer palmatum ('Shisitatsu' Sawa) as well as my Acer shirasawanum (Autumn Moon) and my Fagus sylvatica (Beech Tree) will join the convo.

So without furthur ado, here's part two!

My surviving larch can be seen within the square imposed over a cropped aerial view of my garden (an image taken by Juan V) and I refer it to it as my surviving larch, for my other larch succumbed to a heat wave this past July, which is still a loss being mourned in my garden!

"another year over AND a new one just begun . . . " PART TWO-J (December 2012 — January 5, 2013)

Today's entry here on Blogger is part two-J of a series of posts pertaining to a year-end review for special occurrences in my urban garden for the year 2012 (the schedule for this series is described in part one as well as part two-A of this topic), and this particular post is also the conclusion of my series; in it I will be covering the "events" in my garden from December 1st 2012 through January 5th 2013.

The beginning of the month of December 2012 brought with it the return of Cam, my lone female cardinal visitor, who can be seen in the picture — as she appeared upon return — atop today's blog entry.

Where have all the peonies gone?

In my last entry here on Blogger, I departed from my "usual" rhetoric of giving voice to the array of birds that visit the "things" which grow in my urban (NYC) garden (the garden pictured above in an aerial view taken by Juan V exactly one week and one day ago), to offer a "report" on Bike New York's Five Boro Bike Tour.

Today, I return to my "normal" content, and so much has happened since my last recollections of "garden events" (which I have chronicled in detail in a five part series of posts here on Blogger that began on April 26th 2013 and ended on May 2nd 2013). You may refer to this series by clicking on the various links for part one, part two, part three, part four and part five.

In terms of "happenings" in Juan V's image, there have been significant changes in the "lives" of the "things" which grow in my garden, including the fate of my Paeonia suffruiticosa's  (Tree Peony) — whose awesome white flowers can be seen in the lower right hand corner of Juan's image — fate.

Pinecones and Cardinals Spend Time With my Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi)

 I have a couple of newcomers to my garden: Pinecones!

They are on my Larix Kaempferi! 

A partial view of this evergreen tree can be seen in the image atop this entry.

Close-ups of the pinecones who have made their home in her branches can be seen in the next two images. 

I was so intrigued by the presence of these pinecones that I researched on pinecones and found lots of interesting content.

".........and lifts her leafy arms to pray......." (A Reprise of Joyce Kilmer)

I think that I shall never see,

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray:

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair:

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Yes, I have used this poem in a previous post , but that was a different season and a different tree.This tree, my Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Tamukeyama' is a red-leaf cultivator, which grows in my urban (NYC) rooftop garden.

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).

"another year over AND a new one just begun . . . " PART ONE

GARDEN WINTERIZED AND HOLIDAY DECOR 2011-2012

GARDEN WINTERIZED AND HOLIDAY DECOR 2012-2013

Today is the first Saturday of 2013! The date is January the Fifth, the Eve of Epiphany, which is also the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and it is the day I've chosen for my urban garden's 2012 year in review as well as a great opportunity for me to return here to Blogger after not posting since "the Monday after Thanksgiving," as I have been contending with some health issues as discussed briefly on TLLG's tumblr and Facebook venues.

I realize that most accountings of a given "year in review" take place in late December of the year being reviewed; but since this review will solely be dedicated to my urban garden, I have chosen this particular date, because last year on this day, Juan V came over to help me complete my garden winterizing for the winter of 2012! Hence January the 5th 2012 through January the 5th 2013 was the last full year in my garden!

"A Bird's Eye View"

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOK SERIES

This "bonus" entry (unscheduled, "A Bird's Eye View," is in honor of this day being the first Sunday after 2019's Feast Day of Saint Francis, patron saint of animals (especially birds) and patron saint of those who love animals (especially birds). 

Churches (of all denominations) throughout the world hosted The Blessing of the Animals on his actual feast day but many (including The church of Saint John the Divine in NYC) will be holding that ceremony today.

The male and female Northern cardinals seen in the photographs directly above have a bird's eye view from within the tree tops of Central Park.

This bird type is featured in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Additionally this avian variety is the inspiration for a collection of greeting cards which can be found within my pages on Fine Art America's web-site.

AVAILABLE ON FINE ART AMERICA

Friday Follow Up: "Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ...."

The nearly one year old photo atop this entry features Christmas tree sellers from Gaspé, Quebec, Canada; and it is one I featured in my Christmas Day post for 2017.

I'm including it again within this entry because I've reconnected with JM, the woman in the middle of this image.

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.