robin | Deanna Greens and Garden Art

The May weather has been gorgeous! Gardens and yards are popping with colors and textures. The lovely peonies and irises just opened this week. I have spent a few mediative minutes each day in my garden, planting, plucking dead foliage and blooms as well as watering. And of course, time to “cast my cares upon Him”. My mother’s favorite were purple petunias. I added some to one of my planters today to remember my mother this season. Our green perennials have perked up with the fresh sunlight, air, and rainwater. Our freshly potted herbs are thriving. This growing season we planted several varieties of mint, oregano, thyme, marjoram, sage, and basil. The basil is the lemon variety, and I hope to add that to my lemon tea bread recipe this summer. I will be hosting a workshop on the essence of lemon and herbs, sharing my lemon tea bread recipe, and how to write a block-out poem using a recipe. This will be held at a local farm. More information on the workshop is forthcoming.

Our resident fledgling robins made their way out of their nest over the weekend. We see Mama Robin flitting around at the edge of retaining wall and bushes between our house and the next-door neighbor church. Her little ones are under cover while they develop their wings and learn to feed themselves. The nest has been empty since Sunday. Robins will have another brood this season, so Dean and I thought to move the nest off our front door basket and fill the basket with something welcoming like a small ornamental birdhouse. But the nest was interwoven with the flowers, greenery, and moss basket. Dean found a huge piece of concrete to put in the nest. I searched for something a little less bulky. I found a couple of rocks at the dollar store, one says “love” and the other says “peace”. A clear message to Mama Robin to please find another place to lay your eggs and hatch your next brood. Plenty of trees and niches in our yard for Mama and Daddy Robin to build their next nest. We need our front door to be accessible. Peace and Love to all mothers, mothers in waiting, and those who love like a mama!

“We can love because He first loved us!”
1 John 4:19

Nesty nature these spring days. In two weeks’ time a pair of robins have claimed the moss basket with fake flowers and the attached metal art “welcome” sign placed on the front door. The pair have made their nest and have laid two eggs in it so far. All this going on unknown to Dean and I until today. This discovery comes after a beautiful weekend of Easter egg hunts, goodie making, and a park side picnic amongst the green carpet and dainty purple blooms. I wasn’t on an egg hunt this morning. Dean said we shouldn’t move the nest at this time. Even after my discovery I spotted momma robin laying on her nest keeping the eggs warm. Those neighborhood critters, cats, hawks, and owls better stay away! What a lovely few weeks it is going to be as these eggs hatch into hatchlings, and then fledglings get onto their new life like those grandbabies! I will be on watch every chance I get.