Friday

1 May 09

Weather
Mostly cloudy, warmer, good chance of rain

Current Yard Animals
Male & female cardinals, goldfinch, sparrows, house finch

Of Note
About that wren I mentioned yesterday, apparently the male builds a few starter nests in different locations, then gives the female a tour. If she likes one, he's the guy, the chosen nest will be finished, and she'll settle down and lay her eggs. If not, she finds a better provider.

I left a plate of mealworms under the birdhouse to make the male wren look good. I'm his wingman.

Last night I filed the edges of the eight pumpkin seeds I've chosen to grow. They're Dill's Atlantic Giants arrived with what appeared to be a coating a fertilizer. Or magical dust!



The edges are filed to allow quicker penetration of moisture, and also to help the leaves more easily exit the shell. You don't file the point; that's where the all-important embryo is. After filing, I soaked the seeds in water for two hours and planted them, point down, in peat pots filled with Miracle Grow seed-starter potting soil. Gave them water, took them upstairs to a sunny window, and here they sit:



Now I wait for germination. In a week or two, once the plants are up and growing, I'll transport the pots to the yard. In the meantime, I added some 5-15-5 fertilizer to the bed. (The 5-15-5 is the ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium.)

Word
Insouciant: marked by blithe unconcern

Book
Backyard Giants by Susan Warren

Music
Handel's Ariodante

Today's U.S. State Capital Is
Frankfort, Kentucky