We are visited each winter here in the Pacific Northwest by large flocks of Trumpeter Swans. They winter in the delta of the Skagit River near Mount Vernon, Washington. Here are a few photos I took this year of them.

Ever notice that when you are trying to take photos of ducks, geese or swans you mostly get photos of them moving away from you!

Linda purchased red runner pole bean seeds this spring.  Linda selected Red Runner Beans for three reasons:  their height would provide shade for the house, the red blossoms attract humming birds, and the beans are edible.The package said they grow to be 9 to 10 feet tall. She started to germinate them in her greenhouse between two damp towels until  sprouted.

I needed to have a bean trellis built for her before she could  plant the seeds in the ground. The area where she wanted to grow them was on the southeast corner of the house, in an area where we had just removed five evergreen trees that were way too large and too close together.  We also removed three mugo pine that were badly over grown.  This opened up the whole yard to sunlight.

As I  was wondering how in the world I was going to build a trellis 10 feet high, the idea came to me to just use the side of the house as a support. Once this idea came to me it was easy. The netting that Linda purchased at the nursery was 7 feet wide. I had an area 9 feet wide where she wanted to plant her pole beans. I dug three holes the first two 7 feet apart and the third one 2 feet from the second about 18 inches deep. I purchased three 16 foot treated 2″x4″ at the lumber hard.  I put them into the holes, nailed them onto the eves of the roof, back filled the three holes and tamped the dirt.  Next I ran 1″x2″ furring strips up the posts on 24 inch centers. I started the first cross strip 6 inches above the soil.

Plant Netting Material

The netting material was 20 feet long. Linda and I rolled it out on the ground and cut it into two 10 foot pieces. I next stapled the netting onto the frame I had built starting from the top. I put the 7′ x 10′ piece up first. Once it was securely stapled in place I took the other 7′x10′ piece of netting and stapled it onto the remaining 2 foot wide area of the frame. Once the netting was securely stapled in place I  used a pair of scissors and trimmed it to size.

Now that the pole beans are in the ground and the trellis is built I am waiting to watch these beans grow and find out if they really can grow to be 9 feet tall.

Robin

Until recently I would have said no – except for perhaps mentioning that Robins will occasionally come to a fruit feeder with an apple or grapes on it. But, several Robins in our yard are “really” taking a liking to the Hiatt Stake Feeders I fill with live mealworms for the Bluebirds. Note with the nesting season now in full bloom, now is a great time to offer mealworms to Bluebirds. I like the stake feeders as I can place them where I can best view the birds feeding from them.

For many families working in the garden together can help to make that connection with the natural world.  Today’s youth seem more at home sitting in front of a computer or playing a video game and often spend the vast majority of their time there.  How often do you hear kids telling stories of building a fort, or going down to the creek to play in the water or to fish?

I think the youth are not getting involved with nature, not because they do not want to, but because today’s technical lifestyle just does not give them many opportunities to do so. Youth have a curiosity about nature and it is part of their learning experiences. As parents and adults, how often do we help them to explore nature? Sometimes, in today’s world, we hesitate from fear about their safety.

Gardening is a way to encourage children to learn about nature and how things grow. Just having the kids pull weeds is not the way to encourage them to learn. Start at the beginning of the growing process by having them help you prepare the beds, plant the seeds and potted plants.  I have found that using potted plants works the best with the kids. They get to plant them and see the results of their work and not have to wait for the seed to grow.  The kids then enjoy watching the plants that they planted into the ground themselves grow. If you have the room, you could even give them a small area to plant as their own garden.

Take them out with you as you check on the progress of what you and your children have planted. This helps them to feel they are a part of the growing process and to take ownership with you for the garden. As you work together in the garden, you will be listening to them tell you their stories.  And it is a time for you to pass on your own stories and knowledge to them.

Time spent working in the garden together will be remembered for a lifetime, unlike the highest score gotten on a video game. Have fun together and love each other.

Click here to watch a video about kids and gardening.

American Goldfinch

You can enjoy bright yellow goldfinches’ by putting out fresh nyjer thistle.  Finches like to feed in flocks, so have plenty of feeder space available for them. I have a friend who tells me that almost every time he looks out, nearly all 24 feeding slots on his Finches Favorite 3 Tube Copper Bird Feeder are full of Goldfinches.  The same is true for my 36” Yellow Spiral Finch Tube Feeder. Another less expensive way to feed more Finches while they’re brightly colored is to put out several of our inexpensive Songbird Essentials thistle socks. Go for the Gold “Finches” and enjoy the show.