Crow’s Nest: Winter waning

The red-winged blackbirds are active in the cattail swamp. The wood frogs are calling from a vernal pool in the woods, even a few cold peepers are tentatively calling.

You might have been tempted to do some gardening this weekend, and will be again later this week. Just make sure the ground is dry enough to be disturbing the soil; chances are that it is not yet. We only planted in the raised bed that was under the cold frame all winter—so much drier than the others—then we put the cold frame back on. I spent some time working on upgrading the garden fence to be rabbit proof. Last summer the rabbits were relentless and easily slipped between the pickets of the fence even as they jumped over the lower part that was reinforced with mesh.

I see witchhazels blooming in people’s yards, but they are varieties of the native Hamamelis vernalis or the non-native H. mollis. What we have growing naturally in the woods here at the preserve is H. virginiana which blooms in the fall.

Posted by Daniel Barringer on March 5, 2012.