Trouble in My Garden This Week

 The knockout roses are blooming, and I have spread mulch in my small garden.

In my last post, I mentioned the stand of blue irises; here it is. It is sad that irises don’t bloom for an extended period.

I also talked about some of the vintage plants in my gardens. Here is one more. My dad’s eldest sister my Aunt Mildred taught fifth grade in the Boston Public Schools. When she retired, she was given this tiny rose bush from a friend. Since my aunt was born in 1903, I’m figuring she must have retired in the late 1960s or early 1970s making this rose at least fifty years old. This mighty, teenie tiny rose still blooms each spring. It was one of the plants I brought home when I sold their house. I’ve moved it twice, and a few times I was sure that it was dead, but it always comes back. :-)

So, my plan this morning was to come home after church, change into my gardening togs, and get busy on my big garden. Yes, indeed, that was the plan when I stepped out all ready to work until I spotted this.

“Hey!” I politely requested, “Get out of my garden; I have work to do.” She didn’t move. While I didn’t mind her admiring my garden, I didn’t want her staying there. I clapped my hands and waved my arms to no avail. Okay, I thought, I’ll get the hose. That didn’t work either. The last thing I wanted was for her to make a nest in my garden especially since the woods are lush and green just beyond my property. It was time to get Emma. I took Emma out on a leash to see if a barking schnauzer would encourage her to vacate the premises. There was a lot of screeching and flapping of wings and barking and Tess Turkey temporarily flew up into a tree. Temporarily, because it was then that I noticed a poult scurrying under a plant. That explained what was going on. How many poults there are I don’t know. They were not there yesterday as I was weeding in that same garden. My neighbor said she saw Tom and Tess Turkey with their babies in my front yard earlier this morning. Lucky Me. 

If they don’t move the little ones, we will have to establish some ground rules. They can stay in my big garden for awhile, but Tess (Isn’t that a cute name for a turkey?) didn’t want me anywhere near MY gardens. She charged when I was about fifteen feet from MY garden beds. I couldn’t even water my hanging plants. (I had planned to buy more mulch tomorrow, but I guess that will have to wait.) It will also mean that Emma will have to be on a leash in HER backyard. I looked it up and found out that baby turkeys are not able to fly for four weeks!!! Cross your fingers that Tom and Tess move the little ones. If they could stroll in my front yard, they could definitely stroll right down into the woods. Good grief!!! Heavens to Betsy!!! The Scottish poet Bobby Burns wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I wonder if he was referring to turkeys and gardeners, too? :-)

Stay safe and keep smiling.