The first few photos are for Bogie, with a plea that she help me apply a name to a plant that we last decided was "The Magic Plant". This plant has been growing in about the same spot for about 15 years, I think, and I have misidentified it variously as basil or as sage for several years. On a winter holiday visit, Bogie corrected my identification. This past winter holiday visit, Bogie changed her identification of the plant. I no longer recall what the identifications Bogie made were; but, perhaps these photos of the plant in bloom will help her tie it down. Obviously, since the only time Bogie gets to come visit us is during the winter, she hasn't had the benefit of seeing the plant in any other season.
The whole bush - that came up from a small section of the original bush's roots, most of which was hacked out/dug up when the back porch/deck was replaced two and one-half years ago. It seems to me that, in the past, the flowers were a deeper purple; but, I do <i>not</i> remember colors at all well.

Closer look at a stem with blossoms

I'm sure that Bogie recalls that the stems are square, that the leaves are velvety and opposing, and that the leaves are on different sides of the stem as one moves up or down the stem. That is, if one set of leaves is on the left and right sides of the stem, the adjacent set of leaves is on the front and back sides of the stem. The symmetry and placement of the sets of blossoms are like those of the leaves; opposing, and adjacent sets on differing sides of the stem. When crushed, the leaves release a spicy scent. (Which reminds me that I think Bogie mentioned lavender?) Or, how about catmint - except - the original bush grew to quite a large size, so maybe not; but, I recall buying catmint seeds one year. (But, I always thought this plant grew from a pot - albeit, I remembered it as being some sort of basil; but, it made dreadful pesto!)
After Hunky Husband mowed the lawn the other day; and after I mowed along the "new" edge of the woods (after taking out trees that had formed the "old" edge of the woods); and after Adam trimmed along his fence; and after I trimmed around trees, daffodils, and marking flags, I took some photos to record such a stupendous occasion. The marking flags, btw, keep HH from mowing full-tilt over the roughly eroded area of the lawn at the "old" edge of the woods.
The pole in the midst of the daffodil plants is there to support a hummingbird feeder. I've put it out there so as not to have to move it when the handyman starts painting the house later this month. Tomorrow, I'll move the two other poles that support peanut, sunflower seed, and safflower seed feeders. We've not yet seen a hummingbird and I'm beginning to worry. Most years, I think, at least one has arrived by now - flying up and bobbing just outside our living room window or breakfast room sliding door if I have failed to have a feeder awaiting her arrival.


Yesterday, I installed a new, 100' garden hose at the front water spigot and another at the back water spigot. The one in back replaced three of the four lengths of hose that I had strung together last fall in order to water the new gingko trees in back. It turns out that I had misjudged how long those three lengths amounted to. The new hose plus the longest of the old hoses must add up to 175' instead of 200' (I haven't checked.) They barely stretched far enough when I watered the trees, today - and - they did not reach the walnut that is inside the wood, transplanted there three years ago.
The house finch babies have fledged from the nest in the miniature swing that hangs from the ceiling of the front porch and the bluebird babies seem to have fledged from the bluebird nesting box; but, we failed to catch any of them in the process, this year. Yesterday, when I started to water the houseplants that are in their summer home on our front porch (using the new hose in front), I was startled when I flushed a bird from the upper plant. I won't bother the bird to get photos of its nest; but, I'm sure it's a Carolina wren nesting there. I posted photos of one such nest back in 2012, two photos of which I repeat, below.
The nest - doesn't look like much from the outside

The eggs - found by peering down the tube of the nest

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