Garden 29 Jun 2005 06:37 pm
garden update: crocosmia and hummingbirds
Today we got some rufous hummingbirds in the crocosmia. One came and fed for several minutes before another one drove it off. I like hummingbirds because they’re tiny and aggressive; I suppose I can identify with that. They remind me of some tropical fish. And also like me, they live at the edge of their energy envelopes.
I’d like some more crocosmia. It’s a very handsome plant.
It’d be fun to plant a few things with just the bees and hummingbirds in mind. They like many of the same things I like, anyway — jasmine, honeysuckle, lavender…
I may not be getting many plums this year, but the plum tree seems to be growing bushtits instead. There were easily forty of them in the tree the other day. The whole tree seemed to be sparkling as the leaves quivered in the sunlight.
In out-and-about news, it was great to see Carol at Espresso Ulysses today. All you Seattle coffee-drinkers would do well to go there and try an Espresso Ambrosia. It is divine. It is also more caffeine than I’ve had at one go in a very long time, which was exciting. (”Whee!! Wow!! Whee!! Wow!! …ZZZzzzz.”)
on 29 Jun 2005 at 9:16 pm 1.Mia said …
Yay birds!
(I think I’m required to have one “yay birds” post somewhere.
on 30 Jun 2005 at 12:16 am 2.Cam Sculpin said …
(I’m glad you fulfilled that requirement here.) Yay birds!
Most birds, anyway. I exclude Josh’s parents’ terrifying cockatiel. It is a feathery finger-guided missile. For that bird, I am hard put to Yay.
on 30 Jun 2005 at 7:04 pm 3.Peter P said …
Hi Sculpin: We have the very same crocosmia, and very same hummingbirds, here is Seattle. They are freakin’ amazing, as they divebomb, and helicopter, and hover, and wheel. I just love them. So does my man.
on 16 Jul 2005 at 9:55 am 4.paul said …
So I saw a hummer in my backyard yesterday: reminded me to refill the feeder (/me puts that on his to do list).
They are surprisingly aggressive little things, almost belligerent: they fear nothing, it seems.