The snow that fell over the past couple of days has brightened the landscape.  It has covered the brown, sand covered banks left by the sanding trucks and snowplows.  I've been waiting for more snow to arrive and now that it finally has, I found it rather funny that I was looking at photos of my garden from 2015.

I think that happened because the gardening magazines are beginning to arrive and the Facebook posts from gardening sites are becoming more frequent.

June 20

Looking through the photos brought back some great memories from last summer.  My favorite little birds, the ruby throated hummingbirds, came from the south at the end of May and stayed until September.  They provided hours and hours of entertainment at the bean teepee and the nectar feeders.

For many years I have planted scarlet runner beans to attract the hummers.  They love the bright red flowers that the plants produce.  In the first years of planting, I grew them on a trellis but since installing

July 21

the raised garden beds, I've created a teepee from wood stakes.  It provides support for the beans and creates a shady spot for the backyard cat to sleep.  I situate the teepee in the bed closest to the deck so I can have a great view of the action.  It helps to have hops growing on the deck rail.  The vine creates a blind for me to sit behind so the hummers cannot see me.

The beans are fast growing and need minimal care.  The hummers, bees/wasps and butterflies have a smorgasbord of food for the summer when the plants begin to bloom and I have a daily dose of relaxing entertainment that I enjoy immensely.

I've posted a number of hummingbird photos on my Facebook page.  Check out https://www.facebook.com/Ramblings-of-an-Outdoor-Girl-1015659961820012/?ref=bookmarks