Cold day, and getting colder. We're looking at 10 degrees or so for a low tonight, which for us is pretty #$#$ cold. The birds are on overdrive at the feeders today in the garden, trying to put on a few ounces of fat before hunkering down for the night. I counted eleven species at the Bird Viewing Shelter during a five minute period, plus a plethora of squirrels squabbling over what they could scrounge. For those of you who may not visit the Blomquist garden often, we now have binoculars and field guides you can check-out from the visitor's center here at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. In a short time, you can become pretty farmiliar with our usual suspects at the Bird Viewing Shelter or anywhere in the Gardens.

Our new year in the garden kicked off this past week with our new series of monthly walks in the Blomquist Garden. On the first Thursday of each month, you can meet me at the Blomquist gatehouse for a one hour tour through the garden. We'll discuss topics pertinent to the gardening season or the current news cycle as it relates to native plants and native plant habitats. Please join us!