Where's the snow? I woke up this morning at 5am like a third grader and peeked out the window to see how much white stuff we had gotten.....NOTHING!!!??? Seems to be story of our lives the last few years; folks to the south and north get the winter wonderland and we're left wondering what did we do to deserve this? (At least that's what my boys were thinking when they got up this morning- no doubt they had the day planned out in their heads: throw snowballs, play video games, eat- repeat till dark). Oh well, life goes on in the garden, snow or no snow. The stream in our "under-construction" wildlife garden is almost complete. Come by next week to see it flowing-probably Thursday or Friday. Planting will begin soon after, with a heavy dose of Viburnums, Hawthorns, Hollies, and other bird and insect attractors. We also have a new feeding station near the Pitcher Plant bridge (just south of the Endangered Species garden). The bridge has footrests for sitting and watching the birds and other wildlife come to eat and drink. My Blomquist crystal ball also tells me that in the next month on this blog will debut the Blomquist Botanical Cinema (BBC). Short informational movies produced by and starring yours truly (I got the bug in"L'il Abner" in junior high, and i've been looking for an avenue back to the stage ever since). The subject matter will be ecologically eclectic, with a heavy dose of Invasive Species management, Endangered Species education, and Gardening for Wildlife. Just remember, we have no makeup artists here at the Duke Gardens, so please no comments about my hairdo, etc.

Oh yes, just a heads up- the March 5th "Walk on the Wild Side" tour in the Blomquist Garden will focus on the early botanists who helped identify many of our native plant species, with an introduction to botanical latin thrown in to help us speak their language. Hope to see you there.