Monday, April 25, 2011
More gable and landscape work
Here's the new gable end that matches the dormer swallow-cotes. This one doesn't have bird houses in it because its purpose is to cover the peak vent. The bottom is actually louvered.
This is my bog garden "rain gutter" planter. If you click on the picture above, you can see two planters on the patio. Both sit under an area where the roof drains to the ground. The planters have an overflow (in the center back on this one) that allows the planter to fill up to the surface with water before the overflow drains into a pipe that runs under the patio. This planter has some local swamp plants, including common rush, maiden fern, etc. Some will flower and some not. No skunk cabbage.
Here's the other planter. Cattail, white water-buttercup and some stuff that will have to flower before I'll be able to tell what it is. There was a little frog in the planter, but I didn't think it would get enough to eat. Hope the raccoons stay out of this.
This is how the system drains. 
This is beach paintbrush. It's not supposed to be north of Oregon, but I brought some up from our beach.
The brain mushrooms are up. They are similar to a false morel. Usually listed as "edible with caution." Yeah, right.
Some little jelly cups.
This is Heart-leaved Twayblade. The flowers aren't in very good focus, but it's an orchid. The distinctive "tongue, lip, or beard" of the orchid is forked. It's one of the orchids that smell is intended to smell of death to attrack flies and knats. Good thing the flowers are so tiny (about the size of a sesame seed). Elves and fairies reportedly harvest twayblade because eating it gives them their incredible night vision. Too bad it's toxic to humans.
This is Heart-leaved Twayblade. The flowers aren't in very good focus, but it's an orchid. The distinctive "tongue, lip, or beard" of the orchid is forked. It's one of the orchids that smell is intended to smell of death to attrack flies and knats. Good thing the flowers are so tiny (about the size of a sesame seed). Elves and fairies reportedly harvest twayblade because eating it gives them their incredible night vision. Too bad it's toxic to humans.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Swallow houses
The swallows showed up a few weeks ago and are now looking for homes. A swallow went in one of my existing boxes, so it's time for my bird habitat project. It's a variation of a traditional dove cote ("home") placed in a gable, in this case, for the dormer gables. Originally, this type of cote would be accessed from inside the home or the the attic and the eggs taken out. Like quail and chickens, doves tend to keep laying and don't notice that the number of eggs doesn't increase. I'm making mine for swallows (and won't be harvesting the eggs.) On the right you can see that the innerds are divided into three compartments. On the left is the cover with the access holes for the swallows. The cover is "half timbered" and even has a green stucco finish to match the house.
The compartments are attached to the facia board in the peak of the dormer. Then the cover is attached.
Here's a close-up of the installation.
If you click on this picture a couple of times, you can zoom in. For the larger gables, one will get a larger "swallow cote" or maybe an "owl cote." The other will get a the same design, but it will be a "bat cote."
Monday, April 04, 2011
Landscaping with native plants (and stumps)
Here is my view of the water before any trees were trimmed.
Here's the start of my native landscaping. The stump was cut off and moved to location along with sword ferns, deer ferns, rattlesnake plantain, rhododendron, manzanita, dogwood, bear grass and lots of types of moss. Click on the picture a few times for more detail.
Here's my new view. The tree in the forground (with a kink in it and a tree swallow box just above the kink) will be removed an used as this winter's fire wood. I just haven't had a chance to cut it down.
Now I can actually see my beach.
Click on this picture a few times to see me cutting off the top of this hemlock. A couple of trees were taken down completely. This hemlock had madronas on both sides, so it could not just be felled as there wasn't a place to drop it without it hanging up in the madronas. It had to come down in pieces after all the branches were removed.
