Springtime at the CRFPO

Most folks who work in an industrial park such as ours, look out the window to see well manicured lawns and ornamental shrubs and trees.  And the constant sound of leaf blowers, lawn mowers, sprayers, and hedge trimmers can be heard all of the time.  ALL the time.  Not so much around our building.  We were lucky enough to have a clean slate when we moved in, meaning just dirt around our new building.  That was back in 2004.  We were fortunate enough to convince our landlord that we should plant a completely native garden around our office.  Lori with Bosky Dell Native Plant Nursery was gracious enough to help us with the planning and planting.  

That first year, a killdeer laid eggs in a patch of gravel right outside the door.  That was a sign of good things to come. Since then, I have found numerous nests in the trees and shrubs.  And I have witnessed mother birds taking care of their young as well.  Migratory birds are frequent visitors to our garden.  Hummingbirds can be spotted throughout the year.  A pair of short-tailed weasels were seen outside of my window one year.  I hope to see them again this year.  And talk about rabbits.  They are not an uncommon sight.  They have plenty to eat and nest under the shrubs.  Let's not forget about the bees.  They stay busy pollinating the flowers all spring and summer.

Springtime is a great time around here.  The Oregon grape and high bush cranberry are in full bloom, leaves are budding, and flowers are popping up.  It seems that you can leave for the weekend only to return to a garden in full bloom.  The garden may seem stark right now but you just wait.