Saturday, February 26, 2011

Snowdrops on a mole hill

I mentioned a week or so ago that the moles in our back yard had dug up some of the snowdrops that I planted last fall. Well, the moles may have dug the snowdrops up, but they didn't dig them out. Does that make sense? At any rate, the bulbs are blooming on top of the mole hills. Amazing!

Snowdrops blooming on the slopes of Mole Mountain.

Once they stop blooming I will get out there and re-insert them below ground. Spring is when I level the mole hills so that I can cut the grass. It will be an opportune time to get the bulbs back below ground where they can continue to live and be ready for next year.

A pair of twins.

The snowdrops are nice to see in the late winter. They are a harbinger of spring. I was disappointed when the moles dug them up, but now that they've bloomed in spite of being transplanted and disturbed, I'm feeling much better.

More snowdrops. They're called perce-neige in French.

Moles are carnivores. They eat larvae and worms and don't have any appetite for roots or bulbs. They also aerate the soil, so they're good for the garden. They just have this nasty habit of throwing up big dirt piles all around.

13 comments:

  1. Oh my! You are a solid 4 weeks ahead of us in your growing season. Is that a good omen or bad?

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  2. So are the mounds just a by-product of the moles looking for food in the soil?

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  3. Mole??? Mole....isn't that the stuff on the enchiladas??

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  4. As an avid gardener, I was feeling your pain when you thought the moles had destroyed the snowdrops. So glad that they're blooming!

    BettyAnn

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  5. Cheryl and A Lewis, very good :)))

    Walt, lovely photos. I'm glad for you and these snowdrops!

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  6. The first picture is strange because it looks more like a painting than a photo.

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  7. The shot labeled "More snowdrops. They're called perce-neige in French." is breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
    Abby

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  8. Lovely shots, Walt!

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  9. Spring is just around the corner - at least for you! Our low this morning (7:19 a.m.) was 19 degrees. It was predicted that we would beat the old record of 18.
    I'm ready for warmer weather... brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. And seeing the Snowdrops and Crocus!

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  10. leon, thanks!

    cubby, our climate is much more temperate than where you are. Winters are pretty mild.

    diogenes, they tunnel extensively; the mounds are the dirt they take out when digging tunnels.

    alewis, not for vegetarians...

    bettyann, I'm happy, too.

    cheryl, I'd like it if some of those moles were holey, as in dead.

    judy, ;)

    starman, hmmmmm...

    abby, thanks!

    ginny, merci!

    mary, it's getting colder again here, but I don't think it will be too bad.

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  11. Ohhhh!! Spring! Yay!! I'll be back to France in 18 days from now.. Hold those flowers for me!!

    Leese

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