It's a jungle out there!

The front yard at HeartSong Farm was a jungle, recently.  You can barely see the metal roof of the house from this angle!

I started writing this post a month ago and am just now having the time to finish.  When I began, we were still being deluged with rain, rain and more rain, with cloudy, rainy days in the forecast.  In fact,  27.25 inches of rain officially fell in my town center between 1/1/2015 and  4/16/2015, and by now it is close to 40".  I think that probably even more fell on HeartSong Farm.  I bought myself a cute brass and glass rain gauge several years ago, but a week after Ben installed it on the backyard fence, a windstorm toppled the big maple tree over on top of it, and I have not replaced it.  For the time being, I must rely on a co-worker to relay the rain amounts that her husband keeps excellent track of in town.  Good enough.

By mid-April,  the scissor-tail flycatchers had arrived, the first batch of Eastern phoebes had fledged from the clay nest on the front porch, and the grass was as high as an elephant's eye.  When I was much younger, I wanted to live in the jungle for a few weeks, and now, it seems I have gotten my wish.  But, I also wished for a baby elephant and a pet monkey.  I haven't seen those yet! I actually do have algae growing on parts of my car.

All the mud has been appreciated by the barn swallows and phoebes for refurbishing their nests from last year, and for supplying materials for those that need to start brand new.  One afternoon, Ben showed me how some small orange-brown butterflies were landing in the mud in the driveway, taking on moisture before taking off again.  And, for sure, Gloria is loving all the excessive rain. 

Gloria, the bald cypress, flourishing in her modified bog. 

In mid-March, the front yard was coming to life with the warmer temperatures
and all the rain.

Just a few weeks later and we had a jungle of high grass and weeds growing with no 

way to control it without getting stuck in the muddy ground.  Yep, we could actually see 

and hear it growing!

The back yard was the same.  The pastures were lush and the llamas were 
enjoying all the high green stuff.  Quite a salad bar, I suppose.

The vegetable garden area quickly became overgrown with weeds from all the rain.

Looks lush, doesn't it?!  Sadly, the only thing actually planted in the garden on purpose is the garlic.

It appears that I have a big job ahead of  me in the next few weeks.  Luckily, this was not to be a 

year for serious gardening, anyway.  (This is the year of finishing projects already started!)

The old rose garden in the front yard was overgrown like everything else.

The old rose garden is made up of rogusa roses now. The tea roses that were here when I bought
the farm became neglected those first years, and all but Mr. Lincoln have returned to their root 
base, rogusa.  I rather love them, though! 

Taking a walk down the driveway towards the mailbox and highway, I stroll under the shady

canopy of several huge hackberry trees.  Not my favorite specie of tree, but they sure do provide

some nice shade in the heat and humidity of the East Texas summers.

Along the way, I pass the English dogwood that has also enjoyed all the

 extra rains early this year.

The lovely blossoms of the English dogwood, which also goes by the name
"mock orange."

One of the old hackberry trees along the driveway. There are lots of iris
growing around its base, but they need to be dug up and replanted where

there is more sun as they have not bloomed for several years.  Will put 
that on my "To  Do List".

Out front by the highway stands the largest of my two fig trees.  Last year, it produced 

the best crop ever after getting lots of rain in the Spring.  Hopefully, the rain of this Spring 

will give me an even more abundance of figs.  Yum!

Of course, with all the rain, fire ant hills have popped up all over the place

and you really have to watch your step.  I appreciate how these little varmints 

aerate the soil when building their mounds, but it really isn't enough to forgive 

those stinging bites they are so quick to deliver!

Hidden in the tall grasses, some purple bearded irises do have enough sunshine 
to bloom.  I want to dig them up, though, and place them in a garden where
they will be able to get more sun and much more attention in the future.

This perky little flower is a Japanese iris that I brought with me from my 
home in Connecticut.  

The water continues to stand and accumulate in the front and back yards, making it difficult to get

the grass cut with our lawn tractor for way too long.  

At the driveway entrance to the house, the two Lady Banks roses that we
had to severely prune in February are coming back with lots of vigor!  Way
to grow, Kate and Bess!

The climbing rose at the entrance to the back yard across from the veggie
garden has bloomed more profusely than it ever has with the abundant rain.

In fact, there were blooms way up into the crepe myrtle tree and lots of new growth for future blooms!

On the back porch, the question was when will the tadpoles become frogs?!  It's a Big Mystery!

There is one little fella who has gotten his hind legs!

The rains stopped, eventually, and we were finally able to fix the lawn tractor and get the majority of the front and back yards mowed.  All it took was a bit of duct tape! Well, duh!  Isn't that usually the case?!

After so many weeks of rain, things were finally beginning to dry up here.  And then, right this very moment, it is raining once again for the next several days.  With all the storm damage and tornadoes just north of us, we really must be grateful here on HeartSong Farm!