No, dear neighbors and passersby, I have not been turned to stone like Lot's wife.  Nor have I taken to meditation, doing my statue pose in front of my kitchen window.  If you passed by my home this morning and wondered at the silhouette in the window, it was just me, quietly watching my new hanging plant.  

After losing the "battle" yet again last year with nesting birds and expensive hanging plants, I opted for an inexpensive pot of impatiens from Home Depot this year.  I also found this charming wire basket on sale, which dresses up the humble plastic pot.  And as expected, it hadn't been up for more than a few hours before I witnessed the first turf war...two mama cardinals each took up residence on opposite sides of the pot, and after they noticed each other, had a rather alarming duel outside the window!  And while they were flapping and darting at each other, a cozy little sparrow hopped in the basket and made herself at home.  So this morning, I spent a long time quietly watching at the window to see if I could identify the "winner"...every so often the basket would shake so I knew my new tenant was home, but I have yet to figure out if baby cardinals or baby sparrows will grow in the shelter of my front porch basket.  I'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, here are two Emily Dickinson garden poems for your enjoyment.  In case you ever wondered, Emily only gave a very few of her poems titles, so most of them are now either given numbers or categorized into collections by subject.  These are two of her "nature" poems.

 
There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields—
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!  

Nature rarer uses yellow

Than another hue;

Saves she all of that for sunsets, —

Prodigal of blue,

Spending scarlet like a woman,

Yellow she affords

Only scantly and selectly,

Like a lover's words.