Ode to the Lot Next Door

My garden has probably wondered what has become of me.  To tell you the truth, I haven't been out gardening/taking photos/otherwise adoring my garden for quite some time.  I have a couple excuses, the first of which is... it's been rather noisy out there for the past few months.

The empty lot next to us sold, and the air has been filled with the sounds of trucks going to and fro, the vibration of air compressors, the sharp staccato of nail guns and, well, you can imagine.  Gardening has not been quite the tranquil experience as usual.

what the lot next to us used to look like

It is sad to loose the woods next to our house.  The wooded lot was home to several tall Oak trees, a couple of Sweetgums, and some beautiful native Dogwoods.  I tried to transplant one of the little Dogwoods that would have been mowed over, but to no avail.

Dogwood blossoms

Over the past couple years I enjoyed trying to identify various native plants that grew there.

Top:  Mockingbird inspecting the berries of a Pokeweed plant
Bottom:  Deerberry in bloom, the flowers of Hearts a'Bustin

One of my favorite things about living next to this wooded lot was how it attracted birds.  It was always filled with Nuthatches, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and Woodpeckers, among others.  For quite some time, a Red-headed Woodpecker seemed to reside there, constantly perching on a particular branch, pecking about and chattering its distinctive vocalizations.

the Red-headed Woodpecker on its favorite perch

As much as I enjoyed the wildlife and the woods, however, I do have to admit that I am rather glad they have finally built on this lot.  One of the reasons this lot attracted so many Woodpeckers and other birds was - many of the trees were dead or diseased.  I suspect that the same disease that plagued so many of my Oak trees also ran rampant in the lot next door.  Every time we got a storm, I feared that one of these trees would collapse onto our roof.

a Downy Woodpecker on a leaning tree

So I am glad to have the construction almost over, and maybe my poor garden will see a little more of me...

Whoa.. hello newly-built house!  Privacy screenings have been planted.. check!

... but this was only the first of my excuses for not being in the garden for the last while.  You will have to stay tuned for the next post, which will be about my second excuse, and the post I never thought I'd write...