we actually got some snow!

And yes, the yard is a mess. That was horse pasture when we moved in , and the upper edge never did get beaten down. It has become a haven for wildlife including birds throughout the year, deer during hunting season, bunnies galore , and for 3 wonderful years running a gray fox family that I sincerely miss.So a mess it remains- a tangled area of blackberries, awful rugosa and viburnum ( which are ok because they are native). They are slowly being taken over  by honeysuckle bushes which I loathe. I am attempting to plant more native bushes such as beautyberries and itea , also known as Virginia sweet spire I believe. This spring I am going to try to add some monarch habitat  in the form of milkweed and hopefully some butterfly weed as well. But first I have to try to work on soil amendment. Sigh for an old farm  we have awful soil.But lots of birds:))