##UrbsInHorto
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citymousegarden.bsky.social
Sharing a beautiful photo Mr. CMG snapped in mystical light over the Bahá’í house of worship with icy cold #birds during a walk he took this week because #nature is majestic in every season.

#UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Waterfowl perch on islands of ice floating in still moving water with reflections of the beautiful filigreed Bahá’í house of worship in the background topped with golden early morning light shining through a thick fluffy layer of pale clouds.
December 12, 2025 at 2:40 AM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Leaving plants up over the winter not only provide food for #birds and habitat for all kinds of #wildlife. It creates beautiful moments like these seedheads against the snow from our walk last weekend.

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Huge dark brown seed heads each splitting along a central seam lining a deep brown stem against a background of white snow.
December 10, 2025 at 4:04 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Of course #WeAreAllZoey wanted to drag me through deep parkway snow rather than clear sidewalks but I did encounter this lovely Witch Hazel starting to bloom down the way. A little color on a less gloomy day finally warm enough to melt some of this white stuff!

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Small yellow blooms dot dark intertwining fine branches with a background of deep snow on the parkway and clear sidewalks to the right.
December 9, 2025 at 6:15 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Another great video from our walk along the retention basin. This lovely woodpecker was so busy in this tree on the path along the moving water that it let me get excellent footage.

#nature #birds #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #BigCityWinter 🌱
December 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
A Great Blue Heron playing marble statue in the cold on our walk this weekend.

#nature #birds #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #BigCityWinter 🌱
Delicate beautiful branches reach out over the water towards some grassy islands and big drainage vents to where a Great Blue Heron waits. Closeup of one of the big drainage vents where a Great Blue Heron waits.
December 8, 2025 at 5:28 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
We went for a walk yesterday at Techny Basin and ain’t no party like a Mallard Party! Watch the whole video with sound on to see this big group swishing about the water & hear them talk over each other like your drunk uncle at a holiday party.

#nature #birds #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #BigCityWinter 🌱
December 7, 2025 at 5:08 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Charlie the yard bunny is a ninja in the snow. Mr. CMG took this from the upstairs window and it took me a hot minute to spot him. I sure hope my roses are feeling resilient come spring. 🫣

#gardening #nature #wildlife #ecosystem #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A very well camouflaged chunky floof of grey-brown bunny hides among the shrubs and stems and trellises in the snow at dusk snack hour.
December 6, 2025 at 12:03 AM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Apparently Charlie the yard bunny doesn’t mind the snow. Surprised Mr. CMG coming out of the garage on the way back from taking trash out the yesterday.

#gardening #Winter #ecosystem #wildlife #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A very well camouflaged brown-gray bunny blending in with the warm garage slab melting back the snow. A brown-gray bunny bouncing through the snow looking for snack, including maybe that green rose stem blurry at the front center of the picture.
December 2, 2025 at 4:10 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Red-Tailed Hawk, we think, having a festive holiday-themed snack (you can see a little bird foot sticking up) with wind blowing through its feathers in an old snag a few houses down. Circle of life right in middle of big city!

#gardening #birds #nature #ecosystem #wildlife #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
November 30, 2025 at 8:20 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Mr. CMG sent this pic today. My adorable senior mom named it ‘Charlie’. Went downstairs immediately & dug out some leftover plastic tubing saved from rain barrel kits, cut to fit & split to protect my young columnar apples from bun-bun chomps.

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #nature #ecosystem 🌱
Photo by Mr. CMG in borb-like roundness of a grey-brown wild bunny battened down in the 10” wide run of clear mulch I keep between the huge concrete garage slab and the clematis trellises so I can make sure I don’t get rats digging again. One of two young columnar apple trees freshly protected with a loose tall collar with the bunny’s favorite hiding spot visible behind the white trellis in the upper left.
November 28, 2025 at 4:05 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
‘Scarborough Fair’ is pushing out softest little #RoseWednesday blooms too. And we have maybe five other varieties in the backyard with new buds but it is also 35F today so who knows. 🤷‍♀️

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FlowerReport #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A soft pink and cream bloom drooping under the weight of unsteady weather and raindrops.
November 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
A new rose for #RoseWednesday on the day before Thanksgiving. Poor confused plants!

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FlowerReport #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A purple rose unfurling with drops of rain caught in the petals surrounded by other buds.
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Another massive beauty #ThickTrunkThursday with handsome hubby birding for scale.

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
An epic naked tree exposing its burls and broken limbs and bent claw-like crown grabbing at the blue sky with a medium tall human to the left in a bright red fleece listening to bird song on his phone app for scale.
November 25, 2025 at 6:37 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Incredible Shagbark Hickory for #ThickTrunkTuesday.

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
An almost full length view of this giant Shagbark that barely fits in the frame. Closeup of the beautiful peeling bark that gives the Shagbark its name.
November 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Epimedium are great for adding flowers in dry shade earlier in the season but they are underrated for their #FantasticFoliage throughout multiple seasons.

#gardening #FallColor #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Leaves in various shapes, some long and arrow shaped in bright green and others larger, more rounded, and speckled bright red with green veining. Dry brown tree leaves in the background.
November 25, 2025 at 3:25 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
And still more fresh Snapdragons in the garden today for #MagentaMonday. Not sure how much longer they can hold out but the #pollinators were out enjoying them yesterday.

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FlowerReport #February2Frost #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Deep pink blooms tinged here and there with red and burgundy show off against fallen leaves and surprisingly green little Aquilegia seedlings for next year tucked in the lower left corner.
November 24, 2025 at 5:50 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
A unique #FallColor moment from our walk at the nature center last weekend.

#nature #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A very large boulder sits in the shadows surrounded by tall golden grasses with a few trees on the horizon against blue sky in the background.
November 22, 2025 at 4:31 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Celebrating the beauty of our fading fall garden.

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FallColor #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Front walkway with fallen leaves, burgundy Oakleaf Hydrangea, and a few bits of green here and there. Parkway garden edged in deadwood fence filled with greens, browns, golds, and burgundies. Hosta garden with fallen leaves, burgundy Oakleaf Hydrangea, golden Hostas melting away and a few bits of green here and there.
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Seriously, has #FallColor ever been better than this year? Because it seems amazing here and it just keeps going. Usually, it’s blink and you miss it.

#gardening #bloomscrolling #FantasticFoliage #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
Deep red and burgundy Oakleaf Hydrangea foliage shining against some things that are still green and lots of gold and brown fallen leaves.
November 19, 2025 at 4:14 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Curves like whoa!

#ThickTrunkTuesday #nature #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A very old tree with a delightful amount of shapely burls and bumps from a life well lived sequestering carbon and host numerous species.
November 18, 2025 at 4:25 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
One of many thicc beauties for #ThickTrunkTuesday from our walk at Crab Tree #Nature Center over the weekend.

#UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A beautiful huge tree bare of leaves to showcase its giant canopy. Tall grasses and Solidago in the foreground for scale.
November 18, 2025 at 4:18 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
For scale, here they are fallen below the tree. Definitely wouldn’t want to take one to the noggin but surely a popular “toy” on farms back in the day as these thorny beasts were often used as natural fencing, hence their other common name ‘hedge apple’. (2/2)

#UrbsInHorto #Chicago #nature 🌱
A partial view of the back of building housing the center’s exhibits with a bare tree surrounded by a surprising number of softball-sized golden orbs, some squishier than others.
November 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
During our walk at the Nature Center on Saturday, Osage Oranges were dropping their bounty. Beautiful textural fall scene but, as a popular stop for young families on an unseasonably warm day, there were also quite a few used as projectiles or “ball” kicking. 🫣 (1/2)

#UrbsInHorto #Chicago #nature 🌱
A finely textured yellow ball often compared to the squiggly lobes of brains as little kids like to draw them. Deep brown, tan, and slightly burgundy fallen leaves and sticks surround it.
November 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Umm, not sure if I should take this as a thank you or a personal attack but #birds are strafing us with our own berries/seeds that we grew for them. 🤔

#gardening #UrbsInHorto #Chicago #ecosystem #NativePlants 🌱
High up on the door and door frame are Pollack-like splats and splurts of dark berry juice at angles that defy physics. Not really sure where they would be perching above or flying to as our heavily patterned stained glass door is not prone to bird strikes or fly-bys.
November 16, 2025 at 8:47 PM
citymousegarden.bsky.social
Chonk bunny in neighbor’s yard clearly understands how fences work because it was deeply unimpressed by #WeAreAllZoey barking her face off after first round didn’t move her any closer to being a threat.

#gardening #GardenDogs #ecosystem #UrbsInHorto #Chicago 🌱
A surprisingly majestic fat happy wild bunny—backlit by the obnoxious always-on party lights in the next yard over confusing bugs and birds for no reason though no one is outside at night ever—plays statue in the neighbor’s grass with nothing to hide behind during doggo’s after dinner potty run.
November 15, 2025 at 12:14 AM