It's been raining here for two days and finally some sun, so I thought I'd take some pictures as most of the turtles were out. Some of the flowers are starting to come up.
I love, love, love your enclosures. It never ceases to amaze me that you can be under a couple feet of snow one week and have a beautiful, green and blooming garden the next. All we get here is frost, and it takes months for it to green up in the spring.
Years ago when I had a bigger garden, I found babies every year. Then I had to re-home all my box turtles. Now I got into it again in the last 5 years, but I haven't seen any babies yet as most of them are still too young, except for the rescues I got last year. I never take in any eggs, just let nature do it's thing. There was a lot of activity last Spring and then again this Spring, so I'm sure I'll see something soon.
I can't decide what is prettier, the boxies face or the Coleus. Some box turtles have such grumpy looking faces, then others look so cheerful. Yours are just beautiful. I hope they do some breeding for you, as the offspring would be striking. I'd love to buy one from you if you get any babies...I have 2 Eastern's, a blind adult and that baby I sent you pictures of. His skin is black as coal, and he's turned in to a really easy keeper. He's a nice guy until he sees a red wiggler, then he turns into Godzilla. It's really cute, but it doesn't photograph well. Just a hatchling eating worms. Your garden is just beautiful. I hid it from my box turtles as I didn't want them to run away from their weed filled habitat... I try to convince them that they live in a great place...hahaha
You need to post more often, you have a talent (like Jacqui) for making beautiful habitats. And believe me, it is a talent, I don't have it...thanks for the pictures...
Thank you all. The garden is 22 ft. x 7 ft. It used to be a big turtle pond....1,000 gal. There is plenty of places to hide and plenty of plants and toward the back is a cave that goes three more feet where they hibenate. There are nine turtles in there now. I had put the 4 little one's in there, but I took them out. I think they are still too small and I noticed some bullying going on, so I will try again next Spring. And then there is Finn who someone gave me who was a mess, but will never be able to close up all the way so he can't be in the garden either. Here's Finn His shell was soft, but is hard now and he's much better looking.
He's beautiful! Couldn't he be put in a private part of the garden just during the day? I bring all of mine in at night and I think they really enjoy being out during the day...
Thank you. Maggie, Finn is out now day and night in a small enclosure. He has to come in for the Winter, and if the weather gets too cool I bring him in. He's very small for his age and can't close his shell, but he's out for the Summer enjoying the sun. This is Naomi. Her shell is cut up and put together, and she's missing a tail, and one eye is sometimes closed a bit, but she is the sweetest little turtle. I love her so much. Comes right up to you to see what you're doing. Just a sweetie.
Has anyone ever seen TerryO's hands? She's a bit-of-the-Irish ya' know... she has 10 ( count 'em ).. 10 green thumbs!!!
I have this really old dictionary.. I mean back around 1896 or something - it's about twice the thickness of a coffee-table Bible.. literally! There is not a single word in it that can define the beauty of TerryO's turtle garden.
It was raining when I got up so I went out cruisin' my favorite roads that wander around this manmade lake where the rich park their small yachts, etc. So I have to drive past them to get to the undeveloped "back 40" where the turtles and deer and wild turkey roam!
Saw this one in these folks driveway so I pulled in.. opened the door and snapped a few pics.. then backed on outta there! I wonder what they thought.
Thought of you TerryO.. wished I could pick one up for you and send it to you - but ole Bubba would have a coronary if he saw me pick one up here!!!
Those are gorgeous pictures of your boxies and their enclosures Terry. Is that magazine going to come back and do another feature on your backyard soon? They should.