Yikes! Thanks Josh! Like I said, this is my first evergreen/spruce and I didn't realize repotting at this time was a bad idea! I have it in an East facing window that gets morning sun, would this suffice? I live in a 4-family apartment and worry about setting it outside as it may get knocked over or what not Also, I am still curious about the brown/black bumps on the branches...are those normal(cones/buds), or something to worry about(galls)? Thank you!

Your compliments have been passed along to the chef, she is beaming. She has already made a new bin like this one on the far side of the garden. The old one (funny you should ask Colleen) is dead and grey, so she topped it up with a ring of fresh spruce boughs, just for the looks. I'll see about getting a photo of both. I forgot to mention - because I plain forgot; winter tends to wipe the memory banks - that a bunch of shellfish plant waste also went into the pile, and that I purposely diverted shovelsfull of manure that had red wrigglers in it to this pile, so a worm village should not have been entirely unexpected. The problem of separating castings comes partly from the fact that these fine castings are mixed with stalks and clumps of roots. So I think I'll keep adding to the pile this year, give it more time. The perspective in the picture is odd - makes it look like the pallet bins are far from the bird's nest, which looks huge. The wall of it is about 2 1/2' high - a little higher than the dog on the right if that helps. :) How about somebody try this bin using other stuff - sunflower and/or other stalks - and tell us how it goes?

indigo, congrats on your successful Dee nesting!! Best of luck to your Blues too! I looked back on my records from last year and in good weather conditions the Blues started egg laying 3-5 days after completing nestbuilding. Of course what we perceive as a completed nest and what they perceive it as could be totally different and weather plays a big part in it too. This years nests at the park where I monitor nestboxes both pairs of Blues that are there took over 10 days to lay eggs after the nest appeared to be complete however the weather was very cold then and I believe they delayed egg laying. I had a pair of Blues house hunting in my yard yesterday and this morning. I am so hoping they decide to nest here too! Donna

Looks fine to me (its probably within 2-3 feet of its “ideal/perfect” spot anyways), plus it looks happy and has room to grow indefinitely (in 15++ years its skirt may bump into the fence or arborvitaes, no big deal, they widen slowly). Weeping white spruce is one of my faves, just wish they grew faster. I like what you have done and are doing with your backyard. Id like to see a pic in 5 years when your solid wall of arborvitae has filled out and with the new stuff going in front of them. A background of “wall o smaragd” for your new bed, how cool is that?! Also, how about some yellow, blue, and red, especially since the plum is going?