Dirt Under My Nails

Hot Year, Many Changes

2010-09-20T19:36:00.002-04:00

Hmm, I don't think I ever mentioned the fence saga that really put me off gardening for the longest time. Long story short, for two years, part of the privacy fence had been precariously leaning. Then in March, the section gave in and fell down. After a bit of back and forth between rental owners, it was taken down.

It's amazing how much a thing like that hanging over you can ruin your enjoyment of your space. And it's amazing how a change like that can really change the garden. Especially once deer can enter the garden at will. So, I had to remove the deer buffet, also known as huge hosta plants. Which opened up a lot of space for now deer resistant plants. Okay, so next year no petunias, except on the deck. And I'll have to rig some bud cages for the peonies. Something ate the one and only peony bud this year.

However, lots of interesting new plantings. Dusty Miller, butterfly bush, weigla and blanket flowers. I even put in a watermelon plant. One watermelon, which unfortunately, came off of the vine too soon. But I did eat most of it. For some reason though, the evening primroses and black-eyed susans were sparse this year.

I have been enjoying being on my patio now. Of course, I was driven in for over a month of extreme heat during the summer. And now that it is finally cool, the light is gone very quickly. And it's chrysanthemum season already.

So, we'll see how the new garden goes. And the blog.

Merry Month of May

2009-05-22T09:13:00.003-04:00

So, here we are, heading into Memorial Day. Earlier in the week, we had frost to the north and west. Didn't get that cold here, but there were temperatures in the 30s. Petunias and million bells didn't care, but the potted daliah has some burn on it.

Iris are blooming, more yellow this year. The daffodils have come and gone. And have been multiplying like crazy, I pulled up a clump by mistake and there were like 6-10 bulbs. I planted those two years ago as single bulbs. Insane.

Peonies are again a no bloom. I'm raising them into partially buried pots this June/July. I just don't think they like the soggy ground. I had to use hip waders in the backyard the other week. It's just that wet back there, especially when we get our April showers in May.

Rhododendrons are actually blooming this year. I think there are about a dozen flower heads. The ones I have just need heavily pruned to bloom, end of story.

Seeds are going to start going out this weekend. There are a few I ordered late and they'll get out by June. I hope to get my tomato plant and in the pot by June 1. I'm not late, if there was a threat of frost last week. I just can't be much later. ;)

Not a Trend....

2009-03-09T21:08:00.004-04:00

So, while I was cleaning up the other day, I discovered that the one heather bush was broken. I guess it was under the weight of the snow, but there really wasn't enough snow to flatten it and split some of the trunks. Might just have been age or a disease. At any rate, I'm going to have to prune it back and remove the split trunks. Maybe it will pull through. Or maybe I'll have to find some other type of bush to put there. Hmmm....

The Difference a Week Makes

2009-03-08T19:44:00.003-04:00

So, last Monday morning, I looked out and saw nearly two inches of fluffy snow. And it was still snowing to beat the band. In all this, I saw my poor junco buddy clinging to the finch sock to eat. The finch sock was also almost empty. Since the snow on the deck was already up to the tops of my sneakers, I just ran out with a new sock to put on the other hook. (I had gotten some spares since the one was badly patched with yarn.)

The next day, I spied my little junco buddy hopping around in the 3-4 inch deep snow. There was cracked corn spread about and "he" was sitting in one of my footprints eating, out of sight of the sparrows. Then, "he" went back to the finch sock. Silly little junco.

Now, the Thursday and Friday before that, it was in the sixties. Tuesday and Wednesday had lows in the single digits and we don't want to discuss the windchill. Friday was in the seventies and Saturday and today were flirting with the eighties. What a crazy March.

My crocus are blooming, while the daffodils are growing. I went out today to try and clean up the leaves that blew onto the patio. I also ripped up some of the old flower heads from last year. It's a shame the yard is still a swamp, I need to mow some of the grass that crept into the beds. Or rather the grass that the black-eyed susans are invading.

The fence saga. As far as as I know, nothing is being done about the fence. There are two posts that have just about given up holding onto the slats. Ten penny nails are not the proper way to secure wood structures. I'm this close to getting wood screws and L brackets to do the job right. I just have to pick an evening to brave Home Depot....

3 plants, 1 island

2009-02-12T19:18:00.001-05:00

peonies
sunflowers
garlic.

That's all for now. Hopefully the snow will miss us this weekend. And I already miss the 70 degree temperatures from yesterday....

Potting Folly anomaly post

2008-11-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

*We now interrupt into our posting hiatus for the following information*

So, I looked out this morning and got excited that the finches had returned to the finch sock. The level had dropped dramatically from the last time I recalled seeing it. So, I grabbed the nyger seed and started out the door. Only to discover that something had ripped a big hole in the sock close to the bottom. Right in reach of the railing... Ah, well, time for a new sock.

Also, I had got this hanging basket for the bathroom. I have a little collection of pothos like plants going and I had just seen one with yellow stripes. Now, it's a bit bigger than I had wanted, but I could definitely thin it out and have a pot for work and a pot for the jungle around the turtle aquarium and I'd even share with my mom. Now this was a good idea, up until I took it out of the pot. I figured, it was a relatively freshly rooted plant, due to how short the stalks were. Some were just a couple leaves. Boy, was I wrong. Some of those roots were wound around several times. Yikes. I had to cut through the roots just to tear a couple plants out. There was lots of ripping, but I formed my four separate pots. Now let's see if they live.

*We now return you to your regularly scheduled posting hiatus*

Honestly, I haven't felt like writing, so I'm taking a long break. I'll see about starting up again in spring. Happy holidays everyone.

Sit Bobo, Sit

2008-08-12T07:07:00.003-04:00

This August is off to a refreshing start. Low humidity, low temperatures, and even lows in the 50s at night. It's just great weather. Not much to do but enjoy.

I've spotted a few Monarch butterflies in and around my place, but no nibblers on the milkweed. Swallowtails seem to love the hydrangea, too.

Wacking of the Weeds

2008-08-05T07:13:00.003-04:00

So, I've been puttering, but I haven't gotten much weeding done. Granted, I don't know that I mind the black-eyed susans popping up in the iris bed, but the grape vine is probably too much.

I broke down and bought an electric weed wacker last week. I'm just tired of all those long grasses that escape the lawn mower. Granted, I didn't realize I needed another extension cord for it. And I've got to figure out a way to secure the cord so it does not keep popping out.

And the Bouquet

2008-07-18T13:29:00.001-04:00

Hydrangea Massacre

2008-07-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

Well, another hot week with bad air quality. Still, in the midst of hazy, hot and humid, I managed to make time for a little pruning. Granted, this is after my juggling class (yes, I'm a dork) and in the twilight. I didn't do that great a job, and there are still branches and blooms invading the neighbor's yard. But it is a lot better than it was. And they aren't staring at the bare interior of the bush either! I brought all the flowers I pruned off inside. It's a big vase full of them. I'll try and get pictures tomorrow when the light is better.

Procrastination Special

2008-07-15T18:08:00.003-04:00

Woot! I'm in the running for the Tomato Procrastination Award! I put my seedling in its permanent pot on Saturday. At least I'll have tomato weather well into autumn, so I might get some fruit out of it.

Seems the garlic needed all winter to grow. The leaves have died off already. The bulbs are barely an inch. I plucked two out to dry and am going to let the rest be until next year. They should be bigger by then.

Oh, and did I mention how much I hate white root grass? It's running all through my gardens, and I cannot keep ahead of it. Even while mulching with the deadly lawn clippings. :(

On the plus side, the bonus day lily is going to bloom soon.

Wow, Two in Two Days!

2008-07-11T11:57:00.003-04:00

I did get out with my camera. I do like the fact that I've got the transitional pH soil going on with this hydrangea. I really need to fertilize it with the rhododendron fertilizer next time to push it back to blue. I definitely do not want it to go all pink. And yes, that's all one bush. Yikes! It likes being pruned.

>

Also, my finch sock fell down. At first, I thought some squirrel was messing with it. There is a partially husked walnut near it. However, it turns out that the rope holding it up gave up the ghost. I guess it isn't all-weather enough. I restrung it and put it back up.

Brushes off the Dust

2008-07-10T16:15:00.004-04:00

Yikes, it has been awhile. I blame apathy and finding time after work to blog. Not that much is going on it the garden either. I'm minding the heat and humidity a lot more this year. And if there's one thing the summers in DC are, it is hot and humid.

Hydrangea is blooming its little heart out. Unfortunately, I need to prune the neighbor's side a little bit harder next time. But then, that's probably why it is lush and thick over there.

Some of the butterflyweed came back on its own. Some regular orange some yellow. There are also some black eyed susans trying to move into the iris bed. Surprisingly, the beebalm is not thriving. Two little sprigs this year. I guess I have to let at least some of it go to seed. Hostas are in bloom too.

Sorry, no photos. I really need to get a new camera. The color and lighting values are going. But then it is several years old. These things don't last forever.

Happy Summer

2008-06-20T17:36:00.005-04:00

It's odd. The eve of the summer solstice and we've had overnight lows in the 50s. We did not break 80 until today. After all that hot weather, we are back to springtime goodness.

As it so happens, my hydrangea is pink. And blue. And some of the flower heads are even purple. It's adorable looking.

I was affected by the big water main break in DC this week. I did not lose water pressure, but I was under a boil water advisory for three days. I brushed my teeth with bottled water, ate frozen microwave meals, and washed my hands with dehumidifier water. (For the record, dehumidifier water is bad for your skin and I used a lot of lotion.) I'm glad my water results tested negative for contamination, eventually. My container plants needed watering. I did not want to risk contaminating the sprinkling cans, because I do use them for my turtles or to refill the bird bath.

Hydrangea

2008-06-18T19:17:00.003-04:00

My hydrangea is budding out. I should have open flowers by the weekend. I'm kinda wondering if they are going to be pink or blue this year. Regardless, I need to fertilize it with food for acidic plants this year. As well as the Rhodies.

The chrysanthemum that I thought I lost last year, is coming back strong. The little yellow buds are about to burst forth. Maybe I'll get around to posting photos one of these days.

Weekly Update

2008-06-15T17:53:00.004-04:00

So, I was having a good weekend until I mowed the lawn.

I had gotten notice that the landlord wants to have the deck powerwashed and restained. Which I took as notification that he had managed to come out and look at the fence. So, I dug out an old piece of wood from the stack behind the shed and propped up the fence. I had done it just in time for the last batch of thunderstorms. It held up fine.

One morning on the way to work, I saw a little frog on my front sidewalk. He was about the size of my thumb and brown in the near dawn darkness. I left him to go about his job of eating bugs.

I had taken the day off Friday and was working in the living room on stuff. While I was sitting there, several little birds were looking for birdseed. I didn't get up, because they never come back when I disturb them. Until one of the little brown birds perched on the screen and looked in. I took that as a sign that they were really, really hungry.

I went canoeing yesterday before more storms. I get a little further each time and feel less worn out afterwards.

Right, mowing the lawn. Unfortunately, I discovered that I had a garter snake in the backyard the hard way. :( Poor little snake. It was about a foot long. Just the right size to be eating slugs and other pests. Drats.

Huh, 400.

2008-06-06T17:09:00.003-04:00

So, some changes at work have made blogging weird for awhile. I'll find a new grove.

Anyway, Wednesday we had truly terrible storms buffet the region. There was rotation spotted on Doppler near work. And since there was a confirmed tornado near there that killed two girls several years ago, they take that kind of thing seriously. Fortunately, the first batch of storms moved along at 60 mph. Unprecidented in our region. So, it was here and gone. A few hours later, another batch moved through, also with tornados and strong winds. Not as fast, but still fast. A third moved through in the late night hours. I didn't have electricity for a couple hours, which wasn't too bad, seeing as how it was late. But, trying to sleep without even a fan going in the mugginess was terrible.

Right now, we're heading into a weekend of extreme heat advisories. Tomorrow the feels like temperatures will be between 105 and 109. Sunday and Monday, it will feel like it is 110 or higher. Ouch. Air quality is going to be horrid. And some folks are still without power from the storms.

Something is wrong with my peonies. The buds I was so proud of died. Just dried up. Since I've already verified the depths and the late cold snaps weren't serious frosts, I'm looking at some kind of disease. Drats. Probably a non-organic remedy too. Bugger.

But the evening primrose are blooming, so there's something in the yard.

Summer

2008-05-30T17:38:00.003-04:00

Well, there has been a return to summerlike temperatures this week. Unfortunately, that has been balanced out with night time temperatures in the 40s. Brrr. Got to work cold, and come home baking. Ah, spring.

I have two flowers on the rhodie, both buried deep in the bush itself. You can see them if you look hard enough. Same color as the lamium flowers underneath.

The amaryllis is blooming. I really need to take pictures when the sun is at a better angle.

Millions of Millions of Bells

2008-05-24T17:17:00.003-04:00

Well, I got the canoe out on the lake today. Saw a blue bird and a tiger swallowtail and two blue herons. It was a beautiful day. Wasn't out for long. There had been a lot of lugging that tired me out, but I wanted to get out on the lake.

I bought a purple million bells, and a peachy cross between million bells and petunia, and two six packs of petunias. I need to get out and plant them at some point. And take pictures. But not now. It's a spectacularly wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Sunny and warm all weekend. :)

Cold Shower Season

2008-05-17T14:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I stopped out to pick up sundries and was swayed to bring home some plants. A Roma tomato plant, to replace the previous seedling. Seedling was forgotten while hardening up, and did not exactly approve of cold temperatures, strong winds and deluges. *sigh* And true to form, I picked up a hanging basket of millionbells. Mixed basket of pale yellow, golden yellow and a pinkish red variety. :)

This morning, I mowed my back yard. The grass loves the rain. It even loves living in soupy soil. Unfortunately, that means that I created some muddy spots as water filled in my footsteps in places. *sigh* Hot out there too.

Yellow iris are open now, as are the white Tennessee variety. :)

National Ride Your Bike to Work Day

2008-05-16T07:36:00.003-04:00

And what a day it is. Steady rain, flood watch, and lots of ponding due to saturated ground. Ah, yes. It was actually the kind of weather that encouraged traffic to slow down.

Still, despite being sick of rain and desiring several days of sun in a row, it is better than the alternative that seems to pop up most days occasions like this. Weather so sunny and hot that we slip into a bad air quality rating.

Mid-week Break

2008-05-14T16:49:00.005-04:00

Well, we've got a break between the rain drops. Not too sunny, but not raining. It allowed me to get some more photos. Ignore the grass, it loves the rain.

First, some better photos of my iris.

Next up my Julia peony. The hybrid has a lot fancier leaves.

A close up of the bud on the Big Ben peony. This is as much for proof that it was willing to bloom the first year. The stalk with the other bud has died back. Not sure the cause. Doesn't appear to be affecting this one.

And then something dug out a huge hole in my garlic pot. I blame squirrels. I did fill it in after the picture.

Soggy Mother's Day

2008-05-13T06:35:00.004-04:00

Well, the good news is the drought is ended. Of course, it ended with 5-8 inches of rain over five days, which isn't good for plants either. Lots of trees lost limbs or were uprooted. It also dipped into the 40s for the past two nights. Barely got into the 50s yesterday.

But, I do have plants blooming. In the house even! Snake plant is sending up more flowers. The amaryllis, despite having leaves up the entire time, has sent up a new flower stalk. And the red hibiscus has a bud.

Iris Among the Rain Drops

2008-05-10T09:24:00.003-04:00

Not the best picture, but then this steady drip drip really defuses the light. Everything else washed out. *wink* The white Tennessee iris aren't all blooming yet for a count, and the yellow ones are a later blooming variety.

Iris count: 12 blue ones, 8 with the maroon edging.

Five Good Things

2008-05-07T07:48:00.004-04:00

While I've been ignoring the back yard for a spell, a glance outside registered a bit of blue. My iris! I have five different stalks of blue iris blooming! Too bad the lighting wasn't right for my camera. I should get a new one. But five in bloom, with several more on the way.

Part of one of my peonies seems to have died. Might have been frost damage. Not sure. But there's still plenty of plant left.

Denial

2008-05-05T12:17:00.003-04:00

I've been sulking for the last few days. And in a gardening quandry. Saturday, I was out cutting my front lawn, or rather the half that grew tall enough for a cut, when the neighbor came out to talk to me. The privacy fence in the back yard is leaning, worse, pulling out of the ground. I figured it was my landlord's, since the neighbor doesn't have privacy fencing. And I figured I could always insert a new post if things got from bad to worse.

But no, it's technically on the neighbor's land, and her responsibility. She wanted to see if I had a more direct route to the landlord than through the agency. I don't, but agreed to forward her complaint.

Eek. My garden. My prize peonies are against that fence. My sunflowers were supposed to be against that fence. Do I plant, or don't I? And will they crush my peonies before they bloom? *sulk* Maybe the landlord will prove unreachable.

When the Ants Come Marching In

2008-04-30T15:10:00.003-04:00

So, I didn't see any frost this morning. It was above 40 degrees here. But still, I wore a heavy coat. *sigh* Stupid wind chill.

Last night when I was trimming the hostas so my tulips could get some sun, I noticed holes in the leaves. Slugs! This early! Eek! So, I sprinkled my organic slug treatment. I didn't see too many holes in the iris, so they might be safe this year.

And while I was out, I noticed two of my peonies have buds! Buds! I might finally have peonies that bloom this year! And one of them is the new one! Yippee!

True to Form

2008-04-29T08:32:00.005-04:00

So, after a beautiful end of the work week, we had a weekend steeped in rain, with harsh weather on Monday. The cold front that worked its way though is leaving us with lows in the 30s and there's talk of spotty frost in suburbs further out than I am. The tomato seedling does not like the drafts at the window. :/

Crabapples and magnolias and wisteria are blooming in the neighborhood. Tulips are soggily coming to an end, except for the ones I tucked in the hosta bed late. Silly me, I thought they wouldn't put up flowers this year. I mean it was February when I saw the stalks and figured they needed to be in the dirt. I'll have to wack those hosta leaves back so I can see the blooms.

WFF When?

2008-04-24T17:52:00.003-04:00

I got my tomato plant in the mail from White Flower Farm. I am not happy. Why am I not happy? It's not the packaging. It was well packaged, sturdy cardboard, no shaking around. It's not the plant quality. It's moist and happy with plenty of leaves. It's the fact that it showed up this week! I can't plant tomatoes out until the middle of May! I have to nurture this poor little seedling indoors for at least three more weeks! Eeep! I was trying to avoid seedling care! Ugh. But its a nice tomato and I'll do my best not to curse it.

The rest of my red tulips opened up. Very lovely, but not at all centerfold quality. ;) Squirrels got two more, but left enough stem to be put in water. The pink ones, 'Angelique', opened up. Again, lovely, but very rough looking. Iris are putting up buds. new daffodils are all different kinds. Some white with orange centers, some white with pale yellow centers and a few tiny white ones with white centers.

Oh, and I mowed my back yard today. It went wild after all that rain.

Soggy Sunday

2008-04-21T15:55:00.004-04:00

Well, we've gotten quite a bit of rain in the last 48 hours, and it keeps falling from the sky. A couple tornadoes passed through the area, and the Potomac will crest above flood stage in one particular little town. The storms yesterday were particularly dark and wet. Quite a bit darker than twilight and during the middle of the day.

But, all that rain knocked down the pollen, and more importantly, knocked down the maple blossoms. Granted, the oak blossoms seem to have weathered the storm quite well. But on the plus side, the dogwood flowers held on and are quite lovely. And the holly bush is starting to open its flowers.

Open Pollination

2008-04-17T06:53:00.003-04:00

Well, I haven't seen frost on the ground the past couple of days, but there have been ice crystals on my car. Not fair when the days are in the 60s and 70s.

I haven't gotten a picture of the yellow tulip yet, as I've been under the weather. I know maples and the like have a good pollination scheme, especially with the plight of the pollinators, but sometimes I just wish they didn't throw their pollen into the air and hope for the best.

Speaking of pollinators, I've seen a good handful of bees around my gardens. Granted, I'm not too thrilled about the carpenter bee that seems to be obsessed with my front door frame, but a bee is a bee.

Everybody Tip Toe!

2008-04-14T16:36:00.005-04:00

Okay, I can handle the 50s. Granted, I'm not pleased about frost warnings for tonight. Thank goodness everything outside is hearty. And that I did not give into my impulses to plant seeds last week.

But, I have tulips! The one under the hydrangea appears to be yellow. Hopefully, it will survive to open, so I can get a good picture.

The peony-type tulips are starting to bloom. The variety is 'Miranda'. Very lovely red. Although, a squirrel chewed off one bud. I have that sitting in a glass of water at the moment. I wish the squirrels would leave a little more stem if they're going to poach. Anyway, picture!

2008-04-12T13:07:00.004-04:00

The weekend has come, and despite all the drippy weather knocking down the pollen, it is pretty much a continuation of yesterday's beautiful weather. Even if it doesn't get up to the 80s. I did some weeding yesterday. Basically freeing the iris from dandelions and grass. Every year I say I'm going to get ahead of this and weed before everything starts bolting. Ah, well. Periwinkle looks nice among the leaves, doesn't it?

This morning, I trimmed the hydrangea. Basically deadheaded all the winter interest flowers, and took off some branches that were not showing signs of life. I also snipped a few crossing branches on the holly. And proceeded with some tough love on the rhodies. Granted, the bits of it buried under the holly probably weren't going to thrive anyway.

Then more weeding out back with a little Zeppe help. And pictures. Ignore the weeds I didn't get to yet. ;) First up, some blue/purple pansies that survived the winter and are watched over by one of my new daffodils.

Then, some of the buds on my peony-type tulips. Those are supposed to be the same variety of tulips, too. And that's the Big Ben peony in the background.

Up Up and Away

2008-04-11T07:45:00.003-04:00

So, I found out that the trilling critters outside my window were not frogs. They're toads. Not sure what type though. I discovered this fact as I stopped by my park yesterday afternoon. All the silly toads were trying to romance each other in the koi pond outside of the nature center.

I was there to pick up boating stickers and obtain a mooring site. Only 7 left, glad I didn't put it off any longer.

While, I had intended to fly my kite in Herndon while waiting for my brother to get off of work, he had been sent home to New Jersey. So, it goes. I'm glad he got home early. But, I had my kite in the car, so I flew my kite at the park. I thought I would have gotten better breezes off of the lake, but it just wasn't windy. It was gorgeous blue skies and 70 degrees, but not windy. I got a couple of good sustained alofts, but nothing very high up. Still, that's probably for the best. My shoulders and some other muscles are feeling it today. Ouch.

Silly String

2008-04-10T07:50:00.003-04:00

Last night the temperatures were in the mild 50s, not the chilly 50s as it has been for so long. There is also another frog out there trilling its heart out for love, than the spring peepers. I know this because I slept with the window open last night.

I opened the window because I was hot. After my laughter as exercise class, I simply had to find my kite. Don't know what was driving me, but I needed to find it. It wasn't in any of the obvious storage areas. I was up and down several flights of steps several times.

I finally found my kite in the pantry, of all places. I don't know what I was thinking. Although, while I was checking the pantry, I found something else. I'll say they were potatoes, because the plastic bag I found them in said "potatoes". I must admit I'm kinda disturbed. They looked more like I had burned them in the oven, than they had been sitting in the pantry for about 3 years. Ick.

Buffet is Up

2008-04-09T08:41:00.004-04:00

I noticed through a report on the Blogosphere, that the hummingbirds have returned. Granted, I still think it's a bit chilly for them, but they know what they can stand.

However, my current hook is currently serving the goldfinches. And those little balls of yellow fluff are getting serious about territory. I don't think they'd appreciate the hummingbirds being assigned their area.

So, I put up a new hook a couple feet from the finch sock. So, win win. Hummingbirds get a feeder and the goldfinches get to keep theirs.

And the juncos keep lurking beneath both of them.

Spring Continues Apace

2008-04-08T06:43:00.002-04:00

My tulips have buds. I think at this point, we just see if the squirrels behave themselves. The rhodedendrons seem to have failed another year. Although, the buds that I thought I had spotted disappeared. Drats. I even pruned them last year.

Cherry trees throughout the neighborhoods are blossoming prettily. So, is the great white boulevard of pear trees outside of my development. Daffodils are lining the sides of the highway and exit ramps.

The Other Side

2008-04-04T19:17:00.003-04:00

Well, I've crawled out from under my taxes. I need to stop putting them off. Unfortunately, I've discovered that instead of using my rebate check to buy a nice electric chipper shredder, it's been sucked up by what I owe. Somehow, old company didn't quite take the standard withholding levels out of my check leaving me short. *grrr*

On to spring. Or at least the period that involved sleet yesterday. It's been rainy. April showers and all that. Hydrangea is starting to leaf out. Tulip leaves are going gang busters. I'm seeing yellow buds on the new daffodils. Not sure I like them being that much later than the old daffodils, but they're in the ground so it's a little hard to change.

Cherry blossoms are all over the place. Early ones, late ones, ones that are washed off the tree.... Still, I love cherry blossoms. When I can actually plant a tree, I'm going to get a pink one. Maybe a double, even. DC Cherry blossom festival was chilled with winds last week and washed out this week. Even the sun predicted on Sunday won't really help since the blossoms have been hit with several days of rain after several days of rough winds. Ah well. There's always next year.

Flattened Crocus

2008-03-27T10:04:00.004-04:00

Well, we've had a swing from lows in the 20s on Tuesday to highs in the 70s yesterday. Ah, March. So, as far as I can tell, the inspection went well. No demerits listed on the sheet that was on my table. In fact, nothing was on the sheet on the table, except for his card. We shall see, I guess.

The purple crocus were flattened by the low temperatures. I can tell this because they were extremely wilted. Like almost disintegrating, wilting. Squirrel butts just don't cause that kind of damage.

The Robin Has Landed

2008-03-24T06:32:00.003-04:00

The robins are a bit late coming down out of the berry bushes this year. I only just started to see them on the lawns. And it's just a sprinkling of them.

Just days before my annual rental inspection, I caught the mouse. *grumble* The traps will have to be reset after the walk through. I've made progress on the list of things to do. I just need to clear a path to the window in my storage/spare bedroom, clean the spare bathtub of the aquarium grime, fix the leaky toilet, and finish unclogging the garbage disposal. Then in the time remaining, finish straightening up the place.

I did spare some time this weekend during all the little chores to get some weeding in. All sorts of little wild flowers are blooming in places where they're not supposed to be. And I spotted some chives in the yard that need to be moved into the garden.

Another plus, the outdoor chrysanthemum didn't die over the winter. It has some new growth. Yippee!

Full Force Chorus

2008-03-24T06:29:00.004-04:00

Meant to be posted on Friday

The little peepers are singing their little hearts out. Granted, the winds sometimes quiet them down.

I saw the surest sign of spring the other day, the grocery store had annuals out for sale. So far, I've resisted. But then, my pansies survived the winter. :)

The purple crocus popped up and are blooming. The daffodils are just starting to open. And some squirrel has wierd ideas about where crocus and daffodil bulbs need to be planted -- the crown of the hydrangea bush!

Warm Weather Fix

2008-03-13T06:41:00.003-04:00

Before the weekend turns frigid, we get a few days of temperatures in the 60s. Even with March winds, it's nice to go outside. I spent yesterday afternoon, touching up the paint around the sliding glass door. The wood is taking a beating and the paint just didn't hold up.

Also checked out my backyard garden growth. All seven garlics are doing fine. The ones that had been snipped by the squirrels have over an inch of growth. The tulip bulbs I planted last year and starting to poke up, as are the new daffodils. The new ones are definitely a bit later than the old daffodils, which are budding out. I'll need to clean up the black-eyed susan seed heads so this area is ready for spring.

Slowly Developing

2008-03-11T06:33:00.003-04:00

Not much going on. Another cold snap. And I've got some bug that suspiciously is mimicing the beginning stages of the flu. It's taunting me.

About all that is getting done is work on my hobby quilt. I say hobby, because the hand stitching is relaxing and it is meant to be portable. But the one inch squares take forever. Then again, it's not like I have more than one bed in my house. But it's getting to the point where I want it done, so I work on it steadily. Down to the last eight.

That's an old picture, but still gives you the idea.

Flood Stage

2008-03-09T15:24:00.003-04:00

Let's see if Blogger lets me post this today.

Thursday and Friday were days of torrential downpours. Good for removing the rain deficit, but also good for flooding and knocking over trees in saturated ground. Also, Friday, during one batch of heavy rain, I looked out and saw the most pathetic and bedraggled goldfinch on the feeder sock. Poor wet thing.

The local forsythia are getting ready to bloom. Most are budded out, but a few are actually blooming. The holly bush right outside my door still has a few berries on it, but the buds for the next batch is already there.

It's getting close to time to put out sunflower seeds in the garden. I don't start inside, because I don't have too much luck with transplants. I order from Parks, because they carry my favorite variety, Velvet Queen Sunflowers. And since I was already paying for shipping, I grabbed a couple other packs to scatter about; Petunia Celebrity Red Morning, Petunia Prism Sunshine, and Zinnia Profusion Apricot. I should have picked up a pack of black-eyed susans, just to add variety to what is already in my garden.

Daylight Saving Grumbles

2008-03-05T07:09:00.003-05:00

I arrive at work at six in the morning. All winter, this means I look at the night sky. This week, the sky has become a blue on blue tapestry, instead of all black. And the lone day when it was not desperately overcast (or raining), there were hints of purples and pinks in the distant sky.

Unfortunately, my subtle enjoyment of the coming dawn is going to be brutally ended next week. More like next Sunday. When the clocks in the US are turned forward an hour. *sigh* The gently lightening sky will fast forward into the rising sun. Not that dawn itself isn't interesting, but the jolt will be annoying.

And admist the rain this morning, I thought I heard the beginning of the peeper chorus. Spring is on its way.

Silly Birds

2008-03-04T06:33:00.005-05:00

Since it was so nice outside last evening, I hung up my hammock chair and read outside. The squirrels tried to frighten me off by giving me heck, but I still wouldn't let them bury their husked walnuts in my peony bed.

The birds were even sillier. There was this one sparrow that siddled through the fence and gave itself a heart attack when it spotted me there. Then it fluttered further down the yard till it came to the shed and sat there, trying to be invisible.

A few birds settled down to clean up the bird seed that fell under the porch and then freaked out when I moved on occasion. Then there were the birds that tried to keep objects between themselves and me while they hunted for loose seed.

The prize was won by a squeaky nuthatch, though. There are at least two out behind my house. One that was chased off of the suet feeder landed on the stair steps to my deck. It fussed about, waiting. Then it spotted me and didn't know what to do. After hopping around on a few of the steps and getting a good look at me, it flew back to one of the trees.

March Roars

2008-03-03T12:56:00.003-05:00

March hasn't come in as a lion nor as a lamb. Blustery with roaring winds on Saturday, and temperatures in the 50s yesterday and 60s today. Unfortunately, the nice spring preview is going to be short lived this week.

My crocus are opening up, although it seems a squirrel sat on a few of them and knocked them over. The pink heather is blooming, and the white one isn't that far behind.

Garlic appears to be doing well, but since this is the first year growing it, I don't exactly have a reverence to go by.

Bulb Watch 2008

2008-02-29T16:28:00.003-05:00

The daffodils in my front garden are doing great. A few have the beginnings of buds forming. There are at least two crocus that appear to be ready to bloom this weekend. And the tulips out front that have never bloomed for me are starting to poke through.

The back yard is a different story. The established daffodils are right on schedule, a little behind the ones in the front. No tulips are to be seen, although one of the new peonies is starting to poke through. The new daffodils are barely poking through. But somewhere along the line, the mulch covering the bird bath garden disappeared. And that garden has a lot of frost heaves. I took a few minutes to dig some leaves out of the compost pile and spread them around. Hopefully that will help.

The Great Garlic Caper, part 3

2008-02-22T08:19:00.003-05:00

I did put the happy little cloves outside on Monday. It had dropped into the 50s, from the 70s. Which was fine. Then the poor little garlics got exposed to a dusting of snow that the Clipper System dropped on Tuesday. Still all well and good. The the overnight lows in the city dropped into the teens. I got a little afraid for my garlics.

I finally took action to protect them, because today's forecast is pretty much 24 hours of yuck. Yuck starting out as snow and then mostly being sleet/freezing rain/rain. Granted, action was just to move them under shelter.

Although, it seems the only thing to negatively affect the cloves were squirrels. One clove was practically dug up, and another is missing its stalk. Boo.

The Great Garlic Caper, part 2

2008-02-15T21:21:00.005-05:00

When next we join our intrepid cloves, we find six of the seven have sent up little pale green shoots that are visible above the dirt line. Wow, they move fast. I might have to move them outside on Monday. I'm certain the roots could use more time to get established, but I fear the amount of growth they're putting on in the chilly, but better than outside basement.

Speaking of warmth, it got into the 50s this afternoon. I cheated and opened the windows and turned down the thermostat. I really like the fresh air.

On the cooking front. Definitely need to add garlic cloves to the bread. Yesterday's wasn't as good without it. And definitely not more than a tablespoon of Italian herbs. I actually tried to measure the herbs so I could standardize this process a little better. I've also got a pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove. I'm almost out with all my little bread pizzas. Yum!

Little Things

2008-02-13T15:21:00.004-05:00

Some times, just a little is too much. That's especially true of ice. It coated all the roadways around here last night. Not much, not even an 1/8th of an inch. But just enough to make everything slick and everyone slide. I left work at 3:45; spared a couple minutes to scrape my windshield, which immediately was coated again with the freezing rain; endured stop and go traffic until 5:30ish, when I decided to actually do my afterwork stop at Bed, Bath and Beyond; then sat in more stop and go traffic on a supposedly back way; arrived home past the starving point at 6:15.

Fortunately, the trip in was a lot smoother, since it was just shy of the freezing mark. Who knows what the trip home in the supposed rain will bring. They're talking refreeze tonight and the rain will change over to something more white in nature after the evening rush hour. Supposedly.

Blustery Bread

2008-02-10T17:37:00.001-05:00

It is one of those cold, blustery days outside. Excellent timing for another loaf of bread. Never fear garden blog reader, this isn't about to become Flour Under My Nails. Just every garden blogger needs a winter hobby. And this year, mine happens to be baking bread.

This time, it was Samuel Adams Double Bock. I've had Double Bocks before and liked them. This beer didn't match them. Which just means it goes into the oven on the way to my tummy. This variation included a half a cup of Beatty Crocker Four Cheese Instant Potatoes, and a healthy mix of oregano, parsley, basil, italian seasonings, chili powder and two Scililiano garlic cloves. A sprinkling of four Italian cheeses was placed on top before going into the oven.

Mixed up well, but despite extra flower, it still did not use up all the beer. And it was very thick and heavy. Must be from the potatoes. Cooked well, was done in 40 minutes. Good right off the bat with herb flavoring, and begs to be dipped in olive oil.

Next time, some Italian cheeses inside and more herbs. Like this variety.

The Great Garlic Caper

2008-02-09T14:55:00.002-05:00

My parents have assured that it will snow next weekend. They've tentatively made plans to drive down and visit me. That should make it a wicked nor'easter.

The great garlic experiment, brought on by the great garlic procrastination, has begun. I brought in one of my large container pots and put seven cloves of Siciliano garlic in it. I'll give it till the end of February to allow those little cloves to send out roots and establish themselves. Then, I'll plop the whole thing back outside so it gets exposed to freezing temperatures.

Warm Interlude

2008-02-07T06:37:00.001-05:00

Well, we've had our February thaw now. Beautiful days soaring into the 70s. Warm nights not dipping below 50. I had the window open all night, and for the most part, just one flannel blanket on. I am so ready for spring. But then again, I don't like all that water laying on my gardens. I'm wondering if I need to admit defeat and make them raised. It's too dry in summer to turn them into a moisture enriched garden.

I still can't believe it's going to turn frigid this weekend. Boo.

Banana Bread Oatmeal Beer Bread

2008-02-03T18:13:00.001-05:00

Another beautiful day, but the air has a damp cold undertone to it that does not promote being outside.

I tried another beer bread today. I had picked up some more oatmeal from the supermarket, because I do try and eat healthy from time to time. And once again, I was reminded of why there were still many packets of flavored oatmeal in my pantry. I don't really like the concept of oatmeal mush. I like to chew my food.

However, there are oatmeal breads. Which would be a great way to use up all those flavored packets. Especially if Quaker Oatmeal's web page recipes can be believed that instant oatmeal can replace an equal measure of old fashioned oatmeal. Since I just couldn't bring myself to buy blueberries from Chile, that meant using the banana bread flavored oatmeal.

The bananas weren't really ripe enough for bread, but the one I used mashed well. The packets looked to be about a third of a cup, so I replaced a third of a cup of flour for Quaker's Weight Loss Banana Bread Instant Oatmeal. The beer was Samuel Adams Octoberfest. (At least now I know what to do with all the beer my brother doesn't finish after his visits.) About 2/3 inch of beer left in the bottle. A shake more granulated sugar, and some powered sugar on top. A shake or two more flour to make up for the moisture in the banana.

End result: edible. Should have used two or more bananas, since I was going for banana. Maybe more sugar to keep the sweet going. Also leave it wet instead of adding more flour. I think the oats (or instant part of the oats) dried it out some. Although, without the overwhelming banana flavor I was looking for, I can probably eat this with cheese.

Who to Believe?

2008-02-02T12:25:00.002-05:00

Well, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. However, my daffodils underneath the holly bush are already popping up. In the backyard gardens, the ground is thawed. And completely soaked. Cold water, at that. Yesterday's deluge certainly brought plenty of water.

How do I know how cold the water in the ground is? I had to push back a few pansies and the new day lily that had been heaved up out of of the ground. Brrr. At least there were a few roots holding them into the ground.

The Great Tomato Experiment, preliminaries

2008-01-31T08:33:00.001-05:00

Well, I've never grown tomatoes before. I never really had a reason. I don't especially like tomatoes, especially raw. But, the thought of fresh tomatoes in my spaghetti sauce, to go along with the fresh oregano and fresh garlic, was a bit much in the tempation department. So, I ordered a plant.

Yep, that's right one plant. No seeds, no monsterous garden, just one plant. And if it dies, it dies. I still figure there's a fifty-fifty chance that one plant will not make it outside into its pot around May 1st, even after cutting out my seedling apathy.

I picked up a paste tomato not known for being sweet. Sweet tomatoes just mean I have to add vinegar to the sauce recipe. This is meant to be a deep meaty sauce. I got a 'Martino's Roma' from White Flower Farm. I'll probably find someplace cheaper for next year, but I'm spoiled with automated check out carts.

Bread Results

2008-01-28T06:44:00.001-05:00

After a frustrating weekend of disagreements with my computer, I can report back on the beer bread. It was good, but needed some work. I think I messed up the beer/flour ratio. I had gotten a good consitancy, but hadn't added all of the beer. I should have left well enough alone and drank the excess beer. But, instead I decided to add it and more flour after adding the cheese and chives. Ah, well, next week.

It is good when I add the family recipe spaghetti sause and italian cheese mix on top. Speaking of the spaghetti sauce, I'm starting to think maybe I should grow a tomato plant for some fresh tomatoes. Some sort of paste tomato in a container.

Bread Baking

2008-01-26T13:59:00.001-05:00

I don't remember who precisely on my blogroll is to blame, but I am baking bread at the moment. Someone put up a picture of freshly baked bread and it started the wheels turning in my brain. Then I found Farmgirl Susan over at Farmgirl Fare with all of her wonderful breads and cooking and adventures and other things. I got hooked. So, I took her Beer Bread Recipe and added some cheddar and some volunteer chives fresh from my garden. Now for the waiting.

Oh, and that snake plant in bloom picture, it didn't turn out and by the time I went back, the blooms were spent. But the kalanchoe is lovely.

And here's my holiday chrysanthemum that had decided to rebloom.

Snow, Three Days After

2008-01-20T17:50:00.001-05:00

Well, miracle of miracles, the snow from Thursday is still on the ground on Sunday afternoon. Granted, this was aided by sub arctic temperatures that arrived yesterday. A second snow event whimped out due to the cold. And tonight, when it dips below 0 degrees F, I will indulge in serious contemplation of racial inequality and how we have finally made it to the point where a man of color can make a serious bid for the White House. Long live government holidays that keep me from having to drive to work in that.

Anyway, the snow was about three inches thick in my backyard, but that is approximate. See, the sleet and a little bit of rain kicked in after the snow, so the measurement was not accurate. But still, a nice snow storm.

Blooms! & Flurries

2008-01-16T07:12:00.001-05:00

So, there were snow flurries yesterday at lunch. Not fun, especially since these were organized, militant flurries that bore a surprising resemblance to actual snow. But the weathermen reassure us that they were just flurries.

I actually have flowers blooming. Of course, there are the much abused pansies. I think the squirrels are finally leaving them in the dirt. My kalanchoe has bounced back from overwatering and has blooms up. And my snake plant is blooming for the second time in six months. I guess trimming it back hard was a good thing.

Now, unfortunately, there are no pictures. This was occasioned by the fact that I packed up all my files on the computer to back them up. Why was I backing them up? Because it was time to install a new OS, and you don't take chances with that. Not that it was that horrid Vista, but rather Leopard. Mac OS installations usually go smoothly, but no need to take risks. Thankfully nothing went wrong, but still, it took a lot of time.

Mud-slicked Leaves

2008-01-09T06:40:00.001-05:00

Well, Monday I played instead of working. Tuesday I did manage to work before I played. And my lawn suffered for it. I got the leaves up, but unfortunately, after I started my efforts, I discovered that the ground was still wet under those leaves. And since it's slick, yellow clay mud, it slid under my bagging mower. Not that my lawn and moss can't recover, but it's a mess. Oh, well. Makes me glad I didn't resolve to get more exercise. I think I would have fullfilled it already.

The other neighbor teased me as I was doing it. He just never rakes. Although, his Christmas tree was a good prop about his self-directed joke about mowing.

On the list of things still to be accomplished, I need to sweep the leaves off of the deck. They can blanket the gardens underneath. I know the back yard is even wetter then the front. It squelches.

Replacements

2008-01-08T07:41:00.001-05:00

Well, the bitter cold of last week has been replaced with the January thaw. The only reason we set new record highs yesterday is because those airports didn't exsist during the last extreme heat wave in 1907. But today's high temperature records were set in 1998, so we'll flirt with breaking those.

January really is a weird month. Artic air reaches down to Florida, then the tropical air surges back to New England. Still, I get nervous since my leave year rolls over on the 19th and I start from zero for the last part of the year. The sad fact is the year I started with this company, that last week was filled with a terrible ice and snow storm. Eek! Definitely don't change companies in January if you can help it. Unless of course, they give you leave up front instead of making you earn it.

Still, it is nice to be able to open up the windows and air out the place in January. It gets so stagnant in winter. And I'm stuck doing clean up chores outside in this nice weather. There isn't enough daylight (and warm temperatures) to relax. *sigh*

Freezy Cold

2008-01-03T07:06:00.001-05:00

Well, the temperature has turned for the worse. It's only getting up to around the freezing mark during the day and there's significant windchill on top of that. I've broken out the heavy gloves and pined over my missing hat. The replacement is nowhere near warm enough. But the hood of my new coat is awesome.

Yesterday, for the first work day of the new year, there were a few dry, powdery snow flakes flying around. A couple even piled up on my car before I braved the weather. Brrr. Even seed catalogs don't help when I have to go out in that.

Countdown

2007-12-31T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, as the year winds up, I find that I haven't blogged nearly enough, there are hundreds of unedited pictures in my computer, and leaves still in my front yard. Peonies didn't recover and bloom, but I still bought more. I finally got around to purchasing bulbs to stick in the ground, but 8 are still unplanted and I don't know where I want to stick them. I have plans of a red clematis to let grow over my stairs, so they won't be an eye sore when I sit in my swing and its a lot of my yard without flowers.

The canoe eats up my weekends, but that's what its for. I wasn't really getting that much more mowing and garden preparation anyway, and there's always the time for that in spring when it's too cold to be on the water. Or fall. Speaking of which, I need to rotate my compost pile more often.

May 2008 be better.

Danger Will Robinson

2007-12-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a couple of weeks and still nothing has set off the traps aside from a shoe discarded into the wrong corner. I'm guessing the mouse moved on, if it was even in the house to begin with. Especially since the bird seed doesn't seem to be targeted.

I knew not getting a tree this year was a bad thing. I found myself cruising the bargin ornament displays and came home with a few. Not much, but a few balls and a set of bells for an uncluttered tree. Too bad the "green" for the year is a lousy lime green. Not at all what I associate with Christmas.

Merry Un-Christmas!

2007-12-27T10:45:00.001-05:00

Christmas has passed. I got a semi-white Christmas by going to visit family. But even then, a big warm rain event washed away most of their ice and snow on the Sunday before. I did the whole spiel from making Christmas cookies to wrapping presents and writing Christmas cards. I got the card in the mail before Christmas, but only just. The others were hand delivered as it were. I don't do many cards.

My Christmas tree for this year was theirs. My December was too jumbled between the cruise and going up there on Saturday. And then New Year's celebrations are stretched out as well. But I got to decorate theirs, since my dad procrastinated until Saturday to buy one. Pretty good tree for a clearance tree.

On Sunday, with a little bit of prodding, my mom finished the top for the quilt she is making me. Big deal since she started hand piecing it in February of 1993. Let's just say it wasn't the most consistant sewing project. Especially since it took me about 10 years to get her to do the marking on her own.

Monday morning saw me crawling around on my hands and knees in the dining room pin basting it. Between her hip and the arthritis in her back, I couldn't let her do it. It was placed in my old Grace hoop yesterday. Go Mom! My brother requests that it take less than 15 years to quilt it... But he's just being pushy.

No Results

2007-12-21T07:11:00.000-05:00

Well, last weekend's big ice storm missed us. All rain. Then wind. Then frigid temperatures. And I seemed to have lost my knit hat. Oh, well, bought a new one. That's how these things go.

No results from the snap traps. Which is good. It could have just been a dream reminent and I'm okay with that. I wasn't really awake that morning. Although, it did get me to fix the entry into the attic/crawlspace. Didn't realize that the one bit was only held in by the other blocks holding to the wall. Well, some nails fixed that. Closing that closet door helped with the rest.

Sweet Relief

2007-12-13T06:52:00.000-05:00

In one of those nanny firewall incidents, it had looked like I was going lose posting on my blog and commenting on all blogger hosted sites. Yesterday, nanny blocked the log-in since it was flagged "web chat" in the documentation. I don't pretend to understand how websites do that to be seen in search engines and how nanny firewalls see that to block them, but it happens. Thankfully, someone protested to IT and Blogger is back on the approved list!

Unfortunately, this is tempered by the fact that I saw a mouse-like scuttle out of the corner of my eye this morning. This is really disturbing, despite the fact that it probably only just moved in with the cold snap and the week of no one in residence. The disturbing part is that it was on the second floor with the bedrooms. And it was going into the ~~junk~~ storage room. No food in there, but lots of boxes and mementos strewn about the floor. Precious papers and fabrics that could be used as nests. Eek!

Now I could understand a mouse being sighted in the pantry, or the kitchen or where I keep the bird seed and turtle food. Those are logical places. But upstairs where I sleep! No way! So, today after work, or rather after the Office Christmas party/dinner, I need to pick up snap traps and peanut butter. Yuck.

First Snowfall

2007-12-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Well, we had the first snowfall of the season here. Right at about the same time as everyone else, I guess. I wouldn't know. See, the snow happened while I was off on a cruise. Ha-ha! What timing! Granted, there was that low pressure weather maker in San Diego that gave us a few worries on landing. Which lead to a surprise landing in LA, before finally touching down in San Diego. But it was sunny and warm in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Beautiful too. Spent a lot of time in the pool on the ship, because it was open and I didn't feel like a shore exursion. I did set foot in Mexico to buy Chrismas presents/souveiners, though.

A rough front moved through and gave the boat a lot of chop. The sea was so rough, they closed the port of Enscanada, Mexico. Oops. And because it was so rough, they kept a cover on the pool. Now of course the funny part is that back on land in San Diego, we went to see the famous San Diego Zoo. Beautiful tropical plants all over the place. But it was so cool there, that they put the tortoises inside under their heat lamps. Booo! I missed Zeppe's relations. But still, it was rather impressive that they looked after their animals like that.

So, I'm back home to melting snow. The leaves need cleaned up, but it's too wet to go out with my mower. Fortunately, there are supposed to be some high fifty degree days this coming week, so I won't freeze too much getting that done.

Curse-ed

2007-11-21T10:04:00.000-05:00

So, I bought a new winter jacket last Friday. Today it is going up to seventy degrees. I actually am wearing a t-shirt and am still warm. And of course, it is supposed to change midday tomorrow back to cold and blustery. *sigh* People are going to catch colds due to this.

My bulbs still appear to be undisturbed and in the ground. Whew. It does seem that planting before a good soaking rain (that repeats itself every couple of days) is a good strategy to avoid the squirrels finding them right after you plant them.

On that note, I'm not really going to engage in an arms race with the squirrels forcing them to involve and become our intellectual equals. I don't try and keep them off the bird feeder. I mean really, it's a plate on the deck. And I don't try and keep them away from my bulbs. Tulips are a toss up anyway, since they do not naturalize here. And I know they don't eat daffodils. But I still prefer for what I plant to stay planted, instead of tucking it in five times because the squirrels needed to see what might be under the pansies. Meh.

It's just enough that they haven't disturbed the tulip bulbs yet.

Muddy Bulbs

2007-11-15T07:56:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, while the weather was still warm and the ground was soaked, I planted all 65 of my daffodil bulbs and about 16 of my tulip bulbs. I left the rest of the tulips to serve as replacements, since they are tasty to squirrels.

The main problem is that I had to remain hunched over and squatting while digging all those holes. It was too wet and muddy to kneel. Not to mention planting in the back of the garden bed.

When I checked again last night, I didn't see any squirrel damage. Maybe planting between the rain drops helped. It certainly washed away that fresh dirt smell, and one muddy spot looked like the other.

It is still raining. Instead of wiping out the drought in Autumn, we seem to be doing it November. That would be good, except of course for the waterlogged ground.

Frosted Nyger

2007-11-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Well, even if I hadn't called first frost earlier, Thursday morning, Saturday morning and today definitely counted. I'm going to have to do a garden clean up later. This will have finished off the last of the summertime plants, so it's time for a proper clean up. I'll also have to take my yard vacuum, better known as my bagging mower, and pick up some leaves off of my front yard for mulching.

I also picked up 20 pounds of nyger seeds for the feeder. The supermarket sells tiny bags, so it's just easier to go to my local Wild Birds Unlimited store and pick up a big bag. The container I had to put it in was a little too small for the 20 pound bag. So, I ended up putting the extras into some gallon jugs I have around the house. Turns out to be a pretty convient way to pour the seed into the finch socks.

My little junco buddies have also shown up.

Anything But Mellow Yellow

2007-11-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago, I had taken down the hummingbird feeder for the last cleaning of the year and replaced it with a goldfinch sock. The idea to apologize for not managing to grow sunflowers this year. I had known that something had found it, but given that I am not home much during the day, I had to wait till a day off to explore the identy of the feeders.

Today, I found that it was at least six goldfinches in winter plummage. There were at least four at any one time. And since the sock is two thirds emptied, there was a lot of jockeying for position where there was still seed. It was an adorable and amusing display of yellowed wings.

And now I'm left contemplating getting a second hanger so I can put up a second sock. Not that any goldfinch goes hungry, but they are just so adorable to watch.

In less adorable news, the light rain that is falling today has a chance to change over to snowflakes tonight. Not the type that would actually lay, but still. It is much, much too early for such a thing. Despite snowstorms of past years.

Edit: Make that at least a dozen goldfinches and at least two regular brown type finches that refuse to be bullied by the small yellow one. I'm definitely picking up another sock and ordering another pole.

Halloween Wrap Up

2007-11-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

A day late, but so it goes. My treat this year was to get out early and enjoy planting peonies and petunias in 70 degree temperatures. Two peonies in their raised bed and 18 petunias, six in with the peonies. I also cut down the old peony leaves and some spent milkweed. No nibblers this year except for the milkweed beetles.

My trick was heading off my laughter yoga class at 7 pm, in the middle of the Trick or Treat time period. Normally, the kids would be tapering off at that point, but they started a lot later this year because of extended sunlight. The first kids were at 6 and they really didn't start coming until 6:30. Ah, well, I had bought less candy this year anyway.

Also, some research shows that I can plant my bulbs between now and Thanksgiving. Probably Veteren's day weekend if it is warm enough.

Drought Buster

2007-10-29T13:08:00.000-04:00

Well, not much happened last week, except nearly six inches of rain in my rain bucket. That's pretty cool, in and of itself. And it was slow and steady stretched out over several days, so it soaked in. The airports got a lot less, but then they always seem to get less.

With the rain came cooler temperatures. Much cooler temperatures. It seemed to go right past lightweight jackets to winter jackets. Brrr. Today has been declared the first official frost in my yard. The grass wasn't exactly white, but everything else was. Plus, the temperatures were bound to dip further after I left. That's good enough for me.

Now, I just need the sun to help dry up the compost so I can plant my peonies!

Compost Sifting

2007-10-20T14:28:00.001-04:00

Last night our boss had us out to an all you can eat meat buffet as a gesture of how much he appreciates the hard work we've been doing. The up shot of all of that, is that I found myself in the garden this morning trying to work off the meal from last night.

Since I need to create a home for my new peonies, Julia Rose and Big Ben, I began by digging out the fense bed. It was never more than leaves smothering grass, with a few flowers poked in this summer. I sifted all the dirt and removed some rocks. I was surprised with how few rocks there were to pick out.

Then I shifted the compost pile. It's sat for three years. I needed at the bottom, plus it needed mixed up good. So, relocating it was a good thing to do. I managed to find some nice compost at the bottom, but it is a little too mud-like to use my screen sifter for more than the bare minimum to put back in the garden. Right now I'm letting it settle. Maybe it'll be ready to work on the raised bed part tomorrow.

34 Days Later

2007-10-19T06:33:00.001-04:00

It's been 34 days without appreciable rain at the local airports. I'd gotten a few passing showers that just wetted the pavement at my place in that time. We're hoping the storms coming this afternoon have a lot of moisture in them, but it won't be enough to put a dent in our nearly a foot deficit.

After dipping into the thirties last weekend, we've had a gorgeous week with highs in the 80s. It is decidedly annoying. I have two new peonies to plant, and I want it cool enough to actually prepare the bed. To say nothing of giving the rhisomes a good dormancy period.

One of the peonies arrived the other night. I recieved a daylily as a free gift. Gold City Sue. Now I have to figure out where to plant that too...

Birdbrains

2007-10-13T12:43:00.001-04:00

There was a very confused bird in my yard while I was mowing this morning. It kept being surprised by the fact that I would walk under my deck to empty the bagger on my lawnmower into the compost pile. Once it even flew into my shed. I thought it was finally gone after I finished mowing. I brought out my new swing hammock and rocked for awhile, listening to a woodpecker searching for bugs.

Boy, was I surprised when I went into the house to get something to drink, the bird had flown into the basement! I think it was a catbird, based on the size and color. It was a little small and didn't have the white patches under the wings to be a mockingbird. I managed to manuever around it to chase it back outside. It just sat on my compost pile and called a little bit. I wonder what is wrong with it. I'll put some seed out later.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, while I was in Home Depot to get some more hardware for my swing hammock, I picked up a pack of double yellow daffodils and a pack of peony-type tulips. I might go back for another pack of daffodils, but I don't really expect the tulips to survive the squirrels. Now, I just have to wait till proper planting time.....

Dragging On

2007-10-09T07:33:00.001-04:00

Where as the region has not had appriciable rainfall in twenty some odd days, I was undergoing a flood at work. Which is not good, since I blog on my morning breaks.

However, there isn't necessarily that much to blog about. We're getting our "Indian Summer" slash heat wave. We've been setting record highs in the 90s. And although the back yard is going gangbusters, the front yard has brown patches underneath. Which is why I'm not going to mow that until after we get some real rain. Better long then dead.

About the only thing I accomplished was buying a hammock chair and mounting it under the deck. It is a cozy cocoon. I just have to buy some more S-hooks, so I can actually climb into it without a step ladder.

Summer Weather Lingers On

2007-09-24T07:25:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful last weekend of summer. The warm temperatures are going to stick around for most of this week too, although the nights are the typical autumn coolness. In fact, when I was out canoeing on Saturday, the early trees were starting to turn at the lake.

The garden is stuck between a sense of urgency to get it all accomplished before winter sets in, and not wanting to get it done too early so that everything sprouts and is killed. Still some of the clean up can get done.

Jacket Weather

2007-09-18T06:46:00.001-04:00

Autumn seems to have arrived a weekend early this year. I had to pull in all of my tropicals that were on the deck Saturday. It's been dipping down into the 40s at night. Monday morning I broke out the light weight jacket. No frost advisories yet, so that is good.

I've been slowly working on the weeds in my gardens. Granted, I wouldn't have had this problem if I had a better ground cover in the one bed. I need to plant earlier next year, so they can establish better, before the heat and slugs do them in.

Oh, another thing that I like and wouldn't do in my garden -- daliahs. I just don't want to dig up bulbs ever fall to replant the next summer.

Not In My Garden

2007-09-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

Blackswamp Girl introduced a challenge to write about plants we like when we see them elsewhere, but never really want to put in our personal gardens. Normally, I don't do memes, but it is an interesting theme, and no tagging of other people!

1) Roses. I like roses. My mom has always had roses. But honestly, the care and upkeep required for most roses is beyond me. Especially pest control. I know there are easier roses out there, but I certainly don't want to play the game of finding which ones these are for my location.

2) Wisteria. Now, this is a plant I love and adore. I'd love to have it in my garden, except that it is a demolitions expert. It gets big and heavy and will pull down flimsy support, like your house. I certainly don't have the will to build something robust enough, especially when I rent.

3) Honeysuckle. I love the smell and it hearkens back to childhood, but I don't want to navigate the field of invasives and non-natives. If I'm going to have thugs, they're going to be native thugs. That and I don't have room for bushes.

4) Lantana. This is actually a plant I've had in the garden, but I lost patience with it. It has to be overwintered in my region and it is a pain in the house. It lived in a perpetual state of dying, and that smell when I went to deadhead it was terrible. Petunias and million bells fill the niche on the deck better and just need regular watering.

Honorary Mention (since it was here when I moved in)

5) Hosta. Sure, they look nice and cover lots of space, but I'd rather plant coral bells if I have the shade. They just look too big in my garden. And removing all those spent flower stalks is a pain. Besides, the big ones under my deck get plenty of sun and are hogging the space that a butterfly bush could be using....

Busted Rain Days

2007-09-11T19:19:00.000-04:00

So, Gabrielle passed the DC metro by, preferring to concentrate all her fire on the Carolina coast, and then ride off into the sunrise. (Well, she turned East, at least.) And that is totally my fault. See, I planned on Gabby watering my plants this weekend while I was out of town. *sigh* They all bounced back, but it was a browning experience. :(

While I was away, I finished my 9/11 Memorial Quilt, titled "Blood, Smoke and Dust". I like it. The folks in at work liked it.

And the back so you can see the quilting.

Not the best pictures. The red is a little more uniform. I'll try again tomorrow for better. I've lost the light tonight and interior lights don't cut it. (As you can see.)

Snags

2007-09-06T07:11:00.001-04:00

Yesterday while I was walking to the car, my eyes fell upon the dead pine trees lining the walk. It isn't really their fault, since the added walkway involved massive clearing with heavy construction equipment. But I was eyeing them with trepidation all the same. Not because I mind dead trees creating environment for the wildlife, but rather because there's a system that will turn tropical and pelt the coast with some rain this weekend. Trees like that tend to come down in storms, that have a tropical pedigree around here.

And yet, while I was worrying about the weather, I heard a bird calling insistantly. I scanned the dead trees and finally spotted a flicker feeding. And I suddenly felt better about the trees.

There is also a golden (chrysanthe)mum now gracing my deck. I am weak at the grocery store, especially when they are fragrant.

Always When I'm Late

2007-09-04T11:21:00.000-04:00

Aside from last week's big push to clean up, I've been distracted from the garden by another big push. A quilt to finish. Specifically my 9/11 memorial quilt. Now, admittedly, it has taken a bit long, but I did complete another quilt and have worked on two other tops in the years since 2001. But I am so close to finishing it this year for the anniversary. So, I've been racing ahead. Although, I think this is the last time I quilt with a quarter of an inch separation between the lines of stitches.

Now, with that in mind, we come to Saturday. As I'm finishing up my drink before heading out the door for Labor Day weekend fun times. Running late as it so happens as well. When by chance, I look out the screen door and see a hummingbird fly past. And land on the feeder. And take a drink. From the empty feeder that needs cleaned. She flew off seeking nectar that was actually there. But what is there to do when the first hummingbird of the year is spotted on an empty feeder, but to take time out to clean and refill the feeder?

I wouldn't feel too bad, there are two other feeders on the neighbor's deck, but my first sighting of the year. *sigh*

Weeds I Want

2007-08-31T18:47:00.001-04:00

So, after mowing Wednesday in a move that more in line with self preservation, than aesthetics, I tackled the weeds in the gardens. Zeppe and I were amazed to find that the milkweed was being attacked by another nebulous wildflower. The bird bath garden is now relatively safe for flowers everywhere, but I'll need to keep after the grass.

After that, I tackled the deadheading of the beebalm. Normally, I'm not big on deadheading. The birds can make better use of the seeds than I can. And free flowers next year. But beebalm is enough of a thug that I don't need to give it any mercy. One thing I did find odd about the experience was that it smelled more like oregano than mint.

I did have an oregano plant a long time ago, and I did harvest it for use as spices. But its path to garden supremecy was blunted by the chocolate mint that was planted beside it. I think I had vague leanings towards chewing on the leaves as a breath freshener. Now, it's the groundcover of choice in my dad's yard, simply because it is easier than removing it. And it does smell nice when he mows it.

Year 3

2007-08-28T16:58:00.000-04:00

Wow, entering year three here at The Little Blue House. I've passed my (near history) record. I have to go back over ten years to have been at a place longer than two years, and the last place was just shy of the two year mark. Granted, I'm spending it fear of what happens to a lawn that receives 3 inches of rain in as many days after suffering from drought.

In other news, I'm about to launch into a fall buying spectacular. Queued up for purchase; 1) daffodil bulbs, 2) peonies, 3) materials to construct a raised garden for the new peonies, 4) a swing hammock for one, 5) some sort of edging brick/paver, and a possible 6) tulip bulbs. I'm still not decided on tulips. We shall see....

Drought Hazzard

2007-08-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

The biggest problems with droughts, is when you get rain in the middle of the night. Last night I was soundly sleeping with the window open, since the heat had broke last night and the night air was cooler than where I set my AC. While the periods of waking up and shifting and going back to sleep are quite normal in the middle of the night, it is a different kind of thing to wake up and realize that you have to move. Like to close the window against rain. While, most nights that I would do this task I'd just go back to sleep right away, last night was different. After being so long without a good soaking rain, I actually stayed awake to listen to the lovely sound.

But oh, I could have used that extra sleep. ;)

Blithering Idiot

2007-08-10T20:19:00.001-04:00

Today, I was a complete blithering idiot. Oh, I had an okay day. Did some shopping. Got the groceries I've been putting off. But because of taking a fishing class that ran way too late two days this week, I'm run down. So, while practicing my casting outside, I was faced with the reality that I haven't mowed my back lawn in weeks. And it needed it before the stretch of hot weather that kept me from doing any yardwork.

And, let me tell you, there's nothing worse than staring at the jungle that your edging has become. Unless. Unless after a long day on a day that is only cool by comparison to the 102 degree record set early this week, you decide enough is enough and go after it with your mower. Your mower that has a tiny bagger that fills up three times when you were keeping up with the mowing. ARGH!

I am tired. I am sweating. And I don't even have a completely mowed lawn. I'm going to have to go back another day this weekend. And that's not counting the tall stalks of grass that are using my flowers as cover. I pulled one of those yellow clover weeds out of my beebalm, that was as tall AS the beebalm. Ugh. Bad gardener.

Code Goldenrod

2007-08-08T06:47:00.001-04:00

I wonder if all those air quality alerts take into account the fact that the goldenrod is blooming? Not that goldenrod is the culprit, mind you. I actually like goldenrod as a flower. But I dread its appearance. Mother Nature, in all her wisdom, decided to make it the warning signal of hay fever season. Now, it is nice to have a highly visible and distinctive flower to see that lets people know why they are sniffling. But it does seem a bit unfair to the poor goldenrod.

Sunbaked Showers

2007-08-07T07:46:00.000-04:00

We had some nice steady rain Monday morning. Not near enough, but still, I can't say it was entirely welcome. The humidity outside is off the chart in my opinion. And the rain only seemed to make it more steamy.

My sunflowers seem to have bit the dust. I'm probably going to throw some of the remaining seeds into the garden after the heat breaks on Wednesday. In addition to the promise of cooler temperatures, there is a promise of at least a little rain.

I also need to get out and see if deadheading the beebalm gets them to rebloom. Those flowers take a long time to finish, and I don't feel like robbing the bees of any pollen in a rush to rebloom.

Dog Days

2007-08-04T10:13:00.001-04:00

The ancient Greeks in their attempt at science, looked up at the heavens and figured out why the days of late July and early August were so hot. Given their clumsy (to us) view of the universe, they saw that the brightest star in the sky was Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. As the seasons change the constellations rise and set in different places. The hotest part of the summer, Sirius rises and sets in daylight. The Greeks assumed that the heat of the Dog Star added to the heat of the Sun and thus, the days were particularly oppressive.

Meanwhile, the modern weatherman describes the situation as a batch of particularly warm air is sitting on top of the region, and the strong rays of the sun keep heating the air but not enough to cause widespread instabilities (thunderstorms). And this slug of high pressure is just going to hang out until a very strong front can knock it out of position.

Either way, it's hot, it's humid, it's oppressive. I love my AC.

Steamy Outdoors

2007-07-30T16:35:00.001-04:00

Well, after a couple days of feeling like the bathroom after you just got out of the shower, we finally received some rain. Not much rain, not near enough rain, but nothing to snear at either. Showers are still working their way through the area, there is hope for a little more at least.

At this point, I need a little bit more, before I feel comfortable mowing my back yard. There's something disturbing when you can see where you walked a couple days ago. I would like to keep the grass/clover ecosystem healthy back there. Good for the bees. Otherwise, I'd probably risk killing it by stress.

Hydrangea Blues

2007-07-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

My hydranea is doing beautifully. Even with the late frost that burned some of the tips. The only problem is that I don't know if I can repeat this feat next year. Why?

Because it is a lovely mix of pink, purple and blue flowers. Now, I prefer the blue ones, they coordinate better with my house. I just adore the purpleness of the flowers. And the pink are pretty too.

But because the colors are dependent on soil pH, this kind of transitional state is hard to accomplish, let alone maintain. The soil tends towards base. And I prefer acidic colors. I got around this by putting my Christmas tree needles around the base of the hydrangea last winter. But who knows what it will look like next year.

Oh, and a brief rant, work seems to have decided that the photo sharing sites take too much bandwidth now. :/ I can't look at picture gallaries online anymore. *cries* How am I supposed to get through the work day?

Washed Out

2007-07-23T07:04:00.001-04:00

No, not the garden. I wish there had been some rain this weekend, though. Earth is starting to crack where the mulch isn't covering it. No, all my light colored flowers get washed out. I finally had a good mix of clouds and sun, but they are still a little faded.

First, the lone purplish beebalm.

It happens to be in a light pink clump that looks like this.

Hostas are so faintly purple, they're practically white.

The shed might be washed out, but the black-eyed susans are going strong.

However, no washed out colors over by the orange butterfly weed.

Peony Progress

2007-07-18T09:43:00.001-04:00

First, the black eyed susans are bursting into bloom. The leaves are a little ragged from all the munching bugs, but not too bad. More butterfly weed is popping up. The Monarch butterflies still haven't discovered this small stand.

My peonies are putting up new leaf stalks. Since this isn't normal peony behavior, I'm going to assume that is where the energy normally used to bloom went. The two main culprits are the ones that were looking the worst for wear. So, it is good to see them with more leaves. And since I am going to be renting this Little Blue House for at least another year, I'll get to see them bloom next year! And add more!

Intruder

2007-07-16T07:43:00.001-04:00

I caught sight of the black and white cat this morning. On my deck of all places. I'm pretty sure it is somebody's outdoor cat, becaus it has been around for at least two years. It is fleshy enough that someone is feeding it. But this is the first time I've spotted it in my yard. I can't say I'm happy to see it checking out the bird feeder.

Fluorescent Pain

2007-07-12T14:18:00.001-04:00

So, a couple weeks ago the fluorescent bulb in my aquarium burned out. Pain in the butt getting for a full spectrum bulb that size, much less how much they cost. But safely gotten and changed, and now I read the fine print on the box "Do not dispose of in trash". Huh?

While it has been sitting there waiting for me to figure out what to do with it, I heard a snippet on the radio. Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, which we all know is pretty bad for the environment, especially my buddy the Chesapeake Bay. Even those "environmentally friendly" compact fluorescents. Yikes!

So, what does good ol' Mont Co have to help us safely dispose of such things? They recommend,

"Fluorescent bulbs and tubes -- including compact fluorescent bulbs -- from your home should be taken to one of our Household Hazardous Waste collection sites. However, if this is not practical, you may dispose of these bulbs and tubes in your normal household trash."

??? The trash? Throw mercury into the landfill. Wow. Burn electricity or bury mercury. Oh, wait, they do recommend wrapping the bulb in paper so it will be contained if the bulb breaks. Silly me, what was I concerned about? :(

The Hose

2007-07-11T06:51:00.001-04:00

Well, I watered my garden. Not because of any need of water. Despite it being dry, it hasn't been that dry. Besides which, I grow hardy flowers that just need a little protection from an overly abundant slug popluation. A little drought won't affect them.

No, I watered them because I had the hose out. Why did I have the hose out? Because I needed to wash the salt water off of my canoe. :) Whoo-hoo! I had my little Pack out on the Bay! That was really fun while I was out there. I've been in pain ever since from the extreme workout. There was so much chop to compensate for. But I loved it.

However, between the sore muscles and the heat index around 100 degrees, I've been enjoying my flowers from inside this week. At least the hydrangea is right by the door...