Hot Year, Many Changes

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

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....

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

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

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*

*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

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

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

Hydrangea Massacre

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

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!

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.