Aurora's Blog

Last night I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to drive today- We weren't able to find a sitter for the kids.

So we decided to just bring them with us and were able to have our "work station" be the gate- very kid friendly :)

It was a really complicated course this time, so it took me about 4 runs to figure it out. Thankfully this wasn't an actual competition so we had lots of runs. Once I figured out where to go I did really well! I was only about 4 seconds behind Steve WOOHOO! I also got the "Most Improved" award *blush*

It's a great bunch of people who do this- the one guy volunteered to watch the kids and the gate so I could ride with Steve, and have him ride with me (the only reason I was finally able to learn the course) I can't wait until we can do this again :)

2 weeks from today we'll be driving down to Disneyworld for 7 fun-filled, exhausting days at all the parks. The children are so excited. They keep watching Disney World stuff that we recorded for them :)

Steve was very wise and bought a portable DVD player for the car, and copied EVERY Disney movie onto discs for the kids to watch. Of course, Megan doesn't actually like any of the movies- she cries and cries LOL. so that could make for an even longer trip hehe.

I'm really looking forward to it, and seeing all of their landscaping :)

After finally finding the lost mower key I headed out to mow the hayfield, er lawn. Sit down, turn the key- MOWER DOESN"T START!!! UGGGHHHHH. Dead battery.

So instead I piddled around, then went to Lowes to pick up the window and check out their plants. Unfortunately none of their plants were on sale. But I bought 2 jalepenos to replace the ones Marley dug up, and 2 Bloodroot roots and a Round-lobed Hepatica root. I'm hoping the Bloodroots will come up next spring. The hepatica was growing in the little bag!

After DH got home and hooked up the charger I was finally able to get the grass cut. HOORAY! I bet the neighbor's are all very happy too. Now to get around to weed-whacking along the fence and the edging blocks.

I'm going to try to get the 2 clematis planted tomorrow- the soil was too wet to work with today.

I took and posted some more photos. I haven't re-organized the Flowers Photo Album yet, so the new ones are pretty much on the bottom. I am going to retake all of them after I mow the grass- I pretty much have a hayfield right now and it detracts from the gardens. I'm going to try to take them from the same angles too...

I got a pretty decent pic of the nasturium bloom. Of course now there's a second bloom right next to that one hehe.

The official results of the Autocross race were posted. Drumroll.....

                          
                  I DIDN'T FINISH LAST!!!!!!

I acually did better than 2 other people!  LOL, but it was my FIRST EVER time racing, and about the fourth time I have driven the Porsche!

Not bad for a newbie used to driving an SUV :) Can't wait for Saturday for the Test-and-Tune (it's basically getting the chance to practice, no competition). The only way to get better is SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME!

I had planned on doing housework today since it's been raining. But since I really detest that, I spent the day in the garden instead :) My master plan of watering yesterday paid off- we finally got rain, and a bunch of it.

One of the Nasturtiums is blooming!!!  I'm going to go out tomorrow to get a picture since it'll be sunny. Also noticed that my wisterias are getting more flower buds, so I'll have a second round of blooms soon :) And to round out all the blooming news, one of my Clematis (Dr. Ruppel) has a bud! WOOHOOO!!! I wasn't expecting any of them to actually bloom this year as they were all in 4 inch pots. The other two don't have any buds, but they are growing nice and full after the hard prune I gave them after buying. I really need to get those 2 in the ground...

I planted the Japanese Ajuga that my landscaper friend gave me (for free!). Since it's been sitting for about a week bareroot, it was pretty sad looking. After I got it in the ground, I pruned it really hard to hopefully give it a chance. That seemed to really help it already as the remaining foliage is perking right up, although that could also be from the fact that it's in the ground, raining, and 20 degrees cooler from yesterday. I stuck the happiest cuttings into the ground around it and several other places in the gardens, and put a few others in water. Maybe I'll get lucky and get LOTS of new shrubs :)

Then since I had the pruners on me, I pruned the Hawthorne tree to look more like a tree and less like a shrub. I think it looks a lot better. I also took a little off my sad looking Lorapetulum. I may end up moving it to a different bed entirely. I'm still trying to decide if I want to prune the little crepe myrtles too...

I somehow managed to stay busy all day, without actually getting anything accomplished.

I didn't get much of anything that I planned to do in the gardens done today, mainly the mowing. It was really hot and humid, and after my "Go-Go-Go!" weekend I didn't feel like doing anything. I dug up some of the baby tansey to send back with my father-in-law to give to MIL, and watered since we haven't had any rain for a while. We do have a chance of it this evening and tonight, so I'm hoping my watering will guarantee that it will rain :) I also spent some time collecting seeds from the Johnny Jump-Ups, the various types of Blue-eyed Grass, and the Lyre-Leaved Sage. I got LOTS of seeds from the sage, hint hint...

I noticed that my nasturtiums are getting flower buds, woohoo! and my garden phlox is really blooming- I have to try and get pictures of it. My Butterfly Weed is also growing buds! The nesting the dove has gotten used to me so she doesn't fly off everytime I go near the Wisteria garden, which was why I finally able to collect seeds from the sage.

Went down to the pond for a whopping 1/2 hour of bass fishing- wanted to fish longer but Megan was in super-whiney mood today so I had to cut it short. I think she's tired from the weekend too ;)

Boy have I been busy this long weekend!

Saturday we went sailing for about 4 hours. It was such a beautiful day on the water. The wind was good, the temperature was perfect. The kids had a blast looking out of the saillocker hatch at the front (bow) of the boat. We even got a really great view of an Osprey nest on one of the channel markers- We got some pictures of them. I'm really getting the hang of how to sail a boat! I can't wait until we can go out again...

Sunday was loads of fun too. We went to an autocross meet and I finally got to compete :) For those who don't know what it is I'll explain: You race a course set up with traffic cones-  slaloms, tight turns, fast sections, etc., and you race the clock, not other cars. In other words It's just 1 car on the course at a time. My times were pretty bad, but heck- it was my first time driving. Plus I am used to driving an SUV and not the Porsche, so I still tend to drive it like it's my SUV. I had a blast, and I was able to knock a whopping 15 seconds off of my worst time by the last run!!!! Needless to say I am so hooked on this, so we're going to be wearing out the tires and brakes much faster than if it was just Steve racing :) I can't wait until next Sunday for the Test-and-Tune meet- lots of seat-time, instructors, and fun!

Today we went to see my Dad- and in a little while we're going to a friend's party.

I have a feeling I'm going to be really happy when Tuesday rolls around- I need to rest, and catch up on the yard and garden :)

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day!

Wow! I didn't realize how long it's been since I added an entry.

I haven't been doing very much in the gardens. The phlox is starting to bloom, and all the plants that I moved around are doing great in their new spots. The seeds that I had directly sowed are all up, and doing wonderfully. I can't wait to see blooms on them.

Sunday we went to watch my husband Autocross race his Porsche. It was loads of fun and he's doing better every time. He came in 2nd in the Novice Class!! I was really wishing that I had someone to watch the kids, because I really wanted to drive too.  In autocrossing, you are racing the clock, not other drivers, on a course set up with traffic cones. There's really no way to damage your car.

Monday I spent much of the day fishing at the stormwater retention pond just down from our house. It was really frustrating because I could SEE the fish, but didn't catch any. I really need to learn how to set the hook, as I had a bunch of strikes.

We have guests coming for Memorial Day weekend so I am going to be busy cleaning the house in preparation this week. At least today is raining so I won't be giving up any gardening time. I am really looking forward to this weekend because we are going to go sailing all day Saturday.  Perhaps we'll autocross on Sunday as well, and since I'll have someone to watch the kids I'll get to drive!!!

She's doing just fine today. Her mouth doesn't hurt her at all.

Steve was able to get her in to see the dentist this morning. The good news is she didn't hurt any other of her surrounding teeth, and her adult teeth are developing just fine (reall cool X-ray!) He had to remove the tooth that was half out and crooked because apparantly the nerve was broken and it would've been lost anyway. It may be another 2 years before she gets those adult teeth in. It'll be weird seeing her with front teeth again when that happens hehehe.

She is a very athletic little girl with no fear. She managed to get hit in the face today with a basketball *sigh*. I have a very strong feeling I'll be spending a lot of time in the ER with her as she grows up...

Well, better get going for now, I have to give her her antibiotics, and rinse the sockets with warm water.

Last evening I had to take my daughter Megan to the ER. For some really strange reason she thought it would be fun to swing on a rope with her TEETH!

Needless to say- she pulled one front tooth completely out- and the other is sort of half out. After a period of about 5 minutes of my husband and I panicking, I grabbed the keys, Meg, and headed out the CHKD (Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters) ER.

Thankfully the one front tooth pulled out clean- the second we'll need to have the dentise remove the rest of the way. At least they are baby teeth- but who knows how long she'll be without her upper front teeth? Back when she was 3, she pulled out her upper canine too from a fall, so now she has a huge gap. I am worried about her being able to eat easily, and her speech, but I'll have to wait until we see the dentist...

Last evening we took the kids to the local planetarium. It's run by the Chesapeake Public Schools and is free! We had a lot of fun. This month's show is about the signs of the Zodiac- it was really interesting to learn how the constellations that make up the Zodiac were chosen, and how to recognize them in the night sky. Megan really seemed to enjoy it, Logan didn't seem all that impressed. Usually after the show, they let everyone look through the telescope- but of course it was cloudy.  They also gave out charts of the night sky with all the constellations. I can't wait for a clear evening to see if we can find some.

I didn't do a whole lot in the garden yesterday- just a little bit of weeding. I was going to mow the front yard, but I couldn't find the key to the riding mower, and I really didn't feel like using the push mower since I was feeling lazy. I was teaching the kids' friends about some of the plants and bugs that I have in the garden. I was able to find a baby mantis that I taught them about, and showed them the egg case too. Then they started asking about all of my different plants. I had a lot of fun answering their questions, and teaching them about plants and bugs.

Today is rainy, so I doubt I'll be able to get much done outside. That's all right, I have a very messy house and grocery shopping to do!

Yep- the honeysuckle is in full bloom around here. I love the fragrance, but boy does it make me sneeze. It's almost as bad as when my oak tree is pollinating.

Maybe I shouldn't have mowed the backyard today...

I've been quite the busy little bee today! I relocated my Elephant Ears to in front of my old Dining Room window. They'll get much more shade there so should be much happier. I also relocated the one Brugmansia to a sunnier spot- the new shoots grew to about 3 inches, then stopped, I'm guessing because it was too shady.  I'll see how it does in it's new spot.

I planted the Cardinal Flower near the AC condensation drain pipe so it will get constant moisture in the summer, and be partially shaded from the hot afternoon sun by the wisteria. The Butterfly Weed I planted in the front bed. I planted it "high" and didn't mulch near it. I'm hoping that it will be able to stay on the well-drained dry side that it likes. Only time will tell I suppose...

I then dug up my Foxtail Lily bulbs and the Gloriosa Lily tuber since they haven't done anything since I planted them there earlier this spring. There's more details on this in the Bulb and Tuber thread. I potted them in a mixture of mostly compost and some potting soil in old plastic coffee cans, then set them outside my french doors in full sun. Hopefully with the soil being better drained and warmer they'll actually start to grow!

The weather is really yucky, so I haven't been able to do anything in the garden. I really wanted to plant my new Cardinal Flower, but I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow. Oh well. I hope the rain lets up a bit so I can stake my little Hawthorne tree (another rescue), it's being really battered by our 32 mph wind gusts, and it's supposed to get even windier later! 

I've spent much of the day researching orchids and their care. I mis-identified the orchid I bought yesterday- I believe it's some sort Dendrobium (spelling?) I removed it from the black nursery pot it was in, trimmed all the dead and rotted roots from it, then planted it in some fresh orchid mix in a clay orchid pot. After researching Orchids, I realized I probably don't have a high enough humidity level so I hunted for a tray I could put water into. Finally found an old foil pan, put a bunch of pretty pebbles in, set some pot saucers upside down on top of the pepples, added water, then set the orchid pots on top of the saucers. Hopefully they will both be more happy and will bloom for me. I've had the cattleya for a while now, with no blooms. I think I'll fertilize it the next time I water it. Once the summer gets here with our hot, humid days I'll put both outside in the back of the front porch.

I just looked out the window- I have one of the recycling bins being blown down the driveway *sigh*

Guess it's time to go clean up the horrendous mess that is my kitchen- Wonderful DH made me dinner last night, made a huge mess, then left it for me to clean up today. Just like him...

Both children made me wonderful cards, and I think they are going to bake me a cake too.

I'm going to be going out to my favorite nursery today, Yipee! I'll even get to drive DH's Porsche, Woohooo! I know why he told me to, so I won't buy any plants, hehe. That's alright, our budget can't afford it anyway. At least I can have some nice, peaceful time to myself enjoying plants and coming up with ideas.

I went to the nursery. Steve's plan backfired- I bought 2 plants. First is a Cardinal Flower, I've been wanting one for a really long time, and this is the first time I've seen one that wasn't bareroot, so of course I just had to buy it. The second is a Phalenopsis Orchid. It was in the clearance section because it had finished blooming, was originally $32 marked down to $11, and they had a coupon for another 20% off clearance indoor plants, so it came out to $9!!! That was a no-brainer.

The cake turned out wonderful- I'm going to go get a second piece.

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day- I'm off for another piece of cake, and a nap :)

I went to one of the local nurseries today. They were having a Mother's Day event. The kids had their faces painted while I wondered around looking at the plants. I was very good and somehow managed to not buy anything! There was a beekeeper there who had some bees in a locked case- it was so cool to see the queen and the workers making the honeycomb and honey. I think the kids gained a new appreciation of the honey bee, and bees in general- they went back twice to look.

The honeysuckle is blooming. As much as I dislike the invasiveness of the Japanese honeysuckle that is growing on my fence, it sure does smell wonderful! The bees, butterflies and hummingbirds really like it too. When it is in full bloom I'll take some pictures- it really is gorgeous.

This evening while making dinner I heard a bang on either our French door, or the round-top window above it. Looked out the window to see a fledgeling bird laying on the ground. Fearing the worst I went out to check it over. It seemed very dazed and had a small wound on it's neck, but was otherwise fine. I carried it out of the yard, so the dogs couldn't get it, and set it down near some brush- with momma bird watching me the whole time. It didn't fight at all, and let myself and the kids pet it. I went back a little later to check on it and it was hopping around under the honeysuckle. I'm really happy that it wasn't fatally hurt. Tomorrow I'm going to have the kids draw some bird silhouettes to tape on that round-top window! I don't want anymore birds to get hurt! I really wish I had thought to get the camera though...

First I would like to congratulate Soaphouse for her beautiful new "Rose" . She's just precious.

Yesterday I repotted my baby apple trees, Boy are they getting big! Most of the seeds that I planted in the gardens have sprouted, too bad I forgot what I planted where Hehehe.

My kids helped our neighbor prepare his veggie bed. I got some cute pictures of Meg and his daughter Kayla digging. I'll try to post those soon.

Not sure what I'll be able to do today outside. Right now we are under a tornado watch, with scattered t-storms forecast for the rest of the day.  Of course I really don't have much that I need to do!! Maybe I'll concentrate on INSIDE the house today...

In between rain showers I built little trellises for the Painted Lady climbing beans and Sweet Peas in The Children's Garden. Amazing what a you can do with with 4 large stakes and some twine.

For my "Coffee Moment" of the day I thought that this year I would plant the Bottle Gourds along the drainage embankment by my Privit "hedges" - these privits are actually small trees! My thinking is the gourds will be able to vine down the ditch and climb the privits. Steve loves the idea because then he won't have to mow there. And I like it because I planted other vines along the other fences where I was going to plant the gourds. Also, since I don't care about the privits I don't mind if branches break from the weight of the vines and fruits.

After I planted those, I had my "Moron" moment- I'm standing there with the hose watering the seeds in, as well as watering The Children's Garden and houseplants when the sky opened up into a deluge. Of course that's the time that everybody in the neighborhood drove by- I must've looked ridiculous!

I know that we all garden because we love flowers and plants, but I also garden for another reason as well.

I have Depression- I don't mind admitting that. In fact I wish more people who are would admit it to themselves and to others. I used to deny it, until on my daughter's 3rd birthday when I spent the entire day crying. That was when I finally admitted it to myself and sought the help that I so desperately needed. I'm not going to go into all the details, that's not necessary.

So, what does that have to do with gardening? I garden as a way to keep from becoming depressed, or to bring me out of a depression. For me, the work involved in planning, preparing, planting and taking care of flower beds is therapeutic mentally. The sweat and labor, the dirt and plants, and finally the joy of seeing them bloom make me realize that all is fine, and there's no need to be sad.

I absolutely love nurturing and caring for other living things, and knowing that my kids, animals, and gardens need me is what can help me to want to get out of bed in the morning.

I just wanted to share that bit of personal info about myself because I feel that it is important for others to understand that depression is an illness, it isn't anyone's fault that they have it. You don't need to pretend to be happy if you aren't, and get help if needed. You don't have to be sad. Then when you get back into your garden, you'll smile knowing that everything is just fine.

...to some of my favorite parts of the garden!

My most favorite is the flowerpot fountain- I have Corkscrew Rush and Lizard's Tail planted in it .

Here's my Fatsia Japonica- I need to get more of these, I just love it! Leatherleaf Mahonia is in the center, and the Garlic Mustard has been pulled.

A close-up of a Wisteria frutescens bloom. I have 2 of these wonderful native vines.

My Shade bed is a very calming place to sit and relax. All the plants have grown a lot more since this photo was taken.

First I'll start with what I did in the garden... I planted the hanging basket this morning. I dug up a bunch of the verbena in my sunny bed (it starting to crowd out some other plants) and put that in it, along with some vinca's that I bought yesterday. I'll take pics when the verbena perks back up- hopefully. Last evening I planted the peppers that I bought, and they seem to have grown already.

It never ceases to amaze me. Last evening none of the seeds I had planted out in the beds had sprouted yet, then this morning POOF! there they were! :) I was really happy to see them.

I really hope we get the rain that's forecast for tomorrow- the gardens are getting really dry. I've been watering the seeds/seedlings and newly planted plants, but we really need a good soaking rain to help the rest.

Tonight I told Steve about my long-term plans for the yard. He amazed me by being completely behind it, and even told me what he would like! Pretty wonderful for a guy who thinks all my plants are weeds that need to be mowed or weedwhacked.

I bought some new plants while at Wal-Mart today. I know, I know, Wally World plants are so unhappy and mistreated. BUT my timing was great, they had JUST recieved a plant shipment so all were happy healthy little guys.

I bought 9 Green Bell Peppers for $2.97, and 9 Mild Jalapenos for $2.97. A really pretty clematis for $4.88, 2 6-packs of vinca for $1 each, and a Sweet Basil.

Since I don't need all those different peppers, and I don't have the room for them, I'm going to give some to my neighbors.

The clematis was actually the only one of a whole bunch that wasn't brown, so I just had to save it. I'm going to plant it on the trellis on the shed.

The vincas I plan on putting in a hanging basket with pieces of the verbena that's growing in the garden. That plant is starting to get WAY too big and needs to be brought back into control. I plan on using a bird feeder cage for the "basket". It has lots of squares to stick the plants into, and I don't use it on the feeder anymore so I figured it might be fun to try as a planter..

Since I'm not feeling very well, I figured I'd share my gardening ethos with everyone, many seem to share it as well.

There is no such things as "weeds". - When I am "weeding" I look carefully to see if it might be a fun volunteer that the wind or some friendly bird brought to my yard. I've gotten some neat plants that way, like my hyssop-leaved skullcap. If it looks different, I let it grow and see what it does. Of course I do wind up nurturing weeds most of the time, and if there's A LOT of something I pull it, except for one or two.

Never give up on a plant! -  I have had many plants that look like they are dead (early dormancy, haven't come up with the others yet) surprise me and come back better than ever the next year. I'll usually wait two years before I declare it a "goner"

Plant Native! I try to find native plants to grow in my garden. They are usually far easier to take care of, provide food and shelter for the wildlife, and often far prettier than their non-native counterparts.  Be sure to do your homework though, often what is commonly considered "native" is actually a naturalized or invasive non-native. Dame's Rocket immediately comes to mind, but there are many others as well. You can Google "non-native plants" or "invasive" plants" and find many informative sites.

Go "Rescue" those plants! I am always asking developers if I can look for natives before they clear a site. Or if I can get the landscape plants from a house before it's torn down. You may be surprised at what you can find! And often the property owner is more than happy to let you. I am also always on the lookout for those "discards" along the roads. It's amazing what people discard!

Nurture and encourage wildlife. I have multiple bird houses and feeders, a bat box, and a "wild" area for the wildlife. I don't use pesticides, as I like to see and watch the insect dramas that are carried out among the flowers. Plus those same "pests" are a valuable food source for birds and bats. Did you know that a single bat can eat over 3,000 mosquitos in a single night? It's so much fun to be playing in the dirt, and come across a praying mantis enjoying a meal of some bug.

Finally the most important thing for me: Enjoying my gardens. Don't let yourself become a slave to your gardens. Some of my best ideas come when I am looking at my plants with a cup of coffee in hand :)

OK, so I'm a little late...

My fears about Marley jumping into the veggie garden came true. She dug up one tomato plant, and covered the lavender seeds even more. I was so angry with her!! I replanted the tomato and so far it's looking pretty good. She also managed to break one of my obedient plants right off. I did notice lots of liitle shoots at the base of the broken piece so hopefully it will recover. I put the broken piece into some water, but it may have been too late as it's very wilty. Time will tell *sigh*.

On a positive note, the Painted Lady beans I planted along the chain link fence have come up. They are already 2 inches tall! Hooraayyy!!!!!.

I actually spent most of the day at the playground with the kids and their friends. Somehow we were all able to play a great game of frisbee in the field without anyone stepping on a fire ant mound, woohoo! The field is just covered with the little bleepy bleeps. The state has come to treat them, but they never get the ones in the field *angry*. I'm going to suggest that our Civic League gets together to take care of them ourselves. My arborist neighbor has access to some fire ant killer, and he did say he'd bring some home for the playground.

Speaking of fire ants- my yard is full of them too. I uncovered another nest in my one garden today. I'm getting so tired of being bit! I would also love to put my potted plants on the GROUND! but I'm afraid they'll get ants, and I won't be able to bring the houseplants back in for the winter.

I prepared the veggie bed. I must've added about 6 inches of compost to it! I hope the 2 (haha) tomatoes I planted will be happy. I am planning on adding peppers and various herbs. Maybe I'll plant the lavender seeds my mom got me in there too- it's a raised bed so it should get plenty of drainage.

I still need to turn my other compost pile and add a bunch of "green" to it. Not a whole lot of fun without a pitchfork. I just don't want to spend $20- $30 for one!!

Some of the sweet pea seeds I planted about 4 days ago have sprouted! (dance of joy)

I took a bunch of photos the last few days. Now I just need to get DH off of the PS3 so he can offload them. Hopefully I'll have them posted tonight *fingers crossed*

Today I took more pics, and not a one was blurry!!! You can see them in my profile

The baby birds from the two nests  are really growing up. The chickadee brood has gotten very loud, I can hear them from 30 feet away! The chicks from the blackbird nest are getting loud to. That nest is located under the eave of the house, well actually in the attic because we haven't replaced a missing piece of soffit yet. It's right next to my computer, and I'm always having to chase a cat off of it to get on, and I can hear them from inside the house now. I can't wait for them to fledge so we can replace that soffit piece! I think there may be another nest of them on the other side of the house too...

So far none of the seeds I planted in the gardens a few days ago have sprouted, I'll just have be patient a little longer I guess.

I planted some strawberries today. I bought this really cool hanging planter called "The Plant Tower" It's a big reinforced plastic tube that can hold up to 30 plants!. I put the 20 bare root starwberry plants that I also got at Wal-Mart. I also bought toad lillies at the same time. Hopefully all will grow. They all had nice looking roots after I soaked them for a couple of hours.

I almost forgot! I dug up some what looks to be evening primrose from alongside a roadside ditch. One of them even bloomed on the way home :)

I finally pulled the garlic mustard. Boy was that an aptly named plant- the whole yard smelled like garlic! I put it in a garbage bag and threw it out, I don't want to take the chance of it spreading...

Huge bare spot now- what to fill it with???????

I also planted some more seeds- Lupine, Mexican Sunflower, Mexican Cigar Plant, Nasturtiums, and Four O'Clocks. This time I marked where every seed was planted with a toothpick so I can tell them apart from the weed seedlings. I don't want a repeat of the kids garden Hehehe.

Megan and I let "Buggy" free. I took loads of pictures for her, if there's any good ones I'll post it here too ;)