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That's what I have been!..lol. I know it's been a while since I have posted and I have not forgotten any of you! I have been so busy! I found a new game to play on Facebook. It's called Farm Town and I have been playing that when I have not been outside trying to water or weed. It's a great game! Very family oriented and fun! If you have a Facebook account go and try it!
My garden is winding down here and there. My holly hocks are over and I have cut them back. The New Guinea impatiens in the hanging baskets are dying off as are the gernaniums that were hit so hard by the sun burn, pests and disease. However, my roses have taken and they have shot up new shoots and buds! I can't wait to see them! My pink cone flower is also blooming and I can't wait to plant more next year! My golden cone flower is doing great and it even left me a volunteer (as witt puts it) from last year in another spot. I am going to transplant it as soon as I can. I also have several volunteer holly hocks to transplant and I have harvested the seeds so that I can have more next year. Some little critter has eaten the tops off of my Cherokee Sunset rudbeckia :( and now that willl probably die off as well until next year. The lilies are dying off too. I don't know why everything is dying off early this year. We've had enough rain and I have watered in between. The only thing that hasn't really died is that English ivy! I have been spraying with round up and I have been trying to cut and pull. I still have not freed the azaelas from it's grasp yet, but I hope to soon. It's just been too hot for me to work out in that space. I have a big pile of brush, limbs and ivy from where I have been working but if it weren't sitting there as proof, you would never know I had been working on it :( . Well that's all the news from the cottage. I hope all of you are well. I think I am getting back to the point where I can sit and read your blogs and post a little more. Until next time take care and happy gardening!
Today I was out in the yard weeding and edging and I came in for a bit to rest. Then I decided to take the camera and sit on the porch for a minute while I was resting. I wanted to see if I could catch a bird at the suet feeder and practice getting closeups. I took a couple of shots that didn't look too good and the birds left. So I practiced on a citronella candle for a minute. Then I thought I should try and get a feel of focusing on the hummingbird feeder. My second thought was too bad there wasn't a hummer at the feeder. Just as I raised my camera, a hummer came into view and I just clicked away. I got 5 pics, but these were the only shot that was decent.
I realize that there are many pics out there of hummers and much better, but this is MY FIRST picture of a hummer. I have always wanted to take a picture of my very own hummingbird feeder and humming bird and now I have! The movement was so fast, his wings look almost transparent. After I ran in and called my hubby and posted the pictures, I went back outside to sit on the porch and the hummer came back and hovered right down in front of me about 2 ft away. He was just looking at me for a second and then flitted off! Hope you enjoy the pictures! - CG
You've all heard of that horrifying place called the "Concrete Jungle" haven't you? It's a place I call home for all those urban cave dwellers. I couldn't imagine going to one of those places to live. Just looking up at one of these tall cliff like cave dwellings aka skycrapers gives me a swift and furious attack of vertigo! Whenever I see a downtown city block I feel like I am in a nightmare and can't wake up! If there is a hell for gardeners, living in a concrete jungle would be it! Unfortunately I am sure when I am really old and crippled I will eventually land there. For those of you that have to live there now because of circumstances, you have my deepest sympathy. I think that if I had to give up gardening, I just might as well die. I can't imagine my life without grass and lots flowers! Thank God for container gardening or the concrete jungle would really would be a terrible place! Howeeeeeeeeever.....I have a different kind of jungle at the moment. I have a name for it now. The Raspberry Jungle. I have nothing against raspberries, The raspberries that have ripened are nice and sweet. It's just that they and the English Ivy are taking over . They are choking out everything! The ivy has already killed one tree that had to be taken down and is threatening the dogwoods. The ivy has also overtaken the azaelas. Some are barely visible, some you can just see tiny leaves here and there. The hostas that are there are struggling to survive. I would go hog wild and start pulling, but I am so afraid that there are snakes in that mess! I am thinking if I could get a foot hold so to speak and clear a space and work from there, I might be able to do it.and even English Ivy had some irritants in them that if people are sensitive to, they can get a rash from even those. So guess what?......yup......I am sensitive! The ivy and the raspberries have also inspired the pests. I have written about this before....the rat family. I have FIVE.....yes FIVE rats that come out in broad daylight to mingle around my birdfeeder. The only way to discourage these critters is to get rid of the ivy. They are nesting in an overtaken azaela bush. If you all would like to see and understand why I am so depressed about my backyard, Go to my album titled, The Raspberry Jungle. The tag below was inspired by Mitzilou's "Herbie" I hope you enjoy it! Have a great weekend! -
Hi all! I haven't got much gardening news this week. I've been busy with the family. We didn't get to celebrate on the 4th because of work schedules etc. It really irritates me that businesses no longer shut down to celebrate holidays. Especially major holidays like the 4th, Thanksgiving, Easter etc. Oh well that's another soap box matter. I had planned to go out and start tackling a really tough job and that is to remove the over growth from the back yard. We are supposed to maintain the yard but the landlord has let the trees, ivy, wild raspberries and poison ivy take over everything. It is killing the azaelas and the dog woods. Not to mention that we have vermin in the yard now. We have a nest of rats living in that mess. You know I can't lay poison down, some other poor critter would get into it. We have squirrels and chipmunks etc. I am careful not to go out at night because of the racoons and the bears. We haven't seen a bear lately, but not more than 20 minutes from here just in the last few days a bear was photographed and a mountain lion was seen. The mountain lions are rare but they are here. I dread doing the pruning, but someone has got to do it.
Behind this mess is a section of yard where all the wild raspberries are and you can't even see the clothesline! Even if you could see it, you can't use it because the raspberries have twined around the lines.
Wish me luck as I start this project...lol. Take care and I am glad you all had a nice 4th! -
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