gardenbug8's Blog
gardenbug8's April 2008 Entries
Last Post 22 hours Ago
Apr 29, 2008 | 10:43 PM PST
Tags: Eggplant , watermeln , aphids
I sowed a couple of eggplant seeds and transplanted them after the first 4 true leaves emerged and grew. It grew more leaves since then but a couple of days later, it looks like a leaf-eating bug was devouring the leaves and a day later, the leaves were totally gone. Also one surviving watermelon showed the same leaf-eaten cut so I wrapped the stems with aluminum foil. Hopefully this works but I will soon find out whether it survives. Is it to late to sow eggplant and watermelon seeds now? I am in zone 9 in California but it is more like zone 7 here this time of year. At least I still have 4 tomatoe plants that instead of transplanting them in the ground right away, I transplanted them in a 4-inch pot and today, it is about 5" tall already. I will soon be transplanting them to another tupsy turvy planter, so no bugs anticipated there. I am sick of these bugs and I don't know how to eradicate them. I know some are rolly pollies but the tiniest ones, I have no idea. Also, aphids on my roses are big and for the first time, I saw aphids with wings. I did not know that aphids grow wings. I also wrapped an aluminum foil on my standard hibiscus so the aphids invading the anemones on the same planter won't be able to climb up the hibiscus. But as I say, I saw aphids with wings so they may still be able to invade the hibiscus. On our local station, they mentioned that aphids this year in our area will be bigger, and sure they are. I have never seen aphids this big. Any advice?
Apr 28, 2008 | 4:56 PM PST
Tags: butterfly bush , elisabeth
I planted buddleia davidii in the fall of 2005 very near the back fence but it got so bushy and ugly in that location so I transplanted it in the spring of 2007 to the south shady bed. It only had a few blooms since then so it may not be getting enough sun so I transplanted it again in the north fence but this bed is only 3 ft. wide so I moved it again lately to another part of the north fence with more room to grow. I water right after planting and pruning and add vitamin B1 to the water. Today, it has grown a new stem with healthy leaves. I think this will be its permanent location as I may not be so lucky next time. My garden is not a landscaper's dream and it changes every year. But depending on how the annuals and perennials look like after blooming in front of the in-ground clematis, I may have to dig out some plants for a different one. I am sure that next year, the tall bearded irises in the main bed will have to go as well as the overgrowing hellebores in front of a pink clematis. I have pink, lilac, yellow, white and purple bearded irises but by golly, cleaning them out when the leaves turn brown is a big job and with my knees and back not cooperating anymore, they will definitely be dug out. Only those in the south fence will stay.
On another note, I beg pardon to those offended, but I cannot help myself to include this in this blog. One of the main news on the internet is about a 42 year old woman who had been locked since she was 18 in a windowless cell in their building sealed by a key-less entry system for 24 years. She had been molested by her own father since she was 11 and bore 7 children from him ages 5 to 19. How sick can that be? Only by accident that this was discovered by the police. I would say it is not an accident but an act of the Almighty. I was so sad that I cried for this woman and her children. I prayed for them and promised to myself to pray for them for 9 days so that the Lord will bless them and keep them in the palm of His hands and for strength to go on with their lives. You may wish to say a prayer or two for them. The woman's name is Elisabeth.
Apr 25, 2008 | 12:18 AM PST
Tag: silhouette
It is just another one of those nights when I get depressed and just toss and turn but getting no sleep at all. I thought of my sister, Anna, and I cried and cried so I went back to the living room and watch TV. I surely miss our night chats on webcam with her african violets showing and hanging on top of her head and around her computer. Would you believe that one of her favorite quote is " I may go before these two", those two being her 60 year old husband who never sees a doctor and smokes 3 to 4 packs a day non-stop and her mother-in-law who is 85 years old. Sure enough, she did go to the Lord before them two. I am not suspicious but I now pay attention to what I think and say except that I cannot get rid of my loneliness when I think of her. I cannot still believe my sister is gone almost a month now. All I can do besides cry for her is pray.
I was looking at our family pictures and came upon this picture. It is from a mural in my living room and it shows a silhouette of a woman towards the right in a long white robe and ghostly like with dark black eyes. I call her St. Theresa, my patron saint and my alma mater, because there looks like a cross she is holding on her chest, just as her pictures show in our school. Well, I just wonder whether I am the only one who can see it. My husband can't.
Apr 22, 2008 | 3:52 PM PST
Tag: tomatoes
It was about a month ago when I planted an "Early Girl" tomatoe about a month ago. Instead of two at the bottom, I added another one on top of the planter. All three are growing strong and flowering now. I can't wait to see how good and tasty they will really be. According to the nursery where I bought the planter, the tomatoes will be "clean" and free of disease. My only concern is that an Early Girl is an indeterminate variety. Maybe I should have planted a determinate variety so the top plant will not need a support. We will see. Patience, patience.
Apr 14, 2008 | 5:41 PM PST
The strong winds did not prevail or punish clematis Empress alhough others are truly hit by the strong winds such as my clematis Josephine which wilted even before the buds bloom and clematis Lasurstern wherein the tepals were blown away. I had to shield some of my potted clematis with anything I can lay my hands on or else, the howling wind can do much damage. Only this one is standing strong while the others are struggling. Good thing Niobe is in the ground and mostly covered by a tree and an arbor. I think spring this year will be a struggle for all my plants if the current blustery weather stays much longer.
Apr 12, 2008 | 9:54 AM PST
Tag: hayfever
My goodness, this wind is killing not only me but my clematis. Some clematis flowers are so punished by the strong winds that they look tired and wilted even before they fully bloom. On top of that, the wind is bringing all the polens everywhere. I am now using 3 different kinds of allergy pill alternatively, Zyrtec, benadryl, chlortrymetron or however you spell that. Would you believe that I just had an allergy shot last March 25? Usually, an allergy shot would last me 6 months but this wind is worst than last year. I can't get another shot until October. The doc won't let me have another one so I buy these over the counter allergy medicine. What a crap. Next time I go to the doctor, I would insists on kenalog instead of the substitute that he used. He said it is practically the same but to me, it was not, as I am having such a bad hay fever this time. Everytime I go out to garden and it is windy, I suffer. So which should I choose? Not garden and be safe and healthy inside or garden and suffer the consequences. Not a good choice whichever one I choose. Darn it, wind wind GO AWAY. My energy bill would also spike as I need to put on the AC almost all day to clean the air inside. Is there a place or city anywhere in the US where I would NEVER EVER get hayfever? If you know, let me know. I want to move there.
Apr 9, 2008 | 2:44 PM PST
Tag: Photos
I was so tired from gardening almost all morning till past noon so the first thing I did was open my computer and of course, go to Garden Guides. The first thing I saw was Bill Mitchell' s blog with those lovely pictures of his neighbor. All I can say is wow, my tireness disappeared after seeing those pictures. How I wish I can do the same here in my garden. But that is a great idea, maybe for my next home, just in case my itchy feet decide to roam again in search of another place to create a heavenly garden oasis, i.e., no clay soil, no neighbors' cats, no cemented backyard, and lots of birds, bees, butterflies, grasses, clematis, maples, dogwoods, a pond, oak trees, etc., etc., etc. (LOL). I'm dreaming, I know, so sorry.
Thanks again, Bill Mitchell. Let's go dig in again.
Apr 8, 2008 | 1:42 PM PST
Tag: veggies
Nice weather today, finally, after so many days of high winds and cold weather. It should be even warmer this weekend so I can be gardening all day. My tiny space for a veggie garden had been re-done because the corn on top of the mound must have rot and destroyed by the neighbor's cat judging by the smell. Yuck, I love animals but I do not like my neighbor's cats leaving their poohs in my garden. I had to put that cover because as long as the soil is wet, cats love that spot.
At least corn on the side of the mound is now growing. I re-planted some more corn on top of the mound. It will be followed by green beans and then squash. Hopefully, these will all grow and the three sisters, corn, bean and squash, can complement and enjoy each other. The tomatoes on the topsy turvy planter seem to be doing well but against advice from the instructions on the planter, I added one more tomatoe plant on top. I'm not sure how it wll end up but I can see some buds showng already on the top one but none on the two bottom ones.
Apr 5, 2008 | 9:05 AM PST
Tag: Weather
There are days when it seems like winter again here in my neck of the woods. I wanted so much to do some gardening, turn my compost bin, weeding, and other good stuff but the weather is not helping at all. It is cold and windy outside so here am I again stuck inside. Hopefully, the sun will shine later but right now it is so cloudy, windy and cold. Is it really spring yet? I know it is because some of my clematis are blooming, the freesias are also puting on a show but goodness when will old man winter go away? So here I am stuck inside just listening to my CD's. Oh, I won't be able to go outside later because I am watching Memphis and UCLA this afternoon and later on North Carolina and Kansas. I will be rooting for UCLA, where my grandaughter is going next year and North Carolina where my niece, Cecile, lives. Who would you be rooting for? But no matter who finally wins, it has been a great year for us basketball fans.
Apr 3, 2008 | 12:31 PM PST
Tag: clematis
I had been moping, grieving, and sulking for a few days now but today, I ventured out because the weather is nicer and lo and behold, my clematis Grandiflora decided to put on a show. This is its first year of blooming although it is already 3 years old. Ville de Lyon and Serenata are so dependable, they keep coming trying to outdo each other. The corn I planted two weeks ago seems to be going nowhere so I will try again on 4/5 which according to the Farmers Almanac should be a good day for planting above ground crops and corn in particular. I will try the 3 sisters planting guide which will include corn, then beans two weeks later then squash. I just bought the seeds from Parkseeds and this is a try-out so I will see if it works. Here are some pictures of Grandiflora (white), Ville de Lyon (pink) and Serenata (purple).
