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Apr 27, 2008 | 8:37 PM PST
Tags: hollyhocks , lilacs , fence , rain
It's funny, I guess, my first blog was being thankful for all the rain we'd received, and I wanted even more, now I am complaining of too much rain. Guess I am a grouch. No surprise there. My goodness! We have had 15 inches of rain or maybe a little more since the start of February, and now they are forecasting more rain for next week. Enough already! Everything is full and running over. I hate to complain about too much rain when we have needed more rain the last several years, and there are still places in the country that need rain badly, and it doesn't change a thing by my complaints, but it's enough, and too much when it's flooding everywhere around. It has soaked into the ground as much as it can, now we need some good ole sunshine to make things grow.
It is chilly here again, for a day or two, and they are predicting frost tonight in the low ground. We are high enough we shouldn't get frost, but it is still chilly and unpleasant.
You'd think with all the rain, everything would be lush, but I think everything is almost drowned out. The grass in the cow pasture is not even as tall as it should be for this time of year.
My seedlings I have started indoors are pitiful things, indeed. I think I may have drowned some of them also, while others have dried up from want of water. I don't know what went wrong. I kept them moist, but not wet, but then some of them would be powdery dry before I noticed, while the others would still be over-damp. I think it might have been the potting soil I used. I purchased two different brands at two different times, and in my pursuit to save money, I did not buy the best quality.
I have roma tomatoes, and some Better Boy, but they failed to germinate the way they should have. The plants are still tiny, by this time last year I had 5 inch plants and was running out of time to set them out, they were getting so big and bushy.
I had almost 100 % germination of Heavenly Blue morning glories, and Crimson Rambler morning glories, but they are the ones that seemed to be fine one day and dried up the next. I only have two of the original red ones left, and have started over with some in cold frames outside. I have several up there.
Well, enough complaining.
Surprisingly, I had about a 99% germination on impatiens, I have never got them to germinate before, it was kinda an afterthought this year, and I am surprised! I think that is a major word in my gardening experience is "SURPRISE!!!"
My hollyhocks have germinated well, also, and although they aren't as big as they should be, I am hoping that after I get them set outside, they will grow wonderfully.
The lilacs this year were as beautiful as I ever remember them being. I took a few pics of them, and of a flutter-by that happened to hold still long enough for me to click. I'll post a picture of them in my photos. The daffodils were beautiful too.
I got some hostas today from the place where I work, and some beautiful ground cover that has purple spiky flowers on it, (not vinca minor, I have some of it too, tho). I planted them on the north side of my house where the sun hardly shines, so I'll see how they do there.
My fence is coming along, maybe not as fast as I would like it, but hey, I've waited years for a new fence, so it's fast enough. When we do get it finished, then I am going to begin planting things out in that part of the yard, and by the fence. It's going to be pretty, I can hardly wait.
Apr 25, 2008 | 8:50 AM PST
Tags: Shade , perennial , Ligularia , Tiarella , Hosta , Rain
Yesterday was a great day for putting in the new shade garden. Most people don't care for the cloudy, misty day that we had, but the weather was perfect for planting up the new area. Even though it was cloudy and rainy it was still 65-70º outside. So here is a quick photo as I finished.
Last night it rained and we might get a little more today. Let's hope that they all take well to their new homes.
Apr 9, 2008 | 4:32 AM PST
Tags: houseplants , bird house gourds , chamomile , seedlings , rain
This morning is cloudy and the weatherman is calling for rain-but how often is he right anyway? This evening I have a few hours at home alone and am torn between playing in the dirt and sewing, the weather will decide or maybe I will play a bit if it is only drizzling and them sew-indecisios!
Since I had divided the outside tasks in my mind yesterday, there was a great sense of accomplishment not only for what I had done, but for managing to keep it managable. In the past I have been known to spend hours outside after hibernating all winter and then find it difficult to walk~or at least stand up straight at first try...........but it is all worth it. Pacing is the plan this year, pace myself.......do a little here, do a little there.......and vary the tasks so that all the muscles ache not just one or two :)!
I can't help but look out the window each time I come to the kitchen, looking out at what is and what will be-it makes me smile. All winter I stood in these windows looking out dreaming and planning about the colors and the smells and the sounds of spring. Where I am going to move this and wouldn't that look nice if combined with that over there and oh-maybe I should do this............... Now it is here, I simply love being in the garden.
There was a stop to the garden center yesterday for green bean seeds, it seems I didn't order those through the mail and while I was there a little rosemary plant took a ride in my buggy-I love rosemary. This afternnoon she will take her place in her special square in the garden.
If it decideds to rain there are a few tasks that can be done to continue my gardening quest. Last year I grew birdhouse gourds and during the winter I dried them in the utility room. Perhaps I will drill the holes so they can be hung up. This year I am not going to varnish them. Everything I have read says they will last a year or two unvarnished. As I am unsure that a bird will come back and nest in the same gourd over and over I have decided not to varnish this year and see how it goes. Now that I understand more about the growth and ways to encourage more gourds, less vines, perhaps this years harvest will be more substantially sized fruits. We have been saving the dryer lint in a net bag so I think we are ready to assist our feathered freinds with their nesting.
Maybe this would be a good day for the rain, less chance of physically overdoing it in the yard and now that the debris is cleared from the gardens a good soaking may be in order.
On my way to the car this morning I am going to pop into the greenhouse and see if anything is happening. Most of the seeds have somewhat lengthy germinatiion........except maybe the chamomile [ I love chamomile], anyway that will be the first gardening task for today. At work I have some houseplants that I am going to repot -at lunch of course-and bring home a few clippings for a garden friend.
Apr 4, 2008 | 1:51 PM PST
Tags: rain , storms , tornado , vinca
It has been raining forever! Ok, maybe not forever, but it sure seems that way. Half the town of Searcy is flooded out. Yesterday was BAD. We ended up at Rick's parents until nearly 1 am because they have a storm cellar and we don't.Two seperate bad storm systems passed over us so we were down in the cellar at two different times, basically coming out during a lull to use the bathroom and get a snack.
I'm a big baby. For as long as I can remember I've been afraid of lightning, and now it's tornadoes. So I sit in the storm cellar rocking and jumping each time it thunders or I see lightning.
After the second storm we waited a while to make sure nothing else was coming up and came home. But being home was just as bad, every crack of lightning, every whistle of the wind, every odd noise made me jump. Didn't sleep well at all.
On a good and gardening note, my free vinca is doing really well. I need to cut back some of the longer vines because they've dried out but it's greening up really well and even have some buds.
Hope the rest of my Arkansan friends have weathered this weather
Mar 19, 2008 | 1:05 PM PST
Tags: rain , persicaria , lorapedulum , mulch , poppy , poppie , maple , saucer magnolia
We have had quite a few rainy days here lately (great for the drought) and today was no exception. I just love the way the garden looks after a good rain! I was planning on plant shopping this afternoon, but it was raining so hard...my girl and I sang songs and watched the rain from the front porch. So lovely! In between rain showers, I was able to get some nice picts of the garden as of late:
View from the front porch:
Various views of the front of the house as seen from the street:
Looks like the redbud will be in its full glory in no time :)
The lorapedulums are doing great and I love the contrast of the Junipers. The one shrub has a piece of it that grows with the white blooms. I have long debated as to cut it out each season, or leave it be. Sometimes I think it is fun and unexpected, other times I think it looks like a mistake...I can't decide.
Saucer Magnolia survived one of the late freezes and is in its glory! I just love it...when the petals start to fall, it looks a bit like a summer snow.
All the front perennials are starting to come up and I look forward to adding even more this season!
These seedlings were easy to spot in the wet mulch...I think they might be poppies. I threw out a bunch of poppy seeds in this bed (not expecting much)...if they aren't poppies, then they might be a weed, I am not sure:
The Japanese Maples are budding out nicely. They were severely affected by the late freeze last year. Looks like this year will be better:
The creek is doing its thing...and all the moisture should be wonderful for the newly planted Great Gunnera Bulb
Nice view of the back yard today (hubby has promised to have all the veggie bed fences done and installed by april 1st for planting time :)
The persicaria is coming back :)
And finally...a view of the back, from the back ( I enjoyed comparing this picture with the same shot from last summer....its nice to see the progress)
I am so enjoying watching spring unfold! Maybe I will get to my plant shopping in the next couple of days. I have so many things on my list to add to the garden...and our home depot landscape supply just stocked up, so I can't wait to check it out!!!!!!!
Feb 23, 2008 | 4:46 PM PST
Tags: compost , owl , herron , veggie beds , dogs , raised bed , weeding , weeds , rain , drought
(I hope this post goes through ok...with all the weird stuff going on with the site today...)
The last few days we have had a good steady rain. Great for our drought situation! Of course, I have gotten used to doing something in the yard most every afternoon. So, instead...I had some nice cups of coffee on the front porch and watched the rain :)
One morning, when I woke up...I noticed an owl perched on the fence by the creek. We hear owls a lot around here...and my husbad has named the one we hear, Norbert. Maybe this was Norbert showing himself :) . A little later, I also saw some sort of giant bird walking across the creek (might have been a white herron?) I couldn't catch a picture of him though. Here is a little shot of the owl:
It dried up enough today for my hubby to go get some loads of compost for the newly built veggie beds! Hooray!!!
And, in case there was any question as to the necessity of the chicken wire surrounds:
HAH! needless to say...the doggies had a fun day in the garden too!
While my husband was picking up the loads I also took advantage of the wet ground and did my first (of many, I am sure) spring weeding sessions! It felt good to get that done. We got most of the beds full and just need to finish up one bed. Yeah! Gotta love progress!
Jan 31, 2008 | 2:19 PM PST
Tags: steps , paver , ivy , creeping jenny , creek , rain , brush
Over the last couple of days I have gotten some fun things done by the creek! I picked up some creeping jenny plants for the opposite bank side...of course, after planting them, I also drove stakes through the root ball to hold them in. The water usually doesn't come up this high though....
Today, I also decided to try digging in some stairs. I am not sure if they will stay put with a heavy rain and the rushing creek water, but this whole thing is an experiment... I used some pavers that were on our property when we moved in and have just been sitting in a pile. I figure this way, if it doesn't work out...I haven't spent $ on nice pavers and I am only out about an hour of time. If it does hold up....I may change out the pavers over time for nicer ones. I also transplanted some variagated ivy pieces in between the blocks, so hopefully they will grow in nicely. I pinned them down with landscape pins.
Not too shabby for an hour's worth of work and free materials! I finished just in time for the forcasted rain, so these pictures might be the only thing left of this by morning :0
I also spent some time getting more brush to the curb...I will do more of that tomorrow
Jan 27, 2008 | 7:42 AM PST
Tags: rain , compost , bulbs , pinestrawing , lantana , gully
This is the third week end in a row that it has rained, but today so far it hasn't an is suppose to hit near 60* so I'm hoping to get outside an get some things done. My truck is loaded with hay that isn't usable except for compost that I need to unload b4 tomorrow. I have a pile of Jon Quill bulbs that need to go in the ground. And I haven't finished pinestrawing my beds yet. I can't decide if I want to do away with one of my large beds or not an turn it into another veggie bed. Either way I go it'll have to be watered this summer an chances are this summer will be like the others, hot an humid an probably dry.
I still have some lantana to cut back an here I thought I had it all done b4 it got cold. Yesterday we unloaded DH's truck full of crush an run to fill in the holes in the driveway where the water beat a gullly in. Still have a few roses to prune the dead out of. Dang I'm tired just thinking about this, anyone wanna come over a help? I can at least feed you good!
Nov 21, 2007 | 10:15 AM PST
Tag: rain
The temperature got into the low 50's yesterday, so I spent a good part of the day outside cleaning up the leaves. Most of the trees are bare now, so I don't feel as if I'm fighting a losing battle. Every time I filled the trash can with leaves, I brought them to the chipper/shredder and ground them up. My patio finally looks clean. I worked outside until it started raining in the late afternoon. Today it has been one of those drizzly rainy days, and it is forcasted to rain for the rest of the week here, so it looks like I wont have a chance to get outside again for a while. It figures that when it is "warm" it is also wet. Much easier to clean up dry leaves than wet, I think.
I need to clean the gutters out. This year I'm installing gutter guards as I clean them. I sure hope I get another dry day before the rain changes to snow. That would be miserable working conditions. Hubby and I have discussed installing gutter guards before, and he always had some reason for not wanting to get them. Either he thought them an expensive unnecessary expense, didn't think they would work very well, etc. I tried to recall the last time I saw him on the ladder cleaning out the gutters and couldn't remember. So I asked him when the last time he took a turn at it and he told me he couldn't remember ever cleaning them. Aha! So it's settled. We ARE getting rain gutter guards.
I still haven't put a border around the rain garden. Hmm, what to do? I am thinking (changing my mind again, dangerous thing!) that a rock border would be more to my liking. Maybe look more "natural". That would also make it easier to redo the border if I decide to expand it a bit more next year. I didn't make it as large as I could have. It is hard to tell how well it is working. The area hasn't been flooded, all the water that is diverted there seems to be soaking in to the area like a sponge. Which is what I want, of course.
Oct 24, 2007 | 10:01 AM PST
Tags: RAIN , cuttings , GG'ers , seed box , vittles
Rain and small storms came through during the night. The weather channel had 1.69 inches listed this morning so that means we got about an inch. It was wonderful just laying in bed listening to the rain come down and the thunder and lightening.
It is rumbling again just now in the distance, so we may get more during the afternoon. Most likely will wait until time for the children to get out of school. My house is just across the street from a middle school (5th and 6th grades). They did erect a cover over the main walkway from the school a few years ago and that helps.
Did some potting up of cuttings from GG friends yesterday, planted some bulbs from GG friends and started a small container of cactus plants from a friend here in town. I call that a good day. And I call all these members that love to share the best ever. Thanks to all of you.
Then decided to make a list of what type seeds I have. Good Golly, didn't know I had that many different kind. Maybe not a lot of each flower but enough I think to start the Seed Box come January. Might just coerce my daughter into participating. She did sign up on GG and sends me a note once in a while. She works from home and is on the computer a lot so I know she doesn't like to spend her 'free time' just looking around. She has some different plants than I do so she would be an asset to our little venture.
Did some housecleaning today. I truly think is it more strenous than working in the garden. At least when you get a garden bed ready, it stays pretty for a lot longer than a house does after you have scrubbed and dusted.
Time to break and get us some vittles. Glad Granny Clampet isn't here to cook for us!! DH watches a lot of Beverly Hillbillies and I do at least have to listen to them.
More To Come Later
Oct 23, 2007 | 2:53 PM PST
Tags: rain , woodchips , mulch , divide , transplant , drought
Well, its been raining here for 2 days straight!!! I can hardly believe it!!! Its is so wonderful and now I have a glimmer of hope that my fall veggie seeds might grow after all!!! Can't wait to see the garden as the days progress! I know it will give me lots to do and I am so glad! Hopefully I can do some more dividing and transplanting. I am also planning on ordering up some more of the free woodchips from the city for the back yard.
Oct 18, 2007 | 6:16 PM PST
Tags: Fair week , senior day , petting zoo , free lunch , flower contest , Rain?
It was Senior Day at our Eastern Carolina Fair! Hot, Dry and Dusty as all get out. Even the animals looked like they could care less. I enjoy seeing all the different animals, but at the same time I know that is no life for any animal, to be hauled around and then stared at by humans. The chickens, pigeons, rabbits and pigs are local so I don't worry that they don't have a life outside the fair.
Senior Day is a day that many nursing homes bring out their elderly patients so they can get out for a bit and see the sights. It is good to see the interaction of the caregivers to their charges. Lots of daycares bring their little ones to see the animals, eat cotton candy and get a free lunch as well. Some are excited, some just cry because they are tired or when the petting zoo animals come too close, but they still have a good time.
My husband and I enjoy walking through the exhibition hall. It is small compared to the state fair hall, but nice none the less. This year I helped our Master Gardeners judge the flower contest and the 4-H tomato contest. The 4-H tomatoes did not grow well due to the rotten weather. But there were still some children that were successful. They all recieve ribbons and we are to pick the best in each category.
The Flower/Plant contest was interesting. Gave me an idea of what would do well in a contest. Too many ferns that all look alike (except for a friends whose fern was gorgeous) (I did not put my two cents worth in that one) Some plants/flowers were just jerked up out of the ground and stuck in a pot. Since you don't know who entered them, it could have been a child, so you try not to be too judgemental. Just stick on a ribbon and go to the next one.
There were some spectacular plants: Mules Ear, A Pencil Cactus, the one that won Best of Show was a cactus named (Stapelia Noblis (sta-PEL-ee-a) or - Hairy Giant Starfish FlowerCarrion Flower", It was a bud when we did the judging and today it was open. Thankfully I did not get the benefit of its scent. Then there were the houseplants. I fell in love with two African Violets I had never seen before. They had varigated leaves. I left a note at the booth of the Garden Club members that had entered them that I would like a cutting. Don't know if I will hear from anyone or not. All in all it was a fun thing.
The booth for our Extension Agency is always nice. Our agent, Tony, has such good vision. He uses cinderblocks, sheets of plywood, flat slate rocks and a black plastic liner to build a waterfall. It is about 10/12 feet long and 3/4 feet high. Around the sides he and his MG helpers put potting soil and then lay sod on it. They keep it watered all week. They decorate with ferns mostly. At the end of the waterfall is a 'garden spot' which turned out real nice this year. If you look at the pictures you will see Swamp Sunflowers there. They grow 6 to 10 feet tall and spread everywhere. I have a friend that really likes them, but I would not want to have to keep them under control.
After a couple of hours in the heat and dust, my husband and I sat and waited until it was time to receive our free lunch. It consisted of a 'light' bar-b-que sandwich, a little hostess cake, an apple and a bag of peanuts and a drink. Not to shabby.
Now we are waiting for the expected rain coming toward us from lower Georgia. People here are losing plants and trees because of the lack of rain. Talked with a friend today that said she has lost two Dogwoods. Now folks, if the dogwoods begin to die out, it is drought time for sure. There are tall evergreen trees ( I cannot remember the names) that have been along the roads in several places here in town for many years and lots of those have died. This is the worst year I have seen yet. And to think it is like this all over the, shall I say Continent? not just the US. If it is not dry, then there is too much water. No in between is there?
Tomorrow is another day and if it is raining, I will be forced to clean house at least a little bit. If not I will be bringing the plants in and taking some cuttings. Then on Monday it will be time to get that LAST load of mulch. After that I will finish cleaning out the big flower bed and putting it down for the winter. In a way it is good to have a little better weather because normally these outside chores would have needed to be completed by now.
More to Come Later
Oct 3, 2007 | 11:11 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , Brussels Sprouts , Radish , schefflera , spinach , lettuce , Purple Kolhrabi , Walla Walla , garlic , Sugar Snap Peas , Jade , Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine tomatoes , jalapeño , Cold Stratify , Rain
So, we have a new cam, so pics will be forthcoming. We have been getting rather a bit of rain (about time) but it is finally the end of the 'real' gardening season. If I can figure out a way to do it with minimal dirt (I know I should use at least a 5 gallon container but am willing to take a risk) I may cold stratify some of the tomato seeds I saved and start them up here in the office. That would be kind of cool, having some fresh tomatoes here. I kept some Black Prince and Brandywine seeds, although who knows what they will end up being as there were a few different varieties of tomatoes out there and I did not bag them so they are no doubt cross pollinated. I really don't mind, as long as they are fresh! I am planning on starting up some of the Jalapeno seeds I saved, I know it will do fine in a relatively smaller pot. I have all this sunshine here at my desk so I might as well take advantage of it, right?
On another note, my wife just started her new job (she actually is going to get paid to learn, and sign language at that, I am stoked as I have always wanted to learn to sign so she is going to have to teach me...and several other people in my office LOL) and she does have her own office so I have another project. Nice pots and some plants for it. She wants to take the Jade and I am all for it, but we will have to get a full spectrum bulb and lamp as she doesn't have any windows and that bugger needs some light! I have some cuttings I have taken from my office building and her old one of this corn looking plant that I still don't know what it is, but do know that bugger will grow in the dark, haha and some Schefflera cuttings I took from her old building that have all rooted up nicely.
My favorite story about Schefflera's...A pal of mine owned a hotel on the NC coast and the hurricane wall they had put in was coming down after a particularly nasty storm so the hotel had to come down. The people who were hired to take all the furniture and whatnot out and put it in storage really were not all that smart as they put all the plants in the storage unit as well. Three months later we opened up the unit, having already assumed the plants were living in the movers homes (nothing to quibble about, this all had to be done fast so the owner just figured a home is a home) and there they were. No water, no sun, three months...they were fine. They were Schefflera.
Time to get going on some winter gardening. I got seed for Walla Walla sweet onins, Garlic cloves, Purple Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts and Spinach so far. I have cleared the sugar snap pea bed so now all I need to do is take down the trellis (I used screws so it is basically collapsible) and recondition the little plot o'dirt and wait for the maters to finish up, collect the radish seeds from the early radish's that I let bolt and do that soil as well and I figure that I will let our youngest help (he will love to) since I already told him the one side is all his! He gets to plant the garlic, onions, (he wants them now but I had to explain that they will be in spring!) Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi. I thought that he would get a kick out of being able to not only garden while it is cold, but they are very neat looking plants. He and I are the only ones in the house who will eat Brussels Sprouts so we will be having plenty of them, haha.
I will plant the spinach and plan on several lettuce varieties for this fall and come early spring in my tomato and radish bed, yum!
Pictures will be soon, I promise!
ps~ this blog post has been Cut and Pasted!
Sep 7, 2007 | 7:31 PM PST
Tags: porch , rain
My plants are so happy! No matter how much you water and raise your water bill.. it is never like mother nature! So when we got a few showers yesterday, my plants just perked right up and got a nice drink. The counties around us got more rain than we did, but we got a much needed inch and we are grateful!!
I just found out that one of my neighbors is going to have a wedding in their backyard in a couple of weeks.. so now I want to get out to the back of my lot and make that look a bit nicer for their backdrop in case some of their pictures pick up my backyard in them.I have an area that is about 12 x 10 that I have not worked on yet. That bed is about 150 feet long and that section is at the end and not finished . Now I have some motivation to complete that section. Hopefully I will be able to get some of that done soon.. I have so many projects going already. One is to clean, stain and seal my deck and to also put a porch over my old concrete walkway.. Supposed to get those estimates this week for that project to see how much it will set me back. I think it will be cheaper than taking out the old sidewalk and concrete stoop and repouring concrete.. we will see.
Sep 7, 2007 | 11:18 AM PST
Tags: rain , pasture , toad-strangler , gully-washer
It's raining again for the third day in a row. I am very thankful for it, plus I love rain, to watch it fall, hear it hit the roof, it makes me chilly to hear it falling, but I love to wrap up and just sit and watch it. Soft, slow, gentle rain, soaking into the dry parched ground as fast as it hits. We've needed rain badly for a month or more now, and were beginning to really get nervous about fall pasture, hay, and such. Our yard was almost completely dried up and gone, we don't water our yard, it's too big and it just has to get what it gets.
We still need a toad-strangler, gully-washer type rain to fill up our ponds and flush out the creeks. One pond is dry except the very bottom of it about the size of a car hood, and it is just mud. And I also already wrote about our swimming hole slowly drying up.
Another thing I like about the rain is I don't have to water my flowers, and they look so much better when it rains on them instead of the water you put on them. I wonder why? Softer water? Perhaps.
Anyway, I'm really thankful for the good rains we are getting.........
Sep 5, 2007 | 6:19 PM PST
Tags: Rain , peas , lettuce , radishes
We went away for a little vacation this past long weekend. I left everything but the tomatoes were pretty much dead, the heat wave was not kind, even with me schlepping water every day. Came back, the tomatoes were done too. Yesterday started much needed rain, heavy at times, but steady. It's rained off and on today as well. Too late to save my plants though, but the grass and trees need it too, so I guess it's good.
As soon as the rain stops I'll be pulling up the dead stuff so I can plant peas in the pool garden. I've got two kinds: Oregon Sugar Pod, which I know I can use/freeze in shell; and Thomas Laxton, which says on the package is a heavy producer. I'm thinking from what I'm seeing on the package that these are a pea that I'm going to have to shell these before I cook them and/or freeze them. Anyone know if this is true? I'm also going to plant another batch of radishes. I'm not going to bother with the mixed lettuce/salad greens seeds I planted in the spring, as I wasn't really happy with them. Next spring I'll probably just stick with a green leaf lettuce and skip the other mixed stuff.
Aug 30, 2007 | 4:28 PM PST
Tags: new butterfly , grandson , RAIN
Did I get a surprise this afternoon! Went out to check the caterpiller that was roaming around and found a butterfly inside. Don't know where he came from but he was frantic to get out of there, I didn't even have time to see what it was!!!! Black at any rate. Don't know where he decided to pupate as I have been watching them so closely. He had to have emerged inside the cage. No other way to get out of there. Life is a Beach every day in the world of gardening.
Took my 10 year old grandson out to see the cats and the one that is beginning to pupate.
WOW!! I hear rain!!!!! HooRay for the water bill.
Got to finish packing, Load the car and get some rest, early to rise we will be in the morn.
More to Come Later
Aug 27, 2007 | 4:38 PM PST
Tags: rain , tomato plants , pumpkins , indian corn , watermelons , cucumbers
last week we had gotten like 6 in. in one day and then it rained like everyday...i'm not even sure what the actual total was for our area, but i do know that we are practically drowning in it...my garden was loving it...well if you have seen my veggie garden you know that it is covered with pumpkins going everywhere...and really i do have cucumbers coming out of everywhere...i swear i pick at least 2 every couple of days...and i noticed that there is a huge vine that has at least 5 little cukes growing well...i picked my biggest cuke today....holy cow it was big...at least 8 in. long...o.k. that doesn't sound very good...LOL!!! but ya know what i mean....i didn't think my tomato plants were going to survive since the pumpkins totally overshadowed them, but i am pleased to say that they did SURVIVE and i have about 5 little green tomatoes growing well so i had to go buy some plant stands to hold them up...my indian corn is doing quite well too...i have 4 plants and they have at least 2~3 ears growing good on them...i also had watermelon growing in between the pumpkins and tomato plants and i truly thought they were a lost cause considering you couldn't even see them and they were getting no sun at all, but somehow they made it through to the other side of my garden and i have 3 watermelons growing well on the vine...yeah....and i guess that is all for now...all my pumpkins and gourds are still doing good...so nothing new there except more pumpkins are growing...i think i am up to 5 big jack o'lanterns now....well i will get some more pics up soon...
Aug 20, 2007 | 6:27 AM PST
Tag: rain
Really didn't want to go to work today, but once you're there, it's hard to call in sick!! We had almost 6 inches of rain over the weekend, that's a rough estimate because we were out of town Saturday night and the 3+" raingauge was overflowing when I checked it Sunday morning...
The red sunflowers in front of the house are really feeling the brunt of the rain, it's got them so heavy they can't hold up their heads anymore. For only two plants, there certainly are a lot of flowers! The sunflowers I'm familiar with produce only one seed head for each plant, one of ours had 15 last count. Mind you, they aren't large like the yellow variety.
Otherwise, the rain seems to have washed off the JBs (Japanese Beetles for the uninitiated), so the green beans may make a last comeback. Peach tree is a watch and wait, they aren't due 'til Sept. 8th (son's birthday), and if there are any apples left on the tree, they are due the week before. Rain and wind has taken down about 1/2 of the fruit, I've given up trying to get 'em before the chippies do! Bon Apetit, mes amies!
Aug 18, 2007 | 7:38 PM PST
Tags: rain , heat
About 20 minutes or so after I hung sheets and towels out on the clothes line it started rumbling. Of course lol, because normally we're at my in-laws all day on Saturdays and Sundays, so normally I wouldn't be hanging laundry out on a weekend. So in came the still wet stuff to go in the dryer. And just in time too. About 10 minutes or so after I got them in it started raining. Lightly at first, but it turned into a hard downpour, lots of thunder and lightning, which used to scare the bejeezus out me. Thankfully as long as I don't see the lightning, it doesn't scare me.
It rained for a good couple hours, tapering off at the last half hour or so to a nice gentle rain. Enough to leave a nice reserve in the pool, so I didn't have to water the tomatoes this evening! Hooray!
Unfortunately it did NOTHING to cool things off. If anything it added to the humidity levels after the rain was done making it feel hotter. Thankfully though it's finally dropped from the 106 temps we averaged last week to the high 90s. Hopefully the first couple weeks of September it'll drop to the mid 80s and I'll actually be able to deal with being outside for more than 5 minutes at a time.
