trudy's Blog

Life at the Lane today
May 7, 2007 | 5:35 PM PST
Tags: pinestraw , backyard , mators , flowers , heirloom , beds , tree , rose , containers , chicks , chickens , eggs , plants

Got home and remembered I wanted to check with the neighbor up the road about a pile of pinestraw he's had in his back yard. So I asked him what was he gonna do with it an he said he was gonna give it to me if I wanted it. He had told me a year ago when he had a pile of that I could have it. I never got around to getting it. So today I made time for a truckload at least. He had to show me his mators and flowers. I mentioned that I had some extra plants if he wanted some, so tomorrow I will take him a few things. He also wanted to try some of the heirloom mators I have extra of so he can sure have them. I'm outta room for them anyway. Before I left he came back around to the truck an said that for me to get all I wanted of the straw today an saturday he will deliver the rest to me for sharing my plants with him. Says he rides by the house occasionally to see whats in bloom but never stops. So I invited him to take a tour anytime he wants to. I've been knowing him for years, but we hardly ever get the chance to talk. He's bought eggs from me before as well.

I got the truck unloaded and had enough to do 2 fairly good size bed, a tree, a rose and part of another huge rose bed. Its looking better already. I am hoping he has enough to do all the others which will amount to about 6 more loads, I think he will judging from his piles of straw he had here an there. Got busy watering all the newly planted plants and containers as well as the garden.

The baby chicks have been flying around in the pen and I keep looking for them either to get hurt or get out over the door where there is an opening. Its the smaller pen inside the large pen, but the fencing on the outter pen they could get out without much difficultly. So I clipped their wings hoping that will keep them landed a little better. The older chickens have been sporatic on laying, some days I get 8 an others who knows. Today I only got 3, but not complaining seeing how I have 6 doz in the fridge I need to do something with. I'll give my neighbor some tomorrow when I deliver his plants. Well thats life on the Lane for today.

Update
Apr 29, 2007 | 11:20 AM PST
Tags: rose , chicks , iris moonlight , onions , leeks , potatoes , trellis , mayhaw , Quince Rust

Been awhile since my last entry, back on the 21st my dd's an myself with the g-sons went to the Mayhaw Festival. I was hoping to get up with someone that could give me advise and information about the Quince Rust, but I kept missing the guy somehow. Was an enjoyable day, wonderful live music. DH didn't go, he went brim fishing instead an he an his friend caught 40 all together. I got home that day an planted an herb bed, I had so much excess from seeding out all those seeds I had to do something with them all. It turned out good, I planted lemon balm, borage, thyme, curley parsley, comfrey, curry, transplanted a couple sage plants where I was tearing out a bed that was falling apart. Stuck in a couple Job's Tears only cuz I didn't know where else to put them. I now have some n full sun, part sun and full shade. Surely I"ll know soon where it likes to be.

I've put the baby chicks to the outside pin and they seem so much happier. I've only lost 1 since being out there, DD thinks a snake may have gotten it. I don't know! I went to the feed store on my way back from Macon and with each 25# bag of feed (chicken) they gave u 3 baby chicks. And of course I couldn't turn them down. So for the 2 now that I've lost I've gained 1 chick. Only no idea if they are male or female. I'm keeping them in the back room for now til they get their true feathers, still gettin a little cool at night so don't want to take the chance. The grown hens have really started gearing up on the egg laying to now that the weather has stabled out some.

Last Sunday I cut back some of the Azaleas that had gotten taller than I wanted them to, an I wanted them to bush out better. While doing so I noticed the Akebia had run under the porch so I got that pulled out and wound up on the right trellis, I had planted a Cup & Saucer vine to twine up with the Akebia and its doing great. Can't wait to see it in bloom. I got most of the dead wood pruned out of the roses, most all of them are in full bud, some are blooming and most will be blooming all summer long. Smells so nice while walking out about the yard.

My Mayhaw trees are full of mayhaws, will be interesting as to how many will be useable due to the Quince Rust. I've tried to stay on top of the spraying and feel I have done a pretty good job.

This past Saturday (yesterday) I finished planting my bunching onions an leeks. I put them in with the herb bed and some flower beds only cuz the veggie garden is so full. My one an only zuke plant died overnight, don't have a clue as to why so I bought a replacement and also a 9 pk of Beauregard (sp) sweet potatoes starts. Don't have a clue where those will be planted. What was I thinkig????? I did get the mator stakes in place just gotta tie them but some/most are not big enough to worry about yet. I stopped by a friend/customer on friday to deliver her some eggs and she gave me a couple lilac bushes, graveyard fern and clerodendrum wachaii (sp). All transplanted fine so far except the CW. The main one I wanted. I didn't cut it back, but will today to see if that will do the trick. Even if I loose the blooms for this year it'll be worth it in the long run. Ok, an update on the blooming calander for 2007:

continued week 3:

Gruss an Acchan rose (sp)

Maggie rose

Comtessa de Chomard rose (sp)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX

Week 4:

Mrs. R.M. Finch

Reines des Violette rose

Ducher rose

Mrs. Dudley Cross rose

Rose Champion

Graham Thomas rose

Altissimo Shrub rose

Madame Cochet rose

Lavender Lassie rose

Will Scarlet rose

Cardinal Hume rose

Prosperity rose

Moonlight rose

Baron Provost rose

Martha Washington rose

2 tone purple bearded Iris (Indian Chief??)

Red Cascade rose

Praline Festival Iris

Silver Mound (carnation type bloom)

Lafter rose

White American Beauty rose

Little Henry shrub

G. Otto Linne rose

Champney's Pink roe

Unk. Damask rose (pink)

trudy

Almost done
Apr 19, 2007 | 1:26 PM PST
Tags: roses , Iris , Melons , houseplants , flowers , greenhouse , feathers , coop , chicks
This post has been edited by an administrator

I finally got the melon patch planted 2 days ago, I planted Santa Clause, Moon & Stars, Banana, Paradise and Canary. Can u tell we love melons. Still have a good bit of flowers left to plant and the house plants to get out of the greenhouse an placed about the beds, but I'm in no rush. The nights have been in the 50's here, so I know they'll like the cool temps. The baby chicks are growing and doing well, thinking about putting them outside in a coop with a light so they get a chill during the night. At least the larger of them, some are still getting their true feathers and some already have them. Some more flowers have started blooming an here they are:

Lemon Mist Bearded Iris

Unk. Purple Bearded Iris

LaReine rose

Mrs. B. R. Cant

Belinda's Dream

and another rose I can't remember the name, have it written somewhere

Felicia

trudy

Storm on its way
Apr 14, 2007 | 5:25 PM PST
Tags: Black eye susan , Phillipine Violet , Mexican Flame Vines , Spanish Flags , Morning Glorys , Borage , Oakleaf Hydrangeas , Hollyhocks , roses , strawberries , pie filling , storm , chicks

Its been gonna storm all week, but has been missin us.  Staying north,  I didn't want it to be bad weather but just get some of the rain off of it.  So every afternoon when I'd get home from work I get to planting.   Same today,  I did get a lot planted,  more hollyhocks, black eye susans, Phillipine Violets, Mexican Flame vines, Spanish Flags,  Morning Glory trees, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, White Obedient Plant,  Morning Glory bush (questinable as to whether they make it here), Borage,  some lillies I couldn't never seem to get planted also got done today.  Finished up planting the last of the potatoes I've not been able to find the time to plant.  I've not been that good at growing them, so I'll be interesting to see what they do being planted so late.  The other afternoon when it was suppose to rain I got my Lady Banks rose and Lavaglut rose planted.

Friday I picked another bucket of strawberries,  think  I'll put it up as a pie filling this time.  My baby chicks are doing well,  out growing there large box thats for sure.   Had planned to put them outside today, but DH says to wait til after next Wed., cuz its suppose to be back down in the 40's at night til Wed.   I was gonna C & P the bloom list, but this site won't let me.


Well its lightening a good bit now, so its getting closer.  A tornado has already been spotted in Ala north of us.  trudy