witt's Blog

Gorgeous Morn
Jun 27, 2010 | 2:55 AM PST

I got two loads of laundry done and all the linens washed and put back. I raced through my housework so that I could get out in the yard. Wow, was it gorgeous when I went out. It was already 80 degrees, but there was a lovely breeze. Everyone else seems to have gotten rain, but not us -- as usual! I planted a marigold that I had rooted and a couple of volunteers that I had been nursing. I put them in the New Daffodil Bed. That is a harsh bed, so I hope that they will grow some and flower. I put a "tent" of artemesia branches around them to give them some relief from the sun until they take hold. I watered the backyard beds again and found massive toady tunnels in the Outhouse Bed. I dropped in the mothballs and then collapsed them. I put a few in Aunt Winnie's Garden, too. Next, I restrawed where I and the toadies had made a mess of things. By the time I finished, the sweat was dripping in my ears and the sun was already on the patio. Too hot for sitting.

This is a pic of the tater vine in the Cement Garden that I took a couple days ago. It has filled out a lot since then.

 

 

Tick total: 1

 Mission for Today: Pray for our country and maybe some rain. Relax and rest.

Record-breaking Heat
Jun 26, 2010 | 3:26 AM PST

First, I watered the flower beds in the front before I put out the slug bait. I almost used the whole bag because I did all the beds. Then I went out and put the moth balls in the toadie holes. I dropped them down the holes that were back from my collapsing their tunnels, and dug around hunting for new ones. I missed doing Aunt Winnie's Garden. Sweat was running in my eyes and dripping off my nose by then, so I decided I'll go back and do that bed later. I wanted to get some of the straw out where it was thin. Hubby decided that he'd help me out and shuck the corn. I was taking a break on the back patio and watching him. Evidently, I'm the one who's been shucking the corn for the last 20+ years. He was slow as Christmas. I offered to do it while I was cooling off. I could have done it in nothing flat, but he wanted to do it. It was agonizing to watch. Then he asked how to get the hairs off the ears. I told him, but when I went in to wash them. All of the last ones were loaded, but the first ones that he did were clean as a whistle. I guess he pooped out and found out cleaning corn wasn't as easy as he thought. When it was too hot to do much in the yard, I decided to try to lure the hummers and bluebirds to my makeshift fountain. I set the hose to mist and let it sit out on the dry, dry grass. Nothing came. Then I tried a gentle spray, but it was getting too wet in that one spot. I got the sprinkler and moved it out onto the lawn, had a gentle spray going with a pot saucer to catch the water, but the birds ignored it. Finally, just as I was about to give up, cut it off, and go in for the day, a little bird came. It was underneath the arch of water and couldn't figure out how this set-up worked. It would hop straight up, get wet, and shake out its feathers. It did this a few times until it saw the saucer of water. The bird jumped in and had a bath. I might try it again today and see if I get any comers. At least the grass appreciates it. The marigolds in the Quarter Round seem to be growing a little now. It just so hot!

 

 

We made a meal out of fried squash and hot buttered corn last night. We ate ourselves silly on that alone! I hope that all of you have a wonderful day. We're on the 16th straight day of 90's for June.  

Mission for Today: Work early while it's cool; play when it's too hot.

HOT
Jun 24, 2010 | 2:52 PM PST

When I went out on the porch to put on OFF!, the little wren was squawking and carrying on, jumping up and down on the banister and railing, flying around and giving me what-for! I couldn't decide if she just wanted to check out the birdhouses hanging on the porch or just wanted me to know that she was not happy about my messing up her nest in the TopsyTurvy. Yesterday, I got the edging done around the Turnaround and Japanese walk, but I sure couldn't do but a little at a time. I think I drank a whole pitcher of tea all by myself. The bluebirds were amazing. Constantly swooping down, grabbing an insect and flying back into the mimosa just to do it again. I really think those are the babies that we had. I decided to transplant that flower that I got in the spring from the pot to the yard (sunsatia). I'm really disappointed in its performance. It should have spread all over the place by now and it's just not doing much. I really wanted it because of its lovely scent, but it's not even pretty. I put it in the Outhouse Bed. I used the same pot to put cuttings of the scented geranium. (You can see it in the foreground to the left in the picture below.) The ones in water didn't take. By the end of the day, the cuttings looked horrible. Let's hope they'll perk up today. I did rob a few more impatiens from the Herb Garden and moved them to another area in the Butterfly Garden, which was toadie-frog riddled. I worked up the soil and collapsed the tunnels (I hope.). The guy at the feed store said to try moth balls. I got some, so I'll let you know if it works.

 

Here's the Herb Garden.

It's burning up here!  I watered the Herb Garden and Poison Garden early this morning. Then continued all the way around the backyard. Next, I jooged more toadie frog holes that I noticed while I deadheaded the lilies. The toadie-frogs are ruining everything!  It is burning up here. We've had thirteen days in a row of high-ninety heat with no rain. They are predicting five more days of record heat for June. What wouldn't burn up in this HOT heat!

Living in the Wild
Jun 23, 2010 | 5:49 AM PST
I played in the yard all day yesterday. I didn't get hot until around noon. There was a nice breeze and it wasn't bad in the shade. Later, however, it really got hot! Hubby had dusted for chewy insects that were eating up my flowers, so I couldn't water the Poison Garden as I had hoped. I decided to hand water the marigolds and zinnias. I got the front yard watering can and before I could make it to the spigot, there was a tick crawling! I disposed of him. Later I decided that I'd better water the tomatoes in the Earth Box and TopsyTurvy. I got the backyard watering can, and before I could make it to the back spigot, a tick! Dang. They must love to hide on buckets and watering cans and getcha when you use them. When I reached up high to water the TopsyTurvy, which is over my head, the thing started shaking, rattling, and making a hideous noise! What's happening? An earthquake? I jumped back and a bird tore out of there! It was a wren. She landed in the tree, raising Cain! She fussed at me like you wouldn't believe. She had been trying to make a nest in the small area from the soil to the lid. You can't fill it up to the top! It almost scared me to death with that bird fluttering around in there while I poured water on her head. I wonder if she'll come back? I don't know if you can see it, but there is a tiny little tomato on the vine, which is about down to the ground now. I thought that it was supposed to grow upwards! Oh, well. There are some more flowers on it too that you can't see.

 

I guess all this nature is natural if you're going to be living in the wild.

Mission for today: Edge and tidy up, being grateful for being able to enjoy living in the wild.

Bluebirds
Jun 13, 2010 | 2:21 AM PST
I was taking a break from yardwork and the heat, sitting on the front porch, fanning myself, when I noticed the bluebirds were mighty active. They were flying from the box to the mimosa tree -- back and forth, chittering like crazy. Finally, it dawned on me. The babies were fledging! Suddenly, out of nowhere came the big hawk. He was trying to get his talon in the hole. I started banging on the table and yelling. Mama and Daddy Bluebird were attacking its head. Thankfully, the hawk flew off. I so enjoyed watching the babies trying their wings, jumping around in the Patio Garden, resting under bushes, and then trying their wings again. Eventually, they were all gone, off into the woods. What a sight to behold!

Mission for today: Be grateful for the little joys in life.

Transplanting Fool
Jun 4, 2010 | 3:08 AM PST
I had fun finding tiny impatiens volunteers in the Patio Garden and digging them out of the cracks to transplant. I had to do that before they fried out there. No way could they survive for long in the heat in the concrete with no shade now that the mimosa is gone. I put some in the Butterfly Garden where I thought it was shady, but later in the afternoon, it appeared that this area was really catching a lot of sun. Maybe they will survive.

I also transplanted the caladiums into larger pots. They are so pretty, but there wasn't much room for growth. They were in the pots that I used to winter them over. I hope they won't notice the move. I sure miss the mimosa shade. My hostas are burning up out there already. No way will I expose the caladiums to that!

I also got my first gardenia! I love them and don't know why I can't grow them worth a flip.

We had one heck of a storm around 7 p.m. We had 1.7 inches. That filled my rain buckets! I just hope the downpour didn't was away the baby impatiens that I planted.

We had to get chicken feed and birdseed yesterday, so what the heck, I got another six-pack of red vincas!

Mission for Today: Plant the vincas!

The Mystery Flower
Jun 1, 2010 | 8:44 AM PST

The Mystery Flower from KeyWee finally bloomed. It is a wonder that it survived the torrential rains that we received yesterday. There is no white on the flower as it appears in this picture. It's just the way the sunlight hit it this morning when I took the picture, and we all know that I can't take a picture worth a hoot anyway.

At least I have loads of blooms to look forward to!

My first lily! This lily in the Potting Shed Bed is the first to bloom every year.

Mission for today: Pot up the only rooting that took from the pineapple sage. Try, try again!