yardgranny6's Blog

The Grand Pets ---
Nov 24, 2007 | 4:22 PM PST

were not the best of friends. Little Olivia kitty wasn't too happy to have Kahlua visiting and being petted by her brand new family. The visit was OK though. No one got too riled up.

Fed the son speghetti, garlic bread and salad for dinner. Then of course a wonderful chocolate dessert. It was good to take the walk up the street to his brothers house.

Put the lights on the arbor and set the reindeer out today. Put a lighted garland on the banister. It should look pretty. Have not turned them on as yet though. Will do that tomorrow night and hopefully take some pictures.

My friend, Bob, came on Friday and built the lean-to off my shed. It looks really nice and actually has a good feel to it. Nice to be under some shelter from the birds, if you know what I mean. He will come on Monday to hang my trellis and repair the shed door and steps. Then if we happen to get a couple of warm days, I will begin painting the boards and supports. Now if I can get my little pond installed I will really be ready for spring. So much to look forward to.

Have been getting a place ready to put my birdbath. Bought some pea gravel and sand to help get it level. Always a problem for me. The birds don't ever seem to have a problem as long as there is water to splash in.  Soon as Bob gets finished I will be moving the butterfly cage up under the lean-to for some shelter from the wind and rain. Like the butterfly really cares. I just don't want to look at it standing all winter in the garden bed. Bob and I decided my old swing is in no shape to stand alone any longer. It is really rickety and coming apart. Will demolished it soon and say farewell to an old friend. I spent many hours swinging there in the evenings after the daycare kids went home as well as swinging the children themselves. Actually one very active little guy would not stay off the swing and actually fractured his collar bone. Scared me and his mom something awful.

Have been trying to decide if I need something taller for interest in the garden. Maybe a plant, maybe a piece of garden art. Will mull that over during the winter months. Catalogs to look over, seeds to sort, packets to put together for GG friends. Life is good. Let it continue.

More to Come Later

 

 

Time to trim
Nov 21, 2007 | 2:54 PM PST

out the garden. Pulled, dug and threw out much wild bermuda from the big garden bed this morning. Want to put my new animated/lighted reindeer out tomorrow along with the colorful lights onto the arbor.  By the way, my reindeer has red bulbs at his nose. So this will be Rudolph waiting to be hooked to Santa's sleigh.

For some reason I am really looking forward to decorating this year. Some years it doesn't seem worth it to put out the effort. But I am ready now.

Going to my sweet neighbors for T-day tomorrow. My kids are occupied with mom in laws and other family gatherings, which we are always invited to each year. Some years my kids gather here and that is great. My oldest son will be here on Friday and I promised not to feed his family more turkey. May do steaks or just take them out to eat. The son here will be working all weekend, so we will visit with his 'Olivia' the kitty and her family after we eat. I think the oldest son will bring my grandpup Kahlua tomorrow so both the boys will be able to see the newest members of each others families.

Hope each one of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We have much to be thankful for in our country. Freedoms many other countries don't have. The ability to share our every day lives with people from all over the world through this wonderful internet medium. Being able to stay healthy, warm and fed and the ability to share our abundance with others not as fortunate as ourselves.

Smile while you are out shopping this holiday season, that person behind the counter or that someone hurrying by or driving along the road beside you may have a lot more stress than we realize. Speaking of driving - drive defensively - protecting yourself and others on the roads.

Happy Holidays everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a new
Nov 18, 2007 | 2:10 PM PST
Tags: kitty , fall

Grand Kitty. Her name is Olivia. My son found a small cat outside his Sprint store. Her name is now Olivia and she is 8 months old according to the vet. We think she hitched a secret ride from somewhere and wandered over to the store. She was in excellent health and clean as a whistle. Solid white head to tip of her tail. And do check out those beautiful eyes. Even the vet commented on the colors. She is a honey and purrs all the time. They all are enjoying their addition to the family. Olivia will go to the front door when she hears Brents car come home and run to the door and wait for him to come in.

Now this might not sound like much of a story - however - here is the first part of the story. My DIL has had pets all her life and my grandchildren having lived with her family in the grandmothers home have always had cats in their lives. After they moved into their own home my son, who never had pets and didn't like living with the pets in his MIL's home has said NO to every plea for a cat/dog. Now who is it that called his wife and said to her, come see this cat??  A man that has 4/5 employees in his store, one of which would have taken the cat home, called his wife instead. Strange that he didn't just let someone else take ms kitty for their own. We try not to tease him about it. But he likes the cat and the cat likes him. Nuff' said on that.

Finally the freeze has killed back the rest of the tender plants. Looks like I will be out cutting everything back tomorrow. If all goes well, I am going to finish a piece of lattice that I want to put at a section of fence. Tired of waiting for my friend to come do this one project.

It is time for Turkey!!  Not my favorite food but I love everything that goes with it. We have been invited to a neighbors home this year. I seldom cook on T-day as our kids are scattered and she knows this. So I am looking forward to seeing how her family celebrates. And looking forward to some good eats.  Then my DIL's sister always has T-day dinner at her house so we may have to go there for a visit. (note to self do not eat again!)

Posted pix of the new grand kitty and will go now and post some fall pictures I took walking home from my sons house this afternoon. Doubt I will get more than that done tonight. There is another world outside of GG???

More to Come Later

 

 

Dickens and other stuff
Nov 12, 2007 | 5:09 PM PST
Tags: Dickens , Photos

The trip with my DIL and friends was wonderful. Just what I needed. We laughed and shopped and tasted and ended the day long trip with supper at Fatz Cafe.

I have just downloaded some pictures and now realize I need to take more tomorrow as some of the areas to be redone are finished and I haven't taken the after photos. So check back later.

My Angel Trumpets will get their last picture taken tomorrow with their sad top leaves and heavy buds and blooms. The Tibouchina is still putting out purple flowers but the backyard mums are going down and will need to be cut back in the next few days. The bank area that was so beat down by the heat and no rain is actually perking up some now. The Verbena is looking good. This is an area that will have to be redone and replanted next spring. Don't know if the Verbena will come back but the wild burmuda grass has taken over in a few spots. Will dig it out and put down black plastic garden bed covering. I think I will try some of my daylilies and lirope on the bank along with some annual trailing petunias and sweet potato plants next year. Soaphouse had such good luck with her sweet potato plants this past year. Isn't her front looking good in this late fall/early winter weather?

Will post pictures of the plants inside the house soon. My husband says it looks like I dug  up  every garden  and brought them indoors. Can't believe it but I have Tibouchina blooming in the sunroom. Some of the cuttings are from members of GG, so I will try to get pictures of those cuttings and label them.

One of the things I like is the purple shamrock a friend gave me. He considers it a pest and I may too next year, but the color is wonderful. I brought some inside and left other of the bulbs in a pot outdoors. And the Firespike from one of you is beginning to get leaves. It looks to be rooting much like the Angel Trumpet. Speaking of which, some of those cuttings may need to have bigger pots as they are really growing.

Think I will start a photo album of our Master Gardener greenhouse. You might be interested to see how things grow during the year. It just takes so long to upload the photos. Maybe that is good as I might have thousands downloaded by now.  Also want to revisit my friends Larry and Ruth Ann to see their greenhouse in another month or so. I really love a greenhouse. It just lifts your spirits and frankly gives me a thrill.  One thing taking the Master Gardener course did for me was to take this small window of interest in gardening, throw it wide open, then magnify it  and multiply it 10 fold.  It was like an awakening within that said this is what I love, this is where I want to be, this is what I want to do for as long as I physically can.  And then you wonder why didn't I know this 20 years ago?

More to Come Later

 

 

 

 

 

 

A son and his mom
Nov 10, 2007 | 5:19 PM PST

The youngest child came today and moved my cold frame for me. Then emptied the mulch out of the truck. Of course he had an ulterior motive for that job. He needed to borrow it and it was full of mulch of course. At least I don't have to empty it.  Turned out the battery was almost dead, so now I owe him money for the battery and an alternator. Both were old and it needed doing. The windshield wipers don't work so hot either for that matter. Seems the truck is the stepchild of the motor pool for our household.

I did haul a couple of wheelbarrows before he came. Have been a bit under the weather and hadn't really been outside to walk around much. Almost didn't recognize a couple of areas I had cleaned out last week. Looks really good.

The sun was bright today but RonsGarden sent some cold air down from Canada  to us and it was blowing around a wee bit. You can have it back now Ron. Found Rons town on a map, looks like he could go to Detroit or Buffalo quite easily. 

The yellow mums at the front porch are blazing right now. I am so glad I planted them there. I don't do mums much and those were on sale the year I made the purchase. Turned out to be a great buy. My angel trumpets are feeling the cool on their leaves and a few plants have wilty looking places in the tops. Won't be long and they will have to come down. Of course they still have a few blooms. Crazy plant.  Have dug the Cats Whiskers down for the winter and put some mulch around and on top of it. Will be interesting to see if it makes it.

Inside plants are OK for now. There are always some that don't make it. So far the Tropical Hibiscus look pretty good. Will have to remember to ask Mr Ron if I should fertilize them this winter.

Calling it an early night tonight. Going to the Dickens Craft Show with the DIL tomorrow for the whole day. She saves up her monies and does a lot of shopping. We will also hit the COSTCO store. It is like a Sam's Club. When you go to the craft show they give you a coupon good for just that one day. She and her sister always take advantage of it to get some good buys. 

More to Come Later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

getting cooler
Nov 4, 2007 | 3:50 PM PST

Brought all the plants inside today for the winter. It looks like we might get into the low 30's this week. Guess the season has actually changed. The dogwoods here are in their fall color mode and look really nice today.

Have healed in the bug ridden Cats Whiskers plant in a corner that will give protection. There is an electrical outlet in the little pump house and it might be possible to hang a light over the plant should it get really cold this year. Will try to remember that. It is an annual here but there have been exceptions. Sure wish this could be one of them.

This year there will be Christmas lights in the garden. Thought about this last year and did not do it. This time I will. I love sparkle in the night. Brightens my heart to see a little merriment outside. My neighbor has lights on her deck all year for the evenings and it is a pleasant sight.

Still have some begonias that I am going to put in the ground tomorrow if possible. Then it will be time to haul the rest of the last load of compost into various spots in the yard and gardens. After that I will do some heavier cleaning in the big flower garden that never got finished. I figure I can dig grass and cut out small saplings anytime. Then come springtime I can really enjoy taking care of the gardens.  Still have some Iris to move and am hoping they will do alright.

This weekend there was clothes shopping to do. Don't know about your areas but there have been good sales all over town. We have a new Kohl's department store that carries some things I like and then there is a Goody's that also had a good sale. Don't know if I have ever mentioned this, but I lost 30 pounds last year, got rid of all my too big clothes and had some skirts and slacks altered in the spring. However, now that it is cooler and I traded out my seasonal clothing, there were some pretty big holes in the wardrobe. Now it has been replenished with most of what I will need, except for those things you just think you have to have. A new top or sweater, pair of pants etc. Clothes shopping is not something I get much pleasure from and I am glad it is over. Just don't let me loose in Lowe's type stores or garden centers.

Time has changed and it is so dark out at 5:30 in the evening. Although this am it was wonderful to wake up and realize it was about 6:30am instead of 7:30am. My biological clock seems to begin to stir when the sun comes up and during the summer I tend to oversleep what with the daylight savings time. But I love my sleep time.

Anybody watch Dancing with the Stars? I was really as shocked as the judges when the cute Spice girl got voted off. She was a real contender. Now it will be hard for me to decide who I see as a winner. Too much of a popularity contest in the end. Wish they could find another way to do the voting. I always said I should have gone into ballroom dancing as a kid. Always loved to dance, that is how I met my hubby. And we used to dance our feet off a couple of times a month. I will always miss those days. Time to break this off as your are most likely asleep anyway, that is if anyone is reading my jabber.

More to Come Later

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plants have been moved
Nov 2, 2007 | 3:57 PM PST
Tags: SELF , granny dogwood

to many places in the gardens.  I have cleaned out all the plants that have been waiting all season under the granny Dogwood tree for their own little spot of glory. Hibiscus are in several different places. Actually had to do some visualization into the future as to where and how they would grow.  Three baby Azeleas  got a place around the dogwood and the magnolia tree in the front.

Cut back the Gails Choice annual which I took cuttings of and the Purple Heart (don't cry for it as it will be back with a vengence). Moved some more Iris. Still need to move my Rebloomers to the new Iris bed where they will get better lighting during the year.

On each side of the AC/HC unit I put one white and one yellow Butterfly bush that I had started during the winter last year in the cold frame. Had a pot with snapdragons, begonias and a piece of variegated liatris so I dug a spot and put that in the ground. I am hoping the snaps will come back. They will be much happier in the ground. Have put other begonias in the ground as well. They do come back up here and they are pretty. Did take some cuttings of the dragon and angel wing. (I think I am repeating myself now). It has been a wonderfully long day.

NOTE TO SELF:  Do not make pots next year! They take up too much of my time worrying and watering over them. I like my plants in the soil.    More to Come Later