The 2019 Garden, Landscape, and Other Stuff Thread...

[22-rimfire]

I absolutely do not like climbing tall ladders outdoors. Sometimes you have to, or you pay someone. Too many people break backs and other bones falling off ladders and houses in general. If I paid someone and they were badly injured, they'd probably sue me anyway. You can't win sometimes.

I use stools a lot because they are much safer, but they only reach so high. I have ladders and stools for work stuff... I have clean ones and ones that have crap on them like paint. I only take clean ones inside people's houses.

Got a new plant that I never had before. It is called a Foxtail Fern (Esparraguera africana). Not really a fern, that's just the common name. The tag says hardy to 32 degrees (freezing). Never grew one, but they are interesting plants for sun to part shade. Bought a big one and a real small one. Have no idea how fast they grow. If I like it, I'll probably bring it indoors for the winter. We'll see. Lots of competition for indoor space during the winter.

 

[taldesta]

The garden continues to grow. Lots of small tomatoes on the plants. Seeing a few small peppers now. Thinned out my red beets the other day. I really hate to thin stuff out. I pretty much yanked as many plants as I left in the ground. But I know it's for the better if I want beets to form that are usable.

The peppers are looking a bit lanky. Don't know why exactly as they are not shaded.

Planted my Lantana yesterday (finally). They tend to be somewhat pricey in volume and this year I did a mix of 1 gallon and smaller potted sizes to reduce cost a bit. I squeezed them in around the pansies that are looking real good right now. Another month and the pansies will be showing signs of being pretty much over as things warm up.

Not seeing many hummingbirds. But I do see one or two off and on at my feeder or around the yard. The action should pick up when the young get big enough to fly around.

The hummers have made it all the way north to Canada. Wow. My sister in Nashville still hasn't seen one at her feeder.

Bought another extension ladder yesterday. I have a 28 footer that easily reaches the highest roof areas, but I just can't handle it... too heavy. I can get it "up" but taking it back down is a problem without loosing control of it. Hoping the 24 foot ladder is tall enough. It is certainly a lot lighter at about 33 pounds.

My wife absolutely does not want me getting up on the roof. I get a bit nervous up there when I am close to the edges and always concerned about slipping. Pondered this ladder business and decided for the ladder purchase over paying someone.... afterall, I can pretty much buy a new ladder with the money I would pay someone to clean out my gutters.

This upcoming long weekend is our cue to plant as the last frost is generally experienced around the 17th of May here. Frost is in forecast for tonight. The state of emergency was lifted here re: flooding yesterday.

Tomatoes! Yikes. I'll cover Daisy's ears I'm the same about thinning seedlings - but I am getting merciless.

I've posted earlier about my wanting a little pointy roofed home where I did not have to climb the tv antenna (yes, antenna) to shovel snow in winter - and here I am. Even now though I have a selection of ladders on site in case ... but mostly use a nice solid step stool and short ladder indoors.

And if I die, there will be much head scratching over the tents I could not part with, tarps and sooty camp pots. Absolutely nothing to do with work

Of course Busby went rogue on sunny May 8th (windy, cold and raining days followed) and I have been watching the feeders for her - a female came on the 11th and frequently since. The little guy has been here since the 6th. Busby would never be considered a pet and I never risked handling her at all ... so I've not stepped outside to gauge how human-friendly this little gal is to date. I am sure the door opening would shoo her away from the feeder - and I want her, or any hummingbird, to tank up especially in this cold wet weather.

Pic through window as usual with the skittish. The white bar across the tail feathers indicates a female, and I have a very blurry pic of her flying off (white chin). Could it be? I am telling myself it is.

 

[taldesta]

Had to cover my tomatoes way to much rain .

Nasty, cold, wet and windy here too ... perhaps some clearing this aft followed by frost warnings for overnight.

Nice job on the tomatoes keeping the sogging rainfall off them. Will it never end.

Sheltering what's important to me here ... the orioles, chickadees and hummingbirds seem to like the open tray, but it was catching rain and needed a cover.


And ... so much rain that I brought all four planters inside to keep them dry and began painting. One was finished hastily inside and out and three others only got a coat on the outside so far before I ran out of paint. Funny but I spent way over double the material costs just for the paint to finish all four planters - siding materials were ends. But I really like the snap the white paint brings to the garden.

 

[LEGION 12]

Nasty, cold, wet and windy here too ... perhaps some clearing this aft followed by frost warnings for overnight.

Nice job on the tomatoes keeping the sogging rainfall off them. Will it never end.

Sheltering what's important to me here ... the orioles, chickadees and hummingbirds seem to like the open tray, but it was catching rain and needed a cover.

View attachment 1128154
And ... so much rain that I brought all four planters inside to keep them dry and began painting. One was finished hastily inside and out and three others only got a coat on the outside so far before I ran out of paint. Funny but I spent way over double the material costs just for the paint to finish all four planters - siding materials were ends. But I really like the snap the white paint brings to the garden.

View attachment 1128160

Nice .

 

[taldesta]

Sorry if this is boring, but spring is so monumental following winter here.

Some sunshine is now peeking through the rain in daytime ... yet still freezing overnight.

Great, cool working weather although I see the blackflies are hovering when aggravated - but not biting - yet. My working weather gauge includes what may take blood while you are digging in the dirt

The larger plan:

Mainly I am turning a tiny front lawn and porch into an easy to water oasis of my flowering favourites for the bees and hummers. The least grass possible (knowing how much I love grass) Don't need room for a screen tent because, honestly, I never sit down ... always something to tackle.

I will work two rockeries and the veg garden in addition.

The balance of the acreage I will manage with the riding mower on the flats and the gas trimmer on the hills. Keeping it simple for now. Even at this the work may be personally manageable or not. I'l adapt if I can.

I've managed to get 25 zinnia seeds in the garden by the house plus 27 gladiola bulbs in a newly dug strip bordering the lawn on the East - protected under chicken wire from the ever hungry squirrels. Also planted one pot with 'tiger-eye' (orange) violas and another with annual sweet pea.



Then enlarged and covered ...





The flood has altered my plan for the lower field - not tackling it this spring at all. Why plant costly perennials where they will only be killed off every few years - I anticipate that floods may be more common in future. So ... my plan is to use the higher ground for the bee balm red wave and I have a great plan (I think) to light up the hill facing the road with bee balm, rather than the flats.

The10 bee balm 'Jacob Cline' plugs planted last spring have been wildly successful in producing new plants ... my kind of no-care, blast of red hummer attractant for the property. Black currents near frame and hollyhocks on far end.


Yesterday also I planted 8 corn seeds, distances and proximity as specified - news to me that they will be wind pollinated - on either side of a drainage ditch for the natural runoff water. Being creative because I am a lazy gardener. These are for fun anyway.

 

[LEGION 12]

Spring !

 

[22-rimfire]

Sorry if this is boring, but spring is so monumental following winter here.

Some sunshine is now peeking through the rain in daytime ... yet still freezing overnight.

Great, cool working weather although I see the blackflies are hovering when aggravated - but not biting - yet. My working weather gauge includes what may take blood while you are digging in the dirt

The larger plan:

Mainly I am turning a tiny front lawn and porch into an easy to water oasis of my flowering favorites for the bees and hummers. The least grass possible (knowing how much I love grass) Don't need room for a screen tent because, honestly, I never sit down ... always something to tackle.

I will work two rockeries and the veg garden in addition.

The balance of the acreage I will manage with the riding mower on the flats and the gas trimmer on the hills. Keeping it simple for now. Even at this the work may be personally manageable or not. I'l adapt if I can.

I've managed to get 25 zinnia seeds in the garden by the house plus 27 gladiola bulbs in a newly dug strip bordering the lawn on the East - protected under chicken wire from the ever hungry squirrels. Also planted one pot with 'tiger-eye' (orange) violas and another with annual sweet pea.

The flood has altered my plan for the lower field - not tackling it this spring at all. Why plant costly perennials where they will only be killed off every few years - I anticipate that floods may be more common in future. So ... my plan is to use the higher ground for the bee balm red wave and I have a great plan (I think) to light up the hill facing the road with bee balm, rather than the flats.

The10 bee balm 'Jacob Cline' plugs planted last spring have been wildly successful in producing new plants ... my kind of no-care, blast of red hummer attractant for the property. Black currents near frame and hollyhocks on far end.

Yesterday also I planted 8 corn seeds, distances and proximity as specified - news to me that they will be wind pollinated - on either side of a drainage ditch for the natural runoff water. Being creative because I am a lazy gardener. These are for fun anyway.

You have been busy! I was thinking the flood might well alter some of your plans. Can't say you're lazy at all. You have dug all of this by hand.

My lawn mower decided to act up. Stopped right in the middle of mowing. (My guess > dirty carburetor) My back yard was getting pretty tall (grass) by today. Neighbor was having her yard mowed and I asked if they would hit my back yard which is the part I didn't mow earlier this week. Hopefully my mower will be back in running order for another couple of years in the next few days. I'm no small engine repair guy. I do things and I have no idea if my efforts work until I put it back together. So I'm paying someone who hopefully knows what they're doing. Considered renting a mower for a few hours.... cost was almost as much as having someone do it for me. Think I will start to pay more attention to my mower in the future.

The lawn grass is growing really well so far this spring. It will start to slow down come July and August which tend to be hotter and dryer.

I planted 6 full sized Zinnias the other day (full sized = the tall ones). Need to get some fungicide rather than just letting them go like I usually do. They will peter out in a month if I am not proactive on this. Alternaria seems to be the mold that gets them.

The new ladder worked perfectly allowing me to clean my second story gutters for the first time in a couple years. It is just about a foot short on one part of my front yard. Think I'm going to make a portable elevated platform (like a foot tall to rest the ladder base on) out of scrap lumber for the one portion that it doesn't quite reach. It has to be stable.

 

[22-rimfire]

Spring !

The Japanese Maple seems to be doing well. My new one is doing okay too. Think you need to attack the dandelions. My Dad used to make a salad out of them when I was a kid. But all in due time. I tend to hit them when I see them and usually just dig them. Pre-emergent applications help with this. My nemesis are the violets that are next to impossible to kill with herbicides.

Neighbors comment that my lawn looks pretty good. I just tell them to not look too closely.

Hit Cades Cove (Smoky Mt NP) last week for black bears. Saw 17 bears including one mother bear with three tiny cubs (about a foot long each). Didn't get any particularly great pictures. I hope to make another run this week to see if I perhaps can do better if I see bears. The mother bear with cubs was inside the woods a bit.... saw a couple people standing along the road and asked if there were "bears". They responded about the mother bear. They decided to lead me into the woods to show me.... not a good idea. I was depending on them to know what the hell they were doing in terms of where they were. I quietly wander into the woods watching ahead of me where they were pointing. Then I see a dark form out of the corner of my eye to my left about 15-20 feet away from me.... groan.... so much for depending on other people. The folks leading me in had already walked right by them. Nothing happened, but I was certainly a bit too close to them at first until I backed off a bit.

 

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

I used to work in Katmai National Park at a bear watching lodge. Have some great bear stories but the photographers were even funnier.
Your encounter sounds a bit hair raising.
On a garden topic, my high bush cranberries are about to start blooming.

 

[22-rimfire]

Are the cranberries something you planted or were just there?

 

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

They are wild. I'm on a short lunch break but can list the stuff we've planted when I get off.

 

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

white black and red currants, raspberries, blueberries, nankeen cherries, rhubarb, gooseberries, strawberries, thyme, oregano, pansies, rosa rugosa, lilac. We also have wild serviceberries, bunchberries, blueberries, high bush cranberries and watermelon berries.

 

[LEGION 12]

Shallots are sprouting

 

[22-rimfire]

Shallots are sprouting.

Yahoo! I love to watch stuff grow and often don't care if I eat it or not. My onions are marching along. Never really considered using a container, but I think it would work well.... sort of a square foot approach.

I just planted a container grown sunflower (ornamental kind) which I hope brightens up my one bed that will have lots of pink and white in it a bit later.

 

[taldesta]

My lawn mower decided to act up. Stopped right in the middle of mowing. (My guess > dirty carburetor) My back yard was getting pretty tall (grass) by today. Neighbor was having her yard mowed and I asked if they would hit my back yard which is the part I didn't mow earlier this week. Hopefully my mower will be back in running order for another couple of years in the next few days. I'm no small engine repair guy. I do things and I have no idea if my efforts work until I put it back together. So I'm paying someone who hopefully knows what they're doing. Considered renting a mower for a few hours.... cost was almost as much as having someone do it for me. Think I will start to pay more attention to my mower in the future.

Dandelions - don't get me started. My grandfather used to tell me he would make dandelion wine if I picked enough of them. Yeah, right

The mower battery is kept inside and trickle charged occasionally over winter ... and so the mower is operational (probably needs to have the blades sharpened) - haven't started the new trimmer yet but I did fill one gas can with its 'preferred' octane to prepare. Hearing protection! not looking forward to it but want to manage the hills, ditches and laneway if I can (and that's up for debate).

The main plant I have trouble with mold - it's squash. The huge leaves and fruit, just made me look like one heck of a good gardener ... until the powdery mildew set in, and it always did. I just quit growing it. Don't know of zinnias here having this issue - quite differing heat and humidity levels.

Bears! That many in one location is just amazing. Agreed on your 'guides' knowledge. Yikes.

 

[taldesta]

Spring !

That Japanese Maple is a thriving beauty!

Here in the garden along the front of the house the liatris, crocosmia and gaillardia are sprouting nicely. Thought I spotted liatris in one of your posts from last summer.

 

[taldesta]

Yesterday was the coldest most miserable and windy day that could be wished upon our long weekend. Yet, good working weather. I must be getting good at this sod busting thing because I managed, rather than freeze, to double the size of the raised sod veg garden. Two Early Girl and four Sweet Million tomato plants are in this garden - plus three on the porch in containers (two Early Girl and one Red Cherry).

 

[LEGION 12]

I have no dandelions in the front yard but can't do anything about them in the back , Vlad eats the grass and rolls around in it .

 

[taldesta]

I have no dandelions in the front yard but can't do anything about them in the back , Vlad eats the grass and rolls around in it .

I understand. Dez loves to roll in wild turkey poop. Dandelions - almost perfume of the gods (and not crispy dried on fur) in comparison

 

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

My wife (Rose) sometimes batters the dandelions and fries them up.