Bee Houses- I‘ve got 2 up and have evidence of bee activity.
A bit late, but Erika Thompson will be so pleased.
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Garden, Yard Talk
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A bit late, but Erika Thompson will be so pleased.
a conundrum yet to be solved I guess??, Why have you posted here???I come from a long line of gardeners, but I think the gardening gene skipped me. I absolutely hate gardening, and working in the yard. My family loves to putter about in the garden, yet its beyond a chore for me. While I love being out doors, and in nature, growing a garden, tending to a flower bed, planting seeds and manicuring a lawn is something I hate
I’ve got 2 small bags of wildflowers (1oz each, one perennials, one annuals) to refresh our wildflower strip that was taken over by Cosmos. Cosmos is not a bad plant, it thrives in heat and drough, profusely blooms, but growing to 7-8’ and then needing to be staked to keep it upright is not conducive to what we want. And it puts out a huge number of seeds. This year most of them will be pulled up, so I want to give something else (shorter) a chance. This strip is only about 3’ wide, so 4’ max would be a better height.
It can be a Zen sort of thing, interacting with the natural environment, bending it into something that pleases you more than just a dirt lot, or a plain yard. Yes there is a time and effort price to pay, but you only have to pay it, if it pleases you.
I come from a long line of gardeners, but I think the gardening gene skipped me. I absolutely hate gardening, and working in the yard. My family loves to putter about in the garden, yet its beyond a chore for me. While I love being out doors, and in nature, growing a garden, tending to a flower bed, planting seeds and manicuring a lawn is something I hate
It can be a Zen sort of thing, interacting with the natural environment, bending it into something that pleases you more than just a dirt lot, or a plain yard. Yes there is a time and effort price to pay, but you only have to pay it, if it pleases you.
Definitely, and I really tried to like it. My mother loves going out there and puttering.
I love being out in the garden doing something. I hate the winter months when there isn't much (or anything) to be done.
For me it's an escape from screen time which I have far too much of in my life. Plus its something Mrs AFB and I do together.
I walked around our church building after services today to see how everything faired the cold snaps and see how much pruning I needed to get done this spring. The roses were in surprisingly good shape, especially compared to ours at home that took it on the chin. I briefly considered doing more outdoor work today until I realized it's still February...and our Frost Date is May 15.
Ref: Wild flower strip by driveway: I threw down 2 ounces of seed and got an explosion of growth. There is one established plant that seeded the edge of the neighbors lawn, so I went over and weeded, got about 20 plants and was delighted when the roots came up with the plants. So they all got planted in the wild flower bed.
I have masses of Cosmos, i assume Sulfur Cosmos coming up and it is hard to tell if it is because the mixture of annuals I planted was heavy with Cosmos or because last years Cosmos crop dropped masses of seeds. The Wife and I have decided we are taking a break from 9’ tall Cosmos so they are all going to be pulled up, or maybe leave a couple. Last year, most were susceptible to winds and rain and being blown over, plus a 3’ wide strip of dirt is just too narrow in my opinion to handle them and look good. We are shooting for 3-4’ tall or smaller plants.Ref: Wild flower strip by driveway: I threw down 2 ounces of seed and got an explosion of growth. There is one established plant that seeded the edge of the neighbors lawn, so I went over and weeded, got about 20 plants and was delighted when the roots came up with the plants. So they all got planted in the wild flower bed.
View attachment 679
View attachment 2167832 new growth
View attachment 680
Unidentified plant I should know the name… View attachment 2167831
I went out back to work in the yard and this Chickadee ((I think, small black and white bird) was flitting around under our gazebo apparantly in distress and every so often I would hear this best described as a screech, but could not identify where exactly. I thought it was on the roof , and along this particular wall we have 3 potted snake plants. I looked into a thick growth of snake plant spears/leaves, saw nothing, then I rotated the pot and there was a juvenile bird maybe 2” long which had gotten itself wedge between 2 of these leaves. It was stuck. So I pried it loose, grabbed it and took it to the back side of the yard and set it on a ledge. It seemed tired, or maybe what do I do now and it sat there. Before long the mother found it and they flew away.
Besides that having fun straightening out, cleaning up the back yard, a huge crop of energetic weeds striving to inundate everything withe their presence, Need to do this before the baking days start.
Mr Lincoln
Honey Suckle, Mandavia, Yellow shrub rose
Wife likes roses because they love the heat.
Besides that having fun straightening out, cleaning up the back yard, a huge crop of energetic weeds striving to inundate everything withe their presence, Need to do this before the baking days start.
Honey Suckle, Mandavia, Yellow shrub rose
Wife likes roses because they love the heat.
I recently discovered that your iPhone has the built in ability to identify plants. It does not appear that my iPad shares this ability. From your photo album, select a picture of your plant, touch the ”i“ icon at the bottom of the page, select the leaf icon-“look up plant”, and voila an identification with images of possible matches will appear.
That’s bizarre. I accidentally discovered the same thing yesterday. Clever isn’t it.I recently discovered that your iPhone has the built in ability to identify plants. It does not appear that my iPad shares this ability. From your photo album, select a picture of your plant, touch the ”i“ icon at the bottom of the page, select the leaf icon-“look up plant”, and voila an identification with images of possible matches will appear.
As I was off yesterday I did some more tree root removal for Mrs AFB, weeding and dug out some huge patches of daisies from one of the lawns. Filled them back in and seeded them.
My mower also finally got collected, so hopefully it doesn’t take Bosch too long to fix it and get back to me.
My mower also finally got collected, so hopefully it doesn’t take Bosch too long to fix it and get back to me.
28 May 23- Nature Tamed, no this is not natural, but we like it. Temp mid 80s.
Cosmos, Yarrow, Zenias, Vinca
Rose, Yarrow, Lantana,
Honeysuckle
Plumara (just sprouting), Rose, Vinca, Lantana, Honeysuckle.
Rose, Yarrow, Lantana,
Honeysuckle
Plumara (just sprouting), Rose, Vinca, Lantana, Honeysuckle.
Over the weekend, pulling some Saint Augustine trying to grow out across my driveway, in the hot of the morning, before the baking period of the day, I disturbed some fire ants, took it nonchalantly and ended up with about 10-15 bites, wearing flip flops too, no socks. I vanquished all the attackers. I don’t normally do yard work in my flip flops. This was by the driveway on my way to the car. Went back to the garage to fetch some fire ant killer and sprinkled that around the site.
Fire ant bites are individually feel little bitty burning sensation, not so bad, but a couple of days later in the middle of the night, the itching woke me up and of course that had to be scratched vigorously and you feet are not the most convenient location. I’ve always said that pain is better than itch. Two days of on and off itching is worse than the original bites!
Fire ant bites are individually feel little bitty burning sensation, not so bad, but a couple of days later in the middle of the night, the itching woke me up and of course that had to be scratched vigorously and you feet are not the most convenient location.
I’ve always said that pain is better than itch. Two days of on and off itching is worse than the original bites!
Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed in 2022, wrote in The Art of Living:
"We should not be afraid of suffering. We should be afraid of only one thing, and that is not knowing how to deal with our suffering."
I am currently amused that one of the definitive examples of 'scratch' is "To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game." (billiards, dated, US); which--at its root--is derived from the base etymoligical Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yos (“leaf”), from *bʰleh₃- (“blossom, flower”)
I've been party to re-updating the landscape of PDC (ATL) these past two weeks, and--through fortunate chance, no indigenous fuego de ormigas have reared their beautiful heads--it has been a labour of love.
Reasoning the proverb 'the cobbler's children are the worst shod', I find myself empty of surprise that my own gardens are unkempt.
"We should not be afraid of suffering. We should be afraid of only one thing, and that is not knowing how to deal with our suffering."
I am currently amused that one of the definitive examples of 'scratch' is "To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game." (billiards, dated, US); which--at its root--is derived from the base etymoligical Proto-Indo-European *bʰolh₃yos (“leaf”), from *bʰleh₃- (“blossom, flower”)
I've been party to re-updating the landscape of PDC (ATL) these past two weeks, and--through fortunate chance, no indigenous fuego de ormigas have reared their beautiful heads--it has been a labour of love.
Reasoning the proverb 'the cobbler's children are the worst shod', I find myself empty of surprise that my own gardens are unkempt.
Hostas can hack the sun, but are happier in the shade
100sF in Houston, in shade, No Problem! (when I’m not being eaten by so e mys wet bug). 🤔
100sF in Houston, in shade, No Problem! (when I’m not being eaten by so e mys wet bug). 🤔
I‘m watching Gardener’s World. (BBC) and they featured a garden based food coop and I had a vision of Station 11 a simpler time in my imagination when people worked together in small groups for the common good. It was appealing and strange that it would take a post armageddon scenario or colonizing another planet, to possibly see that on a broad scale, but the planet scenario would likely be high tech, but who knows? 🤔
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My mother has been growing basically the same Hostas for years and years. She just splits it and gives it away. I don't remember a time when my grandmother and then my mother didn't have these in our gardens
One of the big things here that came about in the Dig for Victory campaigns of the 1940s are allotments. A decent sized council owned patch of ground (mainly in the suburbs and these days somewhat in cities) was turned over to a patchwork of vegetable gardens and people rented them - often for long periods measured in years. When I was growing up they were the preserve of middle aged and older men who grew their vegatables but nearly always had a shed on each patch where they could relax (with a tipple with the cricket on the radio etc). In true English style there's nearly always some sort of committee that sets rules (lots) and organises anything communal and referees the inevitable disputes about weeds, is that really a shed etc and the occasional vegetable sabotage.
With ever smaller gardens, less available land and the trendy popularity of foraging and self sufficiency TV etc they're now incredibly popular and getting an allotment is like winning the lottery, in most cases you seem to have to wait for someone to die and perhaps know someone connected...
I also think you should seek out the Radio Programme here (is BBC sounds available in the US?) called Gardeners Question Time. It's the one radio programme (apart from the cricket) that everyone on an allotment used to have a battery operated tranny radio in their shed for...
I’ve seen references to allotments on UK Garden shows, a great idea. As I recall something like that could be found in Minnesota, but my impression it is private land being rented out at a low cost. I also think some US cities offer plots for gardening.
PS- I rank the Station 11 TV series as one of the best post-apocalyptic stories I’ve ever watched because it felt like a positive potential for humanity despite the setback and challenges. However in that stroy the environment was still a friendly place to exist in. 🤔
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This summer has been miserable and the hottest in the 10 years we have lived in Houston. I’ve learned that some plants, specifically succulents, you know “the tough plants” in heat, not all of them can handle the combination of heat and sun. Several potted plants I’ve brought in. We had a very lovely donkey tail (succulent) devastated, last year it sailed through the summer, some small chicks (succulents) burned up. Is it ironic if I call these dark times?
I’ve learned that some plants, specifically succulents, you know “the tough plants” in heat, not all of them can handle the combination of heat and sun. Several potted plants I’ve brought in. We had a very lovely donkey tail (succulent) devastated, last year it sailed through the summer, some small chicks (succulents) burned up. Is it ironic if I call these dark times?
Anyone have an idea what this cactus might be? It was included in a plant order, no labels as a freebee. It started about 4” tall, it’s got white hairs and no spikes. I put it in a little pot and it has grown to almost 24” high. I’ve researched, but the only thing I’ve found with white hairs is an “old man” cactus, but it is barrels shape, while this flat, oval shaped.
March 2024 East Central Texas before the oven months. This has been a surprisingly cool Spring.
