Spring on the Way

Okay, so I am way behind. Here is a series of pix over the last couple of weeks leading into Spring! First, the March 5 set including my first crocus, rhubarb just pushing through the ground (rhubarb pie, on the way, yea!), and hyacinths peeking out.
















Just two weeks later, color is bursting all over. Daffodils and crocuses everywhere. I know this crocus picture does not look real, but I promise it is. Just the perfect light, I guess. Hyacinths are on their way. The rhubarb is growing fast. The bleeding hearts are back (now that I know what the sprouts look like and when they appear--they always look like they are gone forever by late summer). And the peonies are coming into view, too.








I actually got out and worked in the yard today. Great sunny and cool day for it. I planted five forsythia that had been hanging out in pots last year and spent the winter up against the house. They are starting to bloom and the ground isn't frozen, so in they went. Still hoping to block out the neighbors' big, ugly propane tank sometime soon. (Now they have two for some reason--I'm hoping the old one will be taken away before long. They also got a new dog. She is actually nice, and likes to keep me company while I am outside, unlike psycho mutt out back, who just races around barking that horrible, high-pitched yap so common in small, highstrung dogs.)

What's New

Happy Presidents Day! Work is closed today, and I'm still sick with the worst cold I've had in a few years. Ugh. It's just not fair. It's a little too cold to be enjoying the outdoors anyway. So, I've been goofing off indoors (in-between naps and sneezes). Oh, and I did my taxes. What a pain. But, I want to get them sent in for my refunds before the government runs totally out of usable cash. But for fun, I've added a few items to the blog: A calendar (from localendar.com) where I can post updates on the Buddy Walk and other things as they come up, Google for Gardeners search box, and National Geographic photo-of-the-day. Enjoy :)

Winter Wonderland

Trite, I know, but I've been a wee bit out of practice lately, so please cut me some slack :) Blame it on the weather, Christmas, an injured rotator cuff, or just a simple lack of inspiration.

Today, I am snowed in. Actually, they just lifted the snow emergency prohibition on driving, so I could leave, if I could get out of my driveway. Hopefully the guys will be here to plow soon, so I can get to work tomorrow.

Did I mention the whole winter wonderland thing? I do love snow, and we don't see that much of it here, so today is fun. It was the early layer of ice followed by five inches of snow that closed the roads. While the ice is certainly beautiful, I don't want anything to do with driving in it. But, it does give a good excuse for some picture-taking.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take the bird feeders in last night, so they are now frozen with a half-inch of ice to the pole, not to mention that the openings are frozen over so the poor birdies can't get to the seeds. They have adapted pretty quickly to trays of seed on or near the ground and an extra feeder leaning on a frozen one, though.




I would add to the winter cliches with a comment about the quiet, except that psycho mutt, my rear neighbor's obnoxious little dog, was out and about to bark at me the ENTIRE TIME I was outside. As usual. I guess the owners don't want to listen to her either.

The rain chain has turned into a cool rock-candy looking thing. I hope these pictures do it justice. Like I said, beautiful, so long as you don't have to hit the road. Like the poor police officer who got his patrol car stuck in my neighbor's driveway. (That was just as the Level 3 emergency was being declared.) It only took four shovel-wielding men and a city snow plow to get the car out. I would have gotten a picture of that, but I didn't think they would appreciate it!

Crumbling Creek

Something, maybe this smaller outlet on the far side, is causing my creek walls to cave in. Argh. The neighbor put his section of creek in this pipe a few years ago. No permit or review required.

Not only is the pipe smaller, it bends off to the south.

November Fall Color

Finally a bit more fall color. Of course, today all of these leaves are on the ground!

Happy Halloween

Chance of snow tonight. Of course, it probably won't stick to anything, including the petunias and cosmos that are still blooming. But at least it will give everyone a chance to find the winter coats before the real season change sets in! What I could really use is enough rain to soften the ground and allow me to dig some holes for all my baby trees...


Meanwhile, here are my outdoor Halloween decorations--just for fun.

By the way, I highly recommend Extreme Pumpkins and Extreme Pumpkins II by Tom Nardone for your jack-o-lantern inspiration. A cut above your average Halloween porch light. (Pun intended!) What a hoot!

Happy Halloween and happy haunting!

October Fall Color

Fall color continues to be a bit strange this year. The windstorm and drought seem to have confused the normal tree color change. Brown leaves are all over the spotty grass. Some of the flowers are behind. Here are some more sunflowers opening up. And, the hydrangea is not ready to quit yet.





But, the shrubbery is putting on a better fall color show--like this crape myrtle. And, the holly is loaded with beautiful red berries.

Fall Sunflower

My straggling sunflowers are now starting to bloom (among the halloween decorations)!

Oddly, below the sunflowers is the best basil this year, too. I guess it appreciated the mottled shade provided by the taller plants.

Fall Flowers and Stuff

Okay, I've been a bit out of touch lately. First there was the Buddy Walk, then the big wind storm and 5 days without any power (or air conditioning or cold beer or google) while on jury duty. Then, of course, it was time to put up the Halloween decorations. (More on that later.) Whee.

So, I'm back at it to share my wacky, unpredictable garden. Check it out. This picture was taken September 30 in Zone 6. Yup, Easter lily. Go figure. And a sunflower. Really.


















Back to the wind storm. In conjunction with the drought we are experiencing, the storm seems to have thrown us into a rapid, albeit relatively colorless, fall season. Just when we've gotten the downed limbs and twigs cleared, the leaves are falling by the treeful. Here's my brush pile lining the front of my yard. The city came by and ground them up Saturday--just 20 days after the storm. Not too bad considering some people didn't have power for 9 or more days. I was happy to hear the grinder at 8 a.m. Saturday, even though I am so not a morning person! If I'd been dressed, I might even have gone out to hug the workers...

Bees!

Before I was distracted by the nightmare-inducing evil bagworms on Tuesday, I was calmly waiting for this friendly bee to settle and pose for me ;)


And snapping shots of these pretty wildflowers.

Eeeeeeeew Yuck!

Bag worms! Creepy little alien-looking icky, icky bugs. I hope I got them all.


Look at the evil little critters poking their heads out and chewing on my cotoneaster. Ick, ick, ick.


Given the option of squishing or burning, I chose FIRE!
Die, bag worms, die!



For more on bag worms, click here.

Seasons Change

The wildflowers are in full bloom, but the asters are just getting started. (See all the buds?) Soon enough fall will be here and the asters will be the focal point, along with the fountain grass plumes that will last through the winter.















Meanwhile, the morning glories are taking over the shed.

Buddy Walk 2008

This year marks the 7th Annual Buddy Walk for Greater Cincinnati. If you are looking for a great cause to support and a really fun walk to participate in, this is definitely it! Check out my Team Duncan page and join us, donate, or form your own fundraising team.

The Buddy Walk benefits the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and all the local individuals with Down Syndrome (as well as their families and the whole community). It is a truly heartwarming event--corny as that sounds, I think there is a picture of the Buddy Walk next to the word heartwarming in the dictionary. The event is totally centered on the kids with Down Syndrome, and their joy shines through and spreads to everyone who walks.

Come on out and Buddy Walk on the Purple People Bridge this year!

The $64 Tomato

Indeed! I have just finished reading this most entertaining book by William Alexander. After pouring his blood, sweat, tears, and heart into his garden, his family thinks he's crazy (though they appreciate the fresh produce and his gourmet cooking!), and he eventually is prompted to figure out how much those tasty heirloom tomatoes really cost. Of course, like the MasterCard ads remind us, they are actually "priceless." I mean really, who can put a price on a hobby that brings such joy and connection to the earth? :)

For anyone who enjoys gardening, I highly recommend this book. You'll chuckle in recognition of all of the Alexander family's trials and successes.

Mystery of the Week

Okay, here's another one I just don't know. Pretty, though, eh?




Of course, I do know this evil weed, so I am keeping my distance. It is too mixed in among the irises and whatever that orange flower is for me to spray it, and too tangled with the wild grapevines for me to pull out the grapevines that are taking over the creek. Argh. I'll have to get somebody else to deal with the whole mess come fall.

Latest on the Deer

I've now moved the feeders over a bit and set up a little fence and wire to discourage my deer visitor. The recommendation was to set up a wire about 3 feet off the ground. (An old strand of Christmas lights--free wire!) With the empty area directly below the feeder, I'm hoping it won't traumatize the mowers any more than necessary. And with any luck, the sprouting seed will be kept to a minimum. I did see the deer next door after setting this up, but I haven't seen her come up to the feeder, so it remains to be tested.


Of course, I'm not sure that the neighbor's cat isn't now scaring the birds away. He likes to nestle there in the mulch or under the honeysuckle that shades the raised bird bath. He was having a serious tussle with a squirrel when I left yesterday. He's still here. I'm not sure about the squirrel.

On a positive note, my pseudo Queen Anne's Lace is finally recognizable. If you follow the link you can read more about why it is "pseudo." Something about the real thing being invasive!

The Mission continues...

Okay, so the latest smelly deer repellent is keeping away the birds, too. Who says birds have no sense of smell? Even if that myth weren't being proved wrong by various scientists like those at Cornell's ornithology department, it seems pretty clear here. They refused to come near my feeders when I hung Irish Spring soap on the pole, ditto for the fancy who-knows-what deer (and moose! and elk!) repellent. They don't seem to mind the Deer Scram, but that is sprinkled on the ground. While it is keeping the deer out of most of my plants, it is not keeping her away from the bird feeders hanging from the shepherd's hooks. The guy at Wild Birds Unlimited suggested 3' high trip wires--I'm sure that would work, but I'm equally sure that the guys who cut the grass would not be amused. Argh.

At least I don't have bears getting into the feeder--somebody sent me these pix in an email yet to be debunked by Snopes, although quite the center of debate if you do a search (but with that heavy rope, the squirrels would certainly be getting whatever the bear might leave behind).

I'm annoyed enough by the deer. No matter how pretty she is!

Birds

When the deer isn't slurping all the seed out of my feeders (see June 11), the birds pile on. The ones that won't fit on the feeders wait in the weeping willow.

The deer scram isn't working to keep the deer out of the bird feeders. Fencing would make it tough for the birds. Maybe a taller pole... I'm on a mission now, a la Bill Murray, a mission to keep the deer out...


Check out this video. It's not my yard, but it's the same action.

Deer eating bird seed from a feeder @ Yahoo! Video