Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners #9

Kay, Vaccinium 'Sunshine Blue' is only 3-4 feet and is a self-pollinator with a low chill requirement. If you REALLY want to tweak him about not checking size, you could get Vaccinium 'Pink Lemonade'. It is a "blueberry" shrub that has PINK berries. 4-5 feet and another low chill requirement. :-)

The verdict is in. Debra is found guilty of being part of the Pink Conspiracy. :-) (Jim)

I am innocent of the charges, I tell you, innocent! I am only a conduit of information. If it should HAPPEN to happen that the information provided should involve pink in any form, it is mere coincidence! LOL

I vouch for Debra's innocence!

Nadine, these are for you.

Today, received 10 Moonshine Canna bulbs; and one each of Bee Happy, Cherubino, and Bumble Rumble Dahlia bulbs. Think I can get one of the work kids over tomorrow afternoon. Going to dig out the area between the foreground rose and the potted Dianthus. Put the Dahlias there. These three are short and have about 15 more taller ones coming from a co-op. We'll finish making the arc to the sidewalk and bring over one or two more of the neighbor's roses. If there is any energy left after THAT, will start digging out the sod between the baseball-park bed and the arc. Lay mulch instead. The Cannas will go on the west side of the house in with the Iris. Have 10 dwarf white Halley Gladiolas coming. If I get lucky, that whole area will be a nice long line of creamy white, soft yellow, and leaf green. Fingers crossed because I think the mix will make a beautiful photograph that might look okee in Nadine's retreat.

Busy day, but if we get it knocked out tomorrow, I can celebrate a Sofa Spud Sunday in pajamas. Really try out the Apple TV the boss gave me and eat nachos. :-)

AND, now I KNOW it's Spring around here. First mosquito bites of the season. LOL

Can you leave dahlias in the ground year-round, Debra?

If we have a normal Winter, yes. After this last one? No. I don't expect to see any of the few I had in-ground come back up. But they are pretty, anyway. LOL

Oooooo, double poppy? Have garden lounge chair. Will travel. Can I have some of those nachos?
It was a lazy day. Kay missed church so many times because she was wiped out by work; PJ said no more hard work on Fridays or Saturdays. It gives us a chance to recover from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
All I did in the garden today was paint a knobby tire slate blue and pink. :-) It is now a planter in the Cando Container Garden. With all the dreamy, soft colors, it is beginning to make me think “tire heaven” and I am the garden's paint smudged guardian angel. The new planter is filled with soil and ready for planting, but I haven’t decided with what. I was thinking of more irises that needed rescue when I created it. But, now I’m thinking something billowy.
Carrie, MK says she is sending me to the nursery next time. Husbands just can’t be trusted.
I sort of like the ‘Pink Lemonade’ blueberry idea. ~Nadine~

Nadine, it is a "Scent First Passion Dianthus." A tall garden pink or a baby Carnation, whichever one you like best. I'll share my nachos with you anytime. :-) Do you like jalapenos? Kraft now has a cheese pack with Monterey Jack, Colby and Cream Cheese shreds. Works really well on toasted nachos. Last night's dinner was that with chopped tomatoes and jalapenos on it, then salsa and a little sour cream after it comes out of the toaster oven.

Jim, I'm going to get the most garish orange something I can find and send it to you.

Joanne, have you ever tried the general tool belts from the hardware store? If so, do they work okay for you? My yard is really small and my tools are just gathered on the porch while I work, but once I start working on the back, I'll need something to carry them with me.

Kay, I will *secretly* send you a Zepherine Drouhin. Shhhhh, don't tell Jim...

Thanks for the hint, Vickie. I identified the little blue spring flower that grew from the tiny bulb. It is Ipheion uniflorum. I guessed it might have that vaguely onion smell you mentioned because it is in the onion family (Alliaceae). I braved the latin jungle and bagged it using that. Well, with a little help from Google and Plantfiles. .
Debra, I'm not a hard-core pepperhead, but I do like jalapenoes. I want to grow some so I can try to make my own poppers. Do you like those? Hope you didn't work too hard today.
Today PJ asked MK if he could have some of her jellybeans. She had me pick out all the pink ones and give them to him. lol. ~Nadine~

I like poppers. :-) Don't have to put peppers on the nachos, they are just as good without.

Poor Jim. He's outnumbered, outgunned, and pretty much outmaneuvered, as well. :-D

Serendipity strikes again. Had a buy one/get one herb coupon for the box store. Lo and behold, there were also CLEARANCE herbs. Got my two premium herbs, four clearance herbs, and another Cherry Brandy Gaura. Planned to pot up the herbs and leave in containers through summer. Until I looked at the Rose arc. I cleared a goodly section of grass last night with the idea of planting Dahlias today. But then I looked at the herbs. Looked back at the cleared area. Looked at the herbs...and voila! Here is the new little herb bed. Cinnamon Basil, Sweet Basil, two Curled Parsley, a Pineapple Sage, and a Fernleaf Dill. With the Gaura in the middle. :-) Laid some pavers and bricks around the border to see which I like better. I know I didn't get all pieces of the grass rhizomes and roots out, but with diligence, maybe it won't be so bad. LOL Pulled more grass clumps here and there. Goal is to have allllll of the St. Augustine replaced within the next two years. Plucked some of the gazillion tree seedlings that pop up every year. Watered a bit. Put the Peony cage over the Festiva Maxima. Happyhappyhappy to have seen it coming up. Understand they don't like to be transplanted and this one is on its third-hopefully, final-move in seven years. Almost put the Dahlias on the west side, but it really only gets direct sun for a couple of hours late afternoon and I don't think that's enough. Pondering where to go with them. By the fence Roses or side yard Rose of Sharons...hmmm...

Debra,Debra, Decisions, Decisions. Ain't it fun! LOL I spent the day outside too. Cleaning out my containers. Now have 22 done. with about 20 to go.Everything is showig signs of life except Cannas,guess they'll come up in another month.Have to go to town tomorrow and mail some stuff and get some catfood.

I did earth moving most of the day. Working on both the w/c ramp and the terraces that preserve the sloped SE corner (Nadi’s corner). She and Jim were teasing me about my “dirt obsession.” As usual, I was listening to a book under wireless headphones while I worked it just happened my current read was Dirt: the Erosion of Civilizations by David Montgomery. It did make for an interesting reading experience. :-) It was a positive feeling since I was engaged in doing some of the things he recommends we do to secure our future food supply. Definitely, not a book I would have wanted to read in the air conditioned cab of one of those mega-tractors used on industrial farms. He hits industrial farming rather hard, but acknowledges it is a necessary evil that is buying us time to make real changes. It is a well written book. Reasonable and objective. Some readers might think he gives way too many examples of the point he is making, but I think that strengthens the credibility of his stance. And, everyone can relate it to themselves since he gives examples from every region of this country and all over the world. I wasn’t sure any author could pull off a book that would be interesting to layman on the impact of erosion and poor land management on civilizations from Mesopotamia to the present. It sounded like it would be dry, academic reading but he did it amazingly well. I read it straight through despite its 270 pages. Read this book if you can find it. Even if you are an exclusively ornamental gardener. It helps you see your little piece of the earth in a new light.
Jim put up some guidelines for me. I was coming back to the house very tired and almost stumbled into the irrigation trench. Perfect height for me (chest height), but I’m afraid it would clothes line a shorter blind person. I’ll have to put up a second strand if we acquire such an individual. All Jenny’s time is absorbed with her new son for now, so I’m the only VIP around.
Debra, roses and herbs are a classic combination in my mind.
There aren’t many herb gardens that don’t include at least one rose. It will give you a nice fragrance area, as well. :-)
Vickie, I'll be happy to send you more canna if yours don't pop up soon. I wouldn't write them off yet though. Ours are just popping up. There are some small canna that might work well in pots. Or, do you like the very large foliage?
Just for the record, Jim gave me some jellybeans once. All of them were black. He doesn't like licorice. It was payback time. :-) Kay*

For those new to Kay-speak VIP means Visually Impaired Person. :-)
That’s a lot of containers, Vickie! What sort of plants are you growing?
Debra, I admit I have an orange problem. I let the GC’s paint a sitting ledge Kay had just made neon orange. (Kay asked me to pick up terra cotta for the project.) I’m still living down and living with the Kelly green erosion wall “snake” with the pink eyes and the neon orange sitting platform next to it. Well, the GC’s like it! lol. I’m not going to even mention my idea to paint the art room a color called “Chutney.” I gave up on making that work and will paint it over with caramel. I’ve already mentioned once this month how much I hate painting so I won’t repeat myself. If Kay wanted to be truly wicked she would have given me all the orange jellybeans.
It’s apple blossom time! Think I could move the Kelly green snake with the pink eyes to beneath the apple trees? It might scare off the deer so they don’t eat all my apple harvest. Then, I could avoid having to paint the platform by creating an all-orange garden. I’m determined to learn to work with orange. Well, except for chutney. (Jim)

I LIKE the idea of an all orange garden! There are so many shades and sizes and fragrances that it would be fun. And the GCs would have a blast. Purples and bright greens go really well with orange...just saying...

Nobody's touching my pink eyed snake! I love that guy. MK is just ticked because they used some of her nail polish to do the eyes. Sheesh, Amy said SHE was willing to contribute some of her black nail polish to do the irises of the snake's eyes. I think we should make that area the kid's garden space. You could keep an eye on them while relaxing on the high deck if we did. Little Travis considers that his garden anyway so I'm pushing for putting the swings and stuff there. Sure, it is the front yard, but we live .5 miles back on a dirt and gravel road. One of the joys of living in the sticks should be you don't have to follow suburban landscape rules and relegate the kids to playing in the back yard.

There are orange irises and oh, I can't remember its name it starts with G, blooms early in summer, related to roses but isn't gaura (now I've got that in my head), oh. it's GEUM and there are orange poppies and orange dianthus and orange cosmos and orange coreopsis - can you tell I HAVE an orange garden? Surely you've read my famous article about how well orange and blue complement each other! How about pontentilla oh there are zillions of gorgeous orange flowers, Jim!

Of course, in the article I point out how much better nature is at choosing colors than plastic manufacturers!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2840/

I wouldn't have minded their using my nailpolish for a craft project. It is just that there was a drawer full of older inexpensive polishes, but somehow they ended up snagging the single $10 a bottle stuff I had just bought at Merle Norman's. lol.
Nadine makes a good point. It would be more pleasant and relaxing for parents if they could sit on the deck with a glass of iced tea and still see what their children were up to. I wonder if I could pull off putting the children's garden space front and center without the place looking like a daycare center.
I'll make sure Jim reads the orange article, Carrie.
I'm told the sitting platform is about the color of California poppies. My youngest GS likes to sing. He calls the platform his stage. :-) Kay*

I’m feeling’ lucky today. I blundered twice this morning while planting, but I think all will come out right anyway. I saw “foxglove” on the seed package and planted it in part shade without a second glance. It was foxglove PENSTEMON” which need lots of sun. The huge pine is being felled tomorrow so that bed will get plenty of sun then. My Da always said God looks after saints, fools and mad people so I’m covered on two counts. :-) I made the opposite mistake with the columbine. The seeds were already planted in full blazing sun before I was told that columbines prefer a little shade and it was best to plant them in fall. Kay put in some Drummond Turk’s cap that were transplant size to provide shade and told me planting columbine in spring just means I won’t have blooms until next year. That’s okay. I’ll have Turk’s cap lilies this year.
I need the w/c ramp to be finished for my sake too. Tater-dog is hopping around on three legs because she hurt herself, but she still insists on being where she can see MK working. The high deck works well for that. She can see MK without having to match her step-for-step. The leg isn’t going to heal if she keeps using it. The problem is she can’t negotiate the 7 steps on three legs so she sits at the bottom of the stairs, whines and looks dejected until I lift her up to the deck. That dog is heavy! -! I told MK she needs to get Tater-dog a little red wagon so she can pull Tate around with her. Someone should design a doggie stroller. They have dog car seats so why not? ~Nadine~

I use nail polish for a lot of things, and few of them are painting my nails!

Nadine, there are doggie strollers. They are just extraordinarily expensive. A little red wagon with a cushion would be much better. :-)

.....and the kids would have fun with a wagon when they are here. Tate is a little better today. I see her occasionally putting weight on her bad leg, but she hams it up when Mama Kay's around. She is working that "Oh, you poor baby!" thing to the max.... until it is time for her to take her medication anyway. That stuff must taste nasty. It is a battle getting her to take it.
The arborist didn't make it today. His current customer decided he wanted more trees taken down. We started working on the NE corner to be out of the arborist way and just decided to stay with that. It is the one place where we are going for a formal, symmetrical look. "Just to prove we are capable of doing formal" MK says. :-) It is going to be a big job because that has always been the out of the way place where the stuff we saved to use in projects we planned to do SOMEDAY ended up. We’ve decided it is SOMEDAY.
The space will be hedged in to keep it from looking out of place with Amargia’s rustic, working farm look. We hope to avoid a claustrophobic feeling by “borrowing landscape.” You can see down to the creek and up the next hill. That doesn’t sound impressive, but long vistas are uncommon here where tree lines are used as windbreaks. . ~Nadine~

Nadine, I think you need a nearly thornless climbing rose. One that is fragrant. Will grow in shade. Um...and is pink. LOL PJ was looking for one to go on an arbor that is part in sun and part in shade. I got a Zephirine Drouhin this year because I really like them and just have NOT figured out where the yard wants it to go. We're too busy digging up shrub roses from the neighbor and figuring out where to put THOSE. So, you and Kay might want to watch for a package. Can paint it orange so PJ won't say I'm in the conspiracy again! [grin}

Debra, did you catch Larry Rettings article today? He identifies the glad we sent your way as an 'African Parrot.' Locals call it a native glad, but according to his article it is an old cultivar that excaped cultivation here long ago and naturalized.
I thought you were joking about the Zephirine drouhin. Jim was actually planning to get one of those for the "Arch de Triumph" in April. Wonderful timing. I'll keep a cutting going for you in case the perfect spot shows up in your landscape later.
That arch is an odd piece of architecture, but my DD would be upset if we tore it down. Jim was trying to teach my youngest DD how to drive and she ran into the metal frame of his canopy carport. I made an arch out of the bent frame and covered it in crete. We christened it the "arch de triumph" when she got her liscense on her third attempt. lol. It is in an obvious place so we need to "purty it up" It has faux magnolia leaves molded into the crete, but it needs something growing on it to soften the look.
Carrie, I had Nadi hunt down and pot up the little canna starts with the most violet hued leaves to send to you in May. Think it will have stopped snowing by then? :-) Are March snows an unusual occurrence there? Kay*

I'm back and decided I will live. Have a lot of catching up with you guys.
Think I had a touch of stomach flu along with severe depression. Stayed with DD some. Have had sunny,cloudy,rainy and tonight stormy weather. Just could'nt make myself do much with my flowers,tho i tried some.Also got behind with my housework. One of DD,s cats decided she likes my house better than DD,s. Guess i've acquired another cat.
Was thinking about making a flying trip somewhere near Dallas So i could meet up with Debra, and give her some flowers. (If I can get my act together.)I also want to see my Sis-IL in Longview.

My spring flowers are in full bloom. Abt 10 years ago I had bought some pink daffodils. They stayed pink for a couple of years and now are white. Still pretty tho. Creeping phlox are starting to bloom. Asiatic lillys are coming up. purple violets everywhere. Do any of you have the double dafodils,called butter and eggs?
Jim, You asked what i had planted in my containers. Mostly daylillys but a couple of Asiatic lillys,a peony,sedum,creeping phlox,about 3 I pile full of annuals every year.My hostas,tulips and iris are still in flower beds.
Kay, Tho not common we have had snows here in March. Kay, Have you heard any of Tony Kellermans Jim Chee books?
Have missed you all.
Vickie

They had snow in NYC an inch on the ground a few days ago - we only got flurries up here. But winter is def. not over. The real question is, do we get snowstorms in March, and luckily, only rarely does that happen!

Kay, didn't read it. Will find it. Sounds fun. They are coming up beautifully. :-) I would be grateful if you took a Zephirine cutting. I really want one here, but it has to be the right location, not just a convenient one.

Vickie, glad you are feeling better. I've read some of the books. Almost had to for "family patriotism" since Uncle, Aunt, their kids and grankids live on the reservation in Shiprock. The audio performer looks familiar, but not enough for the 'ah-ha!' recognition. Would probably know his voice. Says he's performed close to 700 of them.

Carrie, I will do my best to send warm winds your way.

Vickie, spring sounds beautiful there and it even comes in springtime. :-) I’m re-learning the progression of the seasons I mistakenly thought I’d learned in kindergarten. Nadine and Kay say it is time I let go of my belief in those equal and orderly seasons my teachers in Pennsylvania fibbed to me about so long ago. I’m a gardener in the deep south now so they thought it was time I was told the truth. They think it is weird I haven’t figured it out for myself yet. Sort of like a 50-year-old who still believes in Santa and the Easter bunny. According to the REAL calendar used by gardeners in the deep south, spring, autumn and winter all last two months and summer last 6 months. That long summer is divided between magnolia summer (April-May), canna summer (June-July) and lantana summer (August-Sept.) with each of these summers having its own palette of fruit, vegetables and flowers in addition to the one it is named for. I’m still a little confused, but I’m beginning to comprehend. So, there are SIX seasons in the deep south, not four. Rose summer starts in a few days. I guess some of what they say about natural seasons vs. calendar seasons is true, but I don’t believe a word of what they said about the Easter bunny. I just know there are places in the world where the natural seasons are perfectly in sync with numbers on the calendar. That is probably where E. bunny resides. You haven't seen him by any chance, have you?
Debra, I wonder…..say someone were to water a pink rose bush with water having lots of red food coloring in it. Do you suppose the bloom might turn out a strong, masculine red? :-)
Are those books the ones about law enforcement officers on the Navajo reservation. I know Kay has read a few of those. I can remember being confused because once the main character was an older man and another time it was a young woman, but it sounded like the same person writing both. Jim

Hey Jim!! This 70 year old is absolutely sure there is an Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. LOL I watch that Christmas show every year with the Macy,s Santa Claus.
Right now i have 2 little Easter Egg trees and large plastic Easter eggs displayed around my living room.And if Jesus Christ Superstar comes on I'll be watching it along with Easter Parade.
I need to check out the Tony Hillerman books and reread them. It,s been awhile. I vaguely remember the young girl. Also the woman archeologest.But thats about it.
I have'nt checked out many recently, I've mainly been reading paperbacks from walmarts and bookstore. Am going to take a bunch to the Sal. Army. DD thinks i ought to sell them but thats one of the ways i contribute to SA.
Jim, Don't think red water will help. Someone tried to sprinkle chocolate on a basil plant to make Chocolate basil and it did'nt work. LOL

You guys are too funny!

Vickie, are chocolate basil hounds still resorting to such drastic measures? It might be time to consider starting an online CBHA support group. (Chocolate Basil Hounds Anonymous. It doesn't appear anyone will ever be able to slip passed Sasquatch and raid Vortreker's top secret chocolate basil seed stash. Getting him to freely share his choc. basil.sounds like it would be even less likely than getting passed Bigfoot.
I've read Tony Hillerman's series, but in a more patchy way than I would like. I’ve read The Wailing Wind, The Fallen Man and Coyote Waits. I would like to start from the beginning of the series when Joe Leaphorn was the main character (The Blessing Way? Dance Hall of the Dead?) and read through the books where Leaphorn retires and is gradually replaced by Jim Chee as the viewpoint character. I suspect Hillerman was planning to make another transition like that. It looked to me like he might have been starting to set up the Bernadette Manuelito character to eventually replace Chee. The same way Chee replaced Leaphorn as the main viewpoint character. I think I missed out a little on the way the story developed from book to book by not reading them in the order he wrote them.
Each of his series books can stand alone and makes perfect sense even if you haven't read any others though. I love that in a series.
I was especially fond of the Bernadette character. She was the inexperienced young female officer he used as a viewpoint character in his last book. I could relate to her. She inadvertently contaminated a crime scene because of her pension for collecting seeds. lol.
Hillerman unfortunately died in 2008, but there has been a movement in publishing for other writers with a similar style to pick up the dropped threads of some series writers. (Such as Brandon Sanderson completing the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan’s death.) It gives a whole new meaning to "ghost writing." You can get a seamless effect with the right writer. The perfect writer will hopefully get permission from the copyright holder, pick up Hillerman’s dropped story threads and continue the weaving. From what I’ve heard of Tony Hillerman, I think he would like the idea of his series taking on a life of its own. This concludes what seems to be my Monday book review. :-)
It is raining. Seeding some containers is all the gardening I have planned for the day, but there is plenty of housekeeping to do. sigh Kay*

Alert - I will be AWOL for a few days - I'm composing again! Sorry.... be good.

Jim, I bet it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, without experiments, anything new would rarely be discovered, right? :-)

Here is what me 'n the kids did over the weekend. Might not look like a lot, but that is 15 combined hours of labor. LOL

Looks lovely.

Kay, Zephirine is on the way FedEx Ground scheduled for delivery on Thursday. This antique rose is a little prone to black spot, but that won't hurt it too much. :-)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1203/

http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/rosa-zephirine-drouhin-thornless-rose.aspx

That is neat looking, Debra. These days I can appreciate the work involved in projects like that.
Vickie, the only butter and eggs we have are in the fridge. Those are pretty daffodils though. Our daffodils are Prof. Einstein and Dick Wilden. At least that is what they were supposed to be. I have some doubts about the Professor. I like their look, but the corona of ours doesn’t seem as orange as those in photographs.
Carrie, I’ll try to keep this rowdy bunch under control while you are busy since I am now officially a responsible, sober adult. It was recently decided I can call people by their given names without the honorifics. That is like a rite of passage in some parts of the country. It goes without saying that Sir and Ma’am will still be expected. It is all the Miss first name and Mr. first name stuff I can drop. I can also omit the friend of the family honorifics like Grandma, Papa or Aunt (depending on gender and age) plus first name thing. I have evidently proven myself a “well-brought-up youngun” deserving of certain adult privileges. It’s a proud moment, but do you have any idea how hard it is to break those habits of address. Maybe, by the time I’m 30, I will be able to address “grown-ups” by their names without flinching. :-) My poor, confused BF thought I was related by blood to all the people I address with family honorifics. That would sure give me a fascinating family and I would actually be willing to claim them all.
We took down an old catalpa tree and the Bradford pear this morning. I found some flowering pear in the woods. I think they came from up the hill, but we aren’t taking any chances. The neighbors cut down a fruiting pear that must have been on flowering pear rootstock. They left what sprouted back up because it was so pretty this time of year. It flowers even more profusely than our Bradford, but I think it is the parent of the little thorny beauties in the woods. Well, Fenny and I can play in the woods now without being accused of goofing off. I just have to make sure I have a bow saw with me to present as evidence of my industriousness. :-)
Off to shop. PJ had a little financial windfall yesterday and shared the bounty so I could buy better job interview outfits and get my hair gut. ~Nadine~