May 2011- Sun and Warmth finally....I hope!!

New thread for May!!

What a dreary day for May Day!! Rain and more rain.

Got my software downloaded for my Canon camera and so far everything is working including importing pictures.

Hope this works. Had to switch to Chrome to use DG. IE9 and DG don't mix well. I can't make the pics smaller either. So may not go thru. Pic won't work. Grrr

Thanks for the new thread! Rainy May Day here too, but since we are still in drought situation, I can't complain. Lots of hummers fighting over the feeders today. I will be glad when I get some flower blooming.

Crit, thanks! Laughing over the ewwwww! I don't care to find it outside, much less in a flower pot!

Thank you Pepper! I have IE8. My SIL upgraded to 9 and doesn't like it.

I'm glad you are getting your camera set up. It's been a while :o)

Crit, I can't imagine how bad it is living with a drought. I sure hope the rain continues for you. As I said on another thread, it takes rain to make rain. Every drop counts!

I have no hummers yet. The wren should be here anyday now and the orioles around the 7th. I haven't noted when the hummers come. I think after the wild columbine bloom, and it hasn't yet.

I got up and got busy yesterday. My house is now dusted, vacuumed and the floors mopped. I made stuffed peppers for dinner since I found the stufffing in the freezer. While that was going, I made a dessert. After dinner, I made two rhubarb pies with my rhubarb and put 8 cups in the freezer. Then I mowed. Then, I got one more third of the South Peony Bed weeded. Almost have all the beds weeded now. I just have to go around and fine tune, LOL!

I have clothes to wash so have a happy day all!

Happ - I do have Oakleaf Hydrangea babies, so I'll definitely dig some up for you. I may have to pot them up and coddle them for a while before I send them. Some of them do better than others and I want to send you a good one...not a dead one. They are small - only about 5-6 inches tall, but they'll grow. :-)

Billyp - Beautiful garden! It looks ready to go.

Crit - Glad you're getting some rain. We have had a few hummers, but not a lot fighting over the feeders yet. I need to get some Lantana to put in a pot on my patio. They love that. So do the butterflies. Now we're waiting for the orioles to show up. We have our feeder up, but none so far.

Will - That's definitely river rock. Pea gravel is...well...the size of peas! hehe. And it's more uniform in size.

We had a breezy but dry Sunday. I kept right on working......I got so much done on my short vacation.
Found the leak in the pond and almost have the waterfall done and I think I like it now....finally. I have the water flow and sound I wanted. Just a few more rocks to finish but dang that is hard work......

My friend had a cat that did that, so I knew before the house was done to buy screen, cut it in a circle the size of the pot with an opening for the plant and you are safe......not have that happening to my plants. When my Mom moved in she had a cat so every pot in the solar room was covered that way.

Beautiful gardens Billy, you soil looks great! I have the raised beds done, but now I need top soil to fill them along with some compost. I am really going to like gardening this way. I have been dumping my grass clippings around the bed so I don't have to weed eat, I know I should of put it in the bottom of the bed.

Oh yeah......Ima, I will send you postage.....yeah.... I didn't know they made babies at the base, that is good to know. I like things I can share that aren't thugs...rofl, like yarrow. I have contained my yarrow so far, it is inside the black plastic landscape edging and that seems to work for now anyway.....

Ima ........ do you have your Oakleaf Hydranga planted outside?

happ... I don't understand how dumping your grass clippings around the edge will keep you from having to weed eat. (feel dumb right now)

I haven't ever seen orioles around here, but I have a fruit plate out just in case. Plus for the b'files.

Crit the grass clippings from the bag that I am dumping are really deep so they will mat down and won't let any light come thru, hense nothing will grow. I have done that around the most expensive yard ornament I have the 2 propane tanks, around my small trees, raspberry bush, blackberry bush, and a few other things. All this stuff is in my garden area and it is far enough from the house no one can see what it is. It isn't very eye appealing so I wouldn't want it in the flower garden area. I will take a pic tomorrow and show you.

Frost warnings again tonight, so out I went and it is cold out there already.....ok enough I need some warmth....rofl.

I had to bring in my desert rose and pepper seedlings so they would live. lol. I have another houseplant out there that can handle the cold so I leave it. Boston fern in on it's own. It's coming back though. I saw new green on it the other day.

That's a great idea with the grass clippings. I'm gonna tell my grandma about that.

Ewww is funny! You'd think thats what our 7 litter-boxes are for! Well, we have 7 cats! Oh, the landscaping is coming along nicely here. Today, I ran the weedeater, shoveled more river rock, put up a humming-bird feeder, dug more in the proposed water-pond and more. I think code--enforcement is happy enuff with us for now. They have something going on down the street at a vacant house I think thats prolly in big violation. I was working under the hood of my new car (nothing major) when they went by. They rolled by slow so they could look at the backyard, but they kept on going. I waved to them and they waved back, I think we're good for now.

Yeah, frost tonite they say, I put in a big potted tomato plant, and about 12 potted Caladium and Elephant Ear bulbs in the garage that haven't sprouted yet.
35° F tonite in KCMO! It'll prolly be 90° F in a couple of weeks!

Yeah, it's Missouri River Rock I'm sure now, she had that put there and I didn't know it, about 4 years ago. I wasn't present when she had that done, she says it was a pallet of it, so I'm guessing alot. I now have 7 buckets of it filled up, for future use somewhere.

Boy, the hole-digging for the waterpond is a muddy chore! Here it is so far in the photo below. It was full of rainwater until a couple days ago. That thing really catches the runoff, which is good, thats the plan eventually. Now that the unlicensed car is gone, that was right there, maybe it will have little enuff oil and stuff wash into it, that it'll sustain fish. I want to do enuff digging now, so I don't have any regrets about it later, like not having "shelves" dug or something that'll be nice to have.
Any thoughts on the digging of the waterpond hole? I've never done one before, total newbie here! You can see the basic shape of it in the photo I think, anything bad about that concept? See that kind of "overflow" chute stream thing, is that silly? Should I make sort of filters, not in the typical sense, but a sort of way to keep sticks out and fish in perhaps? Please, I take constructive criticism well, any input is appreciated. I have built up a sort of soil mound on one side, it's just a bunch of soil from out of the hole as I've been digging. Is there anything bad about having that? Maybe it'd affect the waterpond adversely? All the soil hasn't gone over there, but I'd say roughly 1/4 of it has.

That is a good idea on the grass clippings. I always wondered why my Mom piled her's around her trees and whatnot, now I know! : )
Will

Will on the watergarden,
http://watergarden.com/pages/build_wg.html
This site is pretty condensed with pictures.
My biggest problem is I didn't make my shelves big enough for lotus pots and it is soooo windy at my house the plants won't stay upright. When I build my big pond I will make the shelf lean back away from the water and try to get them to stay upright.

Are you making a watergarden or a rain garden? Watergarden you don't want any runoff running into the garden. Rain garden you do......

32°/54°
Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 54F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.

ImaMes, I was waiting for you so I could post my rock picture. My oakleaf is slow, but is leafing out nicely. I haven't taken a picture yet because I want to swith out the wire around it.

Thanks, I think I better water all the rows today. We finally have no rain in the forcast. Those east of me sure are geting it tho!

I saw a wren this morning, right on schedule, a goldfinch in all it;s glory, just in time to blend in with the dandelions and our orioles usually come around the 7th.

Happ, good news on the pond and waterfall. It will be so soothing! My SIL has a perovskia planted next to hers and boy does that look good.

I think you'll like your raised beds too. I keep envisioning my whole garden with them, but I doubt it happens. I would probablu loose the room I need.

Happ, I am laughing over all your grass clippins! You must mow a huge area! My neighbor uses their clippings and she has a lot of yard.

Pepper, smiling over the Boston Fern not giving up.

Will, one per cat is a good thing. How do you dispose of the ''leavings?''

Always nice to be in good with the ''law.'' You got a lot accomplished!

I've never done a pond or have seen too many, so I'm no help. How big are you going to make it? The shovel shows how deep it is. Otherwise a person might not be able to tell. It will be so nice to sit out there after it's done.

Happ, an exellent site!

I am almost finished weeding in the South Peony. I never saw so many plants that I don't think I planted. The have to be weeds, and since there are so many of them, they must be invasives, LOL! I'll have to take a shovel out to finally rid myself of the beautiful, but invasive campanula rapidinoids. That may not be spelled right, but they move rapidly!

We had a low of 32*, but no ice in the water dishes or birdbathes. It's cold out there now tho!

Billy, weeds are ruling here also! Do you have alot of peonies? I have a row on the north side of the house and then peonies scattered all over the gardens.

I do mow alot because DH is not allowed around the flower beds! I have flower beds all around the house, then under pine trees, all around the garden room and two out in the front yard. The beds around the house range from two feet deep to maybe 10 feet deep at one corner......The two in the front yard need revamping for sure. I would like to make them deeper but not this year, this year is the year of the completetion......NO NEW PROJECTS! rofl.....wish me luck!

Happ, I used to have a lot of peonies, 22 of them, but they were all the same. No, I take that back. One was here when we moved here. It was the deepest red. Then I got three from an old woman's house when my SIL moved out. Those broke into many. They were the white with red flecks, a pink, and a white with the palest pink outer rim. I kept one of everything and gave the rest away. Sometimes I wish I had more again, but I have no room.

I hear you and wish you much luck, LOL! I am almost done with the ''completion" and ready to work on making a couple beds larger. I have to, the grass is filling in the edges. I did find while weeding, I have a lot more room in the shady beds than I thought. Trouble is, I like and have, mostly sun loving plants.

ImaMes, I almst forgot the picture.

Here are my lovely rocks with the lavender Bee Balm on each side.

billy that is a pretty bed.

When your house sits on 3 acres the problem is you have wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to much room to plant. Planting is not the problem so much, it is the weeding and mulching or tending I guess......that is the real problem.

First harvest of 2011

Pictured are Ruby leaf lettuce, Space hybrid spinach, and Concept summer crisp lettuce. Soda can is just for scale.

Gonna have me a salad tonight :)

Looks great!!

Yes, it does look great Cyb, you know what they say, "if it has color, it is good for you"! That indeed has color!

Thanks for the info. on the waterpond happ. I have to let it catch rain runoff to remedy the mud/rainwater problem there. I want both dangit, a raingarden and a waterpond! lol It has good info., thanks happ. It is 28" deep in one spot. I am trying to follow the advice at that link you posted happ, about the percentage distribution of the areas, for instance the deep part is supposed to be roughly 40% of the pond. Thats hard to do I am learning, but I'm going to keep digging! I've kinda got a shelf of sorts, on one side. I'd like to make it flat enuff and stuff to put patio blocks or a treated board there to ensure the flatness maybe, underneath the liner. I need to get the pond finished, so I can put plants in it and by it soon.

Haha! The "leavings" go in the trash. Cleaning litter-boxes is quite a job. I'd consider using the manure as a sort of fertilizer, but they get buried and covered pretty good with litter, litter makes a sort of sticky, muddy goo when it gets wet I found out. Actually, there is 8 cats here, but one isn't ours but it has been here for over a year, we're not sure that the lady wants it back at this point. My friend here likes it alot so we may be adopting it.

Nice beds, billyp, you're hard work has paid off, they are beautiful!
Thanks billyp, I'm not much of a fan of Code-Enforcement coming around, I must admit! I do like to abide by the law tho, and I'm sure they are only doing they're jobs.
If it wasn't for code enforcement many cities would prolly be a sty!

I'm trying to rejuvenate a potted Strawberry Begonia, that has gotten some crunchy, brown leaves lately. I looked it up in PlantFiles, I didn't know it was so cold-hardy, to 0° F! I know now that I wouldn't need to bring it in until Dec. 1st or so!
Will

Well, I'm gonna try my luck at making 3 Hall's Honeysuckle vine cuttings. I am pretty sure they are considered invasive, but I want more climbers so I have vines for arbors and other trellis-like contraptions. These aren't the dreaded bushes! : )

Happ, thanks :o)

I can see the problem with a lot of land, but it sure sounds nice. I guess the answer is a tractor mower.

Cybr, that is one nice harvest! Not one bug ate your salad first :o)

Will, I think I would outline the finished size of the pond, dig all around the outline and continue to the depths. It's really going to be impressive when you are done. Especially since we know how much work you are putting into it!

If it is the size it will be, then ignore all my advice, LOL!

Those ''leavings'' get pretty heavy, LOL! I gather mine in a kid's sand-box pail and am able to sling it into the trees across the road. Poison Ivy is starting over there, so that's where I aim for.

That is exactly why there has to be some rules about how much of a ''sty'' you can have. People leave little things out that could easily be put away or stacked nicely. They just don't want to. Then it blows in my yard and I pick it up. Lately it's scratched off lottery tickets. Then there is the candy wrappers and plastic bags.

Good luck with the honeysuckle. You can always tear it out, right?

I've been sleeping in till 5:00 am and I tell you I miss being up that extra hour. But, if I'm going to be up till nightfall, I have to go with the clock :o(

Yesterday it was unbelievably cold and I stayed in till late afternoon. Then I only walked the yard. I wonder how I'm ever going to stand winter again!

I'm sorry, Sally, I missed a question from you. How big is it going to be? I'm not really sure yet. I'll prolly peter out and make it about the size as it is now. Then again, I could start digging like a crazy man! Thanks billyp, it is a lot of work, doing it alone is not the preferred way! But, at least this way I don't have anyone to blame but myself! lol Wait, not sure I like that! : ) Thats a good idea about the outline, but then if I didn't dig out to that I'd feel bad!

Tear out the Honeysuckle? Well, I don't know, but at least I'd know where it's at! My friend loves it, (she doesn't care that I say it's invasive), I'm really more interested in her happiness.

I agree, trash from others is upsetting. One time I picked up a bag of what appeared to be an empty bag of syringes for trash, makes you wonder about the neighbors!

You sleep in until 5am Sallyp? You ought to be ashamed of yourself! lol

I love Poison Ivy, I just don't touch it! I saw that it has the prettiest red color in the Fall. I thought about planting it and Prickly Pear underneath all my windows, in case someone peeps or wants to break in!

I'd love to have the problem of too much land! : ) Maybe someday I will! I'm glad to hear the Rose is doing good, happ. My friend here really wants that Rose. She reminded me again the other day how I killed her Roses over the Winter! She'll never forget that I'm afraid!
Will

This message was edited May 4, 2011 2:15 PM

Hey Will!! If you aren't part of Home Depot's Garden Club join ASAP. They have a coupon there where you buy 2 roses get the third one free. I'm taking my grandma on Friday to take advantage.

Pond is starting to look good. I'm behind on everything here at home but hoping to get stuff potted up or planted on Friday. I have to get my tulips out of the veggie bed too so my dad can till. And weeds galore here!! lol

Thanks Pepper, that sounds like an awesome deal but I am really counting my pennies more than ever now, I am officially unemployed now.
My living arrangements and everything is fine, I am just pretty broke now. Tonite, when I left my grandparents' from playing a few games of Chess, I cut a small branch of my Grandmother's red climbing Rose. I've already stuck it in soil. I've got 2 cuttings from her planted, but I think the first one mighta been a dead stick, I was in a hurry and it was dark. This time though, I had my trusty Fiskars and it was still light tonite at 8:00. Here it is tonite, hopefully getting ready to sprout a new plant! The new one is on the left and the "dead stick" cutting is on the right, next to it, maybe there was some live tissue on it I'm hoping.
Will

Yesterday was a bit cool, but perfect for weeding. I got the rose bed all done! Now I need to weed out the Rover Campion and the South Peony Bed will be all done!

Will, how big across is it now?
Yep, you're the man to blame, LOL! Since you have an idea of what you want and the plants you want to set in there, I do think you'll end up making it bigger.

Syringes. Yowza! I imagine someone has diabetes.

I love the peeping tom/thief deterrent, but I'd still manage to get into it myself!

ROTFL!! Get her a rose for Mother's day :o)

Pepper, what a great thing to do with your Grandma!

As they bloom, I'm getting my tulips re-marked for removal this summer. I also have Hollyhocks growing right on the edge. Now, I know they can't stay there. I learned that last summer trying to mow the 2' grass strip beside them. But, I haven't moved them yet. I asked DH yesterday where we should put that outhouse, LOL!

Will, you've got a green thumb, so if it's alive, you should get it to root. (Now that sentence is begging for an answer :o)

That's the touchy thing for me and I use rooting powder too.

Yep, it looks nice and green. I love free plants :o)

On the roses......... you just take a cutting and put it in the soil for it to root and make a new bush?

Hi Crit. Yes, thats the plan for me. Altho, thats in my raised bed, if they grow, I'll dig them up and pot them up.
http://www.rose-gardening-made-easy.com/growing-roses-from-cuttings.html
Will

Haha! I have a green thumb eh?! Maybe kinda in the middle! I've unintentionally killed quite a few plants!

Oh, last Mother's Day, she had her kids get her Knockout© Roses. She ended up with enuff of them to make a hedge across her front yard. I, got her two myself.
I'll get a photo of it, it's quite impressive. It's not filled in yet, but it will someday. Mine weren't, but some of them were quite small, they were like $5.99 1 gallon specials.
Some barely came over the top of the nursery pot. They're prolly growing good now, they're prolly equal to 2 gallon plants now.

It's raining now or I'd measure it, but I'd guess the waterpond is 6 or 7 feet across so far. I hate to look at it, but it's prolly full up to the top with rainwater now!
Oh well, my plants get watered and my rainbarrel is full!
Will

Hehe.. Yep, (the waterpond hole) it is full up to the top with rainwater! I measured it at it's widest billyp, it is 6' 5" at it's widest. Wow, I don't usually guess that close!
I usually have the gamefish guess on stuff! I braved the elements to measure it! Actually, the raining has nearly stopped, it's kinda light now.
I tell you, if something goes wrong with that pond or something, fingers know where to point! lol Not to be mistaken tho, my friend here is very appreciative of what I do.
That pond liner is 10' x 13', thats likely flat, not accounting for a dug hole. I'm thinking I better not go much bigger, lest I go too big for the liner! I might trade that little bridge for that Arbor. That Arbor really gets in the way of work and stuff. I got that statuary from my Stepmom recently, my Dad painted it before he passed away. I'm gonna put a little $9.99 190 gph Harbor Freight pump on it for the birds and the splashing water sound! I need to repaint it, some paint came off. My Stepmom is giving me alot of statuaries that my Dad really liked. She doesn't say it, but I think I remind my Stepmom of my Father. I love her to pieces, even if we're not technically related anymore, (I kinda have 2 Moms). At holidays like Christmas and Mothers Day I always remember her. And especially my Dad's birthday, her birthday and they're anniversary when she is really sad, I'll at least send her a card or call her. Well, enuff sadness, everyone has grief! : )
I'm so glad it's May!
Will

Will, I couldn't guage the pond's size. I would have said it was smaller. No wonder you think it's big enough, LOL! I'd say it was a perfect size. When the liner is in and the leftover sticks out are you covering it with rocks?

That's pretty cool to get along with your Stepmom so well. I'm sure she really appreciates the attention. I'm sorry your Dad has passed. How long ago?

The statuary will be a wonderful reminder of both your Dad and Stepmom.

I'm glad it's May too! We are to be warming up starting tomorrow.

Now how did I miss your post above the last. The Knock out Hedge is going to be gorgeous!

Laughing, that was an exellent guess on the pond's size!

Thanks Sally. He passed away in June of 2007. He had an aortic aneurysm operation here in Kansas City and didn't make it out of recovery.
Many things just went wrong. I think the hospital could have been more forthcoming with information about his condition to undergo that surgery, and how serious the surgery itself really was. He could have lived fine for years with the Aortic Aneurysm, it never burst. They even tried to bill my Stepmom $90,000 for that operation shortly afterward, she'd have to tell the bill collectors, in tears, that her husband was dead. I'm not faulting the hospital entirely, he had some issues that would compromise an ideal recovery, they should have known that. My opinion is they were too eager to do it and get the insurance money.
I've said several times, "how do you walk into a hospital and leave dead 2 days later?". I'm not trying to discourage people from getting treatment for ailments, many surgeries and stuff I'm sure go just fine and it helps tremendously. I just think one needs to be entirely sure of everything in healthcare first, and get multiple opinions.
See those patio blocks? I think I'll lay them on the liner's edge, then cover the blocks up with dirt.
Will

Will, that's what DH's Dad went thru. He made it thru surgery, but thru the night. He was not in good shape, but the operation was a solution to maybe having more years. I feel the hospital did what they could for him. He was a Vet, so it went thru them.

Are you going to try and plant on top of them after covering with dirt? It would make a nice mound around the pond and some places could be higher than others. It's going to be interesting to seee it all done. There's so much to consider.

Eeek! He had the same thing? Poor guy. My Father made it thru one night also. We had a good Father's Day 6 days before he passed, he knew he was loved. In fact, I was the last one to get his photo, that day, my Stepmom cherished those photos and put them up. I think I clammed up about it back then on DG.
I don't mean to bring down the readers. Let's get back to plants and stuff! : )
I probably will plant on top of the patio blocks, there should be plenty of soil for plants, there is 13 - 80 lb. bags of Miracle Gro© Garden Soil left.
Here are a few of the plants that I have yet to plant, thats probably 25% of them. See Hereford the cat in the window grooming herself?
Thanks, I hope it turns out nice too, I'd be glad to post photos of it when I'm done. I just hope the water-plants do okay with rainwater washing in. If they do okay we might try Fish!
Will

Will, I missed a word. He did not make it thru the night. He died late evening. DH said his head was swollen to the size of a basketball.

I am so glad you had that with your Dad. It must have been very hard to see him pass so soon.

It isn't easy to bring things up when they are fresh, but it is nice to have sympathy later.

You can also use what you dug out. It will be more clay like and a good base. That will be a nice ''hill'' around the pond. It might help reflect the water sounds back to you too. Try some cheap goldfish and see how they do. I think you'll get hooked.

Smiling over Herford :o)

Your plants look good!

We didn't get a drop of rain overnight. I'm a bit bummed, but we have the Grandkids for two days so I'm glad the grass is dry :o)

I've been weeding and finishing everything I set out to do. I have grubbed out so many things I can't identify. Instead of stressing over whether it was a good plant, I'm just saying I made room for something else.

I also have a baggie full of rhubarb to deal with. I haven't cooked any down for a ''spring tonic'' yet :o)

My Father should've passed the first day, I think he was in bad pain. My Dad's head was swollen up too. Yeah, he did go too soon, it was so sudden and a shock to everyone, no-one expected it to go that way. When he died in ICU was the nightmare part. Yeah back then, it was like a bad dream, sometimes I'd just sit there and be like, "wow, my Dad is gone", it didn't seem possible, but trajedy like that does make you stronger later. After that, an Aunt (his oldest Sister) died of a brain tumor less than a year later, then they're Mother (my Grandmother) less than a year after that. Its ironic that my paternal Grandma outlived 2 of her children by less than 2 years, she didn't smoke, they did.
Hehe! You know, I got that wrong, Hereford cows are brown, it was Holstein that I shoulda named her!
Thanks billyp, lots to plant! Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there!
The rhubarb sounds delicious!
Will

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO EVERYONE! Even those who have 4 legged fur-babies

HAPPY MOM'S DAY you all......

Out to play in the dirt. Got up a 4am yesterday and went to the farmers maket with friends, we had soooo much fun and bought some neat things.....got really warm yesterday!

The rose is still fine should be completely recovered by the time I get to see you.....now for the hole that it came out of not so much, need to get it filled in....that thing had roots to China!

DH wants his computer....I will chat later have a great day you all!

HAppy Mother's Day!!

Got my neighbor taken care of today. She kept coming into our yard again today and my dad went up to her when she came back over and said no more. She said ok and sorry. Couple relatives came over and they weren't happy but my dad was firm and polite. She quit coming over into yard and not long after that parked the bike.

Happ, those hostas I got from you a few years ago are getting huge!!

pepper .... what was going on with your neighbor?