Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners #17

How are things going with the new knee, Sheri?
I've seen the light orange pansies, but these were the first deep orange ones I have ever encountered. The yellow and purple ones “with the little faces” are what come to mind when I think of pansies also.
Our package from Wawa's Garden in TX came in today. In addition to Jim's new maple, Nadine got a large, end-of-season Stevia. My luck at growing stevia from seed has been lousy, but an established plant should be easy. Nadi wants to keep it as a houseplant. Has anyone here tried that? There was a free gift of fragrant ash seeds included in the package. :-) Yep, there is a definite advantage to doing business with nursery folk who have an idea of your personal botanical interest.
I'm beginning to wonder if the Puritans may have been misled in a way similar to some Okies in the 1940's. In the dustbowl days, when a banker foreclosed on a farm or a grocer denied someone credit, they would hand the newly homeless or unemployed man a brochure touting the wonders of Ca, the jobs available and the new, easy life to be had there. I don't know if the bankers and creditors who handed those brochures out believed the hype or not, but I’m sure ridding themselves of the troublesome poor people prompted them to hand out the leaflets. Anyone who has read Grapes of Wrath has an idea of how well that trip worked out. The coldness and length of Massachusetts winters must not have been mentioned in the promotional material the Puritans were given. lol. No cranberry sauce! But, they did something with all those cranberries growing there, right? I'm really looking forward to reading this article. (MK)
(Jim) here are the first photos with my new windows 8 tablet went from a 3 mega pix to 8 mega pix I like it! Still trying to ID the bloom. lol.

I think there were not a LOT of cranberries lying around. Esp. they would have tried to settle (when they finally made it out of the boat in March) not near a bog, right? Cranberries are great for tartness and flavor and VERY healthy but most "cranberry juice cocktail" relates to cranberry berry juice the way lemonade relates to lemon juice. Cranberries have tons of pectin and vit C though--very useful little things.

I'm interested in my article too, Kay, I have no idea right now what it will cover!

Mystery solved. It is an amazon lily. What would we do without the plant ID forum. This lovely is yet another plant to find a place for inside, but I don't mind. The scent is wonderful!

It will grow indoors and is scented too! wow

I do think you can grow stevia inside in a sunny warm spot. I grew it once in a pot; it reminded me of coleus that liked sun. (Not completely sure what I mean by that. Bloom was insignificant and stems were succulent, I guess. It liked more water than I gave it!)

I was sent it as bonus--I wasn't committed to it. But I have a really hard time swallowing/digesting saccharin and aspartame, etc. Stevia didn't bother my stomach.

I can already see Amazon lilies are going to be a good way to get showy blooms in shady spots. I thought they were a little canna until they bloomed. I'm not exactly sure how we ended up with Amazon lilies. We once brought home a garbage bag filled with bulbs from an old house remodel we helped with and I thought that might be where it came from. But, that old house was probably in Zone 7 and these are tropical bulbs. Perhaps, it was something that came home with us from the Spring RU. Even after being warned, I was a little overwhelmed with how many plants we came home with. For a few days after the RU, I was putting plants in wherever I had ground prepared. I may have lost track of some things I planted. If so, thank you, A. lily donor person
The bulbs are beginning to multiply, Sheri, I can send you some to try, if you like.

It is certain we would have a neater garden if we got all our plants from nurseries and stuck to the landscaping plan, but it wouldn't be as fun. I suspect we would quickly see garden work as a drudgery without the fun factor of garden mysteries and surprises.

Vegetables straight from the garden and shopping at the Farmer's Market is the norm for my GC's. My daughters, however, grew up primarily on canned and packaged food. I don't know how our great-grandmothers did it. Nadi likes "cooking from scratch", but she uses a microwave, a toaster oven, a gas oven, an electric grill, a food processor and a heavy-duty stand mixer. After every holiday meal, as I sit exhausted, I wonder about how our female ancestors put 3 meals a day on the table, day after day, without any of our labor saving devices. My personal holiday prayer of thanks is for not being born in the "good ole days" of woodstoves, outhouses and unliberated men. ;-) Mk*

ouch, ouch...please don't twist my arm so hard. Yes, I'll gladly take anything anyone wishes to share. Anything but shipping in return??

;-) ;-) doin the happy dance!!!

Gosh, it makes me feel so good knowing this is the SEVENTEENTH version of Practical Matters and there have been 46 replies and 180 or so views--I am not alone! Yipee!

We'll send it out the first of next month, Sheri. Consider it an early Christmas gift.
Have you guys ever noticed how a minor home improvement project has a way of ballooning into something major? Jim was simply going to replace a leaky bathroom sink with a sink that didn't drip and was more w/c accessible. It would take a day and cost under $50. Yeah, right. Everything will probably be back to normal by the middle of next week. $450 and counting. Nothing went wrong exactly. Doing one thing just led into having to do another. Plumbing projects seem especially prone to snowballing.
It's Peanut Festival time here. We have good reason to celebrate. The peanut harvests are better than they have been for years.
I'm reading The Well-Designed Mixed Garden. The orientation is a little too northern for us to get the full benefit, but the design section is helpful. I wish there was more gardening books for southern gardeners in audible format. Oh well, there is plenty on the web. Mk*

I wonder if a heavy peanut yield is indicative of a very cold winter to come.

Peanut Festival, hunh? Wow....Carver really made his mark, he and the Boll Wievel!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3060/

I think it is more like peanuts made Jimmy Carter. lol. The first peanut festival was in the 1930's. But, they didn't celebrate it for a few years during WWII. Peanuts loved the cooler and wetter than normal year, but I don't believe the cotton fared very well.

We had some business to take care of near the Dothan Area Botanical Garden this morning so we decided to pay a visit and see this year's scarecrows and follies. Television shows was the theme this year, but Jim liked the incidental fairies that popped up in different places. Need I say which one the Boo-Berry Man liked best? lol. I stopped to smell the roses. 'Abraham Darby' was my favorite of the ones still in bloom.
Photo 1: Blueberry fairy
Photo 2: Papaya fairy
Photo 3: Nanna Rose folly
Photo 4: 'Abraham Darby' rose
Photo 5: 'Veteran's Honor' rose

It is more trick, than treat for us this Halloween. Plumbing cost are now up in the thousands. We have to run new field lines for the septic tank and take down 5 large trees. Only two of the trees could possibly be the source of the trouble, but when an arborist needs heavy equipment for a job, it is best to get as much work done at that time as possible. Much of the cost an arborist charges for large jobs is for getting the equipment to your location. There is sort of a quantity discount thing going on. Thus, the cost of home repair and improvement escalates without anything exactly going wrong.
We will be going from shade to full sun in many places with the loss of the trees. That means moving plants that would scald in the winter sun. I am stiff and sore already from all the digging.

The garden did give me a sweet treat around sundown. An incredibly fragrant brugmansias Amargia was given at the spring RU opened at dusk. It is a perfect distance from the porch. The scent is pervasive, but not overpowering as I sit in my rocking chair and breathe the last sweet breath of summer. Record breaking low temps are on the horizon. (sigh)
Happy Halloween! Hope all of you get more treats than tricks. Mk*
Photo #1 Brugmansias.
Photo #2+ Happy Halloween!!!


This message was edited Oct 31, 2013 10:27 AM

Oh, yes, I've been through that! Suddenly sunny. We had a Norfolk maple dying and cracking but it was on town land so we couldn't cut it down. Called the town and they said "it has to be 75% dead before we'll cut it down." I guess we were 66.66% dead then. That spring, they came (with no warning) and whisked it away. Still coping with the sun. But I think in New England, we can use a little more sun..

By the way, today is a beautiful fall day in Texas; rainy and cold in MA.

Sheri, the bulb is on its way to you.
I did the outside work to set up a new gray water irrigation system today. One of the pipes crossed the driveway. I was pushing to finish it before the land clearing company arrived with their heavy equipment and that could be as early as tomorrow. Man, am I stiff and sore! But, the two catch basins are buried up so that their tops are at ground level and the pipe across the drive is safely underground. Everything worked properly. That's great because the washing machine is hooked in to the new system and the laundry was really piling up. Jim did the pipe work under the house. It will be a contest to see which of us is moaning and groaning the loudest tomorrow.
Nadi finally determined her tadpole babies are pig frogs (the southern bullfrog). The good news is they are water loving so will not be living in my flower beds. The bad news is they take from 6 months up to a year to mature. Nadi is calling it a valuable learning experience. Well, I guess. I have to admit I never knew before now that frogs like watching cartoons, but don't care for action thrillers.

I just read The Lost Garden--An English Garden Mystery. by Anthony Eglin. Jim doesn't normally listen along with what he refers to as my "goofy garden mysteries." I think he listened in this time because the main character and writer were male. That is funny because I thought the book was very Agatha Christie.
Pain killers are kicking in. I might be able to sleep now. Good night, All.

The beautiful white one that opened when I had my knee surgery??

Pain killers are a blessing! Is it too early to pot up Amaryllis bulbs for Christmas?

Armagia, I am always amazed at the pace at which you people get things accomplished! It seems like one week you're considering something and the next week you're groaning because it's complete. We groan just thinking about getting anything done. I commend you all! (Nadine with her "valuable learning experiences"....)

We have definitely decided to head back to Milton, MA next May, and all of a sudden there are a million things to do. We have to perfectly time the move so there are no periods of unemployment or, more importantly, un-insurance. Medical insurance is such a dumb thing to plan your life around.

Analgesics are wonderful, for those of us who both need them and use them as ordered. Unfortunately there are so many people selling theirs of the street and / or getting multiple Rx's that is is very difficult for those of us who are actually legitimate about their need and use. My Dr was out of town when time came for my refill. the Dr covering for her wrote me a TEN day supply (if taken as prescribed to last me an entire month!!!) So these days my monthly misery takes on a whole new meaning...LOL...at least I can still laugh about it.
Oh how I look forward for that perfect body in heaven with no pain or disease!!!

Sher

Amen! It's the Amazon lily bulb that is on its way, Sheri, but Jim did the packing and put something extra in the available space he thought you might like. I'll ask him what it was and give you a heads up.
Carrie, I believe the average time from bulb to bloom for an amaryllis is about six weeks, but it would vary some with the cultivar. White Flower Farm has the best amaryllis growing tutorial I'm aware of.

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/growing-amaryllis-bulbs.html
It is good you won't be returning to Milton in the dead of winter. May is a lovely season in New England from my limited experience. You aren't alone in feeling that medical insurance is having a major influence in your life. I think many people are feeling that way at the moment. None of us have finished the ObamaCare registration process. I understand the process is going more smoothly in states that took control of registration. My state opted out and let the federal government handle things.

The tree cutting crew did come yesterday and finished the job with amazing speed. It may take me weeks to grow accustomed to the new feel of the space, however.

I'm hoping if I sneak back to MA in May, I can go back on Medicaid, which was FABULOUS. They have a independent living program where I can buy Medicaid for a premium (last I think it was under $100 a month) but then I get Medicaid coverage, like little or no co-pay for drugs and hours and hours of home care so Ray can work. I mean, Ray's going to work no matter what, but if someone else can help me bathe and self care then Ray won't have 1 and 1/2 jobs! That would be good.

Currently the Amaryllis are in Ray's horn case. I have no idea why he felt he needed this one horn for 6 months; it's still in the case with the bulbs. But I believe the case was a good way to transport the bulbs a the last minute.

"Ray's horn case"......hmmm.......as in Trombone or Sax, shoe would be to small, buffalo probably too big. Oh well....you all know that my mind thinks in visual images........oh well, maybe you had to be there......

LOL. I've noticed those who spent time in the AF tend to be very creative when it comes to packing. No space goes unused. Lots of spaces multi-task. I have to admit Jim can get far more into a box or suitcase than I can, but retrieving a certain item once we arrive at our destination is much more challenging if he packs.

Sheri, the extra plant is orange bulbine. Jim remembered you grew Aloe vera and bulbine can be used in similar fashion to treat burns, rashes and the like.
Bubbles is now officially a pollywog. She has a new ID and her own terrarium with a beach. The tadpoles of different frog and toad species look very similar, but identification becomes easier when they begin the transformation. Bubbles, at least, is a narrow-mouth toad. The "Hood" developing above her eyes leaves no doubt. . Narrow-mouth toads are dear to me. Their diet mainly consist of ANTS!!! No wonder Nadi had trouble making a positive ID. Despite the name, they aren't real toads or frogs and they can change their color like chameleons. They are terrestrial like true toads, but I don't mind them in the flower beds. They are nocturnal meaning they will be burrowed down in the sandy bottoms of their toad houses sleeping while I work. I know the Fowler toads are good to have in the gardens, but they have startled me more than once by jumping on my hands and arms while working.
We found some herbs on sale yesterday. I'd better get them in their new homes. Mk*

If "Bubbles" is "not a real toad or frog," will he/she be okay? I hear she's good in the garden, but will you be able to over-winter her?

Ray's horn case is the size of a carry-on bag but with extremely hard sides, normally contains a baritone size instrument. Currently contains a horn (think like a large trumpet, I guess) and 3 Amaryllis bulbs! Probably some other anon. stuff as well. He decided he couldn't go 6 months without this brass instrument and shoved all the other last minute additions in there too.

If Nadi's little pollywog pals don't start "singing" until they are mature, there is no reason they can't stay inside until March. If she is wrong and they call for reasons other than attracting mates....well....imagine sharing your home with a brace of long-winded ducks. That's about what 5 vocalizing eastern narrow-mouth pseudo-toads would sound like. (My guess is Nadi still wouldn't evict them. She would take their terrariums to her own micro-house....and sleep in the main building. lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YycGwHJTx5E
They could survive outside. I have no doubt. They burrow in all seasons. The smooth skin that keeps them from being classified as toads is super tough and mildly toxic. A predator would have to be incredibly hungry for NM toads to be on the menu.
The light dependent types here want to paint the main building and baby barn. I'm the only one who really likes warm, soft earth tones and my ability to discriminate between colors is down to almost nil. The others want a cooler, more neutral palette. Something that won't clash with any bloom or foliage color, but not white, gray or brown. Sage green and blue-green are at the top of the list. I have a problem visualizing the latter.
Nadi corrected me when I wrote "flock of ducks” above. That's the second time she has set me straight lately as to what a group of animals is properly called. I’d only heard "brace of ducks" used in medieval fantasy tales to describe what a hunter came back to the camp with for dinner. Never in reference to live ducks. Check this out. Would you honestly be willing to use some of these "proper" terms in your everyday speech? :-)
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm
Photos: Brugs still blooming happily despite the cold nights and something I don't remember planting. Smells like a mum. lol. We REALLY must get better about labeling and keeping records.

I always thought a brace of ducks was a pair. Like the hunter came back with a brace of ducks, one on each arm. But that was only inductive reasoning . I have no idea in truth.

Your mum is so pretty and bright! A lot of those types of flowers have similar smells, I wonder if it's the pyrethin? Did I invent that word?

You're probably right about "brace of ducks", Carrie. But, "paddle of ducks" sounded even stranger. As the resident bird aficionado on the thread, Sheri, can I get a pass allowing my feathered friends to gather in flocks? There should be some sort of exemption for the over-60 crowd who are amateur bird enthusiast.. (BTW, in case anyone ever need to know, a herd of unicorns is officially called a "blessing of unicorns."
Even if artificial retina technology becomes available and affordable in my lifetime, scent will remain a big part of gardening for me. The Argus II artificial retina has received FDA approval for people with RP (retinital pigmentosa) , but, so far, the vision obtained is in the gray scale. (Are any here old enough to remember black and white television?) With Nadi taking over Amargia and knowing her love for saturated color, no color perception could be a blessing. lol. She told me she is going to paint her interior private space ' Evil Queen Purple' from the Disney paint collection. It remains to be seen if she is jerking my chain or will actually do it. I wouldn't put it past her.

I received a pkg yesterday from Armagia. A lily bulb a bunch of what looks sort of like wild onion shoots but doesn't smell like them. What is the 2nd thing? Sun or Shade?? Thank you very much.
I remember B&W tv, guess that makes me officially old. Being over 60 does anyway I guess.
I feel older every day, especially the cold ones.

Sheri

I remember B& W tv. I remember watching The Wizard of Oz and my mom explaining, "now you can't tell, but the whole screen just changed to color!" Very tough to imagine.

Wow, I think I remember that too
tv was b&w so how could we imagine anything in color

We imagined real life! I remember real colors seem more vivid then....I'm thinking of one particular dress that was really bright. Of course it wasn't anything like these neon colors, which I don't care for, but girls wore not just pink; remember ladies? I had all kinds of colors.

Sheri, the plant that looks like green onions is orange bulbine. It's a very low care houseplant that has many of the same medical attributes as Aloe vera. (Sorry, I think I spelled it b-u-l-V-i-n-e in the other post.)
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/453/
You're lucky, Carrie. With your coloring, I bet you can wear any tint, shade or hue you feel like wearing. I didn't get much choice about what I wore as a child. My mother believed the "proper" colors for me were blues and greens. She and my elder sisters thought I was too ruddy skinned for pink. Then came independence and the psychedelic 60's. OMG!! Am I becoming my mother in the case of Nadi and her color choices?

When I dyed my hair) light golden brown) I looked really good in salmon, coral, brown, autumn colors. Well, I liked those colors best, anyway. Now that it is 40/60 grey/ash brown. I read on line that grey hair is flattered by real red, navy, black, white and grey, and pink, magenta and purple. I don't like any of those colors ,and more, I don't want to go out and buy new clothes in these new colors. Whine.

Kay or Jim--TY for the Bulbine...I will treasure it and put outside for the hummers to enjoy in the warm days - seasons. Oh and ty for the link on it also. Your place , Armagia, must be beautiful year round.

Sheri

This message was edited Nov 14, 2013 11:47 AM

I agree. I've always wished I could visit!

Hey, was somebody coming to Texas? DFW area? When? We should get together with Debra (lovemyhouse). We're leaving in May or maybe sooner. Now that we have officially decided to move back, we really want to get it over with!

Carrie, we will be coming to TX in January to visit my sisters. One lives on the lake near Bowie, a little north of you. Hope you are still there. If not, I'll try to visit you in MA next time I go to see my sister in Vermont. Are you planning to make a trip home for the holidays?
It's been a crazy year. I haven't been keeping up with my online friends very well. I've lost touch with Debra. I'll try to catch up with her on the other gardening website. Maybe, she will forgive my neglect if I take her out for a birthday dinner. Her b-day is in January, if I'm remembering correctly.
Sheri, Amargia received the bulbine at the Spring RU and it did beautifully here. I'm going to try establishing some in the ground in spring to see if I can get it to survive outside with mulch in winter as others have.
Amargia is a big mess at the moment between the heavy equipment of the tree cutting crew last week and the digging equipment of the crew that put in new field lines today. The septic system repair crew had to dig up several timber bamboos that were in the path of the new lines. They used their equipment to dig them up, but I'm on my own putting them back in the ground....somewhere. The crew boss said he wasn't concerned about the remaining bamboos and a weeping willow down slope damaging the new lines. He is a gardener himself so I will trust his judgment on the willow. Willows are gorgeous trees, but I've always heard they can cause problems with water lines and the like. We can't drive over the new field lines, however. That means we will have to change our driveway layout. A circular turnabout in the NE corner will replace the driveway circling the main building. . Fortunately, we hadn't done much in-ground gardening in the NE corner. I will try to convince some of the Generation Y kids home for the holidays that moving containers makes room for guilt-free second helpings of Thanksgiving dinner. ;-)
There was a frost last night. I'd better stash those bamboos somewhere warm before it gets dark

Yay for a visit. I AM in touch with Debra, although we have never actually met face-to-face. I don't know what our plans are but as far as I know, we have nothing scheduled for January. Are you traveling with dogs? Can we chip in for a birthday dinner for Debra?

No dogs. I'm taking a little vacation from the animals, as well as the garden.
Happy to share dinner expenses. lol. Do you think you can track down a good, accessible place to eat in the area?
I walked the property with Jim today to see what's what. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. But, I'm determined to get "a beautiful garden and the time to enjoy it," as one of the gardening design books I read recently is sub-titled. Planning and dreaming time. I'm not going to think too much about the work involved in adapting to all the changes....not while I'm still stiff and achy anyway.
I was afraid I would lose an American holly tree that was too big to even consider moving. I've seen them growing in sun in the mid-Atlantic states, but they are definitely an understory tree in this area. It turned out an exceptionally tall pine west of the holly will still provide it with protection from the afternoon sun. That was a pleasant surprise.
A gardenia was damaged in the tree removal, butt I think it will recover. Considering the size of the trees removed and the tight spaces the crew was working in, that is not a bad plant toll.

That's s totally reasonable amount of damage, Kay. Our Boston house probably suffered a bit while we weren't there to tend it lovingly. A Quck Fire hydrangea we moved from shade in back to sun in front seems to have been devoured by honeysuckle, a dogwood I got for mother's Day 2011 was devoured by porcelain-berry vine and the retaining wall fell down. We'll have to assess damage hen we actually get home. We are having some work done on the house, though, so we can work on the yard while THEY work on the house.

Ow-w-w, Porcelain vine. What a wicked beauty! Jim loves foliage plants and the color blue. I had a very hard time convincing him variegated porcelain vine wasn't a good idea. While kudzu eats up the south, porcelain vine will probably devour the remainder of the country.
Jim reminds me I don't have much room to talk about him and porcelain vine. I went temporarily gaga over a chocolate mimosa tree. Nadi and Jim hid the credit card until I came to my senses. The seeds of chocolate mimosa are allegedly sterile, but there is some debate over that and a mimosa produces many, many seeds.
I really liked the salt article, Carrie. You have a knack for making the complex understandable and fun to read.
Jim informed me last week our Thanksgiving get-together will be Tuesday and there will be 9 or 10 people at the table. and two or three overnight guest. I don't think my darling dearest fully understood what is involved in pulling such a party off successfully. He's getting a crash course.
Last week we didn't even have comfortable seating for everyone. We had given our over-sized couch away and hadn't replaced it yet. We've celebrated Thanksgiving in the garden before, but there is no guarantee it will be possible. The weather has been so odd this year. As of today, there is room for everyone both on the deck and indoors. Amazingly, Jim can still maneuver in his w/c. It did require moving my computer work station to the kitchen though. lol. 10 months out of the year I Prefer small-space, minimalistic living, The more house one has, the more house one has to clean and maintain. and, in my opinion, there are more interesting ways to spend one's time. But, making a minimalist approach work over the maxed out holidays is a real challenge.
I'm spending all day tomorrow in the garden where I am most assuredly not a minimalist. A plan for "how to have a beautiful garden and the time to enjoy it" is beginning to take shape.

Kay and Armagia, I know you know all this stuff but
http://blog.americanmeadows.com/2012/02/06/the-sensory-garden-smell-touch-look-and-listen/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=blog