Bonnie, I wonder if a bush line across the front fence would prevent some of that from blowing in? Like a snow fence for sand. :)
Two years........ still not active!
MM, my whole front fence is covered with confederate jasmine and thats close to old pond and I'm sure leaves from that probably blow in plus leaves from all the other plants that surround ponds. I'll just use the vacuum more often. Heck the leaves from oak trees haven't started droping yet now that really is a bunch. I will go on dip netting them off. Have never had any acorns drop yet so thats good.
Oberon we sure do use anti-freeze in Fl. It's in all of our farm equipment and cars.
We do on occasion dip down to 27 degrees some nights. Luckily it doesn't usually last too long. Thats how we lost all of our orange trees in this area. Now south Fl. has more citrus than we do. 3 years of back to back freezes did it. Replanting costs a fortune and takes a few years for a tree to produce anything worth picking.
I still miss our hamlin trees which were juice fruit. We turned it all into pastutre and have a few cows. Has to remain Aggri. for tax purposes.
MerryMary, tangerines are droping but they aren't ripe yet. Will keep a check on them and let you know if that tree has anything good enough to eat on it.
Very nice, elfenqueen, looks like alot of work!
I have one fourth of that Dunk left that you sent me, it worked very well. I was even able to only use a fourth at a time in my fountain. There's that little bridge like mine, only yours is more in use than mine is, I don't have any water!
gone from computer oh so very long, sure was nice to come on and see all these interesting post.
shortleaf...... I had hoped the dunks worked as well for you as they do me. wonderful.... and no more gripping from roomy I hope?
Looking forward to spring.... won an auction for 10 yards of screened top soil YAHOO... delivered when I say.... so glad it all gos down hill!
hope to be back soon
HAPPY NEW YEARS ALL
Congratulations EQ, that's what I'd call a great win. Top soil here costs a fortune. I top dress my gardens with old manure I have piled out back. Fl. soil is just sand so it really needs it more often than I do it.
I'm sitting here watching 2 little titmouse taking turns in my bird bath. I'm also waiting for the eastern bluebirds to make an appearance. We have 3 nesting boxes up and last year all were used. We had a large purple martin given to us one year for Christmas and nothing has ever used it so I'm giving it back as my dgt. and her husb. in N. Fl. get them by the ton. Might be because they live in a swampy area and have more mosquitoes for them to eat. I see 2 Carolina wrens and sometimes they make a nest out front. Hope they do this year. One bird I can always rely on coming is doves. They are on the feeders every day along with cardinals and blue jays. Hope others enjoy the birds like I do. I keep 3 feeders plus 2 birdbaths for them at all times.
Take care all and those in the cold climates think spring.
Happy New Year to all also.
Only have seen 1 little dove today even though I filled all their seed tray. I think they are all out in the woods seeking cover from the cold.
Temp is dropping rapidly. Supposed to be down to 26 early morning. I hope weather men are wrong.
I hope the weather men are wrong too.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the weathermen are wrong too! I know a lot of people laugh at the fact that we'll be in our 20's, which if I was still living in Ohio, I probably would too....but they don't understand that we are a tropical region. So a freeze breaks our pipes, kills our landscaping, harms our tropical animals, and causes the rest of the nation to NOT have oranges, orange juice, strawberries, ferns, gladiolous, and most tropical "anything" you'd like for several years to come. I talked to my friend up in Atlanta today, and they've already closed the schools for tomorrow. Remember, any moisture and none of us south of the Mason-Dixon have snow plows or salt or anything else. That's why I'm very compassionate when I see the 100 degree temps up north, I GET it! It's the opposite of what we always deal with, but it's an extreme that that particular region can't deal with.
Hopefully this freeze for us will be short and without much issue. I know the rest of you up north are going through an abnormally cold week too! I feel for all of you! Be safe!
Seems crazy that yesterday I was in the pond fixing a place for fish to hide and fixing a few fallen in rocks. It's about 8:30AM here now and its 33.
Don't think I'll go wading today.
Just made me some oatmeal w raisins and applesauce. Yum and warm.
Strawberry growers were out this morning on news getting sprinklers set up to put water to freeze on plants to protect them. I had to laugh when announcer said Lake County had 10,000 acres of citrus to protect. I remember when we had much more than that little bit. I still miss our little grove of 15 acres.
M. Mary I'm watching the few tangerines on tree for you and will check them come Feb. to see if any are sweet enough to eat. I sure wish we still had our naval tree as they are my favorites. And of course the most expensive to buy. They just aren't ripe enough when you buy them even at roadside stands. They are picked too green. I used to order Color Add and the gas to use on oranges to give them that lovely orange color that people in the north see in their stores. The gas sweetens them up the color makes them beautiful. I used to work in a fruit packing house office. Our grove was hamlins which is juice fruit so all they had to pass was a sweetness test. They sure were good when fully ripe. I used to squeeze our own juice all the time. Always held out a couple of trees when the pickers were here so we would have some. My kids say they still miss it.
Funny thing you mention gas for the fruits, Bonnie. My MIL lives in Watertown NY (Siberia if you ask me) She told me that she does not buy peaches because they are gased and very hard. She had not had a fresh peach in ages. I had never known that - I had always taken it for granted and bought bushels of peaches when the Pennsylvania peaches came in and made jam, cobblers and froze them too. Makes you wonder
I have been in FL when the oranges have come into season. There is nothing better - they are as good as the fresh peaches! What I never did have when I was in your neck of the woods was the fresh red grapefruit. Love the things. I peel them and eat them like oranges.
When are you supposed to warm up?
You are sure right about fruit here. If you leave it on the tree until about March then they are really ripe and delicious. Ruby red grapefruit is the best. I miss our grove.
We did warm up but Charlie says its going down again so I will definitely watch the weather tonight. Hope it waits until tomorrow as I don't have anything covered or potted stuff brought in. I think I get slower every year. Hard to keep up with mother nature.
Is your pond all iced over now? I know you miss your fish but spring will come.
How is hubby doing?
Bonnie
Bonnie
I never saw the ice on the pond as thick as this year. I saw where the temps are all supposed to go down again. I am so over this.....
Missing my pond.....
Carolyn keep your chin up. Spring is just around the corner. Your pond is so beautiful.
Dropped down to -19 last night holding at +3 so far today.
hope everyone is safe and warm (somehow) me? I've been staying in. have only gone out for groceries and a rare few karaoke shows.
waiting to have a talk with that groundhog oh so very soon
THINK SPRING
You're right Bonnie. I never tire of seeing pictures of Carolyn's pond. It is my ideal I think.
oh... how nice, Mary. Thank you.
Wish I could be sitting by my pond now.
Been at friends ranch again for 2 days. Didn't see any deer but about 25 wild turkeys.
Kept her fireplace going all day and evening. Couldn't ride out today cause rainy and too cool to ride around in a golf cart.
Been told N. Fl. is getting snow flurries. Thank God it hasn't come down this far though in some rare occasions past years I have seen it. Kids go bonkers and think its wonderful.
Elfin your stream is just beautiful can't wait to see it running and I'm sure you are anxious too.
Carolyn, THINK SPRING
I haven't fed my fish for 3 days. Water temp is just too low. Big fish in larger pond are just laying on the bottom. Guess they are warmer. Smaller fish in old smaller pond are zipping around like usual.
I know you all up north will enjoy spring soon.
Well, the worm is turning and the temp is dropping. Down to 20 today from 29 yesterday. Pond is frozen up again. Hope this at least means that the temp will be going up for you all.
Can't say I am not welcoming warmer weather - just I hate to see you freezing Mary.
And this too shall pass... at least it seems to each spring. :)
In the 50's here today but dreary drizzly bone chilling rain. No sun for about 5 days how sad.
I've been inside catching up on mending and some sewing projects. I'm getting cabin fever. Oh for some sun.
Forecast -tomorrow up in the 70's and Sun 80's. Sure will have to change to make it up that high but it's possible.
Been studying up on raising water lilies. Found some wonderful videos on how to pot them up.
No wonder I killed the 3 I had. Mitsy sent me some from NY and brought some down here wither (bless her heart). Bought 1 from fish farm. They are too expensive to kill. I'll find someone that is raising them around here and try again. Before I do I'll get the proper pots or washtubs and proper fertilizer and clay, loamy soil. One place said no manure so I'll not use that. I'll do further research before I buy any more.
Here is the video I was watching plus some others near it. Hope I copied this down right.
http://www.ask.com/youtube?q=Caring&for&water&lillies&V=bzsu87uni7&qsrc=472 if anyone is interested in potting instructions.
Stay warm all
Texas Water Lilies has some really good info also
http://texaswaterlilies.com/
And their prices are really cheap. Even to get up here in Alaska. Big plants in zip log bags.
Once the weather gets warmer, I'll give you a start of my purple one, Tina. They are very easy to grow, and develop new plants from the center of their leaf, so there's less stress about potting them up. :)
MM -
we tried a tropical waterlily once and the koi thought it was candy and ate it down to nothing. Do you have this problem with the tropicals? They never touch my hardy waterlilies. What do you do to prevent this?
The purple tropical I have works in very very shallow water....so I usually nuzzle it between other things. Occassionaly I lose a leaf or 2, but it never goes all the way to the heart of the plant, which is extremely prolific. The bees love it too, so I end up with seeds sinking to the bottom. We've had some freezing/close to freezing temps over the last week or 2, and it's still blooming anyway.
MM
Mine was in the bottom of the pond with the rest of the waterlilies. Maybe trying them in the bogs would make all the difference.
Thanks
this is what I see today.........
and the kitchen garden where my 1 fish and 2 waterlilies are being held over, outdoor pond is very shallow!
MM, is that was is called valiferous or something like that. Gets a plantlet like kolanchoes.
This time I'm going to be prepared with proper container, fertilizer tabs, clay to mix with top soil from yard.
Read all the info. on Texas water lily site. Good stuff.
Also, watched videos from another water garden site. I'll keep them in tub until I see if they live and then get a protector bag so they can go into small pond. Big one doesn't get enough sunlight for them. Says 6 to 8 hrs. needed.
Elfen: Beautiful view-----from here. LOL
Temps in the 80's here today. Next Wed. supposed to take a dive down again. Crazy weather.