Your Neck of the Woods 2015 Part "Deux"

We will continue here! Oops! Forgot to say, We came from here!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1385502/#new

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 10:29 AM

yehudith, I agree that some displays are inaccurate in their use of plants, and only looking for the WOW! effect. One of the things I judge a display on is their correct usage of the plants. I allow for seasonal disparity, but not much else. I abhor the use of tropicals as filler in displays. If a tropical is used it should be used as an accent or focus plant, not passed as a part of a natural display.

I got the whole house open to air it out. It's only 50*F in the shade but feel like 75*F. There is hope spring is on it's way.

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 2:29 PM

I dislike 'junkyard' gardens as well. They are quite distasteful IMO. There is a house not too far from ours that has a toilet, sink, and bathtub in their garden. The porcelain is all pink too. It's pretty bad. What's worse is that it's a nice house too but the garden totally detracts from the home.

I think garden junk, like distressed furniture, has to be offset by attention to neatness and cleanliness all around, otherwise you look like a dump. Which is why I cannot succeed with either- the need for neat and clean...I can't do it

Ric, entered both of our names in a drawling at the York Flower Show and surprise surprise I won! We got a yard cart full of things and a $300 gift certificate from a local landscaper.
The garden cart is really something, you can use the handle or hook it up to the garden tractor and it dumps, too. It was filled with 2 cases of bottled water, bird feeder with 25lb bag of seed, humming bird feeder with bottle of food, a weather station temp and rain gauge, garden seat, long handled loppers, adjustable folding rake, hand tools, hand soap and a children's set Micky Mouse kneeing pad with plastic garden tools. Cart and all I'm thinking about $500 worth of stuff plus the $300 Landscape gift card. I seriously can't remember the last time we won anything of real value. Maybe I should go by a lottery ticket. LOL

Congrats, youse guys!!!!

RUT ROH!!!! I'm in trouble. Remind to cover my pink toilet that is in the garden when you come. Hehehehe!!

WOW, Holly and Ric!!

What are you going to use the landscaping gift card on? Do you have a project in mind?

No idea at all and I don't think $300 will go far but if nothing else we can have them come and toss mulch.

Wow Holly and RIc, that's awesome, congrats!!

The snow melt is a time to watch for microclimates. Even after these days above freezing , and the rain, we still have some snow on the yard where bare tree branches cast some shade most of the day. The ground must be very cold there still. Yet back by the vegetable area and shed, it melted soonest, where it gets morning shade, afternoon sun, and sun reflected by fence and shed.

I like watching the microclimates too. There are a few places where I have the same spring bulbs planted and they all bloom at different times. It extends the bloom season.

It was a beautiful day. Ric and I took Alfie out for a ride in the truck, to look at the local streams. They were all running high. There were some kayakers that had just come down this stream. So sorry I missed seeing them run the rapids.

That's a beautiful stream. I think it's so relaxing to watch streams like that.

Most of the snow has melted - the only big patches are where it was piled up - and the ground is really, really soggy and muddy.

That is a beautiful stream!!!!

Stream envy!!

Yes, it is. There is a pool on the other side of the bridge we are standing on a fav of the locals for swimming in the summer. Here is the same shot taken last week covered in ice and snow with not near the water level. Ric says it is a class 3 at flood stage, I called Josh and said that he should get his kayak out there. He said he thought about it but decided to wait till Sunday when he can go with Courtney. They will be on another creek it will be a very swift run but not so narrow and rocky.

The snow here is melting so quickly it resembles a slooow tide going out. It is so soupy out there and will remain so until the ground frost melts and it can soak in. I may just take a shovel to the garden to see how much frost is left in a couple areas.

Class 3 rapids; they must be pretty good kayakers! I have kayaked in flat water, but the one and only time I tried kayaking in rapids (normally class 1, I think), I flipped over immediately and had to do an emergency exit because I was wearing a kayaker's "skirt". It was humbling because my oldest daughter said that's where they taught newbies how to navigate rapids. In my defense, the water level was higher and the rapids were faster than normal : - )

Hey you were willing to get out there and try, BIG points for that.

Thanks! Fortunately, I was able to swim away from the rocks, even though I was holding onto my paddle with one hand because my DD told me not to let go of it. I asked afterwards why I had to hang on to it, and she said it was because they could always retrieve the kayaks, but they had to buy new paddles when people dropped them.

LOL, Your life or your paddle.
Josh was out ocean kayaking when he had no business being out there. A guy weekend at the beach all with their kayaks, big waves, big jock's. LOL
He got tossed, was having trouble keeping afloat because he didn't have his vest zipped up tight. Struggling in the water won't let go of this new paddle. Finally figured out that he needed to get his vest tightened up and then finally did make it to shore paddle in hand.

Ha ha!! Funny only because he made it out okay.
That same daughter is kayaking and rafting in the Grand Canyon right now; she and a bunch of friends are doing this trip: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/114/
I'll be glad when they're off the river!

This message was edited Mar 12, 2015 8:45 PM

What a great adventure.
It took him a long time to get back to shore and his friends said your Mom would have been having a fit if she was here and he told them "No, she knew I had my vest and I would eventually float in". He told me that when he was first struggling in the water he remembered what I always told him "Panic Kills" and he took a deep breath and started to figure out why he was having trouble staying afloat. Once he got his vest tighten up it was all ok and he knew that he could get into shore.

thank heavens for the vest!

Always a vest and most of the time a helmet. You can't figure your out what you need to do if you're knocked silly. The white water vest also serves as a chest protector although it is designed to float you face up. We had a friend seriously injured when he was struck in the chest by his boat while doing WW. The told him his heart had been badly bruised by the impact.

Holly, it's a good thing you taught him that saying!
I'm sure I had a life vest on, and I probably had a helmet. I was swimming on my stomach at first, but I was gulping down too much water and decided I might drown if I didn't turn over.

All my children and Grands have grown up around water. They are all good swimmers and have a really good knowledge of water safety. They see all creeks, rivers, lakes and ocean as a playground but they really do respect the power of water.

Not really gardening but a little haiku for today:

Once in a lifetime
It’s three point one four one five
Pi for everyone.

ah, excellent!!!!!!!!!

I love peach pie. And blueberry.

Library was trying to plan something for kids today, but it's a hard concept to play with. I don't work today so I don't know if they came up with anything. I was thinking, we could take paper plates for the crust, and various wedges of construction paper for fillings. Build your own pi (e)

The National Cryptologic Museum is open from 9-12 with activities today, but no pie (they did have donuts). Really a lot of people here.

that's great! that you have lots of people there.

Happy Pi Day!

I've been sick as a dog for days now, so no pie baking for me. But I'm feeling just well enough to head out and get myself a pie from the local bakery. :)

Oh, SS, hope you feel better after some PI e.

I spent the morning at a great gardening seminar. It was all about Veggie Gardening, called the Edible Landscape, He talked about using Veggies, Fruits & herbs in your flower beds, using them as ground covers & hedges. Really incorporating them into your landscape. The second talk was about garden pests.
George Weigel the speaker is well know in the area, is a garden columnist for the Hbg newspaper and much more.
This is his website, http://www.GeorgeWeigel.net

Sounds like a great plan

Am I the only one who didn't realize it was Pi day?! Clever haiku, Catbird!

ssg, I'm glad to hear you're feeling a little better.

That sounds like an interesting seminar, Holly. I grew a few herbs in my garden last year - dill, basil and parsley - and agree that they can be attractive in the right spot. The first two fit in particularly well.

Thank you! I do wish I could sleep better, though. I'm up at 4 am again...

I do like herbs in the landscape. Purple fennel in particular can look really pretty.

Culinary herbs in the landscape not only add interest, many attract butterflies and beneficial insects as well that hang around and eat your pests.

It also makes them harder for the bugs to find them.

Presumably you mean the pest bugs. Good point I omitted Holly. The volatile oils of the usually aromatic herbs mask to more subdued scent of the pest target plant, helping hide it. Applies to deer as well as pest insects. Most deer avoid aromatic plants.