The Hackberry Tree and other stuff...

Oh, yes, I have dryer lint hanging from the tree in a net bag that had oranges in it. Done that for years. They fight over it.

That's a really good idea. Just now watching three wrens. They are such cute little birds until you find out they are pirates.Explains why their numbers are going up and the other birds are going down.

Raining again.

Raining here too. Again. I picked these iris up off the ground, couldn't bear to leave them there. came from my grandmothers' gardens.

So pretty and special. Before it started raining...again...I intended to take pictures of the hybrids I got from Mitch. They are truly breathtaking.

May have stayed out too long today. First time in the 4 weeks I have the crud and now I am coughing my head off again.

It has rained too much and soon there will be none at all.

I am anxious to see those blooms, Lou, but not anxious for you to start that cough... again.

The wrens sound very unpleasant. Nature isn't always very kind.
Could do with some rain here. Am pulling apart much of a perennial garden and replanting it. Having to use a hose to water as I do a section.
Love the iris, Sharon.
Look after yourself, Christi.
Keep adding things to my 'will never grow again list', JoAnn. As I've been complaining, have dug up at least, hundreds of puschkinia and chionodoxa (blue) bulb-plants over last week - in three gardens. Am having to pull apart perennials in one garden, in part, to get these bulbs out. Funny thing is I planted the puschkinia and chionodoxa after I heard about them at a lecture. I should really be sueing the speaker.

What a job!!!

But we're tough! (I think)
Off to fight the good fight.

Ha!!! I just won the battle with the house wrens.

I watched them this morning while I was weeding nearby. My presence did not a thing to deter them, even when I stood and moved around the garden. They were happily stuffing the bluebird house with sticks, long ones, building a false nest since all they were using were those sticks. So.....I walked myself over to the bluebird house, and all the time those annoying little creatures were calling me names. I could hear them, just over my right shoulder on the branch behind me.

I took the nails out of the bluebird house, and removed the front cover, made in such a way so that the old nests can be cleaned out after the babies leave. Inside, towering over the original nest were stacks of sticks...multiple sticks. I could see ants in the bottom too, possibly because the eggs had been destroyed. I didn't clean it out yet, I just left the cover off, displaying their handiwork for the world to see.

They jabbered, yelled and screamed little bird curses, but then they went away, and I wish, never to return. I am going to leave the cover off for awhile, letting the wretched ants escape, and hoping it leaves a message to the silly wrens to move on. Then I'll clean it out and move it as far away from the house as I can get. I hate to do that, but I hate the wretched wrens even more.

What we do in the name of justice.
You go girl!

I certainly second JoAnn's sentiments.
Well done Sharon. Mouthy little psychos aren't they?

Every 2 seconds, they mouth. I timed them. Shrieking just behind my ear. And those little throat muscles just bellowing. I wanted to smack their little faces, but restrained myself.

Remarkable and commendable restraint.
Actually weeds aren't so bad, because (1) they don't mouth off and (2) you can do them in.

Chuckle, Charlie. I am glad you said that. I haven't laughed today till now!

Good to laugh, Sharon.
Local horticultural society has their annual plant sale this weekend.
Sure you know - it can be a good place to get certain perennials (phlox, globe thistle, primulas, etc.). Tend to get the kind of plant that has proven useful over time. Don't tend to get invasives, though it helps to be able to recognize invasives if necessary. Only really buy named cultivars now, but always interesting to go.

I wish we had something like that around here, but there are no organizations locally that have much interest in plants. I think sometimes about trying to start a plant group/club or something, because there are lots of lovely gardens around, but I think I might be alone in my efforts.

Take your camera with you, Charlie, so we can enjoy it with you.

I will Sharon.
After that will go to Merlin's Hollow and help my friends sell the plants that payed for the materials for their 3/4 acre garden. The garden has four open days in year (this will be the first one) and has a herbaceous perennial garden, an alpine garden, small pond system, fragrant garden and knot garden. The plants sold are either from the garden or raised from seed by David. The seed comes from international botanizing expeditions which people can pay into to sponsor. He grows plants from northern areas with climates like ours, e.g. Siberia, the Baltic, parts of U.S. and parts of Japan, Korea and China. David is a horticulturalist, landscape architect (retired) and environmentalist and a very interesting person. As you would suspect, a lot of what I know about gardening, I've learned from him. Will see how my camera does there.

Oh wow! Wish I could see that too.
I hope you enjoy every bit of it.

Thanks Sharon,
Let you get some sleep,
Charlie

Enjoy your tomorrow, Charlie...I am looking forward to hearing all about it.
And remember, I don't waste much time sleeping, so not a problem.

Computer - not so good - having trouble again. Have been disconnecting attachment devices, to try to locate the source of the problem - next thing will be the modem and internet access (will do this week - probably Friday). Had to reboot the thing about four times this morning. Last step will be to take the computer, mouse and power cable in to store together. At least am learning more about computers. Should have problem fixed within a week of next Monday. Store thinks there is nothing wrong with the hardware.
Sale day is Saturday - will know by then whether can use card reader.
Hope all having good weather. In our case could do with some rain - some
areas of gardens beginning to look a bit dry - seems early to need to water.

You all remember the Ice Storm of the Century, right...just a few short months ago. Well...no ice this time, but boy did we have a storm. My already naked trees shed a few more limbs. And I will be playing pick up sticks... again.

And we are under a tornado watch for the remainder of the day. Good grief. It is like this all over the yard, front, back, sides. I am so tired of cleaning my yard. And I thought my house was going to blow away. Sad.

I had moved my house plants outside. They were all over the deck. It has taken me all morning to pick up, clean up, and re pot. Only one small (3') ficus was damaged, though...the other bigger ones were just traumatized a little.

But the irises are on the ground. Again.

What a downer Sharran I am so sorry about the Irises.

Certainly second JoAnn's sentiments about iris.
Glad only minimal damage to house plants.
See you have a brick divider between the lawn and the flower bed. Probably saves edging? Is the yellow the euphorbias?
What is in the bed in front of the yellow?
What's the little tree in the bed?
Sorry for all the questions Sharon, but interested to see what you're growing.

Meant to ask JoAnn,
What's your cat's name?
Know Sharon has Jazz and Daisy.
We have Buddy - we also call Buddy other things when he eats my plants and is then sick on the carpet!

Well, just picked up some major limbs, still storms predicted, but tried to get what was down away from plants. And winds are still blowing.

Don't apologize for asking gardening questions, Charlie, glad to talk about my gardens. The bed you see, edged in brick and stone contains iris, the dread euphorbia, and in front daylilies. It is sort of my nursery in front. When I root cuttings or try new things, I put them there because it is just off my back deck. It needs to be weeded again since the rains seem never to stop.

The small tree is the magnolia I started a few years ago from seed. When we had the ice storm it was knocked down by a bigger limb, and froze to the ice. When I finally got the big limb off it, it popped right back up and now has new growth on it. It is very resilient.

At the top left you can see the edge of another bed, which contains iris, daylilies, and roses. It is a pretty large bed, but can't tell you the exact size. It keeps expanding.

You might not appreciate the assymetry of my flower beds, they just seem to evolve, and sometimes they don't stop.

Here is a photo of the magnolia when it was frozen to the ground, I think. I can't see it very well to know. Could be the wrong one. This was about a week after the storm.

If you look to the left of the lattice and the bluebird house, you'll see the magnolia with the limb over it. Stayed that way till I got help with the limb.

Here it is now with new growth.

Thanks Sharon
Thought those might be the euphorbias.
And those are daylilies - never used to use them, until the lily beetle hit the
oriental lilies - have really got to like daylilies, which I started using in earnest last year.- can't wait to see how they've survived our winter.
Don't have much experience with magnolias - awefully pretty; the only one that is truly hardy in our zone are star magnolia, but others do well in the right spot. Have a 'Dr Merrill' in our garden. Thought could see that leathery sort of leaf that magnolias have - very pretty, even when not in flower.
I'm not one for symmetrical lines - but I suppose planting in 3s, 5s, etc. is about that.
Seasonal contrast very interesting.
Bit frustrating re our card reader - not on: will get some pictures on soon- we now have lots of lungbanes, primulas, anenomes, some barenworts, etc. in flower. Virginia blue bells just coming into bloom. It really strikes me how small (low to the ground) the plants of May are, compared to those of July.

I love bluebells. Barenworts, I am not sure I know. Will have to do a search on that. Maybe I just don't know it's name.

Sharon - I mis-spelled it - barrenwort - 2 'r'. - Epimedium

Think what bumblebees are visiting is red barrenwort, which is in flower. -Epimedium rubrum (x). Have several different hybrids - are partial shade and groundcover plants - is clump-forming (just perfect!) - in this one, the leaves turn red in colder weather.
We also have English bluebells - but they flower much later (I think June).

you just have to send pictures, Charlie.

Had to rescue my blue iris off the driveway...makes me so angry.

But the roses made it fine through the storms...

Is this it, Charlie? Or close to it?
Beautiful little plant.

I found this picture in Plant Files.

That's it Sharon. Just went outside with a flash light to check. I love it when one can be certain. I also keep all plant labels - usually have pictures (have for perhaps ten years) and have them filed. Still can't always be sure when have very similar forms of a species or hybrid. Think 'heritage' is a very useful term when you have an older, tried and true cultivar (e.g. of iris or phlox), but don't know the names. Have been keeping little maps, over last
several years: occasionally also plant cultivars in alphabetical order.
Have just been checking a cowslip type primula, on line and outside with flash light. Just realized can take a bit to Merlin's Hollow tomorrow.
You really have beautiful irises - what a great range of colors - also lovely rose. Just noted today we have a yellow dwarf iris in bloom.
Been having to identify computer problems by not using attachment devices, but will use card reader (pictures) tomorrow.

I hope you have a good time tomorrow.

I have an upcoming article some time later on cowslips, it is a bit funny, because the name conjures an unusual image. As a child, I heard it as cow's lips.

I call all my iris 'heirloom', mostly because they are old and were given to me by older folks who are no longer here. I could try to find their names, but that is hard to do when so many look alike and yet when you check their 'birth' date, you find you have had it longer that it has been around.
The sky blue one, for example. It is my newest one, and the only one I have a name for, but during the ice storm, I lost most of my markers, so now I only remember it is something like "Kentucky Girl".

Storms again tonight. I am so tired of storms.....aaarrrrgggghhhh. Electrical, too.

Have quite a few 'heirloom' irises myself - in circumstances you refer to.
Have a pretty medium sized yellow and brown iris from Carol's grandmother's cottage, near Timmins, On (way up north). She and her husband were Americans who settled up there (husband the chemist for the Hollinger Gold Mine). Pretty wild country, but they loved the cottage on the lake).
Spent ages trying to identify one iris (as I think I said) - got to admit, it's not worth it.
Look forward to your article; know cowslips have a long history (e.g. Shakespeare) and were important in folklore and folk medicine). Reasonable, for a child to make sense of the word.
Sorry about storms - hope all well.
Will be in touch tomorrow.

Here's a yellowish/brown, an old old one. Similar??

Electrical storm, no rain just tons of lightning and thunder. Had my cats scurrying for cover. They have not come back from their hiding places yet either.

It's been a while since I wrote the article on cowslips, but think I probably included it's legend and lore, usually my pattern, if I have a pattern.

So now that I have finished with the thunder storm..think I can sleep in the quiet. It was so loud earlier, and there were sirens (our city uses them as a warning for storms, even at midnight!) that I knew there would be no sleep in that noise.

You all have a good tomorrow!

Hi Charley
I have two Tabby cats(brothers) Ben and Jerry.
I live w/ my DD and SIL and they have a Gray Tiger Angel.
Sharran the wreckage of the TBI's is really sad,glad you could get some cut flowers from the blast.

This is Jerry he follows me where ever I go.Wish he could handle a spade.
What good is a cat anyway LOL

Ahhhhh, JoAnne, my sleepless friend. Cats are good for the soul, you know. Lovely landscape you have there behind Jerry.

You must like ice cream!