Yesterday this accomodating butterfly just sat and posed and posed and posed. He is pretty tattered and had nearby competition from a huge preying mantis, but he won my shot of the day in the garden award. I just made that up. I have been very lax here, but the garden has totally gotten away from me.
To harvest tiny tomatoes and fiery peppers, I had to blindly reaching into huge walls of morning glories and feel around. Even finding my radicchio was a real challenge the other day. And good luck with the cukes...they are so intertwined with the dwarf fig that I have trouble spotting them, but at least they are up off the ground.
I know I should get out the morning glories especially before they go to seed again, but it is so hard as they are so beautiful, climbing and twining their way up the sunflowers and everything else in sight. Perhaps tomorrow morning I will try to photograph them with all the other competing plants. A real jungle.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Blooming Sanseveria
Usually at this time of summer, my houseplants are in need of some cleaning, trimming and general refreshment, but this plant suddenly decided to put on a show.
I have never seen a bloom on these good old standby houseplants which are usually tucked into dark spaces and are good for scrubbing air! This one is by a slider on the east side of the sun room so maybe that is why it decided to bloom like this. First tall tall spikes shot up, and then these very delicate flowers opened. It really is quite striking and rivals the nearby hoyas which are also blooming right now.
This one worries me a bit...makes me think of century plants whose bloom signals an end to the plant. We will see.
Other surprises in the garden...with the recent cool weather, the lawn in the new yard has been rejuvenated although I have had to water it. I am so conflicted about keeping a lawn, but the dogs just love it so, and it is so soothing on the eye on hot sunny days.
The acorns are starting to fall, joining all the ones split open by the squirrels...they are good sized and very noisy as they hit my metal roof. Some leaf clusters are dropping too, and that process will accelerate as we get into autumn...I expect that they will all be down before I leave for Panama at the end of November.
All the roses in both yards that rebloom are doing their thing, and the ice bergs in particular are very welcome in the evenings. The morning glories are glorious every morning...they have swamped the vegetable garden which wasn't doing much anyway. Weird weather this year...all the questions at the fair were about why people weren't getting their squash or tomatoes as in previous years. My stock answers were the cooler than usual night, and the higher than usual humidity in places near the water.
Two things gardener's can't control so maybe that helped them feel better.
I have never seen a bloom on these good old standby houseplants which are usually tucked into dark spaces and are good for scrubbing air! This one is by a slider on the east side of the sun room so maybe that is why it decided to bloom like this. First tall tall spikes shot up, and then these very delicate flowers opened. It really is quite striking and rivals the nearby hoyas which are also blooming right now.
This one worries me a bit...makes me think of century plants whose bloom signals an end to the plant. We will see.
Other surprises in the garden...with the recent cool weather, the lawn in the new yard has been rejuvenated although I have had to water it. I am so conflicted about keeping a lawn, but the dogs just love it so, and it is so soothing on the eye on hot sunny days.
The acorns are starting to fall, joining all the ones split open by the squirrels...they are good sized and very noisy as they hit my metal roof. Some leaf clusters are dropping too, and that process will accelerate as we get into autumn...I expect that they will all be down before I leave for Panama at the end of November.
All the roses in both yards that rebloom are doing their thing, and the ice bergs in particular are very welcome in the evenings. The morning glories are glorious every morning...they have swamped the vegetable garden which wasn't doing much anyway. Weird weather this year...all the questions at the fair were about why people weren't getting their squash or tomatoes as in previous years. My stock answers were the cooler than usual night, and the higher than usual humidity in places near the water.
Two things gardener's can't control so maybe that helped them feel better.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Oppps!
Oppps!
While digging a ditch to relocate current electrical lines underground, we found a little surprise.
Long ago, someone had put lines under ground, but not very deeply and not where one would expect. At least they were dead so now harm done. I will be sure to mark the new lines although they will be much much deeper.
At least this was not totally unexpected as I had already found a pipe sticking up from the ground that I couldn't move. On closer examination, we spotted wires in it and determined that they were dead. Probably had been used before the line was put up on the fence the way it is today. Or the way it was before the new line was put in today.
While digging a ditch to relocate current electrical lines underground, we found a little surprise.
Long ago, someone had put lines under ground, but not very deeply and not where one would expect. At least they were dead so now harm done. I will be sure to mark the new lines although they will be much much deeper.
At least this was not totally unexpected as I had already found a pipe sticking up from the ground that I couldn't move. On closer examination, we spotted wires in it and determined that they were dead. Probably had been used before the line was put up on the fence the way it is today. Or the way it was before the new line was put in today.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Checking me out!
One of the most intriguing aspects of gardening is that it bring you into the closest proximity with all sorts of insects, spiders, birds and other tiny items you might otherwise miss.
This fellow is a great example...I must have gone by this bush 20 times yesterday, and when I finally decided to deadhead some of the spent blossoms on this buddlehia, I came face to face with this guy.
If I didn't have to do indoor work this afternoon, I would be near my insect book and look him up.
This fellow is a great example...I must have gone by this bush 20 times yesterday, and when I finally decided to deadhead some of the spent blossoms on this buddlehia, I came face to face with this guy.
If I didn't have to do indoor work this afternoon, I would be near my insect book and look him up.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
A Real Custom Job!
The is where the electric line from the pump house ends up...from here it powers the creek pump and a hideous night sensor light. This "real custom job" as my electrician put it, is on it's way out...as soon as they can get here and start work!
Very by what we sometimes refer to as typical Lake County jobs, I think this one takes the cake.
It is vital that I be able to water my plants, but there must have been a different way to go about getting the power down to the pumps.
In the meantime, while trying to keep up with the original garden and all it's wants and needs, I am trying to undue two months of damage from sheer neglect, lack of watering and years of not taking care of plants properly.
Thursday we did a lot of summer pruning of the fruit trees, and I am trying to get up all the deadfall under the apples and pick the pears, which are ready right now for picking.
All the iris might be salvageable, and I will have to start work on those too.
The biggest job I have is deciding what kind of retaining wall for the pad that was left in the wake of the mobile home. It was completely protected from the weather but is just fill that has been sitting under the mobile for 30 years...one sloping side will really deteriorate this winter with rainfall, and just traffic from the dogs.
I am hoping to make contact with a distributor of Verdura, a cement wall block system that has space to plant small plants in each block. It sounds like a great green system. The website is Soilretention.com.
So now, by more than doubling my lot size, I have found that I have more than doubled my gardening workload, but oh, it is going to be fun, and the view from here makes it all worthwhile.
Very by what we sometimes refer to as typical Lake County jobs, I think this one takes the cake.
It is vital that I be able to water my plants, but there must have been a different way to go about getting the power down to the pumps.
In the meantime, while trying to keep up with the original garden and all it's wants and needs, I am trying to undue two months of damage from sheer neglect, lack of watering and years of not taking care of plants properly.
Thursday we did a lot of summer pruning of the fruit trees, and I am trying to get up all the deadfall under the apples and pick the pears, which are ready right now for picking.
All the iris might be salvageable, and I will have to start work on those too.
The biggest job I have is deciding what kind of retaining wall for the pad that was left in the wake of the mobile home. It was completely protected from the weather but is just fill that has been sitting under the mobile for 30 years...one sloping side will really deteriorate this winter with rainfall, and just traffic from the dogs.
I am hoping to make contact with a distributor of Verdura, a cement wall block system that has space to plant small plants in each block. It sounds like a great green system. The website is Soilretention.com.
So now, by more than doubling my lot size, I have found that I have more than doubled my gardening workload, but oh, it is going to be fun, and the view from here makes it all worthwhile.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Looking toward the pad from creekside
Finally the job was done...if you want to see all the deconstruction and devastation, you can go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/griswold64/, and look at the set titled Demolition.
The job it's self was so compelling to watch. Donald Epidendio was a real genius with that giant machine working almost entirely within the perimeter or footprint of the mobile. Everything was pulled inward where it was compacted before lifting up to the trucks. He was able to pluck out things like white appliances and steel frames that had to go to a different destination, and leave most of the concrete blocks intact. Really they did just a good jog.
The truck drivers, including Anthony Epidendio had to maneuver thru my narrow gate, around a giant oak tree and into position to be loaded. No easy task with those behemoths!
At one point, Donald put a chain onto Anthony's trailer and pulled the end of it sideways so it was just right. Amazing.
There was very minor to little damage to any existing plants, though one very old star jasmine which had been barely hanging onto an upright of the old awning, tumbled down last night all on it's own. I can't lift it but I am sure that Stuart and I will be able to get it into an upright position, or just grow it as a ground cover.
Again, the most amazing things are the things I never anticipate before moving something, whether it be a tree or a structure. I would think I would learn by now, but I am usually so focused on getting a scary job done that I don't think too far ahead about LIGHT!
There are some plants that might get too much light now, but in the case of my bay laurels, since it is all morning light, I won't worry. Other plants will probably benefit from the increased light, and for sure the Oak Tree will love having all that space cleared. I think I won't have to move out the asphalt to the north of the tree...those roots will be able to breath very well like this.
Now thanks to the Epidendio Construction Co., there is very little clean up to do...just a few random piece of glass. I had been worried about the fiberglass insulation but that is all gone. It was cleaned up so well. Sheer bliss.
When I look out my kitchen window there is a view that will take some getting used to...so I am not in any hurry to do much right now. Still have to wait for the power lines to be put underground out to the well and creek pump, then I can start on stairs down to the new yard from the high deck. Plenty of time for that.
The job it's self was so compelling to watch. Donald Epidendio was a real genius with that giant machine working almost entirely within the perimeter or footprint of the mobile. Everything was pulled inward where it was compacted before lifting up to the trucks. He was able to pluck out things like white appliances and steel frames that had to go to a different destination, and leave most of the concrete blocks intact. Really they did just a good jog.
The truck drivers, including Anthony Epidendio had to maneuver thru my narrow gate, around a giant oak tree and into position to be loaded. No easy task with those behemoths!
At one point, Donald put a chain onto Anthony's trailer and pulled the end of it sideways so it was just right. Amazing.
There was very minor to little damage to any existing plants, though one very old star jasmine which had been barely hanging onto an upright of the old awning, tumbled down last night all on it's own. I can't lift it but I am sure that Stuart and I will be able to get it into an upright position, or just grow it as a ground cover.
Again, the most amazing things are the things I never anticipate before moving something, whether it be a tree or a structure. I would think I would learn by now, but I am usually so focused on getting a scary job done that I don't think too far ahead about LIGHT!
There are some plants that might get too much light now, but in the case of my bay laurels, since it is all morning light, I won't worry. Other plants will probably benefit from the increased light, and for sure the Oak Tree will love having all that space cleared. I think I won't have to move out the asphalt to the north of the tree...those roots will be able to breath very well like this.
Now thanks to the Epidendio Construction Co., there is very little clean up to do...just a few random piece of glass. I had been worried about the fiberglass insulation but that is all gone. It was cleaned up so well. Sheer bliss.
When I look out my kitchen window there is a view that will take some getting used to...so I am not in any hurry to do much right now. Still have to wait for the power lines to be put underground out to the well and creek pump, then I can start on stairs down to the new yard from the high deck. Plenty of time for that.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Delicious tomatoes
Today is D-Day in the new addition to my yard and garden. I thought I would start the day with a photo of my tomatoes...it is rather awesome to consider that I am more than doubling the size of my gardening area though at this point, it is mostly lawn with a few trees, and a jungle on one side. Once the mobile home is demolished that is...
The tomatoes, esp. the Black Cherokees are small, nonstandard in size, slightly cracked, but amazingly delicious. The Costalutos are good, but not near as densely rich and wonderful as the Black Cherokee. Yum...I might have to buy a little package of peppered bacon so I can have a couple of bacon and tomato sandwiches before the summer is out.
The tomatoes, esp. the Black Cherokees are small, nonstandard in size, slightly cracked, but amazingly delicious. The Costalutos are good, but not near as densely rich and wonderful as the Black Cherokee. Yum...I might have to buy a little package of peppered bacon so I can have a couple of bacon and tomato sandwiches before the summer is out.
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