Garden Projects 4 - 2010

or UPS?

I'm not picky.

Bill your shrooms look terrific. And the birdbath and birdhouse is too cute. Oh sorry meant really nice. Voles/field mice can do a job over winter specially if there is a nice blanket of snow for them. Occasionally they get something here but usually they are the ones that get got by the hawk.
Patti hope you can set a new date to visit. At least you can get those nasty weeds gone, not so much fun though I know.

Got some garden stuff in before cleaning the house (yuck!). Planted J. iris, astilbe and some lilies. Sprayed the peach tree with neem oil.

Here's my front bed expansion in progress

Victor, is that what we should do with the peach tree now? Any special advice? Do we wait until it has finished flowering? Patti

This is the first year I plant to a whole program of spraying, Patti. Too many disease problems in the past. Fungicide is first. Have to check the rest.

My project right now is to get the beds cleared of weeds....they are horrible this year, because I dug out many plants last year, didn't mulch the beds, so I got zapped with weeds. Am trying to visualize what will go into the old bed, I know I need another rose, but other than that...?....

I have a plethora of dandyia lionus this year too! This is my latest brilliant idea ^_^ I now have 2 native red squirrels (about the size of chipmunks) who spiderman down the shed wall to drink from the bird bath so I had to move the hummer feeder cuz knowing DG birders said the hummers wouldn't like that right beside the feeder (kiss, kiss DG birders). SO I have moved my hummer feeder. I put the giant red bow that I wear on my head for the Wakening of the Dahlias Festival and other joyous occassions on the top so they would know for sure where the feeder is. 'Here little hummers, here little hummmers..."

O this is where the hummer feeder was before and I am going to move the bird bath to the back of the shed and move the hummer feeder back next year cuz that is the premo spot for a hummer feeder in my garden.
edit: O this pic is from early June not now although I know that you know that ^_^

This message was edited Apr 23, 2010 6:46 PM

I have a ton of those dollar store bows from christmas.. why didn't I think of that.. brilliant you are!!!!!

Love the shed, D-nut. I'm only surprised that I can't see any dahlias!

Ya we gotta get with the program onewish. I have heavy competition from the nearby Bird Sanctuary. No dahlias in that bed SongsofJoy cuz not the right light conditions. Thanks for thinkin Dahlias ^_^

So happy - finally got the stream going! It's a little behind schedule this year because darling husband thought there was a leak in the seam under the big waterfall so he moved all the rocks (killing 2 astilbes and several irises in the process), ripped apart the liner and, after realizing how hard it was to tear the seam apart, declared that it probably wasn't leaking afterall!! I love that man!

At any rate, it's water under the bridge now. I was never really happy with the rock placement in the the big waterfall, so it was a good excuse to fix it up. Not done setting the rocks yet, but already I like it better. Will post before and after pics when it's done.

Great to hear the refreshing is working. Some times a man has to do what a man has to do (especially when it's backbreaking and we can't do it). Sorry to hear about the astilbes and iris though :(

Haven't started my water going yet.

Saw my first hummer this week....she darted by me while I was walking out the front door....she could have been sipping from the pink heather.

Oh, good for you!!! I haven't seen any yet, but I'm ready.

really stretching the mulch, basically spreading it by hand on all the established beds - will not need another 10 yards - maybe 4 or 5.

My son dropped off 10 bags of mulch....can't wait to see it come into the house on my dale's kinky fur, but the weeds will be worse if I don't use it.

another 10 yards???.. that's a lot of mulch

Bill, your shrooms are fantastic! I love them! I want some, too. I'm jealous!

Cousin Nut, oops, I planted my dahlias today without checking you post first. Have no idea how warm the soil is now, but I'm sure it's not up to 60 yet. Oh, well, I'm sure they'll be fine. Will just take a little longer, I guess. I got Strawberry Ice, Star's Favorite and another I don't know the name of, cause I lost the tag. I put them in my pink themed bed, behind the DL's, as I'm sure they'll get taller than them and bloom later, too.

You guys have been busy, busy! I got a lot of stuff potted up for selling last weekend, and got my 'dry' garden bed all cleaned up. Today I did a lot of weeding, besides planting those dahlias, and I spread some mulch and did some edging. Busy, busy, myself!

Karen

thx karen!!

The hummer feeders have to come out, if I dont do anything.

No hummers here but a few feathered friends have been visiting.

"Lady, what do you want? We're eating!"

"A sideview, profile shot for my Portfolio? Why didn't ya say so!"

This one is not afraid of me either.......

I miss having the feeders up

:(

nice shots Celeste!!

This was through the very dirty slider doors, but thank you. I have a downy woodpecker and a hairy woodpecker out there now tapping. I think one of the suet feeders is empty.....must be the fruit & nut one again. They like it better than the peanutbutter one!

Had to edit...said french doors but got rid of them 2 years ago.....not enough coffee!

This message was edited Apr 25, 2010 7:06 AM

Nice shots - love the "lady, what do you want" one. How do you keep the chipmunks and squirrels out of those feeders? I gave up feeding the birds - too much of a battle with the chipmunks. :(

All I have to do is whisper - squirrel and the dogs go charging. Last year the 11 year old caught a chipmunk and slaughtered it.

I have 2 feeders on my back deck, very seldom see critters there, but they do try it. Both dogs and cat sit at the window, doesn't bother the birds at all. Unless the cat jumps at the window and knocks himself out! LOL But the chippies and squirrels get chased off the deck by the dogs so they don't venture up here often.

Songs what kind of feeder setup do you have... we put a bucket upside down on our pole to keep the chipmunks off... Randy drilled a hole in the bucket... used 3 L brackets.. and a hose clamp to hold it to the pole ... now I would have to get a bigger bucket for the bear.. LOL

That is a great idea Allison!! Your gonna need a really big bucket!!! LOL

it was funny watching them scurry up the pole ... look that they can't get passed the bucket .. and you can just see the disgust on there little faces.. granted the squirrels could just leap over from my planter post... but it slowed down the clear out... if they had nothing to jump from it would work for all of them

I would paint that bucket. Brown, green and olive drab

Love those cute birdie shots and the bucket idea. I feed every kind of critter there is out there I think. First come first serve. Populations are kept down by friendly predators like local cats and hawks.

Glad to hear your stream is spiffed up to your liking SofJ. Looking forward to the pics.
D-nut I can see why those hummers flock to your yard. What lovely decor you provide for them. How could they resist.

Got a lot planted yesterday, 28 plants, but not all. Did get things mulched as I went to stop the weeds from invaded the newly turned soil in the garden extension, so I was pretty happy with the progress. Still lots to do and another big order will be arriving soon. Three days of rain will slow me down but also give the muscles a chance to recover too.

thought about it... never got it to.. even have the green plastic paint in the garage

I wouldn't mind feeding the chipmunks... but they cleared out those feeders in no time flat.. got too expensive