DO YOU HAVE SOME SIGNS OF SPRING 2013? #3

Oh, Coleup---
You wax so poetic....Beautiful comments and pictures.
Many people just may not understand the "love affair" many of us have with our Gardens...
Like---I have written two pretty beautiful Poems to mine......;o)..You all have read them...

Yesterday's cool, overcast, drizzly day was perfect for moving some of my plants outside.
I decided that all the HB.'s had to go out for a good breath of fresh air. They AIN'T coming back it!
My 3 BIG Epis--and 3 new ones--progeny of the BIG ones--my 2 Spider HB, and my Swedish Ivy HB.
Brugs have been sitting outside for days--in my stairwell. The dr. will have to have some
'surgery"---scalpel, please!!! It will need a serious root-pruning. And--I KNOW what that means!
it will grow monstrous this summer....It already has a pretty massive stem. Woe be me this fall!
Of course--it will have all this space to spread out in--since my WS is gone.

All my seedling plants and all the rooting cuttings have now bee n outside for several days.
My Coleus--my Daturas--and all my CC's--are outside as well. I n the care of Mother Nature--
but lovingly shaded...front steps ans patio tables. Some are in a bit of sun...
Will plant my Tomatoes and Cukes this weekend. Will also plant all my cannas.
SO much to do!!!!

Time to "cut the apron strings".....Gita

did I post my 1st camellia bloom yet? There are about half a dozen by now....SO pretty!!!

GIta, if you take any stems off that DrSeuss will you root one for me/ pretty please?

Is your Camellia all healthy looking now? Is that what dropped a lot of leaves last year?

Warmer air coming in with todays showers and the next few days look awesome.

Gita your camellia is lovely. Mine bloomed all winter inside. That is so funny. They are outside now and will no doubt just grow and not bloom again until they come inside in the Fall. They do get that brown scum (I forget what it is called) every spring before they go outside. It is almost impossible to get it off but now they are clean again and green as can be.

The bougainvillea is blooming and so is the mandivilla, of course the easter cactus is still pretty as ever. My African Gardenia is blooming and yesterday when the State Inspector came around I thought he was going to take it with him. He just loved it and he told me to be sure and propagate it. It has a wonderful aroma and is such a wonderful houseplant. He always likes to come in the house and see the stock plants and birds. He is from Jamaca and really has an accent, but he works for the State of NJ as an inspector of Nurseries.
Here is a shot of the blooms on the AG. It blooms all year.

grey days do make all those bright colors stand out, so pretty!

Dwarf iris just opened this morning

Really beautiful little iris. I was going to buy some but since I had the central air system and the refrigerator all go at the same time, the credit card looks like the national war debt so I will not be buying flowers for a long long time. No problem, at least I will be cool inside and have cold soda. : ) JB

Happy - In answer to your question about controlling carpenter bees:
For the past few years woodpeckers had been pecking lots of holes in the lower two inches of the band board on only one side of my sister's deck. Upon examination of the damage I discovered that there was a perfectly round 1/2" hole in the bottom edge of the band board below where damage occurred on the front. That board was the only one that received direct sun, and was a warmer environment than the other band boards. Carpenter bees made their holes in the bottom edge and laid their eggs in galleries they made in the wood to be hatched by the sun's warmth. Woodpeckers can tell that the developing bees are in there and peck to get at them. Solution: I filled all the woodpecker damage and bee access holes with wood epoxy. Then I fastened a strip of thin copper covering the bottom edge of the band board (the downward facing narrow edge). This prevents the bees from boring and producing additional galleries. I think I managed to do this before the females emerged and mated.

The bees bore their holes in downard-facing surfaces of the wood. In Gita's photos one can see a "groove" that runs upward from the bottom edge of the beam. The rough, chiseled nature of the damage is due to woodpeckers accessing the larva inside. Thin metal backing on the back edge of the beams would prevent the bees from boring holes to lay their eggs, thus not attracting the woodpeckers and their resulting damage.

Sally--

Did you lose your Dr. Seuss? I have 2 cuttings growing. One is promised to a man at HD.
Will give you the other. They did not grow gung-ho at all this winter. Funny...Just so-so...
Maybe I should have fertilized them? I still can--they may plump up...

I won't be taking any new cuttings until fall. I suppose I could--once it has covered 5 sq. feet of the WS bed....
Who will miss a branch?

David--
In the picture (#5) with the white streak running up and down, I filled the exposed long crack
with some kind of caulk. Later I used the "Great Stuff" foam spray--visible a bit in picture #2.

The Bees have bees drilling in these support beams for many years--so they look like crap.
If I put my ear to one of them--you can listen to the loud crunch...crunch...crunch....

David--I have NEVER seen a tral Woodpecker here! I don't think they visit developments much.
Rarely--maybe a small Downy--they eat the insects under the sloughing bark of my old maple.


BTW--THE 17 YR. CICADAS ARE ON THEIR WAY --in maybe the next month.
I can't believe it has been 17 years since the last invasion...
Many of the dead branches that come down from my big maple--still wear the healed over scars
from 17 years ago. Almost ALL the branches that fall down have them. somewhere...

AHHH--the din of the Cicadas---and the birds and other critters will fatten up.

Gita

Gita, holes drilled by carpenter bees look almost like they are machine bored, smooth and perfectly circular, and hidden from view. Carpenter bees are not equipped to make the coarse, hacked damage seen in your photos, and their purpose of boring in the wood is to provide a safe hiding place for their young to grow. The open-to-the-air damage in your photos would not serve their purposes in any way, so they would not create it even if they were capable. As you you point out, you can hear them INSIDE. They do not cause exterior damage except for their small, usually hidden, entry hole.

Gita- donner gave me her wonderful huge Dr Seuss but over winter in my house it must have dried too much. The cut stems are really dry and have grey dried dusty stuff in the center. No sign of buds sprouting yet.
One of my Maya/Peach colored ones same deal, the other Maya/peach colored one nvver lost its tiny branch tip leaf buds and they are growing fast now.

David---

Not to counter what you said--but I always thought that the yearly drilling has caused the outer grain of the wood to splinter off.
At least that is what I thought. Still--I have NEVER seen a real Woodpecker here--unless they feed at night.

Yes--I know the holes are perfectly round--but only 1/4" diam. like a pencil. NOT 1/2". That I am sure of...

Maybe the size of the hole depends on the wood being drilled? My shed is at least 25-28 years old.

Will have to look and take some more pictures--closer up.
The bees are also decimating the split rail fencing. As you said--they usually drill the holes on the
bottom side of the wood--so i cannot see the holes. I go by feel...and then spray.

See you soon! Gita

Gita, yes, 1/2" is on the large size. I just looked at my pinkie finger while typing this entered that value. The point I was trying to make is that their hole is much smaller than the associated damage that is more readily observed. Also, the real point of my discussion is that if you install a barrier on the under surface of boards that are affected that the bees will not bore holes and lay eggs, and as a consequence, the associated damage will cease, no matter how it is generated.

Well--That would require a handyman. I am NOT all that handy with anything to do with tools.

What kind of "thin metal" are you referring to? Is there something easy to bend and shape?
Flashing will not bend all that well. Is there a spray paint i could spray on the underside?
HD sells every kind of RustOleum paint there is.

I am falling asleep! Time to stop all this DG stuff.....Gita

Quick, cheap, easy barrier to carpenter bees:
1) Fill entry holes with caulk or other material.
2) Purchase a roll of "Heavy Duty" aluminum foil from the grocery store.
3) Cut strips the width of downward facing edge of affected board.
4) Apply a weather proof glue/adhesive to board surface.
5) Follow glue product instructions and set foil in place.
6) Use rag to smooth applied foil strip firmly against wood surface.
7) Check periodically to see if foil remains in place.

Thanks, David........
I was thinking there must be some kind of 'goop" I could slather over the undersides
of these supports. Maybe some of the concrete-like goop that comes in the big, gray bottles.
Not sure I would want to look at foil on each of the supports. There are 10 all together.....

G.

gita - the foil goes on the edge where they bore, which is usually the edge you don't see, which in your case is the edge toward the shed.

David thanks so much for the detailed plan!!!! We had one in a railing last year. Trademark sawdust pile, hole, and rail located in morning sunshine .

The copper I used at my sister's came from her local hardware store as a foot wide roll with adhesive and a peel-off backing for $3.95 per foot of roll. Bought 3 feet of roll, cut in 1.5 inch wide strips. Adhesive was poor so I used a spray adhesive on the foil and the wood surface. After installing I followed up with some galvanized roofing nails to ensure longevity. The copper shows less and will tarnish and be even harder to see. There is probably a better outdoor glue to be had.

Wonder where I can get the super-heavy foil---you bendd it--and it stays...way heavier than any kitchen foil?
Maybe a commercial item? I used to have roll--but got rid of it several years ago...

SEE!!! Never get rid of anything....as soon as I do--I find a use for it...

To see if/where there are any holes--I would have to use mirrors....woooo...hooooo....
Caulking gun would be hard to get back there. is there some kind of 'goop" I can get
that I could use my hands to spread? like--cookie dough.....
Wood filler?? $$$ Comes in small jars...May have to see if I have anything left over from Ex in my shop...
How about drywall "mud" ?

Gita

OK....Now we can attack our carpenter bees.

I am very excited and I do not know where we started the African Violet discussion months ago, but back then I told everyone I could not propagate or grow AVs. I said I would try. My daughter gave me an old plant she had that looked half dead, I took 3 leaves from it and placed them in 1. perlite 2. vermiculite 3. Mix of verm. and potting soil.
The first to rot was the verm and potting soil.
The second and third were questionable. The perlite remained green, the verm. rotted half way down the leaf.
Today, months later, I noticed two teeny weeny green leaves at the base of the stem of the one in the verm. CAN YOU IMAGINE?????? I got a magnifying glass and looked and sure enough, they were there. I DID IT. YAHOO! They have been in a plastic strawberry container with some water on the bottom on a morning sun window sill. I can not believe it happened. Now I need to go back and find where Gita or someone told me what to do and when to do it next. LOL

Old Yellow Iris has buds, peony tree buds got cold....went down to 38 last night. White dogwood looks cold also. Lilacs are slowly getting ready to bloom. Later. I must go look at my new baby AVs again. They are no bigger than a pin head. What a thrill.

Gita, wouldn't the carpenter bees like that wood filler in a jar? That would seem to me to make them very happy if they eat wood. Hmmmmm Not sure about that. Why not use cement, the kind that comes in little boxes and you just add water? Put it in with a plaster knife or whatever you call those things.

That is so cool you got baby AVs!!!!

Next to duct tape, my supplies include a number of rolls of metal and foil backed adhesive tapes in varying widths that I have used over the years to fix and repair many things around the house. These tapes can be found at home improvement stores by asking for "gutter repair tape' Nashua is a good brand. I find the 'Water proof' and 'Cold Weather" versions to have the best adhesion to wood and last longest for out of door useage. Automotive supply stores are also good sources of adhesive backed metal tapes and some carry such tapes used to repair metal roofs on trailers and rvs etc.with a thicker layer of metal than foil.

Best adhesion when applied when outdoor temps are above 70 degrees kind of like instructions for best paint adhesion.

I have painted all of them I'm sure any HD has paint but I have used reg house paint, too (not on my cars rusted rocker panels). Gutter repair tape comes in standard gutter colors!

The reason to fill holes in wood is mainly to restore integrity to the to the piece and prevent further damage which includes access by weather and insects. Recommend using product made for use on wood exposed to weather.

If damaged wood is not structural it can be removed or repurposed by planting a vine that will disguise the uglies and relegate them even further out of sight out of mind. Creative staging for the home improvement impaired!

Coleup -thank you for all the possible barrier materials, that will be a big help if I need to do a project like this again. When I spoke of filling the holes with caulk I was was thinking mainly of the entry holes so as to provide a more solid, uniform surface for installing the barrier.

Thanks to you too, coleup---I will see if HD has it.

Now--my chewed up supports really do not have much "integrity left....
They no longer have solid lines nor straight areas.

Wondering how one would apply this tape trying to stick it to uneven surfaces????

Any further suggestions? Gita

We have a lot of wooden fences -- I don't know how we could protect it all from carpenter bees. They prefer redwood (that would be our old swing-set), but they even attack the pressure treated stuff.

@Gita:

No, no; I meant the photo of the mildew affected impatiens. (Maybe that was not yours?)

I am very much in favor of providing habitats to bees - even to pollinators that are not so nice - and to bats. I think we are facing a serious environmental problem with respect to pollinators, bats, and many species of birds.

Here is one of my signs of Spring. The weather is so cold they are taking their time coming but all my sweet shrubs are really looking good, except for some brown leaves from the cold.

h you have them too! That's really loaded with blooms. I have one.
COuple more Iris blooming just begun

It's a pretty gardeners plant. I was just gifted one from Sally and it had two blooms on it. I put it in a pretty shady spot though so we will see how it blooms next year.

It's been in several places in my yard- you can't kill it, thats for sure, unless you cut off a sucker too soon, suckers need a bit of time to develop. Paul I hope you get another warm day to enjoy the scent.

My Weigela is blooming terrifically this year in a lot of shade. I somewhat rejuvenate=pruned it last two years and it sure has rebounded with well-blooming new growth.

I really enjoy the bloom. It isn't very catchy but maybe that is why I like it. You don't expect it.

I've actually been having some issues with people riding four wheelers in the woods behind us. It is Howard County park land and only open to foot traffic. The last two weekends we have chased off quite a few people, and Tuesday after work last week I confronted an individual moving logs and cutting down trees. It really eats me up. They're running over monster fern colonies and who knows what else.

The park rangers did a pretty thorough walk through of the woods last week after we alerted them to it and they are very pissed. Unfortunately the park rangers don't work on the weekends so we are left with the county cops, it is a pretty big disconnect. I'm hoping that vigilance will put an end to it and the wildlife can recover before the paths have really set in.

"I speak for the Trees" - The Lorax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXntJFWv5U&noredirect=1

Wow, my sweet shrub is a tree about 10' tall now and few blooms. Going out soon to look for a well developed sucker! The fragrance is wonderful.

Renewal pruning...who knew!

If anyone has an extra sweet shrub sucker, I'd love to inherit it!

This message was edited May 6, 2013 12:47 PM

happy you know I gotcha covered!!!!!!! mine has suckered a lot. It seems to sucker a lot in wet spots, not so much in normal spots. I'm thinking of trying some in with the trees.

Lily of the valley, blooming, and running iris from aspenhill- way cool!

Finally--got a few pictures to share with you---been kind of busy to run around and take pictures...

--First--my glorious, beautiful "Bob Hope" Camellia is once again full of blooms...ant it is not done yet....
--Close up of some blooms and buds...The buds form already in late fall and early winter--
and just slowly get fatter and fatter until they burst open this time of year....
--Pink Bleeding Heart--Forget-me-Nots and Candytuft--in my small bed by my front door
--Pulmonaria
--The replanted (last year) Wood Hyacinths (aka Spanish Bluebells) sure appreciated that.
Now they are all in glorious bloom--in 4 different locations.

This message was edited May 6, 2013 3:04 PM

A few more--inside the house---

--Donner just gifted me this beautiful, small, in full bloom Easter Cactus when she came here Thursday
--My Salmon Cc is in full bloom--again. Love this one--the strongest--the bestest--and the prettiest....
--All the requested Hostas awaiting 'adoption"....

OK! Gotta get outside and do some plant work......

G.

I have Carolina Sweetshrub called Spicebush, theVenus sweetshrub and the Michael Lindsay.
Bought them last year. All three are in full sun and take a beating from the winter winds, etc. but they are all growing and so happy. The Michael Lindsay is taking longer to bloom than the other two but it is a younger plant. I just love them and had a difficult time finding them. I will be happy to share when they get bigger. They do not all have a fragrance, Venue and Michael do but Spice does not. Interesting since they are all just about alike. The one I showed above is the Spice...this one is the Venus....not as many shrubs on it just now.

Also just starting are the dwarf pink lilac and the white. The Weigela is just starting.It is so big and here it a picture of it last year. I tried to propagate it last year and the cuttings all died.

Must get to work and sell some stuff. Have a good evening. JB



This message was edited May 6, 2013 2:32 PM

scent can vary from bush to bush with spicebush.

wow what a huge loaded weigela!

JB, nice - I can just imagine the fragrance of those lilacs and that weigela is awesome - I don't think I've ever seen one that loaded with flowers.