50 Trees or so for Murmur

My body is, indeed, punishing me. There is nothing like shoveling gravel in a stooped over position, and then working on a concrete wall about 15 inches across, on my hands and knees like a char woman for several hours. Ahh. The pleasures of pond ownership. Add to this the fact that I found several small punctures in the liner covering the wall. Had to drain part of the pond in order to fix these. My hands may never be the same again. But I am on the home stretch now. This morning I was out there before work getting the pond filled again. Now I just have to figure out how get the right kind of slope from the bog into the pond so that there is no possible way that the water can flow anywhere but INTO the pond!

RE IQ points, I have a client whose son has an IQ of 192, allegedly. He is extremely gifted as an artist. But it comes at a high price. He cannot have a decent relationship to save his life. I think I'll settle for whatever IQ I have at the moment, and just hope that all the digging will keep me from losing ground!

"This morning, i was out there before work ..."

But what you were doing WAS work, albeit a pleasurable pursuit! :)

Pixy, I do think there is something to that idea that people with high IQ's (i.e. Einstein) can be pretty strange. My dad is totally self-centered, always has been (although that could also be from having been an only child born to parents later in life than what people used to do in that era). Congrats on the hard work on the pond!!!!!

I can't believe I am going to say this, but I am looking forward to some rain!!! The Hundred Acre Woods could really use it. I'm drenching with the sprinkler, but some of them are really struggling. Think I should use some sort of fertilizer, or maybe Messenger or Super Thrive?

I know what you mean about some rain would love to see some. got home today had to hook up the creek pump to water the poor babies they where drooping. I wonder if we are going to have a hot summer are water table is down.

OMG Murmur 172 IQ for your dad! That is astonishing.

For the first time in recent history, I'm going to chime in on the wish for rain, even though my beloved dahlias usually struggle in cool wet May soil- it is parched this year! What is up with that? The perennials all look sad. I've raided/divided them all spring and haven't thought to water in the cut areas. Very dry.

Murmur, bless you for watering the trees. I have plenty more where those came from, so don't feel bad if many are lost. I just had to throw a tall fir I had pulled for you, moved it and didn't water it. Sure enough it slowly browned and died. Some will make it, never fear.

Tilly, get over to that intriguing yard art thread and let us know what the snakelike thing is LOL! Please?

I refuse to ask for rain!! I am stamping my feet in a most childish way! And my sprinklers are already going. OUr plants are altogether too spoiled for words. The smallest little amount of dry weather starts them crying for a drink. How will they ever develope nice deep roots that seek out deeper water?

This year I got in on a coop for those polymer crystals that hold water. I'm going to dig some into the soil around some of the more thirsty plants and see if it helps.

Nahnahnahnaaaaah - we've had ten days of the most gloriously ploppy soft steady spring rain. Pond topped up, soil topped up, barrels topped up. Lushness everywhere - veggies all coming up - peas, love peas! and lettuce a go-go. Now forecast for sun and clouds for the next 4 days. Lovely. Phft, there I just blew a couple clouds your way - we have plenty to spare. (Must admit - after 5 weeks with nary a drop, I was beginning to get a tad anxious).

Thought I'd share some of the successes of the 50 Trees or so! i've lost a few, but most are doing quite well.

Annie, your pet is suffering a bit, I'm saying prayers for it!!!!

Here's another . . . btw, the blooming Foxglove in the previous post is one of Annie's.

And one more for now. Please ignore any thistles you might think you see - they're not really there, of course, no garden of mine would have such a thing.

Oops. Guess that was a repeat.

Thistles? What thistles? I thought I saw goldfinch food, but then again...

Nice job! Things are looking good!

Nice Murmur! I was wondering how the treelings were doing. Maybe the incoming rains will help the ailing "Annie's Song" fir. Or a tree fertilizer spike?

Is the foxglove from here? I have just a few blooming now as well.

Hmmmm, thistles? There's a small chance that I gave you those inadvertantly as they grow rampant, especially in the former clearing where I dug some foxgloves. Sorry :(

Annie, you didn't give me the thistles - they are absolutely rampant in the whole area here. Even before the clear cutting I battled them, but afterwards it become a science fiction type nightmare! I'll try a tree fertilizer spike on Annie's Song!

And, yes, the Foxglove that is blooming is one of yours - came cuddled up next to the little tree it is blooming next to (poor grammar, but I don't feel like correcting it!).

Murmur: saying a prayer for Annie's Song, you gave me hope for Smoke and he is doing fine.
Laurie: I think you sent all you rain here, but I know that's impossible, but what do I know!!!!
Pixy: I don't know how the rain has been in you area, but I might have to get waders soon, I think in the 20 sum years I have lived here this has been the strangest weather I have seen.
I thought thistles where a part of Wash. you can not get rid of, just a part of nature just like Slugs (Ha Ha)!!!!!!!!!! I would like them both to go away.
Tilly

Murmur,

You said in another thread that you'd lost a few of these. Are you open to some new contributions? I've got a baby doug fir that's been container grown it's whole life (Its' decision-it sprouted under a dwarf Alberta Spruce I keep in a pot) so it should transplant fairly well with its taproot intact.

I've also got a baby Maple tree that is most likely a Big Leaf (or will be someday) and a very, very, small Vine Maple. Here's a picture from about a month ago of "Doug Jr" and "Jumbo" I've since put "Jumbo" in a bigger pot and "Doug Jr" is now somewhat taller.

This message was edited Jun 22, 2007 9:20 PM

Susy, if you're looking to get rid of those trees, I would be delighted to have them - thank you for thinking of me!

Annie, I've not given up, but I'm afraid our pet, Annie's Song, is not going to make it. Makes me very sad - darn it anyway.

OK, Murmur,

I'll let you know the next time I'm going to be headed north and if it works out to meet up I'll bring trees (and maybe a few rocks...lol)

No worries, Murmur. Have a little funeral for Annie's Song and save it for kindling. I've spotted another little fir for you I've named Semi Beloved Fir LOL and still have a little cedar or two I can give you. Maybe a Fall rendezvous when transplanting would be most hospitable for the trees?

You want rocks or is that a viscious rumor ???? I can give you and every person on this forum 300 lbs of rocks- just give me time to pick em.

My new garden bed- right now it's not looking very viable is it? Spring of 2009 should be a different scene altogether.

Not viable Poochella? Why, I think this looks like potential Oasis! dig girl dig! What are the dimensions on your new hole, I mean BED, this looks enormous! And, by way of praise - PHEW! - but by 2009, we will be owwwing and awwing, I can hardly wait. And just think, in a few months time, when we are all back to thrilling over the collection of leaves again, you are going to have somewhere to put them! Excellent.

I am sending bluebell seeds to a couple of the others - may I post you some too, I think 2009 would be just about right for planting out. (This isn't a swap - it is Solistice celebrating - no effort required).

Ps. it looks like the dog did a 'break for the border' - has he/she tunnelled a way out of their yard?

This message was edited Jun 22, 2007 9:11 PM

This message was edited Jun 22, 2007 9:13 PM

Annie, I would love some of your rocks!! And more trees - Annie's Song still isn't completely a goner, but it's not looking too promising. So much for good dirt, eh? There really are a lot that look good and have new growth. I suspect Fall will be a much safer time, even though we haven't had a lot of hot weather and I've tried to do plenty of watering, it's probably just not enough.

Susy, sounds like a plan!!

I'm soon off to the church to do an altar arrangement, then back home to join up with a couple friends to go on the Whidbey Island Garden Tour (remember that one, Pixy - I hope it's better than last year).

Then home for a nap - didn't sleep particularly well last night. Hope everyone is having (or had if someone lives really, really, really far from here) a great day!

Hi Laurie, That kennel has been used as a temporary goat quarantine, temporary goat kennel while fence repairs were underway, brief canine post-op sunning zone, naughty neighbor dog quarantine, but never to house a dog for more than a couple hours. I hope to put a greenhouse there someday, but right now we need the extra animal space, just in case.

Perhaps by the tunnelling comment you refer to the big hole in the back left? That was done by the marvelous dozer operator who saved me hours of back-breaking work moving 3 trees I packed in as foot tall saplings a few years ago. Not only did he move them to the lower yard, but easily scooped up new holes, plopped them in and only two branches lost on the three of them! The trees never missed a beat. They're growing well because their roots were kept intact.

The new bed has a ratio of rocks: soil of about 3:1 LOL! I am picking rocks and then screening the remaining soil to a depth of 15 inches, amending with purchased veggie/flower mix soil as I go. It's so bad that one has to chisel hard clay and rocks before any shovelling can be done. I would rather be in the LA County jail with a certain blonde heiress as a cellmate, but it's got to be done.

Total bed size is roughly 35'x16', tapering to 14' on one end. Bulldozers/diggers are not an easily finessed thing, I was just glad to have his superdigging help!

I would love bluebells from England! I have a few sunny spots in the woods where they can naturalize to hearts' content. Thanks for the offer.
Annie
edited because I mentioned a current 'event.'

This message was edited Jun 23, 2007 12:56 PM

Poochella,

Oh, boy, does that sound familiar! Rototiller and pickaxe built my beds.....I have to think long and hard about how badly I want a new bed before I take that on! When I was getting started I ordered a LOT of compost & Amendments delivered (well, a lot considering that I have a city-sized lot, anyhow...)! I also used a bunch of something from Whitney farms but there's some newer organic kinds that look really good now. Have you ever tried the Cedar Grove or Zoo stuff?

Susy- I hear you on the pickaxe. The last hired walk-behind rototiller guy I had when expanding other beds said "Please don't ever call me again!" He was serious. I was crushed. Wimp! I figure I'll do it right and well now, then won't have to ever again. As for raising the beds-which people suggest, I don't want them that high, a few inches above ground or so.

Whitney Farms soil conditioner was one thing I found that was great! Bat guano and all kinds of good stuff. I do make a lot of my own compost and have bought Cedar Grove Flower and Veggie mix soil in bulk- will get some more too. Ah, it never ends does it?

Wow - Better than never ends, its just starting - wonderful size, so much room, so much you can grow. Ahhhhh. Get out the plant combination thoughts, is this time to start a new thread?