Guess I just wanna vent. Or maybe some one can actually provide some constructive advice. Or sympathy, or something.
I'm doing a bed that has 2 roses in the back, interspersed with Asiatic lilies and Summer phlox. In front of this I have two seperate bunches of Echinacea 'Double Decker', 3 lavenders 'Hidcote', some blue sedum of some sort and a border of mature liriope planted by the previous owners. I'm trying hard to not overplant and end up ripping stuff out once it matures. Later on I'm sure I'll interplant with annuals, but ... well, today ...
It looks AWFUL!
Wah! And then I come to this forum, with every thread started with the prettiest pictures on the site. It's just not *right*! Patience, my , uh, foot!
Starting a new bed
Have you put mulch down? Sometimes this makes a new spot look good until the plants grow.
I don't think any garden can be uglier than the one I've started. Here's a little company for your misery.
Thanks, both of you - great idea Mobi.
And thanks for the company, Maozamom - at least you got a couple of blooms!!! I would have, had not my 1800 lb lawnmower decided to take the buds off of my Echinacea.. but yes, my bed is about identical.
Our beds will grow up together, lol.
PC that is one pretty pony! You know we all have areas that we are not proud of and I am not gonna take any photos of mine. ; ) I have had a rough summer with health problems so my yard is not as well tended as it normally is. Don't be discouraged, that bed will be lovely when given a bit of time to grow.
Pagancat,
Love your lawnmower!
Mac says..... got alfalfa?
He's looking a little more sleek these days than- he's a PMU rescue from S. Dakota, so he still had a winter coat on. He's been treated pretty poorly in the past, but he has an affinity for flowers >grin< ....
He's 3/4 Shire, 1/4 paint and quite the gentleman. He thanks you for the kind compliments!
Pagancat, Love your lawnmower, too. He's beautiful!
How do you find rescued animals that need new homes?
We've got a pretty cool goat, named Lucy after Lucille Ball, that we use to let out when we were sitting outside. But she wouldn't stay away from a butterfly bush I was nursing back to health. She would wander around nonchalantly, then look over her shoulder to see if we were watching, then make a dead run by the bush, snatching a mouthful in passing!
LOL!!! I've been thinking about goats, most seriously to clear up the brush the horses are just too darn good for... but they sound like evil twins!
Robin, I don't know if you will thank me for this, but....
http://www.pmurescue.org/ gets you specifically to PMU rescue operations, which is where Mac and his best bud, Lucas came from.
In your state there's a few:
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/andes/2399/witchtrot.htm
http://www.blairsrescue.org/
http://www.rerun.org/
Or you can google horse rescue - don't hesitate to come over to Equine forum with questions. We all have a bunch of opinions!
Thanks, Pagancat!
I had googled 'horse adoption' unsuccessfully before.
Beware goats always prefer what grows outside the fence, in my case my perennial border.
But they are soooo...cute and loveable
I am thinking seriously about adding a goat or two to the menagerie - they are desperately needed to control some of the brush in my pastures. I'm just afraid of what kind of fencing I would need.
This may sound stupid, but do they go under fences much? For my horses, the lowest board is about 3'. Same with the electric fence.
The goats I have are small and would go under that, They are pygmy and dwarf, but maybe the larger breeds wouldn't.
The front of our pasture is 3-board fence and we just put some short wire fence from the bottom board to the ground.
I think they would respect an electric fence at the proper height.
How young do you have to get them in order to get them used to people? I've heard they're very sweet animals if they're used to being around folks.
Thanks for that piece of info, gardengus!
We bought both of ours at about 4 1/2 - 5 months. Seems to be a good age. They are extremely social, so doesn't take long to adjust to people. Lucy will come stand beside me, to have her back scratched or brushed. I start right off the bat, getting them to eat out of hand. Figure that way, when I call them, they'll come running. A lot of people around here have a goat in with their horses, and they seem to stay pretty close.
Since we didn't have any other animals, we let Lucy run loose when we were outside, till Samson (our dog) tried to ditch her a couple of times. After I had to go fetch her 5 miles away in my neighbors car, she went into an electric fence.
As social as she is, she is also extremely territorial. I'm having a terrible time getting Bella accepted. Lucy gets her hemmed up in the corner and butts her. They are a lot of fun to watch.
My female goats name is also Lucy, the weather is Murphy. Weathers (castrated males)are the most friendly.
Lucy was only just weened about 8weeks when we got her ,an Easter present from Grandparents. It was a cold spring so she got to live in the house with us for about a month.
Murphy was a 4-h show animal.
I have discovered the best time to get a goat is just before Easter. Most breeders sell off the young males(to be eaten) at that time. Or just after the fair many cannot or will not be showing the same animal again.
Call your local humane society -- sometimes they get animals other than the usual abandoned/stray dogs and cats, and at least the one here is willing to adopt out other critters if they know someone wants them. I had a hand in a horse rescue recently -- I don't have the land to keep one, but I helped get the horses taken care of, and I have visiting/currying rights to them. THAT felt good.
Great idea, Brigid.
GardenGus, My goat needs therapy! Did you have trouble introducing the newest goat? Lucy gets Bella cornered and keeps butting Bella really hard. But when I lock Bella up when I come in, Lucy and Bella lay nose to nose through the screen on the pen. Lucy even sleeps outside all night so she can be next to Bella (through the screen). She's twice as big as Bella. It doesn't look like Lucy's playing when she's butting, so I'm concerned about leaving them out together, if I'm not there. What do you think?
Robin
My goats are about the same size and were introduced at a young age.They do however but heads regularly,especially when eating.
Will Bella grow larger? How old is Lucy?Did Lucy live alone for a while?
Dose Bella ever defend herself?How long have they been together?
I am not a goat expert, but I to would be concerned about leaving them together,mostly because Bella is smaller. I have been told that goats do best with a companion,you would think Lucy would be a little nicer. It could be she is just trying to establish her dominance and will quit when they get to stay together ,but like you I wouldn't want Bella to get hurt.
You might ask this question over in the farming animals area I'm sure there would be some one there with more knowledge or expierence. Good Luck I hope they can live together peacefully.
Cinda
Thanks, for the info. Didn't even think to check the farm animal forums. Sorry.
Lucy is almost double Bella's size, they are 5 & 7 months. I'm sure you're right about the dominance. Lucy was an only child for 3 months. Had planned on getting another sooner, but couldn't find another source for her breed. Lucy doesn't butt as much now, but I had to keep on her. I do pen Bella up by herself, if I'm not outside, just in case. Bella is from a herd of about 80, so she is used to being bullied around. I thought Lucy appeared pretty lonely, so thought she would have been tickled pink to have a buddy. Four days into this and seems to be getting better.
Thanks, again, Robin
No need to be sorry , just did not know if I had enough experience to be giving advice .Why don't you start a thread on goats and I will join you . I have questions like what breed , have photos ect.....
Uh Oh ...