The Hackberry Tree and other stuff...

Good grief Sunny.....

Got it back - but for how long?
Don't know what problem is. May be one of attachment devices. Got to find out which it could be. Not very computer literate. Am a lot more confident with learning than doing.
Lovely rose. Gardening with gloves on, can be like writing with gloves on. Still, writing is easier on your hands.
Worked on own garden today - mostly digging out chionodoxa and puschkinia, deadheading giant pink chionodoxa (to prevent seeding) and some perennial division. Had a corydalis beginning to seed over the place - pretty sure was Corydalis solida (small with purplish flowers). Dug it out because is it difficult to control: grows from a corm or bulb, so if you pull it out you leave the corm behind. Love Corydalis lutea (golden corydalis) - fleshy root and can just hoe it away if you need to. Has a phenomenally long bloom time and grows well in a fair amount of shade.
Tried to get a picture of the Anenome robinsoniana - light lavender color, very pretty - but it just comes out as off-white (same with quite attractive Chionodoxa Giant Pink).
Getting daffodils blooming now - so long after Sharon's.
Trilliums in garden are in bud. Will certainly get picture of local trillium woods when in bloom.

I love trilliums, they are your national flower there, I think. I remember learning that when I wrote an article on them.

Well I have tons of columbine blooming. It will bloom off and on all summer, I think because it is in dappled sunlight. I can't seem to grow it in other places though. I like its foliage as well as it's comical bloom. There was some lovely wild columbine in Alaska, red to red/orange. Huge things, of course everything in Alaska was huge, even the dandelions looked like chrysanthemums. And the Himalayan poppies, oh my, how beautiful. I doubt they would even bother to peep up out of the ground here, but I'd sure like to try.

I am computer illiterate, Sunny, but think you and i might be 2 of the few Mac users aboard. Can't remember if JoAnn has a mac or not. I can use it, but don't know a thing about fixing it if it ever decides to quit on me.

A Mac is at the top of my wish list. My PC is over 6 years old and I am to understand that is when the button pushes that kills it. Preprogrammed obsolence. I have upgraded everything possible and it is beginning to little quirks here and there. Guess I can't say I haven't been warned. Did a short walk in the garden and the hackberry seedlings are everywhere since we have had rain. Too bad there isn't a market for them. I could get a new Mac almost overnight. Still too much congestion to stay long enough to do anything about them. Guess I will soon have a forest.

Just took all of these meds that aren't helping so guess I will turn in and hope I sleep.

One day at a time.

Christi

Glad Christi mentioned the hackberry. After all, we are 'The Hackberry Tree and Other Stuff'. Back to our roots.
Interesting how few people are using Macs - think I'd seen, for the population at large, about 10%.
If we have to get another computer, my son will be pushing for a Mac again.
He seems to be getting support from Christi and Sharon hasn't said a word against Macs.
Love the sound of the Alaskan plants Sharon. Sounds like you went there.

I absolutely love my Mac, Sunny...love it. I can't even use my old PC anymore. I would not have anything else.

I did go to Alaska for about 10 days last June. I had been asked to create a memorial garden for a long time DG member who lost her life to a brain tumor last May. So I went to Alaska, and built a memory garden using all her favorite plants and garden decor. I'll tell you I was scared to death because I didn't know a thing about Alaskan native plants or the environment. It was amazing, though, and I loved every minute there. It was in Seward which is located on the Kenai Peninsula, and the soil is absolutely rich. Black gold. The Salmon River runs right behind where I was, and everytime it floods, it just enriches the soil that much more.

Beautiful country, lovely people. A trip of a lifetime, and believe me I learned a lot! I still can't believe this little country gal from KY went all the way to Alaska and planted a garden, though. And my friend there, the sister of the lady who died, tells me that even the Himalayan poppies are coming right back up already, and the snow just melted this week, I think. I can't wait to see if all the other plants return. I hope I did something right.

The memorial garden - What a nice thing to do - that was the something right.
Lot of people wouldn't take the time or effort or have the imagination.
Alaska sounds very interesting. Snow there just melted this week!
My friend at Merlin's Hollow (garden) here, always grows Himalayan (blue) poppies. Says easy to start here, but problem is hot spells in summer.
Presumably Alaska is that much colder.
Another vote for Macs.
Better hit the sack - You know Sharon - have to admit - your 'must do list' (sleeping) does make sense.
Charlie (Seems equivalent to Sharon and Christi)

Good night, Charlie.
Think I might have to hang it up for the night, too.

Hope your tomorrow is good.

I don't have a Mac because they are twice or more as expensive as other PC's. Probably the reason for the smaller percentage of owners.

Christi

I think things like computers are even more here. Bet your right Christi, about cost.
Off to breakfast - the highlight of the week! Bit too nippy to sit outside today.
Haven't had the traditional English breakfast for years - the high fat content one - but love scrambled eggs and homefries and coffee. Would like a few baked beans too - but I've never seen baked beans served in a restaurant in Canada - or in U.S. either. Maybe it's also too old fashioned in England now. After gardening, think going out for breakfast at Jonathan's on Saturday morning is my favorite activity. This isn't entirely age-related - admit I did like such food since youth.
Charlie

I haven't had breakfast out in years, Charlie, and that sounds like such a fun treat. There are a lot of 'high grease' breakfast places close by, I guess my favorite might be the Cracker Barrel chain. I like their cooked apples and biscuits. Silly because I could make my own, but never do anymore.

So you have a great breakfast, I have some DG friends coming for the day from northern Illinois. It is raining, and I am afraid we won't be wading through the garden. We will have to remain inside and look at quilts instead. But it will be fun.

You all have a good day, I need to decide what to create for lunch.

Cracker Barrel chain - sound like a place worth knowing.
Got to admit one can make a much healthier breakfast at home - usually do.
Sharon sounds like a busy day.
Me - off gardening. Lots of weeds and invasives to deal with, still lots will get away.
Good day to all, too.

Hi all,
Christi - heard about thunderstorms in Dallas
- think you said you were south of Dallas
- hope all well
Charlie

Yes, Charlie, I am 14 miles from downtown Dallas straight south on I35. Dallas weather service covers from Abilene to Texarkana, west to east, and Waco to the Red River, south to north. That is a huge area and one can be having snow while the other end is in the 60's. We had 1 1/2 inches rain and lots of high winds and lightening but no damage.
North of here was a whole 'nuther story. Probably 50 miles from me or less it rained 10-14 inches and wind sheer did lots of damage. If Dallas proper is used as a center of a spoke that is not far at all. Some of those people were in the wildfire area (120,000 acres) 3 weeks ago and now it is all mud and the creeks are overflowing. This is our tornado season and we were under warnings all day yesterday. I have been directly through 3 tornadoes and it is not fun. The hair on your body literally stands up from the electric tension in the air.

Christi

Christi,
- great to hear no damage
- very interesting description: When I taught high school, there was a unit on
'Extreme Weather'. You would have been a fantastic guest speaker. We read
about such variable weather, but you really need to hear from somebody in
the region.
- there is a very very occasional tornado north of us. In all my teaching of
weather and electricity, I never heard about the electrical charge on humans
in tornados. Makes sense. Am sure 'no fun' is putting it lightly.
Charlie

I am no scientist...far from it. This is only a personal observation and after three experiences you get to recognize it. We were under tornado watch all day yesterday and all the ingredients were there. Thanks for the undeserved compliment. The animals sense it first. Our community used to be rural and the barnyard animals prance around, the dogs and cats are antsy. Bird disappear. By then it is on top of you. The view of damage on the ground is much, much worse than what a tv camera can pick up. I guess all natural disasters are like that.

We have similar weather patterns here, too, Christi, and during tornado season, the hair on my cats, both inside cats, stands straight up. One is yellow with longish hair, looks exactly like a miniature lion. He is my weather predictor. I haven't looked at myself in the mirror, but maybe mine does that too.

Right now we have had about 4 days of rain, and my back garden is much like a bog. Just 4 days ago I was watering my plants. Though it won't flood here at my house, the area is in a flood warning zone at the moment, and some roads near the river are already under water. We also have high winds still, but nothing to compare to you. About all they did for me was to shake loose those limbs that were still hanging by a thread of bark from the January/February ice storm.

That particular storm, 10 days without electricity....a once in a lifetime storm, by the way, ....will have changed my pattern of sunlight. It tore the limbs from my trees and left them bare naked except for trunks. I wonder if my shade loving plants will fry this summer. There is some shade, because some branches were left on the maples, but the oaks are bare with patches of leaves growing from the trunks. And lots, if not all, lost their tops. Still it is very pretty with all the green of the moment, but come July, my gardens might well be toast.

Like all things, I guess we'll see.

Our last tornado (May 9,1994) that actually hit us destroyed 700 homes in our town by skipping around. Two doors down from me the roof was taken off. We lost 5 mature trees all the way to the roots. Couldn't open the front door because the sycamore that stood near the street was laying on it....some 50 feet tall. Sure 'nuff changed things around here. It jumped the freeway and followed the creek into the next community and took the entire business area off the map. Shame because it was a stop on the stagecoach route and was over 100+ years old. Nothing lasts forever on this planet.

I hope your trees recover. We cut down three mature trees last year because they were dying. My Japanese Bloodgood Maple is beautiful right now but in a week or so it will be cooked. Supposed to be an understory tree. I just may buy a picnic canopy to protect it until the pecan that is growing like a weed gets big enough to protect it. Now that's another tree that drives me crazy. This was an off-year for pecans so we haven't had too many seedlings but boy last year was a doozy.

Anyone want some red oak, pecan, or hackberry seedlings. Have ooodles and gobs.

Christi,
Tell me about the red oak? What is different?
I guess I could look it up, now couldn't I... But I am feeling my age. I went to the grocery, and the parking lot was flooded with water. It was only drizzly, just a light rain. Of course I wore my gardening crocs, and jeans that are too long, as all jeans are for me. They dragged in the water, but it wasn't too bad, I thought. By the time I got the groceries put away, grabbed a bite to eat, changed clothes and shoes, I am sitting here shivering. I simply cannot get warm.
But I am going to look up the red oak, and maybe pecan...though I am sure in my wildest dreams the pecan won't grow for me.

Off to research....

There are multiple varieties of Red Oak and I sorry to say I don't know one from another.
It is native for us as well as the pecan so there is little to do. My neighbor has the original pecan. Mine is from seedlings that I decided to protect because I needed a tree there.
The native tastes the best but it is no bigger than a thumbnail. The paper shell pecan is a graft on the native. Really big pecans. She has one of those but the squirrels are faster than we are.

I do know that one of the neighbors has a red oak that doesn't drop it's leaves until spring and we all hate it. We all clean up the leaves and dutifully put them in the compost (takes two years to break down red oak leaves) and just as you get your spring beds going...this other tree drops its leaves and makes a big mess. Have to clean them up because the pill bugs, snails and slugs hide in them.

OK, Lou, you can keep your massive amounts of seedlings. I have a similar problem with maple seedlings, the little 'helicopter' seeds that root themselves in my flower pots, flower beds, roof, gutters, and the wheel covers of my car if it ever sat still long enough. By the way, would you like a maple tree seedling or two?

Amazing - and we about snow and ice.
It is extremely interesting to hear the descriptions of the two of you.
So different from our weather.
Sharon's cats must be quite a sight (especially the yellow lion). I could get that effect with a van de Graff generator, but of course the cats wouldn't follow the safety instructions.
Guess the pesky seedlings aren't so bad in the overall scheme of things.
Was also thinking - gardens, when read Christi's 'nothing lasts for ever on this planet'.

Charlie,
Here is the lion when he was a bit miffed that I was painting his favorite room and had all the furniture and everything else all awry. I had taken a break, and returned to again climb the ladder. 'Not again,' he said....

He's gorgeous - what a picture! - we're cat people too.
Have some experience with maples too.

This cat is uncanny. I have read about cats like that, but this one is simply beyond words. And he talks, grumbles and mumbles, but he is only 2 years old. I swear he knows my thoughts. And he anticipates them. His feelings also show on his face. My other cat, Daisy, is very calm, very quiet, and accommodating. Jazz, however, lets the world know how he feels. If I happen to be in a room where he isn't, he starts calling, wailing, until I answer and tell him where I am. He is also much like a guard cat. When a strange car appears in the driveway, like a flash he is at the window, and if he doesn't recognize the car, he yells. If I tell him it's OK, then he will go about his business, but if I don't know who it is either, he stands beside my legs, until I answer the door, then waits to see what I do. And he will not go outside.

Well, I am sure you didn't ask to know about the personality of a miniature lion, but even so, there you have it. He also knows how to turn the radio on, and does so if I stay on the phone for longer than he wants.

Daisy on the other hand, ignores both of us. She is a perfectly symmetrical tuxedo cat, and very beautiful. They are both rescues, and rarely are out of my sight. Silly cats.

Sharon - thanks for the low down on Jazz and Daisy - and the picture of Daisy. Daisy is cute and Jazz is good looking and must be a real character.
We actually had two cats too, both from same cat hostel. They were as different as chalk and cheese. One died a year or two ago and was quite elderly. Pebbles was a tiny cat with a big heart; she absolutely loved her family and was very talkative. Our cats were in-door cats, but could go outside into our back garden.Pebbles was very territorial and if ever she found another cat, a speedy intervention was required to prevent a major dust-up. She actually also chased off squirrels and birds. Nevertheless, the most common word people used to description her was 'sweet'.
Buddy her obese brother (not biological), still living with us, has always been devoted to food. He always manages to knock food out of his plate and sometimes also manages to wipe it up the wall. His main focus in the garden has been to eat my plants and then come in and bring them up on the carpet. If he sees a cat in the garden, he runs in in panic. On the other hand, he is well known at the vets', where I think he's tried to kill everybody.
At this point in time, his diabetic food has been wonderful and not only has he trimmed down a lot, he's in such great shape that he does not need insulin shots. He can now clean himself and actually now likes being brushed. Though he has got a lot more friendly, his first love will always be food.

Charlie, that is too funny. Buddy is well known to the vets, Jazz is quite well known there, too. I guess cats like people have their own personalities. And I like their independence, though Jazz has to be within sight of me.

We are supposed to have sunshine tomorrow, i really hope so, it has been since last Wednesday, I think, since I have even glimpsed the sun.

Did you get much done in your garden today?

Went to a couple of garden centers and spent an hour or two on our garden. One frustrating thing was having to look for a gardening knife I'd lost - found at bottom of fifth bag of plant debris I went through.
Find I almost always lose hand tools in the same way; have plant material in my hand as well as the tool and throw both in the bag. Think I'm going to start reducing the number of tools I take to a place, to make it easier to keep track of them. Had already checked at a customer's for that knife. Have always been particularly careful about tools around children.
Hope you get your sunshine tomorrow Sharon. What you're experiencing sounds like England - very green - but often overcast.
Carol loved the cat pictures too.
Was laughing with Carol about you saying you had not decided what to have for lunch with the DG guests. Way to go. Carol would be thinking about
(worrying about) the menu (plus the whole house from top to bottom) five days before.
Had better attend to sleep (let you get some sleep too). Wish it was time to get up and we could start tomorrow now.
Charlie

Yes, I do find sleep a waste of time.

But sleep well, since it seems I do better when I do, maybe you will too.

Hi Sharon, Christi, Ge,
Conscience makes me correct above - Carol only worries about the downstairs, when we have lunch/diner guests. She is very meticulous
and can set a pretty nice table. Her mother was the 'hostess with the mostest', but Carol also had a career - glad she's retired - bit less largely self-imposed stress on her - she really enjoys retirement - me too.
Wish we could mention (maybe even joke about) politics on occasions. Come from a very political background and Carol is very knowledgeable about current politics. On the other hand, talking about limiting stress, it's probably a good idea they've banned political comments from threads. And anyway, gardening has dynamite topics like purple loosestrife and other invasives.
Charlie
Have a good day All.

Good morning. Sun is showing for first time in almost 3 weeks. Probably the most difficult 3 weeks of my life. The garden has become a jungle and you can't wade through the house. I really need the sanctity of the garden and the house is never done anyway.

Going to go out and stay out today.

Christi

Hi All....
Yes, Charlie, retirement is good, but sometimes boring.

Sunshine is peeping through...a good thing since I was threatening to find a big yellow ball and hang it from a tree limb. But some little wrens just took over my bluebird nest and I am so distressed. They did it last year too, they build false nests, then leave, but they also destroy whatever is in their wake. I always have about 3 hatches of bluebirds a year, but that isn't going to happen because the wrens get up earlier than I do, and I simply cannot sleep under or over the bluebird house. They even have the nerve to peck into the bluebird eggs and drop them onto the ground. Mean little things. I fought them off yesterday with a broom, but still, the blue birds have gone away. They will be back, but the cycle will repeat itself no doubt.

I have never ever killed a bird, but those little guys are on my last nerve. Of course I couldn't hurt it, but I could give it a good talking to. Trouble is, they talk right back.

I hope you have a good day in your garden, Christi, gardens are good for the soul, which is why I need to get outside, too.

Charlie, it is a good thing we can't talk politics. I would have been banned from the site a long time ago. We did get a bit vocal about the hackberry and that was fun, and I like loostrife, too, so maybe we can exercise our opinions about flowers and get the soap box thing out of our systems that way.

You all have a good day.

I was going to build nesting boxes until I read about the wrens. Forgot where but I read of different things to use for sheild to keep the wrens out. They will even kill a nestling and push it onto the ground.

Had to come in for a drink of cold water. About 40+ years ago we planted two Mimosa trees in the back. They were all the rage then and everybody had them. They grew fast and gave our toddlers someplace to play. Well, they died in about 15 years and we decided no more. That is....until we had two new beds prepared this winter. Now with all the rain there must be a hundred thousand seedlings that have rejuvenated. One more to add to the list of GO AWAY. They also did a sloppy job of the beds and now bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass is coming up in the bed. aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!

Free for the taking:
hackberry
pecan
oaks
mimosa

And a weed that comes back every year that looks like a false poinsettia. Oh, and did I mention four o'clocks. I love them but not everywhere. No way to contain them.

This is the kind of thing that sometimes makes me think of gardening as "work".

Ahhhhhh, Lou.....I love mimosas and 4 o'clocks. I don't want a mimosa, however, because I grew up with one and it drove me crazy because I had to unclog everything it clogged.

4 0'clocks, though, yes...love them.

I am watching this wretched wren carrying sticks up to the bluebird box. Since it has gone this far, I can't save a thing by fighting anymore. I am so upset, those little bluebirds have worked so hard, and I hate to go look and see the destruction. I will see i I can find what to use to deter the wrens. It's early and the bluebirds could return.

This was during better days....

I will try to catch some seeds from the four o'clock for you this fall. They are everywhere.

Rats, the wrens are native and are protected under the Migratory Bird law. Makes me so so angry. And I don't have enough land to move the box far enough away to protect the bluebirds.

And the rains are back. I am going to sit here and pout.

Another spreader is "Love in a Mist"
I'll never plant it again.

Here's what I found. for chickadees
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/Birdscope/Winter2009/chickadee_tube.html

I found pretty much the same thing, the wrens attack the bluebird house because it is located too close to my own house. The wrens would not venture far away, so the bb house should be moved, I think. I am afraid I don't have enough land to move it much further, though.

I would rather not have it than watch the wrens destroy the nest. They are so annoying, and make me so angry.

There is a park just a small one a couple of blocks away from my house. I have been thinking about asking the city if I could place a bluebird house there. There are no buildings, but lots of trees with spaces in between. They might have a fighting chance if located away from homes.

Thanks JoAnn.

Wrens here have been menacing the chickadees. I have seen the wrens go into the chic house and pull out their sweet moss and cathair nest. The chicks come back and rebuild.I saw the chicks chaase the wren away yesterday. Have you ever saved dryer lint for birds at nesting time?
We do,Its a riot.