2016 Gardens

[Rupestris]

:thumbup: Taldesta.

Looking great.

Here is the white Astilbe I mentioned. It has started to bloom.

 

[taldesta]

Here is the white Astilbe I mentioned. It has started to bloom.

Thanks. That's a beauty.

Having fun with the avatar, eh!

My friend has a shady, dry area mostly devoid of colour where more fragile plants won't thrive so I picked up two astilbe, pink and red and they are very happy growing in that environment so far. They were just starting to bloom when I last saw them. If these work out, they will be putting in a lot of them. That's why I asked about your pic.

In past I found that trying to grow astilbe from seed for this application was like sowing dust. I have tried two years in a row and a tray with a few little green dots is all I have to show for it after several months this year! From your pics they are very showy plants and I see they grow alongside hostas, so likely comfortable in that shade level too. Here's hoping they are part of my friend's solution. From what I read up on them, they will multiply and divide ... even better ... good at math

 

[taldesta]

Lumpy's breaking news from Spaniel Crossing ...




Annual interloper, Nina the snapping turtle, arrives to lay eggs weeks later than expected ... tramples monarch habitat and snaps at rescuer. Same old, same old. :yawn:

Finding the laneway aggregate too hard to dig, Nina's search finds her trapped within the dog-free zone in a world of towering milkweeds.




What the dogs are prevented from trampling, Nina flattens - but very slowly.




Now here in Muskoka, we have 'turtle crossing' signage and even national radio urges us to HELP any turtle we find struggling to cross a roadway (rather than run over ... ). But, snappers will suddenly leap high up at you, powered by their front legs ... stretch their neck and strike a helping hand. Scary even if you are prepared. They will attack a helping stick as well.

Picking one up ... don't if you can help it. Approached from behind, fingers on the shell between where the rear leg claws reach and the neck can stretch around to land a bite. They are a lot more agile when they are riled than you might imagine. It's scary to hoist all that struggling weight and jaw fury.


Nina expresses appreciation for the transport. She was striking at me steadily while being carried in the box. Little turtle endearments.




Released in safety. She looks me in the eye and snaps a twig (like a finger) to say goodbye, see you next year.




Left at the top of the beaver slide to the river ... alone and in peace, free to continue her quest onward to lay eggs and return to the water.

 

[gonebad395]

Awesome keep all the pictures coming guys

 

[22-rimfire]

I am not a snapping turtle fan. They are mean and aggressive. I used to trap muskrats and reaching under a bank with a gloved hand is just asking for one to bite you if it happens to make that spot home. As kids, we shot every one we saw in the creeks near our house which we roamed a lot with our 22 rifles. We used to paint our initials and year on regular turtle shells and would see the paint for years.

Two years ago a snapping turtle arrived at my house (about 12" across). It walked a long way looking for a egg laying location as the nearest water is about a half mile away.

 

[taldesta]

I am not a snapping turtle fan.

I understand ... they are special.

____________

I dangle my toes off the dock here all summer ... but haven't been able to catch one yet

12" is a good size for a snapper ... and their travels do amaze me. Half mile! The turtle here had to climb almost straight up from the water about 6 ft then another 50 ft of steep ravine to get near the house. Every year my garden fence is disrupted and I find circular shell marks in the laneway ... and often I am able to get a picture of the turtle. If it is a close up, I keep my fingers behind the camera.

Usually mid May, after some good rain, I head up the forestry road in crown land just east of here. There is a patch of gravelly terrain beside a huge beaver pond where bunch of them lay eggs. This spring was so dry, though, and the turtle here is weeks behind the norm.

The most magnificent snapper I have ever seen was also up in crown land here. I was just heading back home in my canoe from a water access camp As I approached the landing area there were two women with their truck backed to the water, tailgate down. They were both up in the truck bed using 2x4's to pry this monster out and into the shallows. This was long ago.

Once the snapper was happy paddling in the pickerel weeds, we chatted a bit - they worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources. They estimated the turtle to be over 70 or so. They were transporting it to this wilderness lake because it had been lurking under some cottage docks in Haliburton County, making the locals nervous.

 

[slg98]

Various parts of the yard..

Some Meyers lemon tree startups, basil and some hot peppers..

Re-planting what used to be a pretty nice Japanese garden. Ironically several years of Japanese Beetle infestation took it's toll. Pulled out the dead trees today and trying out some tall flowers for now.
Going to re-do the stone path tomorrow that's been taken over by moss.

..

 

[Rupestris]

Good looking yard, Sam. :thumbup: Lots of variety. I especially like the Japanese pagoda/lantern. I need to get one of those.

This afternoon I took some photos of our large pots. My wife enjoys shopping for annuals for these. The two she must have every year are the creeping Jenny and the tri-color sage. The rest she wings.

 

[Catherine_Montana]

Great pictures and updates!

Thank you.

Cate

 

[gonebad395]

Well here is a few weeks later and the garden is really taking off. tomatos are great , peppers are popping out and cabbage and broc are getting huge. Zucinnie a day melons are all taking off well.

 

[LEGION 12]

First eggplant.

 

[Rupestris]

Looking good, Keith.

First eggplant.

:thumbup:

 

[Stumps]

My garden down here in central FL is done for the season.
It was another good one for most vegetables with plenty to give away to some neighbors.
My peppers were the worst producer. They were the best ever last year, but this year they produced very little.
Time to cover the garden for the rest of the summer and start planting again in early September.
I will harvest some heirloom mustard seeds this weekend and all I'll have left is my multiplying onions.

 

[craytab]

Lots of great stuff everyone!

Sam, Meyer lemons are great. Back before we had our daughter we had a couple really nice trees in pots for years.

Gonebad, what is the lattice for? Shade or to keep stuff separated?

 

[craytab]

I think I got it now. For the beans.

 

[gonebad395]

Yeah beans hope they take off

 

[22-rimfire]

Gonebad395, things are looking good. My tomatoes are growing vines like crazy which is the result of my liberal dose of mushroom compose that I tilled into the soil this spring. Wish they were setting more fruit. Been really hot here for the last couple of weeks.

 

[gonebad395]

Yeah we are flowering so just a matter of time before I'm eating tomato sandwiches. What's a mushroom compost we use chicken poop and lawn clippings

 

[cchu518]

Was a little late to start ours this year. So to jump start it all we experimented with a fish emulsion and will see how that helps the tomatoes, tomatillos , squash etc...

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[gonebad395]

Very nice