2018 Gardening, Landscaping, and Plants

[taldesta]

... and a discovery this morning, behind the Daisy fence, buried deep in the veg garden 'in the wild' - sweet million first to ripen - yeah!






Geraniums nestling and spreading, just like they belong in the rockery



Daytime heat continues here. Overnights aren't too bad. I've had to shade the scarlet runner pole bean pots from the sun to keep the roots cooler. Some bean plants whose foliage is partially in the shade are doing better than those in full sun. Tough situation when what is planted to throw shade needs shade!

 

[eisman]

it's been great following along in this thread especially at your new digs

That's what I like about this thread, I get to see what all of you are doing and it encourages me. Sometimes I get ideas too, but the list of "projects" never gets shorter.

Anyways, it being Sunday, sunny and warm, and I'm not very inclined to do much other than the chores, I thought I'd share some pics from the garden this morning.

The yellow lilies just opened up this weekend.

These are new to the garden and opened up a week or so past. Very tall (6'+) and I'll have to stake them next year to keep them from falling over.

Lots of daylilies...

The Hyacinth is doing well...

It's a little crowded, so when the lilies fall over the get mixed in with the other stuff...

Hundreds of bees today. At least four different types. Two big black ones, one with a yellow head, and honeybees and a darker bee. I'm going to have to look them up. You'd think with all the flowers they'd be happy (bad pun), but there are a couple seriously frustrated they can't get into the hummingbird feeder. The Lavender plants are alive...I really think there's something about the color of the flowers that hits them. It may be the scent (and there's a lot of that) but purple flowers seem to get more action from bees, orange/red from the hummers, and whites and yellows from the butterflies. Just my perception...

 

[LEGION 12]

Grilled stuffed banana peppers.

 

[22-rimfire]

Tis why we have gardens.... plus I hate paying $0.88 each for a green bell pepper at the store. Even if I never eat a thing, I like to watch all this stuff grow.

Hummingbirds have started to become more active. I think this year's young are out now. So, there are more and you notice them.

Taldesta, congrats on your first 2018 tomatoes. We have been harvesting them for a while now but they are not at the peak where we're overwhelmed with maters.

 

[taldesta]

Anyways, it being Sunday, sunny and warm, and I'm not very inclined to do much other than the chores, I thought I'd share some pics from the garden this morning. .... Z .... Hundreds of bees today.

Rich, deep colours ... great pictures, eisman. The rewards of having staged perennials so the blooms just keep on coming.

You have the mason bees, right? I'll see more bees here when the nasturtiums bloom and it is worth their while to visit. I do miss my east facing patio and covered porch from past home where the bees and hummingbirds hung out - but am lighting up this yard as best I can for the pollinators.

 

[eisman]

I have Mason Bees, the better part of three small houses full, but they are all nested in now and won't be out again until early spring. Now is the time for bumble bees and honey bees, both of which are all over my lavender and catnip. The daisys are attracting a small black bee about half the size of a honeybee known as a Sweat Bee. I can't remember seeing them before, so I'm hoping this is a new visitor. The common bumble bee here is the Yellow Faced Bumble Bee, and they are all over my place. In particular they enjoy this blooming tree in one corner of the yard. It gets these small pink blossoms (about 2" diameter, max) and they freak out trying to get at them. I don't know what this plant is, but they love it. Other bees, not so much.

I apologize for the poor focus, but it was the cell phone, and it's kind of hard to get these guys to stay still long enough for a good picture. On the other hand, they don't pay any attention to me as long as I don't try to keep them from the flowers. The tree is alive with hundreds of these guys buzzing around.

 

[22-rimfire]

Neighbor has a row of them. Believe they are called Althea.

I finally upped my membership to gold again. I posted some wildlife photos in a bear thread (A real bear story) over in the Outdoors forum, fishing & hunting sub forum that some of you might enjoy. Certainly you'd see some of my national park photographic efforts in that thread. You all probably have noticed that I never post pictures. That is changing now.

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[taldesta]

Looks like some great tomato feasting coming up soon, LEGION ... and, is it my imagination, or is that my Daisy's ghost in the background - waiting, watching, sniffing ... for the first delicious ripe one to snack on?

 

[22-rimfire]

Anyone here have problems with Armadillos hitting their gardens and plantings? My sister in Nashville tells me that they have problems with them there. I saw a strange hole dug in my garden yesterday and suspect one is in the area. Armadillos are migrating east and aren't just a "Texas thing" any more. I may just warm up my 22 rifle if I start to see them hitting my beds even if the neighbors won't like it. I saw a dead one along a highway in my area recently, so I know they have made it to East Tennessee.

 

[taldesta]

Anyone here have problems with Armadillos hitting their gardens and plantings?

Not yet

 

[LEGION 12]

Jalapenos.

 

[LEGION 12]

Been using the .

 

[22-rimfire]

I dug all my onions out a couple of weeks ago and spread them out to dry in a shady spot (on a tray). They are inside now. There weren't that many or about what you buy in the store in a good sized bag. We were using them off and on before I harvested them.

Things look good Legion. Those are hot peppers, right?

Added: I water my garden quite a bit. You know, onions tend to like really porous well drained soils and perhaps a bit dry... planting in a controlled environment like a planter might be a good approach and you can really plant a lot of them in a small space. (Sort of the square foot gardening approach.) I guess it depends on how much you care.

Noticed that I'm finally getting small yellow crooked neck squash developing from my late planting.

Funny thing.... I have been taking my large cylinder screened sunflower feeder in at night for about a month now. (I store in nightly in a metal garbage can that I keep my bird seed in.) The feeder is hanging on a single piece of chain from a tree limb. Anyway, it got dark and I thought, better get the feeder in.... wandered outside and I look.... no feeder..... then I see the limbs shaking and I walk over.... feeder drops down in sight..... I chuckled to myself.... Mr Raccoon was in the tree and pulled the feeder up with it's little hands. Smart rascals when it comes to food.

 

[taldesta]

As you do ... taking the feeders in is best - not that I go to the bother as the 'feedstock' is so well depleted by sundown that I have nothing left to lose - and am happy with this.

This is the feeder that reserves some sunflower seed ... away from the chipmunk cheeks and other rapid depletion by squirrels and jays ... for the nuthatches, chickadees and grosbeaks.

All feeders other than this one are chipmunk and squirrel friendly, unintended. This one is made of some seriously thick metal chain link ... and not teeth friendly. Once the sliding locks on the roof of the feeder were clearly opened by "hand" - I too suspected a raccoon but am thinking now that a more likely suspect is one of the huge black or brown squirrels that I've been observing lately - one smart one.



Here is one of the small red squirrels chewing away at the sunflower stem - dropping the head to the ground for easy eating. Also, a lot of the seeds were nibbled off the larger sunflower alongside by this little guy.







Then, the other day I saw a large brown squirrel on the larger stem, grabbed for the camera - but by the time I got a look into the viewer all I saw was the squirrel boogying down the laneway lickity-split with the entire sunflower head in its teeth! I was so amazed by the strength and speed and smarts that I didn't even mind losing the shot ... well, maybe a little.

Daisy's frequent dressing down by the red squirrel ... I can get as close as I like with the camera but Daisy can't step outside the house without getting squirrel grief, loud, chattering, with dancing hind feet!

 

[22-rimfire]

I have a feeder similar to yours, tried it and the squirrels just knocked it down and emptied it. Pretty much retired it. But I thought the same thing.... sturdy.

My sunflower seed feeder holds about a half gallon of seed. It takes a few days for the birds to eat it down including the squirrels. I generally have at least two grey squirrels in the back yard around my feeders and often two to four more.

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[taldesta]

Finally a little rain and overcast, a break in the hot weather - everything in the garden has sparked to life, so bloomin' happy!

Scarlet runner pole beans have their pots shaded from the sun which has helped. They are already throwing shade for the begonias and me too - most welcome because the heat has been intense for here.

 

[taldesta]

Boulder garden with the bee balm catches the first sun's rays - the hummingbirds are on it regularly - choosing bee balm over the feeder. No surprise there.







The nasturtiums from seed planted May 23 are blooming for the hummingbirds and will take up the slack when the bee balm fades - right until killing frost. 6 containers of so many varieties that I have lost track of which pot holds the climbers or the trailers I guess time will tell






Please note that in most pictures I ignore the 5 ft weeds, brown crispy meadow grasses or out of control 'wild stuff' ... although do be assured that all of these things abound here ... without my consent or encouragement

 

[Rupestris]

Below is one of my more intriguing weeds.

It's the Chinese Lantern. A member of the nightshade family. I end up with several that sprout up unexpectedly. One seems to grow in the same corner every year and it's spawn surround it. I pull the smaller ones but usually leave one just to watch it progress.

It starts with a yellow flower that turns into the hollow, balloon like shroud that covers the seed bearing fruit.

They're green now but turn a bright yellow as they progress. After that the shroud breaks down to a brown lace like dry cage.

It's completely useless and a true weed but, it's fun to watch.