Replacement plants (should I really tell?)

Last year was a "weak" one for me when it comes to the garden. I didn't do too much out there and added very few plants. In fact, I had a goal to spend no money on plants last year, so visits to area nurseries were few. I did come very close to that goal by the way.

This year I have no such goal. The garden is more important this year, and it's time for me to get it back into shape. To some extent I'm not concerned about spending on plants this year... but should I really admit to that?

Read more »

Read more...

What to do?

I've got a problem. It's this hinoki cypress (fernspray cypress?) -- Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides'.

It was a perfect choice 10 or so years ago when the bamboo was tiny and this space was mostly empty. The flattened evergreen foliage on curving branches looked so great! Unfortunately, things have changed.

Read more »

Read more...

Spider Eyes

I've been doing quite a bit of cleanup in the garden the last week or so, and much of that work involved pulling leftover leaf clutter out from under some plants. (Some was left as mulch intentionally over the winter, and some is from the oak tree that drops leaves until early spring it seems.) I've noticed so many different types of spiders under there, what are categorized as "hunting spiders" because they don't build webs to catch prey.

I noticed one interesting one the other day on the Pachypodium -- which I've been keeping on the porch until I figure out exactly where I want it to go.

Read more »

Read more...

That kale was delicious!

"That kale was delicious!" is what was said in my house recently.

Well, not in the house exactly. Near the house. And not by people.

Read more »

Read more...

You know you have a problem...

You know you have a bit of a problem...

...when your lawn grass...

Read more »

Read more...

What a crop: kale!

I've really outdone myself this year in my veggie beds. As you may know, they've been in a sorry state for a couple of years, and I showed you what they looked like a couple of months ago.

Now though, my attention to detail and dedication to growing something edible (by humans) has paid off, and a bumper crop will soon be harvested!

Read more »

Read more...

There are no ducklings

If you read last week about the duck that's been sitting on a nest for about a month...

...you should know that there will be no ducklings in my pond this year. Don't be too disheartened though, as the story is not nearly as sad as it was a couple of years ago.

Read more »

Read more...