tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73062850384026491712024-03-13T14:06:30.566-05:00It's Not Work, It's Gardening!Occasional Posts from my suburban St. Louis garden:<br>
Plants, Projects, Nature and DiscoveriesAlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.comBlogger2272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-53965975543491948652021-02-24T06:47:00.001-06:002021-02-24T06:47:39.383-06:00Something NewNot only have I not been blogging about the garden for the past year (or a little more), I've also not been doing much gardening.<br />
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I've been doing something different.<br />
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Sure I've been doing the gardening basics: tending the bamboo, pruning, weeding, planting tropicals, tending bamboo, watering, tending bamboo, tending bamboo, and tending bamboo, but there's really not been much to say about any of that which I haven't said here before.
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Plus posts take time, and I just don't have too much of that these days.
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<p>As you can see from the imagery here, my creative outlet has changed from photography and blogging to... Illustration? Drawing? Painting? It's sort of all of those things, so let's just call it "digital visual art". Toward this I've been working on one main project for over a year trying to find my style, get more practice, and learn the tools, but it's only about 30 percent completed and it will be a while before I can "put it out there". </p>
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<p><br />I recently realized that I could combine this newest facet of my creativity with an older one (the garden) and start updating this blog again. It's a fun, casual way to share some work that probably isn't ready for full release on judgemental social media, which I'm not a big user of anyway. Plus here on INWIG the imagery is not the whole focus, which takes a little pressure off too. It's a gardening blog, not an art blog, right?</p>
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So...
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<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nimblemill.com/itsnotworkitsgardening/2021/garden_01_a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="797" height="400" src="http://www.nimblemill.com/itsnotworkitsgardening/2021/garden_01_a.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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If you've been reading for a while, you hopefully recognize this as the patio section of my garden, as seen from the window. Winter is the time when the bamboo really comes into its own, towering islands of green in a world of browns and greys and whites.<p></p>
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<p>As much pleasure as the bamboo gives me during the colder months, it also is a source of stress: when extreme cold is forecast, the "worry front" arrives a few days before. The questions start: will it get cold enough to defoliate the bamboos? Will the still-dormant leaf buds also be killed, resulting in what we bamboo growers call "topkill"?</p>
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<p>Topkill occurs when the existing leaves are killed and the dormant leaf buds are too. The culms have no way to generate foliage, so they die (no leaves means no food!). The bamboo then becomes essentially a huge, herbaceous perennial: dead above ground, but still alive below. </p>
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This means three things: 1) somebody is going to be very busy cutting down dead bamboo culms, 2) there will be hundreds and hundreds of canes* to be disposed of, and 3) the bamboo will be set back -- the new culms it will produce in the spring won't be as large or numerous as expected. Gardeners want plants that excel and impress, and with bamboo that means big, fat culms.<p></p>
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<p>So ideally, you want your bamboo to keep as many green leaves as possible through the winter. Come spring more greenery left on the plant means a stronger shooting season (in general). </p>
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<p>When temperatures are forecast in the single digits (Farenheit) I start worrying. Negative single digits is even worse. Single digits for several days in a row with dips negative is about as bad as it gets. The recent cold spell from the polar vortex event gave us all of that and more: 10+ days where it never got above freezing (or even close).</p>
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<p>I'm sure there will be plenty of bamboo damage showing in the next month or so.</p>
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<p>I guess that means I better start practicing more with the browns.</p>
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(*Technically it is called a "culm" when it's attached to the plant, and a "cane" once it's removed)
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-75303580857675378572019-12-16T16:50:00.000-06:002019-12-16T16:50:17.285-06:00Catching Up: End of SummerSince we're squarely in Winter's grasp now, it seems a great time to look back four to six weeks to appreciate the end of summer 2019.<br />
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Ah, those were lovely days, warm and sunny and dry. The perfect time to...<br />
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...hang out on the deck and soak up the last of the summer sun.<br />
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Beautiful greenery behind, dark purple castor beans reaching above the deck railing as usual (what an amazing annual!) to add more color to the scene. Plenty to look at too (a helicopter flew over as I took this!)<br />
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The tropicals area was particularly nice this year...<br />
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...possibly because of the <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2019/10/catching-up-less-is-more.html" target="_blank">removal of that tree</a>...<br />
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...but also because so many potted plants did not make it further into the garden:<br />
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I don't typically put that many pots over here, but I think I will from now on.<br />
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That was all in late October.<br />
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Less than two weeks later...<br />
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...a cold front moved in. Not just any cold front either, this one was mean.<br />
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Temperatures dropped <i>substantially</i>, and I scrambled to get all of the tender plants either dug up or moved into the garage. It stayed around for five days I think, with temperatures below freezing that whole time. So strange for mid-November!<br />
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(Things were not as nice out on the deck as they were two weeks earlier.)<br />
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The leaves hadn't even finished falling when the hard freeze hit (it got down to 12ºF/-11ºC one night)...<br />
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...so things looked strange for a few days.<br />
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That's a nice mix of colors though. Thanks bamboo!<br />
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Back to what I said about digging and moving plants inside. It's a big task, especially when it's crammed into one or two days.<br />
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I'm quite pleased with how well organized I was at it this year, tagging everything that needed it, and remembering every single pot. I didn't lose anything that I didn't want to.<br />
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Not a thing forgotten!<br />
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Well, <i>one</i> thing forgotten.<br />
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I haven't shown you the stream after its rebuilding yet, mainly because it wasn't quite finished -- there are still rocks to place, and I'm still not sure if I like the new design yet.<br />
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I certainly don't like it when it looks like this! (The pump was still running even after all of the water had frozen. Drat.)<br />
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So winter is definitely here now.<br />
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<i>(The pump was fine, amazingly)</i><br />
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-49853271969837722572019-10-31T15:09:00.006-05:002019-10-31T15:09:58.866-05:00Pennisetum: Vertigo vs PrincessA few years ago <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2015/10/favorite-views.html" target="_blank">I grew Pennisetum Vertigo</a> (cultivar name 'Tift 8'), a large, purple grass with wide leaves. I loved this grass, but alas, I did not overwinter it successfully one year -- I think it dried out too much in the garage. So I wasn't able to grow it last year, and I missed it!<br />
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The nurseries around me all seem to carry only Pennisetum Princess now (shown above), which is labeled as smaller than Vertigo, but supposedly similar in color. I finally gave in this year and bought a couple, thinking they'd be a replacement for Vertigo -- not exactly the same maybe, but better than nothing.<br />
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The first thing you'll notice is that it's pretty much a green grass, with some purple highlights. Not what I'd call a purple grass at all. If you want purple, you go with Vertigo:<br />
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One day this summer I drove past a garden center near the bakery -- I'd passed it dozens of times before -- and decided to stop. Guess what grass they had? Vertigo!<br />
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So I got to grow both of these this summer, and can show you how they compare. I planted Princess in a few places in my garden, but the main one was across the steps from Vertigo so I could easily compare and contrast them.<br />
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That's Vertigo on the left, and Princess on the right.<br />
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Now I have to admit that Princess was a bit more purple in the heat of summer -- these photos were just taken (Oct 31), and we're well into autumn now. Vertigo is still very purple though.<br />
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<i>(Note: Princess may be darker purple with more sun -- this may have been shaded more than the Vertigo. I'll have to put them right next to each other next year as a better test.)</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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To show some light coming through the leaves of both, I went down onto the patio and shot back up:<br />
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Both are quite attractive, but I like Vertigo's color better.<br />
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One thing you can't easily notice from these photos is size. Although Princess is supposed to be smaller than Vertigo, I'd say that they're pretty similar in size -- I had Princess in the front walkway and it was 5' (1.5m) tall!<br />
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Plant tags these days seem to underestimate the size of plants. I love big plants so that doesn't upset me -- I just feel like they're trying to trick people into buying more plants, or buying something they normally wouldn't (because of smaller gardens for instance).<br />
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Regardless of the questionable accuracy of the size, I'll be growing BOTH of these again next year!<br />
(<i>Assuming I overwinter them successfully that is</i>)<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-37645782541799612552019-10-28T18:56:00.001-05:002019-10-28T18:56:20.079-05:00The Front Garden, September 2019I thought that it would be a good time to show you the front garden -- the view that my neighbors get, and what I see when I pull up to the house each day.<br />
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You'll notice a lot of bamboo. It's been over 10 years since I got the bamboo collection bug, and this plant still delights me! There are seven or eight different types in the front here.<br />
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Here's a wider shot -- I didn't want to use this one as the banner image for this post because it's too wide, but it gives you the big picture:</div>
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Click to see it larger (right-click and "open in new window" might be the best way to see it big).</div>
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From the other direction:</div>
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A wide shot, head-on:</div>
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At the right of that photo (the south side of my property), you get a glimpse down the side yard:</div>
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I'll show you that in another post though.</div>
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Back to the front of the house, for the walkway:</div>
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I had some successes here this year, and a few failures.</div>
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One of the successes is a new canna, about 8' (2.4m) tall!</div>
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Looking from the porch toward the street, you can see that it's a bit of a gauntlet run to get to the house:</div>
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I should remember that plants love to lean into open spaces (to get more light I suppose), so they'll always go into walkways. I never do remember though. (That clay pot on the walkway ended up being there for two months. I don't get too many visitors.)</div>
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Turning to the left (south), you see some good and some bad:</div>
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The sago palm has since put on a huge new flush of leaves -- it looks tiny and sad in this photo (from late September). The Pachypodium just keeps going, and I'm afraid to give it the bigger pot that it needs. It's going to be close to the ceiling when I bring it indoors in a couple of days...</div>
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Toward the corner of the house, you can just see the dead Euonymous that I never got around to removing (visible in previous photo too). It would be an easy task if I didn't want to dig out the roots too. Maybe this fall...</div>
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More of the bamboo. Is it just me, or is that a very attractive plant? Love it!</div>
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Looking at it from the other direction (it's the one at the back in this photo):</div>
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Yeah, I should probably keep the sidewalk more clear, but it's easy enough for walkers to swerve a bit, right?</div>
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So now to the photo that I debated sharing. I debated because it's ugly, and shows my biggest failure for this year: the driveway bed:</div>
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Of course the rose is hideous (good for a few weeks each spring, then downhill from there -- I'm determined to cut it down this autumn), but nothing else over here really worked this year. The castor beans never grew, nor did the colocasia or grasses. I really need to fertilize heavily next year I think.</div>
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But maybe you wouldn't notice this too much, because the view down the driveway is more appealing?</div>
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And that wraps up the look at the front garden, circa 2019. I hope you enjoyed it!</div>
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<i>(Photos taken late September 2019)</i></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-72335445404304357392019-10-23T05:00:00.000-05:002019-10-23T05:00:06.014-05:00The Pond this SummerThis was a good year for the pond. It had <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2017/03/pond-makeover-part-2.html" target="_blank">a few rough years recently</a>, but I put a little effort into it this year and I think it shows.<br />
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This shot was taken in early September, and you can see that I've added lots of sedges around the edges -- that really helps to soften up the rocks and make this a more inviting space.<br />
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That's one of the big changes this year -- the perimeter planting.<br />
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The second biggest change was the reintroduction of the frogbit...<br />
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...those lilypads in miniature make the water more inviting both to the eye and also wildlife -- this was a banner year for frogs. That may have been due to the abundance of rain through spring and summer, but I'm going to say it was the additional cover provided by the frogbit. Tree frogs and leopard frogs were croaking for much of the summer!<br />
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The fish were so happy and active too -- that definitely was due to the refreshing of the water with rainfall every week. Or was it that I added beneficial bacteria again?<br />
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The nibbles in the leafs of the above photo were probably made by toad tadpoles. The frog tadpoles are too delicious to the fish to survive -- but I did provide a <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/08/tadpole-update.html" target="_blank">fishless water feature for frog spawn as I did last year</a>.<br />
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If you're wondering why I went with sedges: they are on the short list of plants that none of the herbivores will eat (for me that list is rabbits, woodchucks, and deer). I put a variegated liriope back here too as a test, and it seemed to be untouched by tooth as well -- I'll add more next year.<br />
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<i>(The first photo was taken in early September, and the rest were toward the end of the month)</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-37264652515019654932019-10-21T12:41:00.001-05:002019-10-21T15:02:07.575-05:00Catching Up: Less is MoreFor a couple of years now I've contemplated a fairly drastic change in the garden, but I could just never bring myself to make it happen. Until this past July that is, when one day I decided enough was enough and I got to work.<br />
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What am I talking about exactly? It's this Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides' which is taking up too much space and looking so ratty most of the year. If you're not sure which plant I'm talking about, you'll soon see.<br />
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I discussed my dilemma <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/05/what-to-do.html" target="_blank">here back in 2018</a>. Here's a look at it from another angle now:<br />
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And one more from up on the deck stairs:<br />
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After taking the photos I immediately grabbed the limb saw and got to work -- I didn't want to talk myself out of it one more time. I had the will to act, and act I would!<br />
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I cut that tree down!<br />
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Branch by branch, then the trunk itself. I left a couple of feet of stump so that I could leverage it out of the ground more easily if I decided to remove the rootball too.<br />
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Since that bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Aureocaulis') is such a cornerstone plant back here, it makes sense that I should show it off more, right?<br />
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And it's nice to be able to see the pergola a bit more too!<br />
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Let's switch to before and after pairs to make the improvement more dramatic:<br />
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Hey, I did a pretty good job of matching camera positions and angles!<br />
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The view from the deck is the best I think:<br />
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And one last wide shot after I had done most of the cleanup too:<br />
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After seeing the improvement, you may wonder -- as I did -- why it took me so long to remove this ugly thing. Have you ever tried cutting down a tree that you chose, planted yourself, nurtured, and enjoyed for a decade or more? It's surprisingly difficult to break that emotional bond -- even for a seasoned garden veteran like myself.<br />
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I'd like to say it will be easier next time I have to do this, but I don't think that's true.<br />
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Glad I finally worked up the nerve!<br />
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<i>(These photos were taken late July 2019)</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-91074099457472527522019-10-18T05:00:00.000-05:002019-10-18T05:00:05.249-05:00Catching Up: Luna MothBack in early August I got a text from my neighbor, asking if I knew what this thing was on her tree:<br />
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She had sent a blurry phone camera image, but I knew exactly what it was. As I hurried over with my camera, I texted back: "Luna Moth!"<br />
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Actias luna, the "Luna Moth", with a wingspan typically about 4.5" (115 mm), is one of the largest moths in North America.<br />
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It's certainly one of the biggest we'll see around here, and I don't remember if I've ever seen one before.<br />
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Once when I was a child I saw a huge moth flying around the street light one night at my cousin's somewhat rural house, but that's a vague memory.<br />
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This one is up close! <br />
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Probably just emerged and waiting for its wings to completely dry (note the "tail" parts).<br />
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There are several persimmon trees in this neighbor's yard -- a host plant for the larvae. I'm surprised she's never seen one of these before.<br />
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I'm glad she saw it this time!<br />
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<i>(These photos were taken in early August)</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-20278441124191222242019-10-16T05:00:00.000-05:002019-10-16T05:00:02.428-05:00Catching Up: Tomato Plants!It's been a few years since I've bothered to grow any edibles, even though in my opinion one of the best things about summer gardening is a homegrown tomato. The deer and woodchucks and inconvenience of the fenced veggie garden being so far away from the kitchen door just made it too much of a hassle though, so I gave up on it.<br />
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Until this year that is, when I decided that the deck would be a great place to grow tomatoes! I planted up six large pots, each holding a different variety. I was quite pleased with the results.<br />
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Tomato plants are not the most attractive of ornamentals, but when they're going strong they're not exactly ugly, at least to my eye.<br />
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Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Sweet Millions (cherry), Celebrity, and a couple of other ones that I don't remember exact names for, but won't grow again.<br />
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Since we had a very wet start to summer (and middle of summer for that matter), watering was not too much of a chore. Since running a hose up to the deck last year this has become almost "easy" anyways, but I didn't have to do it too much until later in the summer.<br />
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So no problems with deer or woodchucks, but...<br />
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...those darn raccoons! I ended up installing a motion-activated light, and that seemed to do the trick. That light showed us that it wasn't just raccoons that love tomatoes, but opossums do too apparently!<br />
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We got lots of delicious tomatoes from these plants until midsummer when I neglected to fertilize and the fruits started getting weird (looking ripe on the outside but pretty much green inside). I'll be more persistent next year -- I'm definitely doing this again next year!<br />
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(<i>These photos were taken at the end of July</i>)<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-44527812079891907822019-10-14T11:22:00.000-05:002019-10-14T11:22:25.908-05:00Catching Up: Japanese MapleIt's been a while since I've posted, but I've missed sharing some of my garden happenings this past summer. So I'm doing a series of catch-up posts to show you the highlights...<br />
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...starting with my main Japanese Maple. It's so good early in the growing season, where its red really shines, and it can strongly complement the bamboos.<br />
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So vibrant, especially against the fresh green of big bamboo leaves:<br />
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I transplanted some bamboo into the planter box next to this tree, hoping for this exact situation. Success!<br />
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As long as you only look at it from this one angle that is.<br />
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As you can see, about half of this tree died over the winter! Half!<br />
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Pruning isn't going to fix that. Unless by "fix" you mean "make it look completely weird".<br />
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So of course I just left it all summer, letting maypop and other vines climb on it as usual. I suppose I'll deal with it in the spring.<br />
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(<i>These photos taken at the end of April)</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-53150410882174743202019-04-22T09:14:00.000-05:002019-04-22T09:14:19.128-05:00Eastern Red BatI usually avoid putting spoilers into my post titles, but since I post so infrequently these days I thought I'd get right to the point. A couple of weeks ago I was doing some winter damage assessment on the bamboos, and was taking a close look at this completely fried Phyllostachys dulcis:<br />
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Not a pretty sight with all of that brown, but I wanted to know if any of those culms were going to leaf out again.<br />
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So I was taking a close look...</div>
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...when I turned my head and got a little shock -- why was a dead mouse stuck in that branch?!</div>
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After another few seconds I realized this was of course not a dead mouse, but was a tiny bat!</div>
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At the time I was astounded, as I didn't know that any bats roosted out in the open like this, but I took lots of photos:</div>
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Later research informed me that this was an Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis), and that they do indeed roost in trees. As the <a href="http://www.batcon.org/resources/media-education/species-profiles/detail/1728" target="_blank">Bat Conservation International website</a> tells me:</div>
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Eastern red bats are North America's most abundant “tree bats.” They are found wherever there are trees east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to as far south as central Florida. Eastern red bats roost right out in the foliage of deciduous or sometimes evergreen trees. Despite their bright red color, these bats are actually rather cryptic, looking like dead leaves or pine cones. They are perfectly camouflaged as they hang curled-up in their furry tail membranes, suspended from a single foot, twisting slightly in the breeze.</blockquote>
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It was quite a windy day so the bamboo was moving back and forth substantially, but this one never moved as far as I could tell.</div>
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From a little distance you wouldn't even notice it there:</div>
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(It's in the exact center of that image)</div>
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The next day (Friday), it was back!</div>
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I say "back" and not "still there", as it clearly had shifted position. It was still on the same branch, but was now holding onto a leaf and not the branch itself. </div>
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I should point out that this bat is about 2.5", maybe 3" (60-75mm) long -- it was too high up there to put anything next to it for scale in these photos.<br />
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It was back again the next day (Saturday) too!</div>
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That day it seemed to be in exactly the same position as the day before, as if it hadn't left during the night. </div>
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The next day (Sunday) it was gone. I don't know if the leaf it was clinging to finally fell off, or if the bat just got tired of swaying so much while trying to sleep and found a quieter spot, but I haven't seen it again since. </div>
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I've lived in this house for more than 20 years, and although I've seen bats every summer, I never knew that they would roost out in the open in a tree! I just thought that they needed hollow trees or caves or attics or some other type of shelter.</div>
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Good thing I never wasted time building a bat house! ;)</div>
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More info here: <a href="http://www.batcon.org/resources/media-education/species-profiles/detail/1728" target="_blank">Eastern Red Bat</a><br />
Missouri has 14 species of bats! <a href="https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bats" target="_blank">List and more info here</a>.<br />
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-90491186023965341882019-03-05T04:00:00.000-06:002019-03-05T04:00:07.226-06:00Nine-year anniversary: best of INWIG 2018According to Blogger I made <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2010/03/lets-get-started.html" target="_blank">my first blog post on March 5, 2010</a> which means today is my <b>nine-year anniversary</b>! One of the main reasons for creating this blog was so I'd document everything I did in the garden, and although I've slowed way down over the past year with less frequent posts, I've still captured some important moments. Hopefully I have still given some entertainment and knowledge to you, my readers over the past year. (Or several years if you've been reading for a while or went back to discover older posts).<br />
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Today, as I've done every March 5 since I started, I'm going to take a look back over the past year and list my favorite posts in chronological order. If you haven't seen them before please take a look. If you <i>have</i> seen them already, then take another look -- it's still fun! I did this type of post on my previous anniversaries too, and I really like the way they turned out. <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/search/label/best_of">See them all here</a>.<br />
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This is an "index" of <b>my favorite posts</b> from the last twelve months (March 2018 - February 2019). This, like <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/search/label/best_of">the previous "best of" posts</a>, is a great page to start -- if you want to send somebody a link to show them what this site is all about, this is a great one to send.<br />
<b>Click the titles to get to the full posts.</b><br />
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There are fewer posts to choose from this past year, but still some good ones I think!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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(Please let me know in the comments if I listed any of your favorites here)<br />
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/04/what-do-you-see.html" target="_blank">What do you see? </a> 23 April 2018<br />
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The duck nest at my neighbor's house in relation to my pond.<br />
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/05/there-are-no-ducklings.html" target="_blank">There are no ducklings</a> 2 May 2018</div>
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There will be no ducklings in my pond this year (not as sad a story as you might expect)</div>
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<a href="http://nimblemill.com/itsnotworkitsgardening/May%202018/IMGP4860_a.JPG" target="_blank">Morning Surprise</a> 8 June 2018</div>
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A fawn didn't expect to be seen from this angle.</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/06/rose-so-perfect-for-now.html" target="_blank">Rose, so perfect (for now)</a> 7 June 2018</div>
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My one remaining rose, its brief moment of greatness</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/07/petroglyphs.html" target="_blank">Petroglyphs</a> 12 July 2018</div>
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We visit a Missouri state park that contains 1000-year-old carvings!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/07/emerald-jumper.html" target="_blank">Emerald Jumper</a> 13 July 2018</div>
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I love garden spiders!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/07/rivers.html" target="_blank">Rivers</a> 17 July 2018</div>
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A couple of different Missouri rivers, with views from the bluffs.</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/08/tadpole-update.html" target="_blank">Tadpole update</a> 7 August 2018</div>
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I have tree frog tadpoles -- and tiny tree frogs!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/08/onondaga-cave.html" target="_blank">Onondaga Cave </a> 17 August 2018</div>
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We visited Missouri's most impressive cave and were... impressed!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/08/pickle-springs-natural-area.html" target="_blank">Pickle Springs Natural Area</a> 28 August 2018</div>
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A hike that did not seem like Missouri at all -- so nice!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/10/beautiful-monster.html" target="_blank">Beautiful Monster</a> 1 October 2018</div>
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Hibiscus 'Mahogony Splendor' becomes the star of the garden!</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/10/wet-sticks.html" target="_blank">Wet Sticks</a> 10 October 2018</div>
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Dew-covered Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'. Macro shots of a wet morning.</div>
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<a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2019/02/bluebirds.html" target="_blank">Bluebirds</a> 23 February 2019</div>
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After months of not too much happening, a pair of bluebirds make my day (week? month?)</div>
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So that's my selection of the "best" posts from the 9th year of It's Not Work, It's Gardening! I know that 2018 was light on posts, but I still found some good things to share, didn't I?<br />
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Please browse the site and find more -- I know you'll enjoy yourself. Also use the "Best Of..." buttons near the top of the right column of every page to get to the "best" posts of every year.<br />
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<b>Thanks for reading and commenting -- I really appreciate it!</b><br />
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<i>By the way, if you've not commented before I'd love to hear from you!</i></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-20841202874265601742019-02-28T04:00:00.000-06:002019-02-28T04:00:10.520-06:00Bamboo Chop!I've been contemplating a drastic chop of one of my bamboos for several months. Since cutting a large, established plant to the ground is an emotionally difficult thing to do -- probably physically difficult too actually -- I debated for a long while.<br />
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I decided just after returning from Scotland in January that I would definitely do it, and since it's one of the first bamboos to shoot I knew I wouldn't have too much time to make it happen. On Thursday 21 Feb the weather forecast was favorable, so I got the loppers out, layered up, and headed out to do some gardening for the first time in months. First though, a warmup project: these broken culms.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2017/04/bamboo-support-finished.html" target="_blank">support frame I built</a> isn't quite tall enough to adequately hold these Phyllostachys bissetii culms up when they're weighted down with snow, so several of them had snapped. I just lopped them off at the break point and then trimmed some of the other culms that were drooping too much:<br />
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Problem solved!<br />
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Or at least problem <i>modified</i>, since I now have more culms to get rid of. Piling bamboo on the driveway seems to be my M. O., so I stuck with it:<br />
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If I cut those all up immediately I wouldn't have the energy to tackle the main project of the day, so I left them.<br />
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The main project is my first bamboo:<br />
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This Fargesia sp. 'Rufa' was <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2010/12/patio-takes-shape-2006.html" target="_blank">planted in 2006</a>. This clumping bamboo is the only one that does well in the St. Louis area, and it's put on some height and width every year since planting, until now it's about 7' (2.1m) tall and probably 10' (3m) wide. It's taking up a lot of space, although I admit it's such a beauty here at the edge of the patio:<br />
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Besides being too big and blocking two paths, there are loads of dead culms inside there. I tried cutting a bunch of those dead ones out last year and it was just too difficult. So my only real option was to cut this down completely and let it refresh itself. Sure it will be thinner, but that should be good for the plant. It should be a bit smaller too, but we'll see.<br />
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I jumped in with the loppers and just started hacking pieces off until I could get at the base:<br />
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Doesn't look too bad like that, until you get up close:<br />
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Just keep <strike>swimming</strike> trimming, right?<br />
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I'd make a few cuts with the loppers -- such a satisfying crunch -- then pull the culms out. The leafy parts were all tangled together, so pulling from the bottom was the only way. Not too difficult, just repetitive.<br />
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After not too much time (about XX minutes according to the timestamps on the photos), I had the whole thing down:<br />
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Hey, I had forgotten that little rabbit statue was under there!<br />
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There are two rotted remnants of log sections too, both sort of fused to the ground so I'll just leave them. One of them has several Rufa culms poking through it.<br />
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Man, there were a lot of culms in there!<br />
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Each of them was quite thin though maybe 3/8" (10mm) at most. After clearing them out of the way, you can see what a drastic change this made:<br />
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From the other angle (on the driveway looking down):<br />
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And here's something that has never been possible before, a shot from the other side looking back into the patio:<br />
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(Sorry about the poor image quality on that shot -- I must have changed a camera setting by accident)<br />
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Here's all that's left...<br />
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...a bunch of little bamboo stumps that would really hurt if you stepped on them with bare feet. Good thing this will start shooting long before it's warm enough to walk around outside with unprotected feet!<br />
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Here's another look at the before and after:<br />
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Eeep! What have I done?<br />
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<i>I'm still considering taking a division or two from the edge of the clump, but it's difficult to see where the clump ends now. Maybe I have to wait until the shoots start emerging for that.</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-60797139683356691222019-02-23T14:54:00.003-06:002019-02-23T14:54:55.740-06:00BluebirdsOn January 30th, the high here was 8ºF (-13ºC). When you have the only unfrozen water source around -- compliments of a birdbath heater -- you get to see some interesting things when it's very cold. For instance, I happened to notice an Eastern Bluebird that afternoon.<br />
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Not only that, but I saw his mate too! <i>(Good thing I left that grate nearby -- it makes a nice perch!)</i><br />
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You might think that seeing the state bird (it became so in 1927) wouldn't be such a big deal, especially since Eastern Bluebirds range over the whole state (of Missouri) and pretty much the entire central and eastern part of the country.<br />
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The thing is though, these are birds that like open spaces, or maybe I should say they like to <i>overlook</i> open spaces. One thing I don't have a lot of in my yard is open space.<br />
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There is a grassy hill a block or so away -- maybe that's where they hang out? I usually only spot bluebirds when we're out in the country. I guess I need to pay more attention to my own neighborhood!<br />
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They both came back to drink a few more times over the next hour or so and I haven't seen them again since.<br />
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I'm glad I saw them on that day!<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-14383365946383717872019-02-18T13:02:00.001-06:002019-02-18T19:21:35.591-06:00I'd like to tell you...Although I haven't been writing many posts lately, I still look at the garden and the natural world outside through my blogging eye, always thinking "<i>I should do a post about this...</i>". I've been collecting those thoughts, often with a single photo, many times only using the camera that's always in my pocket (my phone camera). So that's what I have for you today, a collection of shareable tidbits...<br />
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...starting with a surprise bloom! This is the <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/10/beautiful-monster.html" target="_blank">Hibiscus acetosella</a> (Hibiscus 'Mahogony Splendor'), and its "inconspicuous bloom" -- as the tag says. Deep ruby red, lasting just a day -- at least that's how it was when one of the several cuttings I have rooted decided to push out a couple of blooms in mid-January. It never hinted at blooming outdoors.<br />
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I'd like to warn you about Monarda varieties that are listed as "resistant" to powdery mildew, like this Missouri native is supposed to be:<br />
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The "right" (read "wrong") weather conditions will easily overcome any resistance. I can't tell you what those conditions are exactly though... too wet? Too dry? It seems the powdery mildew always wins here, sometimes it's just later in the year than others. Spray to avoid this? Right, that will happen.<br />
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I'd also like to tell you about how amazing some Agaves look in the autumn:<br />
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Just fantastic!<br />
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I'd also like to mention how the Pachypodium lamerei, once brought indoors, expelled ants from its pot for an alarmingly large number of weeks: three.<br />
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(no, I didn't take a photo of ants covering my floor!)</div>
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I'm not talking about one or two ants at a time either -- I'm talking swarms and trails. Yikes. Where did they all come from? Was there any soil in the pot at all, or was it primarily ants?<br />
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Another thing to tell you about: castor bean seeds. This past year I grew for the first time a big-leaved green castor bean variety (probably 'Zanzibar' or similar), and it took *forever* to flower. They finally appeared so late in the season that I was concerned that I would not get any seeds from it -- and I really *must* grow this one again! Here are the pods at the end of October:<br />
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Considering that we had a hard freeze just two weeks later, well before the pods had turned brown, I was worried that they would not be viable. So just before the first freeze I grabbed one pod and put it in the garage. A while later I pulled it open, and...<br />
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I don't know yet if they're viable, but they look pretty good to me! I will check the rest of the pods -- left on the plant carcass for the whole winter, my usual strategy for castor bean seeds -- and do a germination test soon. <i>One thing I've learned: don't start castor bean seeds indoors too early!</i><br />
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Something else to tell you that happened in the fall: pond maintenance. This was a banner year for oxygenators in the pond, as both the hornwort and anacharis went CRAZY. I think 1/3 of the pond volume was taken up by these plants, as I pulled out enough to feed an adult hippopotamus as part of the winterizing process. (<i>although hippos eat mainly grass it seems, and only a small amount of aquatic plants</i>).<br />
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I pulled out so much of that stuff, and was also quite good about getting the pond netting into place:<br />
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The problem is, the netting is not a perfect solution. Enough leaves, especially wet ones, and the net will sag into the water. If it snows on top of that -- as it did this year -- it's extra heavy. So the water absorbed a lot of tannins, and even though I pulled the netting off and replaced it because that early freeze made a lot of the trees hang on to dead leaves for a lot longer than normal, leaves still got into the water. I'm hoping it doesn't cause too much trouble in the spring, but we'll see.<br />
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Note that I did not add any winter bacteria to the pond. I don't know if that was a mistake or not, but I don't like to throw away money on something that may or may not really be a benefit.<br />
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I also don't like to throw away plants, so I'll tell you about my numerous Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) plants: I chopped them off and just put them into trays (old cat litter boxes actually) in the cold garage to overwinter. I used Aloe vera plants as fillers in several beds, and I couldn't just let them all freeze -- I just couldn't.<br />
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Many of these came out of the main big pot, where each pup had now gotten so large it couldn't support its weight. Hopefully they'll last a couple more months before I can pot them up or plant them in the ground again. I think they will.<br />
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I also want to tell you: it's not a lot of fun trying to get rid of a few hundred dead bamboo canes. When the city won't chip them (bamboo doesn't chip like tree branches do) and commercial outfits want $400 or more just to haul them away, it's time to put in the hours with the loppers and get them into sizes that the yard waste company will take away.<br />
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I think I've put out about eight of these jam-packed cans so far, and I still have probably 100 canes to cut. I'm sure there will be more after this past winter, but hopefully not as many as last year when the very dry fall and winter made the cold more lethal to the bamboo.<br />
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I also want to tell you about: variegated spinach!<br />
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We use spinach in our quiche, and this cool leaf was discovered at the start of December. Is variegated food less nutritious I wonder?<br />
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In the not-so-cool department, I want to complain about: Ash seeds. Those damn things are *still* falling!<br />
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I told you about those <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/06/ash.html" target="_blank">back in June</a>, and the tree just doesn't want to let them go:<br />
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I suppose I should enjoy this tree while I can, if "enjoy" is the right word.<br />
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Ending on a positive note, I'd like to tell you: Scotland is fabulous, even in winter!<br />
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We went just after Christmas, and had such a great time! Lots of green in the countryside even then, but the only garden worth mentioning was this beauty at Edinburgh Castle. I'm hoping to have enough time to write something up about the entire trip, even though it won't have much garden content.<br />
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<i>(A bit like me these days</i>)<br />
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So that's all I have to tell you for now. More when this *$&#! winter is over I hope!<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-84811204546989997112019-01-15T18:55:00.004-06:002019-01-15T18:55:57.858-06:00Mild winter. Is it?We've had quite a mild winter, with our coldest days coming very early -- in mid-November. Temperatures have been in the 40's F (5ºC) for most of the winter, or even warmer. We've had plenty of moisture too, mainly in the form of rain.<br />
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"Mild" can change to "wild" quite quickly though, as a high temp of 66ºF (19ºC) was followed later in the week by 10" (25cm) or more of snow.<br />
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Who watches winter forecasts more closely than gardeners? (School children and <a href="http://outlawgarden.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">teachers</a> maybe?) As a bamboo grower I'm always hoping for a nice, mild and wet winter so I can see some good bamboo size increases in the spring. You can see how green all of the bamboos are still, evidence of the mildness so far:<br />
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The ice and snow doesn't really bother me too much, even though there is much bending:<br />
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Those culms will snap back up for the most part after a melt. (<i>That's the view looking down from the bedroom window. There's usually a lot more driveway visible.</i>)<br />
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What really worries me is the forecast for this weekend: <b>a low of 0ºF (-18ºC) or possibly lower.</b><br />
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I had major bamboo damage last year with temperatures in this range, with well over a hundred dead culms (maybe over 200 -- I stopped counting). That was after a very dry autumn and early winter though, and those dry conditions reduced the cold hardiness of the bamboo significantly. We'll see how this goes when they're well hydrated.<br />
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When the winter is mainly warm with one or two short very cold snaps, is it still considered to be "mild"?<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-13695567296275797612018-12-15T17:08:00.001-06:002018-12-15T17:08:33.329-06:00Nothing. Well, almost nothing"Nothing" is what's been going on in my garden. Or is it what I've done as far as winterizing goes? Or does it refer to this blog, and what's happening here?<br />
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It's a mix of all three I'm afraid, as I've done so little outside over the past several months. As the time I have available for gardening has diminished, so has the desire to write about the garden.<br />
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How little have I done this past year outside? Let's start with winterizing first. Here's a list of what I did:<br />
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<li>Brought non-hardy succulents and tropicals inside</li>
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Um, that's it. I didn't even touch the Musa basjoo -- I just left it to see what happens:</div>
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It appears to be self-mulching. At least I hope so. (I didn't remove a single leaf or pseudostem, just let it dissolve in the freezes)</div>
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One task I have done: I've removed hundreds of dead bamboo culms, leaving my 'Spectabilis' looking pretty crazy. Bushy growth below, long bare culms, then tufts of foliage up above:</div>
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Some of the culms have toppled over -- there must not be enough soil back there or the rhizomes were too close to the surface. Hopefully all will be remedied after a strong shooting season come April. </div>
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Other bamboos have shown they don't need my help, like this Indocalamus tessellatus:</div>
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The main plant was killed last winter, but the smaller shoots that came up show me how far this has actually spread. It will be impressive next year, and I did nothing to it! (Except cut down the dead stuff.)</div>
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I didn't even finish the tasks I started this summer, like rebuilding the stream, nor did I even tackle the simple things...</div>
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...like cutting this ugly Chamaecyparis down. Nothing!</div>
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My lack of time has refocused me. No longer am I content with my documentation of the changes each season brings to the garden, or the sharing of a fascinating-to-me natural discovery. My temperament is running more toward the creative these days, and that means some changes. I will still post here, but not on a regular schedule. My writings will (hopefully) be more creative, my topics more varied and less self-centric. There will still be photos, and I'm hoping they will get more creative too. I'll also be doing more general creative writing and posting that somewhere else, but that's another story...</div>
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More to come soon. </div>
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<i>What "more" is exactly and when "soon" will arrive is to be determined.</i></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-37418756725029172802018-10-18T16:37:00.000-05:002018-10-18T16:37:59.421-05:00Something not quite right?I haven't been out in the garden too much lately, but as I walked by this bamboo patch I realized something wasn't quite right.<br />
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Can you spot what caught my eye?<br />
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That one leaf just looks a bit weird...<br />
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...because it's not a leaf at all!<br />
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It's a Chinese mantis! Remember <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/08/ootheca.html" target="_blank">the egg cases I found</a> earlier this year? This is the species that creates them. (First sighting in my garden)<br />
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I should get out into the garden more.<br />
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<i>So, are these non-native predators good insects or bad? They will eat the native Carolina mantis, but I just don't know. Anybody?</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-15698808899284530462018-10-15T16:16:00.001-05:002018-10-15T16:16:17.798-05:00Too much?I always let some "weeds" grow in my yard and garden, and one of the best -- especially for late-season blooms -- is, well, I've forgotten what it is. I think it's Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) but it could be White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima).<br />
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Whatever it is, it provides pollinators with early autumn flowers, and I like seeing all of that white out there. I think this year I went a little overboard with it though.<br />
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It filled in the area around the pond nicely:<br />
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I was happy not to have to choose anything to plant here.<br />
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So out of hand this year. (<i>click for bigger version</i>)<br />
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Well, at least the wildlife was happy, right?<br />
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<i>These photos were from a couple of weeks ago. They're all faded seedheads now that probably won't get cut down before releasing seed. Sigh.</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-59939346729884836452018-10-12T05:00:00.000-05:002018-10-12T05:00:08.718-05:00View of the deck from insideThe deck gets a few planters each year, but most of the beauty that is visible late in the season is courtesy of the plants that grow up around the deck.<br />
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Here's what I see from the living room windows at this time of year.<br />
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The castor beans and Cardinal Climber dominate...<br />
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...with a little background support from the not-as-tall-this-year bananas (Musa basjoo) and bamboo.<br />
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Those castor beans though...<br />
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And the annual vines that volunteer and eventually make it up to the deck from the ground below:<br />
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I really don't feel the need to put much out here. A couple of pots look nice though:<br />
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Looking out the other window (which is over the deck stairs rather than the deck itself), it's all tropicals:<br />
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I don't know why it took me so long to realize that this spot was ideal for all of the tropicals, and they really look best when planted all together.<br />
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Down in the lower left corner you can see the foliage of my plumeria, which is quite impressive this year. No blooms though. Maybe I need to keep this one near a window this winter so it doesn't go dormant?<br />
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The Cardinal Climber again, which really has made the gate at the top of the stairs pretty difficult to use:<br />
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<i>(I cheated and leaned out the window to get that shot)</i><br />
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The cannas just keep blooming. Do you think the spider could snare a hummingbird in that web?<br />
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Or maybe the better question is: could a hummingbird eat a spider of that size?<br />
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I love the deck at this time of year!<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-61970427731611383802018-10-10T05:00:00.000-05:002018-10-10T05:00:02.676-05:00Wet SticksThe other morning was a wet one, and the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire' really caught my eye.<br />
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Looked even better through the vintage macro lens!<br />
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Those little droplets catch the low-angle sun so nicely!<br />
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So cool and refreshing, especially since our highs have been around 90ºF (32ºC) for the past week or more. Yes, in October. At least we're getting rain this autumn, unlike last year's bone dry Fall.<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-74409306701133596672018-10-08T10:42:00.001-05:002018-10-08T10:42:59.823-05:00Cardinal ClimberAnnual flowering vines are one of the key components of my garden, even though they really only get going late in the season. Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea sloteri) may be the slowest of the annual vines I grow, flowering not before mid-September for me...<div>
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...but it's such a beauty I must grow it every year!</div>
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I like it on the deck railing, where it's fringed foliage can help lush things up and provide some shade.</div>
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It never seems to flower until the vine makes it up to the top railing of the deck though...</div>
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...but then it really puts on a show!</div>
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It doesn't seem to matter if I grow this from seed or buy a plant -- it still starts blooming very late.</div>
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Any hummingbirds that are left are in for a treat, although I think most of them have started moving south already.</div>
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Nice little blooms, except that red color is very difficult for digital cameras to capture -- it oversaturates so easily.</div>
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Just doesn't have the same impact in B&W does it?</div>
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I wonder if I'll get some seed this year?</div>
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Maybe this will turn into a "weed" in my yard just like Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit), where I'll never have to worry about buying a seed packet or plant again? I hope so!</div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-52338204995847895332018-10-03T05:00:00.000-05:002018-10-03T05:00:01.671-05:00Blending in?This Green stinkbug nymph is trying to blend in with the red foliage of Hibiscus 'Mahogony Splendor'.<br />
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Not sure if he's pulling it off.<br />
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Maybe they're just enjoying some colorful foliage while they can...<br />
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...since after they mature they'll only be camouflaged on green leaves.<br />
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It seems late in the season to still be maturing, but I suppose we have another month or so before the first frost, so perhaps there is time?<br />
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I think nymphs are so interesting, often more beautiful than the adults!<br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-26518438548104135662018-10-01T05:00:00.000-05:002018-10-01T08:15:11.658-05:00Beautiful MonsterYou know I like big plants, right? Castor bean, bamboo, Colocasia and Alocasia -- those big ones fit the size of my yard quite nicely. This year I've discovered a new big one, and it was a surprise for two reasons. First, it got much bigger than the tag indicated.<br />
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Second, it has the most amazing color! It's my beautiful monster, Hibiscus 'Mahogony Splendor'.<br />
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Technically it's Hibiscus acetosella, and by the tag it should get 24"-36" tall (61-91cm). Mine is at least 84" (2.1m) tall, possibly more.<br />
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It fits the scale of the garden beautifully at this size though, as if it knew that the size on the tag would just not impress me.<br />
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What about that color? It was darker <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/07/hibiscus-mahogony-splendor.html" target="_blank">when I first planted it</a>, but has become brighter, more vibrant. It has not faded to green as a lot of reddish foliage does in the heat.<br />
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Just amazing! It also roots easily from cuttings so I should be able to successfully overwinter these. Expect to see at least five of these in my garden next year!<br />
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<i>The deer have not touched it either!</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-76495233347076525632018-09-17T05:00:00.000-05:002018-09-17T05:00:01.832-05:00BigIn the <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/09/walkway-garden-late-summer.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> I mentioned how I rely on big annuals and tropicals for impact in my garden, and it's only in late summer/early autumn when those plants really start shining. For me castor bean (Ricinus communis) is one of these late-season stars, and this year I tried a new cultivar.<br />
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I don't know exactly the name of this variety, as it was tagged with just a "22" at Greenscape Gardens. It looked a lot like 'Zanzibar' to me, the type with the huge green leaves that I had seen at Missouri Botanical Garden a few years back, so I took a chance.<br />
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I still don't know for certain if it is 'Zanzibar', but if it's not it's close enough for me. Huge green leaves?<br />
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Yes, I'd say so! (<i>If you've missed it, my hand is there for scale</i>). Very impressive, especially since this does not receive as much sun as it probably wants.<br />
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When the sunlight <i>is</i> hitting it though...<br />
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...it's really hard to miss! That's the view everybody else gets of this plant -- I never get to see it backlit except when I'm driving home.<br />
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Such a beauty!<br />
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For reference, this is what it looked like when I planted it in early July:<br />
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I love an annual that can grow a good 10' (3m) tall in a season!<br />
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<i>I'm definitely going to collect the seeds from this one.</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7306285038402649171.post-20558363739325533062018-09-16T05:00:00.000-05:002018-09-16T08:02:34.709-05:00Walkway garden, late summerIt's here, my favorite time of year! Temperatures drop (a little), every day brings breezes (usually), it's sunny and dry almost every day, and most importantly all of the plants in my garden have reached full size. Sure, spring gardens are nice, but when you rely on big annuals or tropicals for impact it's the end of the season where things really shine.<br />
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So I'll be showing you around the garden before autumn hits, starting today with the walkway garden in front.<br />
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I put a little more thought into it this year, and added lots of annuals and tropicals. This shot was taken from a lower angle to try and show the plants in the foreground, just in front of the porch:<br />
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The walkway is becoming a challenge, because it gets more shade than it did when I first created it, so plants that want full sun are not doing great. One obvious example is the purple fountain grass, which is a little floppy so is leaning in front of the water barrel, shading it almost completely.<br />
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A second set of grass stalks are growing upright to take the place of the flopped-over stalks, but it's too late in the season to prune those floppers off. Besides...<br />
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...somebody likes the floppy grasses!<br />
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Here's another angle:<br />
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Alocasia and Canna provide the structure and contrast with their large leaves, and there's not too much blooming here -- just enough to keep the pollinators coming.<br />
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I've left quite a bit of the Perilla volunteers, because they add a nice, frilly purple to the palette. I have a lot of purple/red foliage out here now. Mainly because of...<br />
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...the Hibiscus acetocella 'Mahogony Splendor' that I <a href="http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2018/07/a-little-walkway-help.html" target="_blank">planted at the end of July</a>. I don't believe plant tags anymore, as this one has taken just 6 weeks in the ground to exceed the size listing quite readily.<br />
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I should point out that deer haven't touched it. They did taste the golden-leaved Duranta 'Gold Edge' only once, but have pruned the Pseuderanthemum 'Stainless Steel' multiple times. (Not sure if you can see it if you zoom in to that photo or not).<br />
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Over the past few years I've been experimenting with Agaves in front of the porch to keep the Pachypodium company, and this year has been the best so far in that regard:<br />
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I might have to move one of the bigger ones out here next year, as they provide impact like nothing else I've tried in this spot. I just can't put anything too pokey here, as it's as much walkway as garden -- something I often forget (or just ignore). That curved-leaf agave (don't know if I ever got an ID on that one) is nothing to worry about... that A. impressa though, that thing could stab completely through your leg I think!<br />
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So that's the walkway garden, late-season 2018 edition. I know I didn't go into too much detail, so let me know if you have any questions!<br />
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<i>No close-up shots in this post because... well, weeds. They just grow so fast!</i><br />
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.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13393082652312828458noreply@blogger.com1