OT Venting Plant theives in the night
ronald
16 years ago
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Comments (88)
bakemom_gw
16 years agoNancy
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Way OT - Back from vacation into a mess
Comments (17)It takes another gardener to know how one feels, not just about the joys, but about the tragedies, too! And you know what they say... what doesn't kill us only serves to make us stronger! Your former plant-sitter obviously isn't a gardener... if she were, she'd understand how important all the work you've done to your yard is to you! She doesn't care about flora and fauna... she cares only about the money she can make pretending to look after it all while her clients are vacationing. Those kinds of people have empty souls... they're miserable people deep down inside, and we should really pity them... they never really see the beauty of nature around them, they'll never experience the emotion that a special flower in bloom can bring, and they'll never feel one with nature or experience the deep sense of accomplishment that working with nature brings. I've seen so many people like that, being in the dog breeding business as we are... people who look at plants and animals and only see the monetary value... it's sad, really. When spring rolls around again, you're welcome to divisions, cuttings, young stock... whatever I have... of any of the multitude of perennials and shrubs in my gardens! I have Daylilies (both named and unnamed), iris (named and unnamed), columbine, rudbeckia, echinacea, hostas (named and unnamed), ferns (most named), heuchera (all named), monarda in 3 colors, roses (named and unnamed, large and miniature), and a plethora of other perennials and shrubs, the list too long to pull out of my memory at this moment in time! I'm not even through my first cup of coffee yet! You have all winter to think about it, though... and you pretty much know what my gardens contain due to all the photos I've posted! There are some things that didn't make the photos, but I'll have a more detailed listing by then. I've always felt that the most beautiful and precious of plants come from the gardens of our friends. Gardening is for sharing! If not, then why grow all this beauty? Surely not to hoard for ones self! It can only be enjoyed fully if we share the beauty with others! I sure wish your yard could have shared in all the rain we've gotten lately! Last year, this area of the country was low on precipitation, but we're surely making up for it this year! Not a week has gone by since spring that we haven't had at least one storm with an inch of rain! I've only had to run the soaker hoses once so far this season... last year, they ran constantly, it seems! In fact, we had more thunder storms last night! Larry and I stood out in the garage and watched the lightening flash across the sky... the light show was incredible! The flashes were both orange and white-hot! Some were in the distance, but some were pretty close! Some flashes were like long bony fingers of orange reaching across the heavens and branching out, and others were thick blue-white spikes that tore from the clouds and shot straight to the ground! The thunder constantly rumbled, and it boomed loudly when a bolt hit close by! The accompanying rain was at times soft and light, and then it would downpour for a bit before tapering off to sprinkle again... it was an awesome storm! I'm always awed by nature! Remember when you were a kid... and you were kind of scared of thunder storms? My Dad would kneel with us, backwards on the couch, facing the huge picture windows in our living room, and every time a lightening bolt would flash, we'd count... one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, like that... until the thunder sounded... and then my Dad would say, "See? That one was only 3 miles away!" And he would explain to us how heat lightening was generated, how rain formed in the clouds, the cycle of rain to ground water, and all those things you want to know about when you're a little kid... and before we knew it, the storm would pass... and we wouldn't be afraid anymore. But I digress... Sometimes, there are opportunities hidden in the guise of disaster... I agree with Lizalily... this is actually a good opportunity to think about getting those few plants that you've wanted, but just haven't had room for, or just haven't ordered yet. It's also a good time to think in terms of water conservation... planting things that can tolerate a bit of dry. If you plan on taking several trips during the summers, laying out a plan of irrigation, and drought tolerant plantings for the areas that won't be irrigated, might be something to think about. Things like ornamental grasses and sedums can really be eye catching, and once established, they don't require much in the way of watering! I was all set to do some digging yesterday... to get some divisions ready to ship out... and the rains began! I suppose that's actually good, though... the divisions will be good and hydrated now, and should ship well with a lot less stress. The rain only set me back in seed collecting, saturating the pods. That will have to wait a few days, while the sun dries everything out. But, by this afternoon, the garden soil should be just about right for digging, and I can get some much needed dividing done! I did get lucky in that I got several perennials planted before the rains arrived yesterday! The rains gave the new plantings a good, deep drink! Well... I think that between Lizalily, Kitty, myself, and others... you'll be swimming in pass-along plants and divisions and cuttings for your gardens next spring! Put together a list of the colors and heights you're looking for, perennials and shrubs, seeds, and anything else you think you might want to add to your beautiful beds, and we'll all keep our shovels and pruning clippers clean, sharpened and at the ready! And by next summer, you're gardens will be so gorgeous, you won't have to go anywhere else for a vacation... your back yard will be a paradise!...See MoreOT: Did we skip November and December?
Comments (40)You know, it's funny...the weather guy actually mentioned that we'd gone from normal October weather/temps directly to normal January weather/temps and completely skipped November and December! lol. I don't know, but I could swear this year is closer to what we used to get when I was a kid. I can remember snow almost touching the power lines because we used to get so much and nowhere for the road crews to put it so they just kept cutting the tops back further and further, and the hunters complaining they had to wade through waist deep snow to track the deer on Thanksgiving day, and sledding down mountains of snow! I had to ask my step-mom if I was just imagining we used to get that much and she said I wasn't - that we really did used to get it as tall as the lines. Now that I'm old, less snow seems like a much better idea. I'll just have to keep chanting - "It's protecting my plants and ws jugs, it's protecting my plants and ws jugs. Really, it is!" lol....See MoreOT Sad but.......
Comments (11)Thank you all for the kind words. It does help. I never knew how people's kindness can help even when they have never met you until it has happened to me. I have gotten a higher education on the medical field. I was her primary care taker for 5 years now and when her kidney started to fail and the dialysis only made her health worst it was a 6 month heart breaking time for me. I was at the hospital every day for 12 hours never missed a day. Every nurse/aid and even doctors said they wanted a patient advocate like me when the time comes. At this time I cry for me not for her she is in a better place. My comfort comes from....she left this earth with a smile on her face. That vision sticks in my mind. OK I will stop before I drown the keyboard. Kay that is why I am trying to tell as many people as possible about this practice of cuttings in a pot. So when you order these you can specify not to send people cuttings. I do not think this is good business. I did not think to call the florist. I might do that but although under normal times I have been known to take on issues like a bull dog with a bone. But a lot of fight has left me right now. I left my Nikon SLR camera in my Mom's room the night she passed and I did not get it back and I do not have the strength to fight over that issue....See MoreOT' projects keeping me busy
Comments (15)I'll check it out Rosepedal. I have been lurking over there for a while now and got discouraged when I saw how much it was going to cost to build. When I remembered we had this thing and we put it together I was thinking this would be doable for a lot cheaper than building one out of wood or getting a greenhouse kit and much bigger for the money. I had to put it on the credit card to get everything I needed. I didn't realize until I got to Home Depot all the little things were going to eat up my money I had to spend on it and didn't consider the electric stuff and the plumbing stuff or that you can only use clear 100% silicon which was really expensive nor did I realize how much a roll of plastic for the sides was going to be do make it double thickness and that since the poles on the frame are round like chain link fence posts I had to buy a bunch of special stuff to attach the wood to it with and special screws for the polycarb panels and the list went on and on. Thank goodness I have a friend that is a manager at HD and he helped me find all the stuff and have me a discount on 10 of the sheets of polycarbonate since they edges were damaged but they are going to overlap anyway so it didn't matter. For all the electrical, plumbing, wood, plastic and panels it was about $800 for a huge greenhouse so I don't think that is bad at all. I saw a neat solar power exhaust fan that I want to get someday. My credit card bill will be a little higher but what the heck. I'm tired of doing without to save for it and something else always coming up and taking the money. Now its just got to get put together. They are running the trenches for the water and power lines tomorrow and it has to pass the pond so can tie in an outlet there for it and not have to look at extension cords all over the yard anymore either. Yippee! I am tired and haven't started yet. Patty was going to help me start building it tomorrow but I don't think John trusts us. He who refuses to check things for plumb and level, lol. At least will try to make it straight. Don't know yet if we will start tomorrow or wait until this weekend when Patty and JD can come over and all of us work on it. It would have been much easier if it was a normal carport structure with flat metal, lol. Oh well we will make it work. I have a thermometer someplace that you can read what the temp is outside from in the house. Gotta look for it. It doesn't have an alarm. That would come in handy if it got too cold in the greenhouse during the night. Well I'm going to bed. If we don't do it tomorrow I guess I will start getting my SS package ready. I have to dig up some things and wanted them fresh dug when they are sent, lol. I have to stay home tomorrow anyway waiting on the blower for the heat and a/c. Its supposed to be in tomorrow....See Moreflowerchild5
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