Tag Archives: nature

Itsy Bitsy Spider

The birds aren’t the only ones laying eggs this time of year. I happened upon a newly hatched ‘family’ of spiders today. I put family in quotes, because honestly there were hundreds of them. They look big in the pictures, but they are as small as a pin head.

I was clearing dried leaves around the orange tree, tossing them into the compost bin. As I reached for a dried branch, I saw what looked like tiny flowers caught in a web. The ‘flowers’ however, were moving in different directions. Good thing I withdrew my gloved hand when I did. Our neighbors would have heard me scream like a B movie actress in a horror film.

Ferns under the orange tree

Ferns…at little closer

Ferns…closer still

I grabbed the camera and took several shots. Video would have been better, but I’m still not well versed with this camera. baby spiders on fern 4-18-2013 12-47-11 PM

Spiders up close: look, Ma, no hands!

Lindy came over to investigate. It’s not every day she finds me sitting in the ferns. Once I turned the camera in her direction, she went all feline on me and gave me the cold shoulder.

Lindy near the ferns 4-18-2013 12-47-58 PM

Lindy Lu

I have an interesting relationship with spiders. Indoors, they creep me out. I humanely remove them with my spider-catcher, and set them loose in the garden. Outside, unless they’re bigger than a quarter, I’m usually okay with them. When startled, however, I freak out. It’s the strangest thing.

How do you feel about spiders? Are you indifferent? Did you pass out at the first photo? Or are you as fascinated with nature as I am? Maybe all three.

Summer Camp for Sunflower Seeds

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They’re not really at summer camp but it looks that way, doesn’t it?

Sunflower Camping

Keeping the sunflower seeds in the ground long enough to grow is an ongoing effort. They’re simply irresistible to squirrels. It took three tries last year. I finally came up with a contraption made from small, sliding window screens locked on the planter boxes on the deck.

This year I wanted to plant seeds in a new corner plot so I needed more coverage. I ordered a pair of pop-up tents, also know as mini-greenhouses, from a company called FlowerHouse. They’re staked in place, with rocks for added weight. They seem to be working. So far.

Mighty Mouse stands guard

I bought assorted flower and vegetable seeds last month at the garden show. They came in the prettiest packets. The corner plot, tucked up against the sidewalk, includes sunflowers, violas and forget-me-nots. The purple and yellow are a nice complement.

Franchi Sementi S.p.A

I’m already seeing poppies blooming all over the neighborhood, so wish I had planted mine sooner. I added some new color this year, so it will be exciting to see what comes up.

Renee’s Garden Cosmos and Poppies

I hard-pruned the lavender, making way for sunflowers and cosmos.

This bed is a diamond in the rough. Once the lavender comes back, along with cosmos and poppies, it’ll be gorgeous.

I scattered these throughout the garden. They were beautiful last year and a favorite with the birds.

I hard-pruned the lavender to remove the dead wood below, then tucked in a few seeds in the newly open space. I had high hopes the critters wouldn’t notice. Silly gardener. Of course they noticed. So, I’ve put my proverbial eggs back into one basket, the tiny plot that reminds Boomdee of a camp site for squirrels. Nooooooooo!!!

I’m on it!

Smashing Good Time?

I had a smashing weekend, which is to say I smashed several fingers in the fire door leading to the garage. Heavier than usual winds blew all day. The draught created by the wind pulled the door closed faster than usual, smashing three of my fingers in the process. I went down on my knees, the pain was so intense, but I’m on the mend now and extra vigilant around that door until the winds subside. My dear friend C. stopped by with a card of well wishes and two comfy pairs of gardening gloves. Isn’t that the sweetest? Between finger-smashing and the news out of Boston, this thoughtful gift was a bright spot in my day.

A sweet gift from a dear friend

Sending love and healing energy back out into the world. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

A Compost We Will Grow

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What the well dressed pumpkin seedlings are wearing this season.

I popped the lid off the green compost bin and oh, what a surprise.

Along side the rotting leaves and decaying kitchen scraps, there is a lot of growing going on. The first thing I noticed: the pumpkins! They’re enjoying the warmth and shelter inside the bin. I’m surprised though that they’ve found enough light. Will you look at them growing so tall and straight?

Lanky blades of grass are also taking root, along with sprouts of a to-be-determined nature. I’m using an old Rubbermaid bin for additional composting, since I quickly filled my tumbling composter. It’s hard to get leverage with the shovel, however, so I’m not turning it as often as I should. Now I don’t have the heart.

Happy Sprout

Finding Nemo?

Sprouting mushrooms are right at home, the more predictable compost heap resident. The silver cap would look great in the fairy garden, but I’m resisting temptation. Its questionable origin makes it an unsafe bet for a tiny garden with small visitors. It’s cute though…if you’re into grey flowers.

Grey Blooms: Tim Burton Inspiration

Harvesting the Gourds: I Grew a Pair

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It’s pouring today. (I love it). Good thing I cleaned the garden box when I did. After a midweek frost, the birdhouse gourd vines shriveled up. I cut down the last of them and brought the pair of gourds indoors for drying.

Tidied Garden

I have a good giggle whenever I pass them. They look exactly like a pair of bowling pins.

Lindy keeps an eye on the “bowling pins.”

Earlier in the year, one of the vines grew up and over the telephone line. Eventually one of the two large gourds took hold, putting weight on the lines. I came up with a quick fix using garden twine and a mesh bag, pictured below.

birdhouse gourd in the bag

It worked really well, allowing the gourd to grow unhampered and at the same time it kept my internet up and running. I have my priorities.

What I didn’t expect was the honeycomb pattern the bag left on the gourd. It’s not imprinted but rather faded from the lack of sun. Isn’t that interesting?

Honeycomb Patterned Gourd

Now we wait. While the gourds are drying, I’ll be dreaming of a way to decorate each one. Here are a few ideas:

Debbie Almond: Birdsmiths

Linseed Oil finish from Fun In The Making

Natural Finish (from my ever changing garden)

Garden Sunshine: September Winding Down

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A special thank you to all my gentle readers for your comments and advice. The birdhouse gourd vine will stay through the winter. I”ll keep you posted on how things go. Late this week I noticed one of the gourds had doubled in size. Woo-hoo! What would a gardening gal do without this community?

Speaking of community, many thanks to gardensunshine for including me in her list of Beautiful Bloggers. I appreciate your kind words I’ve been following her five-part series as she transforms her “shed” from drab to fab. Honestly, it’s more rustic house if you ask me and I’m positively envious of all that space. The shed even has a bit of history:

It is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in our county. From what we can tell it was used as a house or bunker for the men working in the clay pit making clay bricks around 1890 and earlier. It is a really neat crooked building and as we found out when we power washed it full of water, it leans heavily to the left.

Garden Sunshine’s Historic Garden Shed (before)

Pop on over to read her five-part series, and to see the beautiful transformation in words and pictures. It was lovingly restored.

Back at gardening nirvana, we’re in for an early fall heat wave, with temps floating in the low nineties. I’m glad I got the winter garden in when I did. It’s a happy garden too, if that’s possible. The worm bin is a bustling place, thriving on kitchen scraps and leaves.The composter is “cooking” away, making organic mulch for next summer’s garden. I covered the seeds with wire and mesh, to ensure tiny critters give them a chance to grow. Lindy thought it was a new litter box, so I had to put that to rest as well.

October is almost here. I’m so excited.

Birdhouse Gourd: Numbered Days?

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The watched pot never boils, and the watched gourd never grows. Or so it seems…

Christmas lights in September?

Now that I’ve filled one of the planting beds with an assortment of winter vegetables, I’ve turned my attention to the runaway birdhouse vines (Lagenaria siceraria). I have just two, 4 x 4 planting beds, so space is at a premium. The vines are occupying one of them.

Still growing…

I read the fine print inside the seed packet today, and learned that some gardeners let the gourds harden on the vine all winter. I just assumed the plant would die off and we would harvest them much like the pumpkins. So…it’s decision time. Do I leave well enough alone and sacrifice the extra winter planting space? Will I face my disappointment gracefully if the vines die off a month from now, too late to use the beds till spring? Do I need to get a grip?

Shriveled flower and otherworldly baby gourd

Mini hard-shelled gourds are forming along the vine, but before today, none of them seemed viable. I finally spotted one, twice the size of the others. I got excited all over again.

How slow can you grow?

Nature’s twine: super-strong vine tendrils

Should they stay or should they go? What do you think?

Resources:

Birdhouse gourd plant care.
How to make a birdhouse from your gourd. Aren’t these gorgeous?
Where to hang your birdhouse for safety and appeal. Includes hole dimensions based on bird species.
Botanical Interests® Non-GMO hard-shelled gourd birdhouse seeds.

The Joyful Gardener Turns 12

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Harvesting his first watermelon

My cheerful, insightful, smart and creative son turns 12 today. As an infant we joked that he was born with the “happy gene” as he soaked up his surroundings with a positive, mellow and inquisitive outlook. His tantrums were few, even at two. When he fell, his cries lasted a few seconds. My son was joy, personified.

As it turns out, he was also born with the “gardening gene.” Sure he liked the toy aisle at Target, but the seeds were his favorite. We came home with many a packet of sunflower, pumpkin and carrot seeds, full of optimism and good spirit. His grandfather would be proud. During the Santa years, I mail-ordered his pumpkin seeds so they looked just a little different from the seeds we bought in town. The jig is up, but the pumpkin-seeds-in-the stocking tradition lives on.

Here are a few pics of my joyful gardener over the years.

The first watermelon

Starting his garden

Reading to his pumpkin plants to help them grow

A little music never hurts either

11, years, 364 days old

Happy birthday, M!

Happy Earth Day

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I found an interesting quiz on the site Act Earth Day. It estimates your ecological footprint, based on a series of questions. At the end of the quiz you can explore ways to improve your impact on our planet.

You can find the quiz here.

I thought I would score better than I did and I’m disappointed. Clearly I have room for improvement! On the plus side:

I’m a vegetarian (eating lower on the food chain)
I recycle, reuse and re-purpose
I plant a vegetable garden (small plot) each year
One of our two cars is a Prius
All of our appliances are Energy Star
We insulated our home and installed dual-pane windows throughout
Our heat is off during the day; set to 66 at night during the colder months.

The quiz suggested I travel locally (instead of flying) for my next vacation and consider using public transportation. I should buy less packaged food and improve my local food consumption.

Please let me know if you take the quiz and if so, how you did. I pledge to do better this year. I hope you have something wonderful planned to celebrate our beautiful planet.

Feathered Observer

Earth Day Events Around The World (huffingtonpost.com)
Earth Month Contest (betsywild.wordpress.com)
Things You Can Do On and Around Earth Day (allthingsreform.org)
8 Fun & Easy Earth Day Activities for Kids of All Ages (inhabitat.com)
Pinterest Addiction: Fun Earth Day Activities (megsamommy.com)

The Plants are In!

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Resident (Self-described) Hole Digger
My Husband, Mike

We’re sore and tired but content with the satisfaction that comes from an honest day’s work. It’s been a few years since we’ve planted for the better part of a day but we did it. Mike prefers sailing to gardening, but at the start of our marriage, he designated himself the resident hole-digger. Am I ever lucky!

The plants near the house went in quickly. The soil is free of roots and was easy to work. The challenge was the planting area under the neighboring pine. I cut away several surface roots before digging was under way, but the roots are invasive, in some cases two inches in diameter. We ended up tag-teaming the larger holes, digging a little, cutting the roots and then digging some more.

Getting Started

We made a quick run to the local Home Depot for redwood mulch, but underestimated by about 10%. Otherwise, the planting and mulching are done.

I can’t wait to get started on the vegetable beds!

Plant Placement

Putting Down Roots

Planting Area Adjacent to the Steps

Planting under the Living Room Window
Don't the plants look cozy under all that mulch?

Abutilons Along the Fence Line

View from the Corner of the House

Paradise Found

Plant Legend

Corner Near Steps:

Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ Coral Bells
Liriope muscari “Variegata” Lilyturf
Phormium hybrid ‘Maori Sunrise’ New Zealand Flax
Hemerocallis hybrid ‘Evergreen Yellow’ Daylily

Under Window:

Azalea kurume hybrid “Hino crimson” Azalea
Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower
Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ Coral Bells
Liriope muscari “Variegata” Lilyturf

Fence Line:

Abutilon hybridum ‘Flowering Maple’
Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower

Back Corner:

Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ Japanese Frost Grass
Hemerocallis hybrid ‘Evergreen Yellow’ Daylily
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’ Garden Hydrangea

The Accidental Compost

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Organic Wonder

Every year I say I’m going to start a compost pile but then lazy wins out. Whenever I toss a banana peel or an egg-shell I think, “if only I had a place to compost.” Part of my ambivalence is where I would put it. Compost needs sun and room for turning and both are at a premium in my back yard.

Two years ago my son collected fallen leaves from our Chinese Pistache in early October to use in his spooky Halloween display. He filled a large Rubbermaid bin with dead leaves but forgot about them in the excitement of the day. When I rediscovered the bin, decomposition was under way so I decided to snap on the lid and let nature takes its course. I pried back the lid every few months and checked on the decomposing leaves. I gave them a quick toss with my gloved hands, closed the bin, then went about my business.

By the end of last summer I had compost! Sometimes lazy gardeners can catch a break. I love the texture and the smell of that wonderful decay. I know the plants were happy too. It was a joyful experience mixing it into the planter beds. I may come over to the dark and loamy side yet.

Composting Recipe:

I jotted the following notes into a notebook two years ago so I would be ready to move from “accidental composter” to the real deal.

In half-inch thick layers:

Combine 3 parts “brown” organic material to one part “green”

3 parts brown includes dried leaves, small twigs, etc.
1 part green includes grass, cut flowers, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags and fruit or vegetable peels

Mix into a bin approximately 3′ x 3′ x 3′

Add a small amount of moisture as needed and turn once a week.

Serves several plants.