April showers... and more!

We have had a very rainy week. The rain garden is so full, it is attracting mallards. If I had put out my rain gauge, I could tell you just how much rain my yard has received, but take my word for it - it's a LOT. I have even mowed the lawn, twice.

(Looking at the photo above makes me think surrounding the rain garden with daffodils would be pretty.)

The story behind my quasi obsession with flamingos is based in part on my dad. He was a chemist who at the end of his career landed at Foster Grant in Leominster, Massachusetts, the purported plastics capital of the world. Union Products, the manufacturer of plastic pink flamingos, was also located in Leominster. One day I got it into my head that I wanted some pink flamingos from the source, so I asked my dad to oblige. Three arrived in the mail shortly thereafter. Over the years, and with the help of my son and daughter-in-law, I have added to the collection.

Alas, I am one of those people who is not careful to take all my yard stuff in during the winter. Two of the original flamingos have lost their heads. I'm not one to be sentimental about my belongings, but I am a bit regretful about this little tragedy. The remaining flamingo will become an indoor ornament.

My cataract surgery was successful. I'm a little shocked at how bright everything is. Clio's eye surgery followed; her recovery is a bit more complicated, as she has to wear the "cone of shame". We both have eyedrops, which I administer four times a day.

I uncovered the strawberry plants a few days ago. It looks like they took a beating this past winter. I'm contemplating transplanting the survivors, from the raised bed into the ground proper. The garlic I planted with them seems to be okay, though.

The redbud at the back of the yard is trying to bloom. Too soon! Too soon! We may have a hard frost this week.

Fall is bustin' out all over

It's that time of the year, when the common milkweed lets loose with its fluff-carrying seeds. This batch should help repopulate the milkweed forest in the meadow.

We did have a light frost this past week, the kind that frosts the rooftops but that is about it. Definitely not a killing frost. Still, I dragged in the houseplants that have been summering on the deck.

My over-the-range microwave starting making zapping noises, so now I'm afraid to use it. I priced a new one - $300 plus $195 to install. I have to pay for Beau's teeth cleaning first. Meanwhile, I'm judging whether I really need a microwave at all. The function I miss the most so far is the timer.

Speaking of Beau, he has almost forgiven me for Friday's trip to the vet. At least he doesn't run away as soon as he sees me. They had to pull three teeth, so his mouth is sore. He still seems wobbly from the anestesia, or maybe from not eating. He's picky, likes just his Purina cat chow, won't even eat people food. I put out a Friskie's "soup" in case he gets hungry enough to try it.

Other excitement in the neighborhood was a police raid on the next block, at an Airbnb. It occurred in the middle of the night, and I slept through it. I didn't even know we had an Airbnb nearby, even though I frequently walk the dog past that house.

Speaking of Clio, a neighbor dog that bit her a few months ago took another run at us the other day. If I see "Leo" in the yard, we turn around. This past Thursday I didn't see him, and we weren't even in front of his house when he appeared out of nowhere. No injuries this time, but I did report it to Animal Control. Today, in a different neighborhood, a German Shepherd that usually just watches us walk by decided to bark and lunge even though we were on the other side of the street. I'm beginning to feel like I can't walk my dog anywhere safely.

In like a lion...

When I picked up my 14-year-old granddaughter the other day at school, we were experiencing high winds. I said, "In like a lion, out like a lamb." She had never heard that expression before. *What* are they teaching (or not teaching) kids today at school?!?

Just as I feared, as soon as I purchased some lettuce seeds locally the ones from Burpee arrived in the mail. The new ones are from High Mowing Seeds and are called "Gourmet Blend Lettuce". We'll see.

This weekend was the local Home and Garden Show, which we always attend even though, after over thirty years of living in this house, there is not much left to do to improve it. The past couple of years I have purchased metal yard art, but this year none of it called to me. This birdhouse, did - the birds fly into the cat's mouth.

I've been trying to talk myself into doing *something* outside today. It's not windy but it is a bit chilly, just enough to cool (no pun intended) my motivation. I did bring in the plastic (sorry) wreath that hangs on the front porch all winter, before the sparrows start building a nest in it. And as the snow melted, I've been picking up pounds of dog poop.

Speaking of dogs, the past few years I have had my lawn treated organically, with applications of biosolids. There are now studies about the presence of microplastics in biosolids. What has me concerned is one of my dogs (Watson) developed a tumor in his sinuses about a year ago and died (sinus tumors are next to impossible to treat in dogs). Perhaps I should limit the lawn treatments to just the front yard? I've already paid for this year's treatment, but I'm at the lowest rung of their payment scale, so it would cost the same whether they did just the front yard or both. I'd hate to lose another dog before her time, if that was a contributing factor.

Clio and Watson in happier times

I'm sold

Sean from Santuary Native Landscapes came by yesterday to discuss the "final" design for my yard. I put *final* in quotes because there are still a few tweaks. After listening to his explanation about plant selection, I'm (almost) all in. One of the tweaks is setting aside a corner for wildflowers, ironically the area previously designated as a meadow. A hickory tree will be planted there; they are tiny to start with because they grow from a tap root. In the area south of that, there will be Canadian hemlock to provide a windbreak and background for the winterberry plants and to keep the white oak tree company. I'm extremely excited about this plan. I probably won't be as excited about the cost of installation, but I'm rather dedicated to spending my children's inheritance.

One sad aspect to all these changes is saying "thank you" and "good-bye" to many of the existing plants and shrubs. Some will be sorely missed (gold mop, cotoneaster, smokebushes), others not so much (boxwood, yucca, mugo). Almost everything has become problematic in one way or another, and ugly to boot. I feel like I have slaved away in the yard for thirty years and there is little to show for it. Part of me is reluctant to let someone else redo it all, but I'm on the cusp of old age and would like to do less yardwork but still have the kind of yard I want.

I was hoping to attend a cross country ski workshop today but we have no snow at all. The storms all seem to pass us by. Also, it is cold and breezy, okay if one is in the woods, not so much out in the open.

I purchased several self-warming pet beds from Chewy, in three sizes. Watson, the medium-sized dog, seems to prefer the smallest one even though he barely fits.

Stay warm!

Purple dogs

One recent day I needed to do *something* outside, so I knocked down a bunch of volunteer pokeweed but did not clear it out of the yard. Now the dogs run through it, chasing rabbits, and come out with purple streaks on their backs. One of Watson's collars, the one with all the tags, is out there somewhere. I have not been able to locate it.

We are now allowed to resume backyard bird feeding, after cleaning feeders and birdbaths with a 10% bleach solution. (I have no bleach right now. Who knew it has an expiration date?) They still haven't figured out what caused all the songbird deaths, but the crisis seems to have passed on its own.

This summer is endless. Just when I think we are done with the heat, a series of 80+ degree days descends. And it has been dry. Hot and dry is not normal for September in these parts. I'm tempted to tear out the annuals, but hummingbirds and monarchs still visit. At least the lawn has slowed down.

In about two weeks, I will have a total shoulder replacement. I'm both looking forward to and dreading that. It will mean reduced pain and improved functionality, but not right away. Recovery is slower than it is with hip replacement, but I'm hoping I will be just as happy with the end results.

Can we have a new normal?

Since the pandemic started, many (NOT ALL) of us have been wishing and waiting until we can "get back to normal". Well, that old normal was not all that great, especially for some people and some places. I try to keep politics and social issues out of my blogs - that's not why I write - but some things just cry out to be mentioned. I hope the protests lead (peacefully) to significant change, and the only way to change things for the better is to get involved however we can (money, time, letter writing, running for office, etc.) and to VOTE. If you don't vote, it looks like you don't care, and I can't believe anyone doesn't care about how we move forward from this point. (End of sermon.)

I was beginning to think that the only critters I was going to see at the hummingbird feeder were ants. I fixed that problem by applying Vaseline petroleum jelly to the metal pole holding the feeder. Soon after, I spotted a female hummer. But only one. I didn't know if that was normal (it is), so I looked up some info about hummingbirds at this site. Some friends of mine have been able to spot hummingbird nests in their trees, but my ranch house does not offer the same vantage point their 2-story home does. Caring for a hummingbird feeder is almost like having another pet - the nectar needs to be replaced every 3-4 days. It's for only a few months (she said optimistically).

Speaking of critters, my dog Clio managed to mangle her muzzle and ear, presumably in the torn hardware cloth skirting the shed. That lead to a bacterial infection AND a fungal infection. She was a mess, had to visit the vet, and now wears the cone of shame.

My SO helped me update the skirting around the shed with some plastic trellis. Since I didn't want to lie awake at night, worrying about whether we trapped a nest of baby bunnies under the shed and they were slowly starving to death, we left a gap for critters to come and go. Only later did it occur to me that Finn, my inside/outside cat, could also come and go. Finn was a stray who developed a taste for baby bunnies - he eats them, doesn't torture them - so I decided that was okay. Maybe someday there will be NO critters under the shed.

In my effort to downsize the garden, I moved some of the raised bed frames so that they surround the clumps of big bluestem and rattlesnake master plants near the back of the yard. The idea is to offer the dogs a visual clue so that they don't trample the plants - they like to run along the fence. I, the Toro jockey, will also have a visual clue and will be able to mow that area without damaging said plants. I plan to move some coneflower and rudbekia to those beds as well.

So now I have four islands of weeds in the middle of the garden. The weeds look rather grasslike - I'm guessing it's mostly quack grass. Ugh. I am not looking forward to dealing with that.

Meanwhile, up on the deck, the strawflowers are blooming. The plants aren't very tall, so maybe I will add something to the pot...

...like some zinnias. The seedlings are popping up. Zinnias and sunflowers are some of my favorite annuals. And marigolds, but I skipped them this year.

I was looking through some of my photos out on flickr the other day and marveling over how much better they look than the ones I take now. Back then, I was making more of an effort to take good pics, now I am barely documenting what is going on in the yard, and then only as a reminder because I suffer from CRS (Can't Remember Sh*t). Maybe I'll do better once things get under control (HAHAHAHA).

Will summer ever end?!?

This is not a normal autumn for this part of Indiana. In the past, we could count on cool, rainy weather, with a brief respite in October. Instead, summer just lingers on. I like changing seasons - when is this one going to change?!?

After listening to an association member complain about his neighbor's yard, I decided I should at least make an effort in mine, before someone calls neighborhood code enforcement. I hobbled around yesterday, trimming the front yard, a few days ago pulled some weeds. I can't wait to get my hip replaced!

Yellow Bear, Spilosoma virginica (I think)

While weeding, I came across the above fuzzy yellow caterpillar. Today I saw bluebirds around the empty bird feeders. This summer I am a bad yardener. Hopefully, I will be able to get back in the groove shortly.

Meanwhile, Clio knows how to beat the heat.

For the record

Today was a beautiful spring day - at last! I spent several hours in the backyard this afternoon. The dogs enjoyed the sunshine as well.

One task was prepping all the planters and big pots. Last year I tried growing tulips in pots (with near-zero success). Those pots each had an inverted pot inside, so I didn't have to fill them all the way with potting soil. Today I dug out the inverted pots and topped the old potting soil with new; later I'll add some finished compost to further freshen them. Two of the pots each received a red penstemon in the center, and two were planted with five 'Lucifer' crocosmia corms each. The fifth big pot will get some annuals later on.

Some of the pots from the garage hold perennial herbs - oregano, sage, thyme. I sawed off the bottom two inches or so of each root ball and replaced that with fresh potting soil. I emptied the potting soil from the remaining pots into the garden and filled them with all fresh. One now holds a cluster of parsley seedlings, the rest are waiting their turn for other herbs. Mmmm...fresh basil.

The rest of the seedlings continue to harden off on the deck. I potted up the three surviving hibiscus starts - I'm going to start some more. The dyers knotweed was so slow to germinate that I gave up on them. Premature on my part - today I separated them from their neighbors - they are growing but rather spindly from the competition.

I am giving up on the azalea, so I pulled it out today. It looks like the spicebush is a goner, too, thanks to those rascally rabbits. While I have seen forsythia blooming elsewhere, mine doesn't look very promising. But then I have been actively discouraging it.

I hope you are also experiencing some springlike weather!

Helpful gardening dog

It's been almost two years since Betsy Beagle went to doggie heaven. After a hiatus from dog ownership, I decided it was time for a new pooch. Since moving to Fort Wayne 24 (!!!) years ago, I've relied on Animal Care and Control as my source for canines. First came Charlie, a basset mix, then Betsy, and now Watson, my constant companion.

They classified him as an English pointer mix, with the "mix" being beagle. He's 2 years old and tips the scales at 28 pounds. And he is one bundle of energy, which is a good thing. It is very easy for me to talk myself out of taking a walk. Now I feel compelled to make two circuits a day around the nabe with Watson.

He hates being left behind, likes riding in the car, and loves racing around the backyard. He barks but isn't yappy. Someone gave him some training - when the treats come out, he sits and comes, and in the backyard responds to a whistle - but he needs to learn better to walk on a leash and to leave the squirrels alone.

Watson has a great personality, is friendly and not aggressive at all, but the cats are not amused. Finn is smart enough not to run, but Beau either flees at rocket speed or puffs up every hair on his body, including the ones between his ears, giving him an electrified look. Watson whines and yips and wants to give chase. Someday they will all learn to get along. Right?

Eat your cake and pie too

Now that the outside stuff is shifting gears, time to turn my attention to the inside of the house. For my back, I ordered a new mattress that is due to arrive tomorrow morning. I actually started looking a while ago, but could not decide whether to get a Tempurpedic or not. After doing some online research, I decided NOT. I don't think I would be happy with it in the long run. I know some people who have them, though, and will be monitoring their progress as their mattresses age because I know, in about ten years, I will be buying another new mattress.

Let's move on to the kitchen. At one time, I contemplated big changes for my kitchen, that included removing the breakfast bar and moving a doorway. Once I replaced the family room flooring, however, I decided that my original plan to combine the kitchen and family room into a big harvest kitchen was just not going to work - the two rooms don't play well together. But I can make smaller changes to the kitchen, to spruce things up, like buy a new stove and an over-the-stove microwave/exhaust fan. They will be delivered on Monday.

And then there is the laundry room. Earlier this summer, my contractor provided me with a quote which I thought was too high. Today, he brought his plumber subcontractor to scope out the job, and said plumber deemed the job a piece of cake AND said that adding a toilet would be easy as pie AND his portion of the job would take half a day, if that. A new quote is coming.

Speaking of toilets, if I get a new toilet and I like it, I just might have the other two toilets in the house replaced. My original plan was to redo the bathrooms all in one fell swoop, but with the new laundry area, I feel myself abandoning some half-assed ideas I had to completely reconfigure both bathrooms and the three bedrooms. Besides, I don't really need a bidet.

On a separate note, poor Betsy Beagle was not doing very well. I had been giving her Rimadyl and Phycox, but in recent weeks, she had become overly lethargic, sleeping 24/7, and uninterested in much of anything, even sniffing after rabbits. Last Tuesday I stopped the Rimadyl, and she became more alert, but was also obviously in much pain, walking in baby steps with a gait that rocked from side to side. The vet thinks she has something akin to rheumatoid arthritis and suggested we try prednisone again, but in much higher doses. That was last night. Tonight she already is moving better. Even though prednisone has some side effects, it seems to be what helps her the most. Maybe once she is able to walk without so much pain, I can build up her strength, which should help, too.

Muddy Season

My backyard is still a mess from the construction. I can't wait for the ground to freeze so I don't have to resort to this every time I let the dog out:



The easiest way to clean her feet when mud is embedded in her claws and between her toes is to hoist her into the kitchen sink. Naturally, she hates it.

The continuing saga of the new room:

My SO crawled under the house and scooted through the crawl space on his back and satisfied my curiosity about what is under the new room. It is dry and properly insulated and not icy cold, so now I feel the room is not being cooled from below. I have seen the insulation in the walls and attic myself. It must be all those windows; they are supposed to be energy efficient (low E, whatever that means), but they are still glass.

The plan to increase the fan speed on the furnace is not going to happen because it turns out that the fan speeds are set at the factory and cannot be changed after installation. And the room is comfortable when the furnace is on high, so the furnace capacity must be okay. The heating company still wants to put dampers in the ducts, but I fail to see how this will help unless they are thermostatically controlled. I'm going to call them tomorrow and give them the opportunity to convince me.

I have closed the register in the dining room, where the thermostat is, to see if that helps. Then I may reverse the direction of the ceiling fan in the new room and run it on low. And then I will get some window treatments soon. And an area rug. And I can move a space heater out there. I'm thinking that, like the floor, the temperature in that room is just going to be one of those things that didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. Too bad.

Forward Progress

Yesterday the French doors were installed but the hardware was gold instead of brushed nickel. And the steps were installed. And the door between the laundry and garage reinstalled. And the drywall arrived.



Then it was a waiting game. The drywallers could not drywall until the framing inspector inspected. The framing inspector could not inspect until the mechanical inspector inspected. But where was the mechanical inspector? There was no way of knowing. He finally showed late in the day, and happily the framing inspector arrived bright and early this morning, so the drywalling could proceed on schedule.

Technically, the insulation should have waited for the framing inspector, too, but he was able to see what he could see after removing one ceiling batt.



This morning I was gone before the drywallers arrived because my SO happened to have a spare lock set, which he installed yesterday. Now I feel comfortable letting the workers do their thing without my presence.



Drywalling occurred, as did doorknobbing, but I can't figure out how to open the passive side of the French doors. They need to come with an instruction booklet.



Tonight the siding/soffit guys stopped by to drop off their stuff. I had been vacillating on whether to do the soffits on the rest of the house now or later. I decided on NOW. The "old" windows are to be wrapped as well (a fact that somehow was not conveyed to the siding/soffit guys until tonight, and then by me), so then all the outside stuff will be done. My house will look so purty.

I'm really happy about how bright the interior of my house is now, as are my sun-loving pets.



With the silver maples and Florida room gone, the patio door has become like TV for the cat and dog, literally a window on the world for their viewing pleasure. I will be glad when the exterior lights are installed so I can see what the cat is growling at after nightfall.

A few weeks ago I checked this book out from the library:



The authors' advice is geared more for the DIYers. They suggest that if you hire a contractor, you can leave town for the duration and come home to a completed project. WRONG!!! It would be nice to think the contractor has nothing else on his/her mind except your house, but that would be fantasy. While I am getting tired of the inconvenience, I am also glad to be here to see the daily progress and to answer questions and to make sure I get what I want. Fortunately, the contractor and I are on the same wave length and what problems have occurred have been minor and easily resolved.

So far, so good.

I Have a Theory

While rambling about the yard, I have frequently noticed that the local fauna seem to prefer weeds to our precious cultivars. Here is some evidence:



Notice the Japanese beetle damage on the weed. The tiger lily leaves remain unscathed. I've seen rabbits munching contentedly on the white clover and dandelion stems in the lawn. Today I tried (unsuccessfully) to snap a pic of a butterfly that was enjoying the nettles growing right next to the 3B garden where there are daisies, yarrow, bee balm, coneflower, etc.

My theory is that monoculture and weed-free gardens invite trouble and disappointment. If the Japanese beetles have no weeds, they will eat your roses. If the rabbits have no clover or dandelions, they will eat your lettuce. And the best way to attract butterflies is with native species. If I had more room and more time, I would conduct some quasi-scientific experiments to test my theory out. In the meantime, I'll not stress about weeding.

We are enjoying a third day (in a row!) of lovely weather. While poking around in the front yard, I spotted my neighbor. We exchanged the usual pleasantries about the weather, to which he addended, "We need to find something more fun to do besides yard work!" Huh? Oh. That's right. Most people don't like yard work. Oh, well.

At that moment, I was digging up the blueberry at the corner of the house. This is the third year for this little guy, and he continues to just sit there. Doesn't die. Doesn't grow. Just sits there. I planted some forget-me-nots nearby last year, and they just sat there, too. So today I moved the blueberry to a pot where I can give it more individual attention.



In its place went purple fountain grass, surrounded by marigolds. Maybe they will like this location better than the blueberry did.



Most plants from a nursery arrive with their Latin name. Not these marigolds. They are just plain old yellow marigolds. The purple fountain grass is Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'. I wonder how you pronounce that?



When it comes to fungi, the only mushrooms I can recognise with any confidence are morels. But I know these are not flowers.



This year a small cluster of these have periodically appeared near my back door. Blue-gray, about the size of an aster blossom. Easy to miss.

Not so easy to miss (but hard to see in this photo) are the dry leaf tips on my lace leaf Japanese maple.



These things need a lot of water. The more the leaves are cut, the more water. My dad leaves his hose trickling on his all the time. I'm not so willing to run water like that, but I have been trying to remember to soak it everyday.

Now, tell me my dog is not spoiled. She has graduated from Rimadyl to prednisone for her back. I live in a ranch, but getting outside requires a big step. Instead of trying to lift her up and down (which I think was making her back worse and mine questionable), I made an extra step to ease her way.



Say thank you, Betsy!