Seedy

I *finally* got around to starting seedlings. Or at least doing what needed to be done to get them started.

Something new to me is starting wild strawberry and wild petunia from seed. The seeds need to be pre-treated by stratification. The gardener mixes the seeds with damp sand to help break through the seeds' dormancy mechanism and allow germination. The mixture sits in the refrigerator for a given amount of time, 60 days for these varieties, at which time the seeds have hopefully sprouted and may be planted directly into the garden. Fingers crossed!

The other seeds that needed starting were zinnias and amaranth. This process is more "normal" - fill little pots with potting soil (I chose to top the potting soil with vermiculum), moisten the medium, then plant the seeds. Ordinarily, I would place the pots on a warming pad, but this year I have too many for that. The flats are in a room that is fairly warm and protected from Beau the Feline Destroyer.

Each packet of zinnia seeds contained 40 seeds, although they are so small I was skeptical. However, when I counted them out, there were 41 seeds in each. A while back I learned that the gardener does not need to use more than one seed per pot, so that is what I did here. There are some leftovers in case some of the seeds don't germinate.

If the zinnia seeds seemed tiny, the amaranth seeds made them look like giants. The package contains 100 seeds, but all I needed were six. In this case, I did plant two per container, just because they are so small.

By the way, amaranth is a ancient grain, but I plan to use my plants for dyeing yarn.

It feels like March around here, especially with the wind - in like a lion. Around town, forsythia is blooming and magnolias are budding. The birdhouses are cleaned and hung. The lawn is green and will soon need to be mowed. The yard awakens.

Mulch volcano or donut?

One sure sign of spring is the proliferation of mulch, especially on commercial properties. Mulch is good for keeping down weeds, BUT. All too often the mulch is piled up around a tree like a volcano.

BAD!

Mulch should be applied like a donut or lifesaver. The point is to leave the trunk flare exposed. One would think the landscaping companies would know better - or maybe they do, but don't want to take the time to be careful.

GOOD!

Even the landscaping company that redid my yard made this mistake (along with a few others). I rectified the situation myself. For more information, go here. The tree you save may be your own.

(Another mistake the landscaping company made was to apply mulch under the Japanese maple and 'Limelight' hydrangea. Both have shallow roots that need to breathe. I *told* them not to mulch under those two, but did they listen? NOOOOOO.)

Other signs of spring:

Crocus

Witch hazel

Daffodils

Yesterday was *gorgeous*. Since we were facing two days of rain, I tackled the fall cleanup. I don't get on the north side of the house much in winter, so was surprised to see the goldenrod still relatively intact. Something, probably a rabbit, chewed on the asters I planted in this bed; I hope they survive (the asters, not the rabbits).

Goldenrod (before cleanup)

I am SO glad I had the landscaping redone in my yard. The cleanup took just a few hours instead of days. Some nasty weeds are already staking a claim, though, so that is the next yardening task on my to-do list.

Rough trip

A week ago we visited the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area to view the sandhill cranes. There were plenty of cranes, but no dancing, not even much feeding going on. They just stood or sat there. Maybe it was naptime or something. If you want to watch a video of their dancing, check this one out.

My son and his girl friend were supposed to meet up with us there, but they spent most of the day in the ER (all is okay). Then the restaurant we wanted to eat at is closed on Mondays. At least the rest of our plans panned out: a visit to the Chesterton Art Center and coffee at the Red Cup, where my son and girl friend caught up with us. So not quite what we planned but an okay day.

On the homefront, I saw a mute swan fly overhead on Sunday, probably heading for Eagle Marsh. I heard it before I saw it: the wingbeats "sing". Check out this short vid for a sample.

In my own front yard, signs of spring: Crocus tommassinianus 'roseus'. The snowdrops are popping up, as well as some regular croci. It's hard to not get one's hopes up for an early spring.

Friday Clio has a "temperament check" with a local doggy daycare. She will be so excited. Meanwhile, Finn, my 13(?) year old cat has been diagnosed with stage 2 kidney disease. I had noticed excessive drinking and peeing lately. Once I determined that it was him and not Beau, off we went to the vet. All we can do right now is feed him a special prescription food, which fortunately he likes and Beau does not. Otherwise, Finn seems fine. I hope he sticks around for a while.

Rough week

One of my dogs, Watson, passed away this past week. He had been sneezing a lot lately, then the sneezes turned bloody. The vet tried to do a nasal flush, which broke off parts of a tumor. During the procedure, the dog went into a coma and stopped breathing. They ventilated him for several hours, but it was no use. I arrived to be with him at the end, when the ventilator was disconnected, and I sat with him while he slowly passed.

It was all very sudden - I prefer a long goodbye - and poor Clio doesn't know where her friend and pack leader has gone. The spark has gone out. I've been taking her on longer and more varied walks, giving her extra attention, plan to find her a doggy daycare where she can romp with other mutts once or twice a week. Without Watson, she doesn't see the point of running around the backyard. They weren't bonded, but good playmates.

On one of my last walks with Watson, we visited the neighborhood pond, where we saw this muskrat. When I see one, I want to believe it is a beaver, but beavers are about twice the size of muskrats. An otter would be WAY cool, but they prefer rivers.

Meanwhile, the weather continues to be erratic. We received more snow, but most of that is gone and tomorrow temps will be in the 50's. We are heading to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, to view the sandhill cranes, who hopefully will be doing their mating dance.

Rite of February

Gardening catalogs start arriving here just before Thanksgiving, but I force myself to wait a bit before ordering. Nothing like pretty plant pictures to hold the February doldrums at bay. The hard part is not going overboard and ordering one of everything.

From Prairie Moon Nursery: 

• Ruellia humilis - Wild Petunia Seeds: Packet 
• Fragaria virginiana - Wild Strawberry Seeds: Packet 
• Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed 12 plants 
• Silphium perfoliatum - Cup Plant 3 plants

From Pinetree Garden Seeds: 

• Profusion Double Mix Zinnia seeds 
• Hopi Red Dye Amaranth seeds

From American Meadows: 

• Trifolium repens - Dutch White Clover seeds (5#) 

My yard has a lot of mulched areas, especially in the backyard. The dogs trample everything that tries to grow there, but I'd like to get some groundcover started around the shrubs, hence the wild petunia and wild strawberry. I spoke with the lawn service that treats the grass, as I miss the white clover and wild strawberry that used to grow with the grass, so for this year, I will spot treat the weeds myself and try to re-establish the clover and strawberry.

We had another spate of 50-degree weather this past week - my daughter and her friends went kayaking - but now it is more winterlike. Some of the plants are a bit confused, like the hairy beardtongue and daffodils. I have to keep reminding myself that spring is still a while away.

A pair of mallards have appeared at the neighborhood pond, and Canada geese are starting to migrate through this area. Maybe it's time to check out the sandhill cranes again.

Jumping worms?!?

While I am puzzling about the stink bugs that show up (one at a time) in my house, apparently there are bigger problems to worry about. Asian jumping worms are invading the Midwest. Wisconsin has had jumping worms since 2013, and now they are showing up in Indiana.

What's the big deal? These boogers destroy soil, mulch, and plants, leaving behind castings that do not nourish anything. And there are no known treatments other than collecting them and destroying them. I haven't seen any evidence of them in my yard, but I will keep a lookout for suspicious brown patches.

From the Wisconsin DNR

Here is more info: From the Wisconsin DNR, from Vermont Invasives, and from Indiana Native Plants.

(I can't help but wonder what Darwin would say about such a destructive creature.)

Meanwhile, we are having a ridiculously warm day. It won't last, but it is a bit disturbing.

I've been sick with a cold this past week. Not covid, not the flu, just a plain ordinary cold. In the midst of it, one can't help but wonder if recovery is possible, but eventually symptoms start to fade. I don't get sick very often, but when I do, I am IMpatient to be better. Illness is so boring.

Ice box

This has been a very cold week. No dog walking, as the street (we have no sidewalks) has an slick layer of ice beneath the snow. I confess I like looking at the white landscape instead of the gray and taupe one we usually have in winter. Alas, not enough snow here for cross country skiing and it is due to melt this week.

Despite the sub-zero temps (or because of it), there has been lots of bird activity. The robins have eaten all the winterberries, are now working on the hawthorn haws. It was 7 degrees out when I spotted these starlings bathing - they emptied the birdbath with their enthusiasm.

I follow the Garden Rant blog. While they don't stick to native plants, their postings frequently give me some good ideas. One of the recent postings mentioned that rattlesnake master seems to prefer it a bit damp, so maybe I'll reintroduce some near the rain garden.

I found two more squash bugs in the house this week, but both were already dead. What is the deal?!?

Squash bugs

I have not grown anything from the squash family for years, but for some reason this winter squash beetles have invaded the house, one at a time. Unless it's the same beetle over and over again? I capture them and release them outside (except for the one that went down the garbage disposal), but then one shows up again. Now that we are heading for sub-freezing temperatures, maybe that will stop.

The snow I reported last week melted. Then we received some more, which also melted. But this bit of snow will stick around for a while, as things are going to be VERY cold for a while.

The wind reminds me of the winter of 1978, but without the avalanche of snow that formed drifts over six feet high. I was working at an "automated egg laying facility" at the time. Regardless of the weather, the chickens had to be cared for and the eggs processed. They sent manure trucks into town to pick us up, and we spent the night sleeping on the floor in the supervisor's house on the premises. The following winter promised to be nearly as bad, so I quit. There were more snowy winters after that, with resulting spring floods. We were living in the country by then; a creek that ran to the nearby river separated us from our neighbor. When her furnace went out, the repairman borrowed a canoe from us to reach her house. Fun times.

This weather has brought more bird activity in the backyard, including frustrated starlings who cannot get to the mealworms, thanks to the feeder design. There are plenty of other options for them, so no one is going to starve on my watch.

White stuff

We are finally getting a little snow, emphasis on "little". It might not even stick around. But at least the ground feels frozen (less dirt for the dogs to track into the house), and it looks and feels like winter.

The seed catalogs are beginning to roll in, in ernest. I'll need some zinnia seeds, of course, but I am also contemplating growing a half dozen amaranth plants, for dyeing yarn. I can get both seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds., but they don't have milkweed plants, just seeds. I scatter seeds in the target area each fall, but so far, none have taken, so I'll get some plants elsewhere.

More birdfeeders are up, including a cylinder of "bark butter" - basically suet and peanut butter - and niger seed. I stocked up on millet from Wild Birds Unlimited, along with some ears of field corn for the squirrels, and a fresh suet block I have yet to hang up. The peanut splits remain the most popular offering to the birds, but I'm sure they will catch on to the rest soon, especially now that we have some snow.

Goals for 2024

It's a little embarrassing to sift through old blog postings and see how many "resolutions" I failed to stick to. At least, my plans for 2022 panned out - redoing the landscaping - and I have stuck to eliminating invasives in the yard (although they keep trying to stage a comeback). Some goals have been abandoned because, frankly, they are too much work. There are a few things I would like to accomplish this year, though.

One disappointment in planting natives (or at least, the natives I now have) is they are not very showy. I think the simplest thing to do is to fix that with annuals, specifically zinnias, at least in the front yard.

Once upon a time, the "meadow" was a milkweed forest. I whacked that, thinking I would transplant perennials from other parts of the yard there. Now I am inclined to revert that area to milkweed. Hopefully, I will see more monarchs then.

I've attempted to grow shrubs and vines in containers, with minimal success. Two small butterfly bushes and a Clematis Paniculata are all that I have left, and next summer I plan to transplant them into the ground. I think they will be much happier, which will make me happier.

Three is a charming number, so I think I will stop there.

1. Plant zinnias in the beds in the front yard
2. Recreate the milkweed forest
3. Transplant container perennials into the ground

There has not been a lot of bird activity in the backyard, but yesterday this hawk was pecking at something in the driveway. Worms?

And on today's dog walk, a heron made an appearance near the neighborhood pond. I couldn't get closer because, well, the dog.

Here's wishing you a Happy New Year. May all your gardening dreams come true!

Something new - floating farms

Locally, there is a big hoo-ha about someone wanting to create yet another "party boat" business on one of the three rivers that run through our fair city. Wouldn't it be amazing if our local people-in-charge would expand their thinking to include something like, say, floating farms?

The local paper ran this article about floating farms. What a unique idea! Each neighborhood along the water could have its own mini-farm market, geared for their culture and tastes. That would be forward thinking, instead of the same-old-same-old.

In other local news, the paper's gardening columnist wrote about how difficult it is to grow Norfolk pine (which isn't really a pine). I was a little surprised, because while mine doesn't always look its best, it does pretty well.

Otherwise, not much happening here. The grass is still rather green, but at least it is not growing. More birdfeeders are out - safflower and a "wreath" of various avian delectibles. While I haven't done as much backyard birdwatching as in the past, today I spotted a black capped chickadee and a downy woodpecker. Oh, and murmurations of starlings - beautiful but GAH!

Another lesson learned

If you are going to shop for xmas decorations, it is best to do that by Thanksgiving. Otherwise, everything will be picked over. Ditto presents.

Hand-me-ups from my daughter

My daughter is a bath and kitchen designer, and she is also picking up how-to's along the way. This weekend she replaced the faucet on my utility sink. Quite the Handy Ma'am! And it involved only one trip to the hardware store. (I looked at a YT video on how to do this and decided it involved too much crouching under the sink.)

Ooh - shiny!

This past week, some of the birdfeeders went up: whole peanuts, peanut splits, sunflower seeds, millet. There hasn't been much avian activity yet, as the weather has been rather mild (in the 50's and 60's). I have seen both blue jays and bluebirds, though. And sparrows.

Lesson learned

Today - cold, windy, and rainy - seemed like a good day to sanitize the bird feeders. Using the utility sink, I worked on the smaller ones, cleaning them and spraying them with a 10% bleach solution before rinsing them off. That was fine. But the big one I use for sunflower seeds was too large for the sink and too heavy to manipulate (my glasses nearly broke when the hinged lid fell and hit me in the face) and a real mess. I've already disconnected the outside hoses, but I'm going to reattach one and finish bird feeder cleaning outside. Next year, I promise to do this task earlier and outdoors.

The problem with the heated bird bath was the GFC outlet. It had tripped, but I kept trying to reset it wrong. Now that is fixed. I didn't want to have to buy a new birdbath, as they cost about twice what I paid for this one.

Having a heated birdbath seems moot this week, as temps promise to be in the 50's. That means the ground won't stay frozen and I will have dog paw prints everywhere. Who do I complain to?!?

Word of the week

Dehiscence means "the splitting or bursting open of a pod or wound". Milkweed pods are a perfect example of the former; I don't really want to picture the latter.

I frequently mention that I do my fall clean up in the spring, but there are also some chores that have to be accomplished now: moving the potted perennials and such into the garage, storing the patio furniture, cleaning out the bird houses, sanitizing the bird feeders, etc. It has been cold enough for the bird bath to freeze over, even though I plugged in the heater. I don't know if the problem is the outlet, the extension cord, or the bird bath itself. One of these days, I will have to check that out.

Here are the installed flamingos. I hope the neighbors are aghast. Online I found an artificial xmas tree that looks like a palm tree. Wouldn't that make the perfect backdrop?

Today it is snowing, and the snow is sticking... sort of. Later in the week, we expect rain, so this smattering won't last long.

Road trip

Sorry for my absence. It's been a couple of busy weeks, climaxed with a weekend trip out of town. My little family has started a newish Thanksgiving tradition: gathering the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then my kids can do what they wish on the actual holidy, be it spend time with in-laws, hunker down at home, etc.

I rent a place (sometimes AirBnB, sometimes VRBO) near where my son and his girl friend live, and the rest of us traipse up there for a couple of days of eating, shopping, hiking, etc. I've abandoned cooking the traditional turkey meal, so we mostly eat out. No one complains (or they don't dare).

This time we drove down to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area to view the sandhill cranes. There is an observation deck, but that's as close as one can get to the birds (unless you are one of *those* people). There were *thousands* of them, filling the air with their gargling calls. We may go back in the spring, as that's when they execute their mating dance.

Since it was close by, we stopped to see the Dunn Bridge, which runs over the Kankakee River. My son is into bridges, especially covered bridges, while my daughter, a newish kayaker, eyed the river for a possible adventure.

As you may have noticed from previous posts, my yard art consists primarily of plastic pink flamingos. Recently, I've added red, white, and blue flamingos for summer display, and black sparkly ones for Halloween. My son and his girl friend found some xmas ones, which they presented to me this past weekend. I'm tickled (flamingo) pink!

I don't have much holiday decor, but I may have to get a spotlight or something, to showcase these latest additions once they are outside.

Good riddance, DST

Once upon a time, when it seemed the rest of the world was adopting Daylight Savings Time, Indiana did not, ostensibly because of the cows. Dairy farmers, who frequently had "day jobs", did not want to confuse the cows with shifting milk times. There aren't many dairy farms around anymore, and someone decided we should be like (almost) everyone else and suffer through a time change twice a year.

Before adopting DST, during the summer, Indiana time differed from Ohio and Michigan time, which some locals found confusing. After DST, we joined the Eastern Time Zone year 'round, which means that it stays light until 10pm here in eastern Indiana. Fireworks display times shifted from 9pm to after 10. I had to buy some dark, heavy curtains for the bedroom windows. And to me, a morning person, the days felt shorter, not longer.

Several times I tried to stay on standard time, but that gets confusing when the rest of the area is not. I've tried shifting my mealtimes, but the tyranny of the clock seemed to defeat that. I spent years complaining, but now try to keep my opinions to myself unless asked. And even though I sometimes say, "Just pick one or the other, Daylight Savings or Standard Time, and stick to it," I really prefer to have morning light.

With morning light, the days feel longer, the evenings shorter. I get going sooner while still finishing my day by supper. I feel more productive, more energetic, more "normal". But I know I am in the minority. Per usual. End of screed.

Back to the yard. We finally had a hard frost this past week. We even had snow flurries on Hallowe'en. Still, many trees, like my neighbor's ornamental pear and my Japanese maple, cling tenaciously to their leaves. The environs still look green, including the lawn, which I continue to mow. I like to mow, but this is getting to be a bit much, even for me.

This fungi that grows on the oak mulch is not listed in my mushroom book; I had to use Google Photo Lens to identify it as Diplocystis wrightii. There is a type of mushroom known as a Fairy Ring mushroom, but this is not that.

Diplocystis wrightii "fairy ring"

Diplocystis wrightii, up close

The winterberry holly shrubs that are in the back of the yard are covered with red berries, the ones nearer to the house are not. Similarly, the witch hazel bush that I had planted years ago is in bloom, while the ones planted last summer are not. The first example may be due to a microclimate - perhaps too much shade at a critical time? - while the latter is a puzzlement.

Witch hazel, in bloom

Witch hazel, up close

Fall colors

We finally had a light frost, followed by what used to be referred to as "Indian summer" - the last of the warm days (one assumes). The sweet potato vines are kaput, except for the one in the flamingo planter. Almost everything else is in autumn mode.

The catmint decided that all the warm weather we have been having means that it should bloom some more.

The serviceberry is putting on a show.

The 'Limelight' hydrangea has reached its pink stage.

The northern sea oats are past the copper stage, now a solid brown.

The swamp oak looks more robust leaf-wise than last year.

Sean from Sanctuary Natives returned to replace the butterflyweed that did not survive its first year. He says he doesn't often get to revisit installations, so we took a brief tour of the yard. Something that I don't think he realizes is that all his planning of what plants to put where will eventually come to naught, as the nodding onion, penstemon, and columbine will spread willy-nilly. I don't mind, just as I don't mind the grape hyacinth, 'Dragon's Blood" stonecrop, volunteer violets, and other plants that have hung on, despite the upheaval from last summer. They are all welcome.

Mums the word

In the past, I have purchased "hardy" mums and planted them in the ground, but they were not all that hardy when it comes to Indiana winters and rarely survived. This year I purchased a few to contrast with the aromatic aster. Next year I will plant something like yellow Profusion zinnias, which are shorter than most zinnias. There will be all-season color PLUS contrasting yellow come fall.

Last Monday I saw a bald eagle soaring over the neighborhood. That was a lovely sight. Several crows complained nearby but didn't get too close.

We still have not had a hard frost (or even a soft one) yet. There are lots of green tomatoes on the plants, but the cool nighttime temps have left them and the sweet potato vines looking a bit grumpy. Not too many leaves have fallen yet; the city leaf pickup dates have had to be shifted to accommodate climate change. And so it goes.

Cool and rainy, just how autumn should be

I won't let anyone complain about the cooler temps or wet weather, since it is a vast improvement over the dry 80-degree days that immediately preceeded this change. I still have a tendency to overdress, but I have started to change over the bedding from summer mode to winter mode - first the fleece blanket, next the flannel sheets, then the wool duvet. Aaah!

Speaking of autumn changes, the red, white, and blue flamingos have given way to the Halloween ones. I wish these glowed in the dark. Maybe I can paint them with some luminescent acrylic? My son and his girl friend are on the lookout for some winter flamingos. Otherwise, the yard will be sans flamingos until spring.

This sad bean is the total harvest from my experiment of growing bush beans in a container. One of my mistakes was not using a deep enough container. Another mistake was leaving the container where critters could reach it. I'm not sure if the culprit was a rabbit or a raccoon. Next year, I will do better. (My son's comment was, "Charlie Brown would be proud.")

This critter on my doorstep is a giant crane fly. I don't believe I've ever seen one in my yard before.

The carpet of sunflowers surprised me by blooming. I haven't noticed too many pollinators enjoying the late display. We are past our usual frost date, so I'm sure these are destined for an early death.

The goldenrod is at its peak. If you look closely, you will notice the plant tags in front of and between each goldenrod plant. Those are where the new aster plants are. May they and the goldenrod co-exist in peace.

While I hope my tulip tree survives the winter, I have a plan B in place: two red maple trees to take its place. I might even plant a third one on the other side of the yard. As far as I am concerned, one can never have too many trees. Yes, they drop their leaves in the fall. But look who benefits! (I credit my leaf mulch for bringing back fireflies to my backyard.)

(I don't know the original source of this poster)

Usually, I mow around the trees, breaking up the leaves but leaving them to nourish the trees. Or else the mower blows them onto the mulched beds. Either way, they decompose naturally.

Speaking of mulched beds, one of my dogs has taken to digging in the mulch and eating something - grubs? cicada larvae? I wanted to cover the mulch with bits of fencing (poultry wire and hardware cloth) to deter him, but I couldn't find much. Then I remembered that it was already in use as a dog-deterrent - it makes up a haphazard fence around the rain garden while those plants get established. Apparently, when one has dogs, one never has enough fencing.

STILL not autumn

Ordinarily, we would be expecting some overnight frost by now, but instead we are getting MORE temps in the 80's this week. Ugh. At least it rained, so today I plan to install the asters. And mow.

The tree service came to fertilize the tulip tree. The technician did not seem very optimistic about the tree's chances. I worked keep it alive all summer, so I hope to prove him wrong. We will have to wait until next spring to find out.

The 'Solidago Fireworks' goldenrod is finally starting to bloom. This variety is supposed to form clumps instead of spreading rampantly. I'm hoping this is true, as the asters are going in here.

When I chat with other gardeners, I'm a bit surprised so many of them start their fall clean-up prematurely, even cutting back perennials while they are still green. These folks seem to be looking at the calendar instead of the plant or the weather, and they think their yards need to be neat and tidy, even the parts that are hidden from public view. I might be more self-conscious about my yard if the privacy fence didn't block judgmental eyes from the "worst" of it. And my neighbors *are* judgmental. I think it is a Hoosier trait.