I Cleaned the Front Porch!

I was outside working by 6:30 a.m. this morning. The first thing that I did was start the burn pile going in the gully. Boy, did I regret that later on. I have asthma and by late morning I couldn't catch my breath. I had to use the nebulizer and the inhaler.

Before the lack of oxygen to my lungs hit, I was able to get the front porch cleaned off. Somehow it accumulates all sorts of junk up there. We're far enough back from the road that people driving by can't see anything, but when folks come to visit it's an embarrassment. So today I took everything off of the porch, swept well, threw out a bunch of junk, brought the Adirondack chairs up, and finished planting impatiens in all of the planters so that it looked nice.

Hey, look, I was able to download a picture! Cool!!!

I didn't do too much after the asthma attack today. I did, however, take care of the world's best little baby boy. Gabriel is SUCH an angel. He made new noises today, kind of like a motor boat. Since his teeth are trying to come in, he is a real slobber box. Poor kid!

Tomorrow Brandon, Jessie, and Bryan are coming over for a nice lunch. They are bringing steaks to put on the fire pit. I'm going to ask Brandon to cook them because I want to be able to do stuff tomorrow and not be connected to my inhaler or nebulizer. I plan on making a homemade chocolate cake for dessert, potatoes, corn, and a salad. In the early morning I'll start a loaf of bread in the bread machine. I look forward to visiting with the kids.

shel

Poison Ivy!!! Zanfel, Save Me!

Since we live in the country, I have an overabundance of poison ivy that pops up just about everywhere, included in my planters! I am one of the unfortunate people that gets poison ivy VERY badly. At least twice a year I have to go in for a steroid shot in the butt and a Z pack (prescription steroids).

Last year I picked up a tube of Zanfel at the mom and pop drugstore in Decatur. It cost an arm and a leg...over $36 for a little tube...but man, is it worth it! Zanfel reminds me of the old Lava soap because of the coarse texture. As soon as I discover that I've been into poison ivy, I run into the house, start the water, squirt on an 1 1/2" length of Zanfel and start scrubbing. So far (knock on wood) I haven't gotten 'the itch'. Supposedly, if you DO have poison ivy already, you can use Zanfel and the itching will ease and you will dry up quicker.

Today I have little Gabriel. The weather is absolutely spectacular, so I hope to get outside and plant a few hanging baskets before he wakes up.

Erin gave me a few Japanese eggplants, and I cut them into chunks last night. I also cut up zucchini, summer squash, green pepper, an onion, and some garlic and threw a marinade over the veggies. I am going to roast them and have a sandwich with Swiss (I'd prefer Provolone, but am out) for lunch. mmmmmmmm, I love veggies! I have a jar of roasted red peppers so I'll use a few of them as well.

Tonight, after Alana picks up Gabe, I'll spread more mulch and put Preen on top. Using Preen discourages the seeds from poison ivy, dropped by birds in their poo, from germinating. If I can stay on top of that this year I hope to have a smaller ivy batch next year!

shel

Daylilies Part II

I walked around the front yard tonight and picked out a few more of my favorite daylilies.

'Burgandy Babe' is a heavy producer. The dark Burgandy blooms with the even darker eyes are about the size of a half-dollar. They really show off early in the lily season. I have crossed them with 'Little Sioux' with good results.

'Little Sioux' is another mini lily. It, too, has a heavy bloom. The flowers are slightly smaller than 'Burgandy Babe' and they are a dark peachy color. The petals are more rounded and chunky looking than most daylilies. I love them!

'Texas Sunlight' is one of my other minis. It is a sunny yellow, proficient bloomer.

There's another daylily in the same bed as the 'Texas' lilies. When I purchased it, the handwritten tag had rubbed off part way. Therefore I'm not sure what the name is, but it is two words with the first letter being C and the first letter of the second word being J. It has HUGE dazzling yellow-orange flowers that seem to be covered in diamond dust. I can't bring myself to divide them yet since they are so beautiful.

I have a 'Gordon Briggs' in the garden by the greenhouse. I've always loved the color of this dark flower.

Once again, I am not having luck downloading my pictures. When Steve comes over (he is an absolute genius with the computer...I'm envious) I will ask him to help me share my pictures.

shel

Daylily List and Descriptions

I think that it was 18 years ago or so that my sister Shannon purchased a group of mail-order daylilies and planted them in front of her cottage-like house with the white picket fence. At the time I (foolishly) wasn't impressed with them, simply because I didn't have enough experience with the flowers.

Now I can't get enough daylilies.

A friend of a friend crossed daylilies and sold the undesirable (to her, anyway) offspring for a mere $5 a clump. Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton, IL had a $10 a clump sale a few weeks later. After visiting both of these places, I was officially hooked on daylilies.

Somehow the tags on my named lilies in the back yard are AWOL. I suspect that the two huskies, in one of their many Wild Dog moments, have kicked them up. Either the lawn mower has eaten them or the mysterious canna stealing critter walked off with them. Hard telling.

Here's a list of some of the daylilies that jump out at me:

I have a sunny yellow, rather tall lily with an extraordinary amount of buds that I thought was 'Karen Sue' but is not (according to the google image search that I just did.) This is one of the daylilies with the tags missing The show this daylily puts on lasts for at least two weeks. I have tried my hand at making my own daylily crosses (which is discouraged by the professionals...sorry, I can't help myself) and have found that this daylily is a good parent. I'll see if I can find the original sale tag to find out her true name.

'Fuzz Bunny' is a medium-sized double yellow daylily. There are only two to four buds per stem, but the unique bloom makes this variety a must-have. I haven't had any luck with crosses.

I believe the daylily on the other side of the deck is 'Little Grapette'. I LOVE the dusky purple-brown bloom with the darker eye. It is a small flower, and cute as can be. When I crossed (both ways) with what I thought was 'Karen Sue' I got muddy, disappointing blooms. I think 'Little Grapette' should be left as it is...just perfect.

'Ice Carnival' is a REAL work-horse. It is a tall, proud daylily that produces bloom after bloom after bloom. The flowers are large, pale yellow (almost white) beauties that are easily crossed. I have divided and shared this daylily many times, and it still gives me a full bushy plant each season. If you have a large area to fill in and want a mass of solid color, try 'Ice Carnival'.

'Winnie-The-Pooh' was purchased in honor of my niece Erin. She loved the fuzzy little bear. Too bad the lily isn't nearly as cute. It is a medium-sized plant with a orange-tan color. Personally, I don't think it's the same color as the Pooh bear, but maybe I'm just color blind. This plant hasn't multiplied much, and I've never tried to cross it.

'Strawberry Candy' packs a punch. The smaller plant has a medium-size flower that is a bright strawberry ice cream pink with a darker center. It has three to four buds per stem, so the show doesn't last long. It is a desirable plant simply because it's so darn cute.

'Exotic Love' is a WOW for sure. I have a great close-up picture of it that I will post if I can. (Darn it, the computer won't let me attach the pic. It says 'error' across the top in a big red band. Perhaps you can do a Google image search for it. I'll try to do another post with that picture, and pics of other daylilies as well.)

'South Seas' is a very tropical looking lily. It produces only a few buds and I haven't tried to cross it, but I do enjoy the flower when it is in bloom.

I have an unnamed cross from Hornbaker's that I like to unofficially call my 'Shelly Lily'. It is a bright pink with a bright yellow throat. I have shared this lily with many, many friends.

I haven't had the chance to write down the daylilies from the front or east yard. I will do so, and blog about them, at a later date.

Daylilies start blooming around the last week of June and put on a show for about a month in my yard. They are easily maintained, grow well in my clay soil, and demand little attention once established. If you haven't given daylilies a chance in your gardens, you should really do so.

shel

p.s. I still can't add an image. Curses!!! I did a Google image search and got pictures of all of the above-mentioned daylilies except 'Winnie-the-Pooh'. Notice how the 'Ice Carnival' blooms looks different in each picutre...sometimes a camera just isn't able to capture the true color. 'Little Grapette' is the same way.

If you get the chance, go to Hornbaker's in rural Princeton in the next week. The fields of daylilies will be in full bloom...it's a glorious sight! Get information by visiting www.hornbakergardens.com

Iris Borer Blues

Now is the perfect time to thin and transplant your crowded or diseased iris. If your iris have failed to bloom well, it is possible that they are overcrowded.

Dig up the rhizomes, cut off any diseased parts, cut the green leaf spears off at an angle so that the foliage forms a fan shape about 4" in height, and replant the rhizomes. It is said that iris prefer to be sunburned, which means that you shouldn't actually dig in the soil. Instead, use a trowel to dig a shallow trench and place the iris parallel to the surface of the soil. Cover the roots with soil but leave the top part of the fleshy rhizome above ground (if it were skin, it would sunburn.) Water well to get rid of air pockets, and wait patiently for next year's show.

Do NOT put mulch on or near iris!!

I have noticed that my iris foliage is in sad shape. There are dark brown oval spots over most of the foliage. That's a sure sign of the dreaded iris borer. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the borer.

I will dig up my iris rhizome and carefully inspect it for signs of damage (a hole, rotten spots, or a tunnel like area). The iris borer is a ugly, naked pinkish-brown fat worm-like borer that has one goal in mind...eat every bit of the rhizome that it can before it must pupate then turn into a month. Rotten parts can be cut away with a clean, sharp knife that I dip in a water/bleach solution between each cut. If I do cut into an iris, I leave the rhizome unplanted for a few days so the wound can heal over. When I find a borer, I dig it out of the iris and destroy it immediately. Any damaged parts are cut away. Some people dip their iris into bleach water, but I have never done so.

Mulching iris is a no-no because the mulch overwinters the borer. I have been lax in keeping the oak and hickory leaves off of my iris in the fall and winter, so I am guilty of providing the perfect habitat for the dreaded killer borer.

Did you know that the original big portion of the iris will never bloom again? You can cut off the "fingers" of new plants that grow out the sides of t original and replant them. Put the original potato-looking piece into your compost.

I love iris, and have at least 30 varieties that I need to dig up and divide in the next few days. Luckily iris multiply well so I will be able to share the beauties with friends and family.

For more information on the iris borer and for great gardening education, go to the Master Gardener's web site at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/hort.html You'll love it!

Happy gardening,

shel

Is Anyone Out There?

Is there anyone out there that reads my blogs? I know my niece Erin does, as well as my Aunt Sue (big hugs to both of you) but I really want to know...are you interested in what I have to say?

I blog because
1.) I enjoy writing.
2.) I talk too much, and my husband and daughter ignore me so I have stopped unnecessary conversation with them. I need to tell SOMEONE what's going on in my brain before I explode from too much pent-up jibber-jabber.
4.) I have discovered that I'm lonely. I shouldn't be, but I am.
3.) It's cheaper than therapy.

Please give a shout-out if I'm not alone here.

While mowing tonight, I thought of many subjects that I need to write about. Tomorrow I'll work on the iris borer problem that I'm having. The next blog will be a list (with pictures) of some of my daylilies (favorites, most productive for crossing, prettiest, etc.) I think that I'll also do a garden chore list, and then blog about what I have crossed off of the list for the day. It's a BIG list, believe me. Here's an interesting one...a list of 100 wishes that I would like to have come true. I'm not talking about the obvious (world peace, end of hunger, etc.) but of trivial wishes that would mean SO much to me!

What are yo ur wishes?

shel

The Case of the Missing Cannas

Cannas are multi-talented plants. I appreciate them not only for their flowers (my hummers love them) but also because of the exotic foliage that they offer. They also come in various heights, which gives my garden layers of the WOW factor.

In my zone 5B garden, I am instructed to dig up canna bulbs each year before the first frost, but I never seem to get around to it. I live in the middle of the woods so my gardens are actually in a microclimate which allows them to come back after mild winters. This year, however, my cannas, dahlias and glads failed to return.

A few weeks ago I went to a garage sale that offered large, healthy canna bulbs for only fifty cents each. I purchased six of them, and planted them in the ground as soon as I got home. A few days later I wandered around the garden to find that the cannas had all been dug up and stacked neatly beside the empty hole! I replanted them immediately and went on my merry way, thinking that perhaps a skunk, possum or coon had been playing tricks on me.

Tonight I went outside while the baby was sleeping, and to my horror I found just an empty hole. There weren't even any canna carcasses to be found...not a root, shoot, or skin!

I have no idea of the guilty party, but I do know that if I find a critter lurking around my cannas next year I'm going to have to kick some butt. (Of course, it could be my bah-humbug husband playing tricks on me!)

shel

Mulch vs. Rocks - The Great Landscape Debate

I tend to be very outspoken when gardeners ask my opinion on whether they should use mulch on soil or rock with landscape fabric when creating or redesigning garden areas. Instead of yelling "NO ROCKS!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE ROCKS! NEVER USE ROCKS LIKE THAT!!! DOOM ON YOU! DOOM ON YOU!" I try to calmly point out the pros and cons of each and let the questioner come to their own decision, but I admit that I can be rather theatrical when pointing out rock cons.

ROCKS - Pros

*Rocks are cool (but not in the temperature way).
*They never need replaced.
*You can get everything from white marble chips to tumbled river rock to pea gravel to lava rock.
*They are successful at keeping the moisture in the ground during dry spells.
*For the first year or two, rocks used in conjunction with landscape fabric will be weed-free.

MULCH - Pros

*Mulch breaks down, and therefore adds nutrients (especially much-needed nitrogen) to the soil.
*You can get mulch in many colors, sizes (chips to nuggets), and wood types.
*Mulch keeps the moisture in the ground.
*A proper layer of mulch will keep the garden weed free.
*It does NOT attract termites contrary to the rumors. If you read up on that, do an advanced google search using the domain .edu or go to uiuc.edu.
*If you have a garden walk or guests coming over just throw a sprinkling of mulch on the beds to make them look freshly groomed and remarkable.
*Mulch bags are easily handled. Even when wet, I can carry two bags of mulch.
*You can get mulch in bulk.
*Phone or Electric services will occasionally offer mulch for free when they are cleaning lines in the area. (Note - I have a huge mountain of wood chips in my front yard, behind some bushes so that no one can see it, that I will be spreading on my gardens this year. ALWAYS age fresh wood chips at least one year before spreading it on your gardens. If you sit on it long enough, it turns into a beautiful and nitrogen-rich compost.)

MULCH - Cons

*Mulch must be replaced each year. The first application should be approximately 4" thick (not touching the stems of the plants, however). Subsequent years require only a top dressing of mulch to make it look good and work properly.
*If you leave a bag of mulch sitting at the edge of the garden and forget about it, a baby garter snake may take up residence inside the bag and scare the s*** out of you when you open it up a few weeks later. Yes, I'm speaking from experience here. No harm was done to the snake, but I ruined a good pair of shorts that day!)
*Unless you spread Preen over the freshly mulched area, you can still have the occasional weed pop up.

ROCKS - Cons
*Dust particles are everywhere. They land in the cracks between the rocks and create tiny pockets of soil. Weeds LOVE to germinate here. You won't notice this for the first year or two, but after that it's all downhill.
*If you have rocks and landscape fabric, it's next to impossible to plant NEW perennials or annuals in that bed. You're stuck with what you have.
*Removing rocks from an area is a back-breaking, time consuming experience.
*Disposal of the aforementioned rock is difficult, unless you'd like to bring it over to me and drop it into my rut-filled driveway. Please.
*Rocks add absolutely nothing to the soil. Soil breaks down because plants use the nutrients, so you must use a liquid fertilizer to spot-treat if you want good blooms, root systems, etc.
*Face it...rocks are heavy. You can get a truck load delivered, but be prepared to have Ben Gay applications for days after distributing the rock. You'd better be in pretty good physical condition to shovel those babies around.
*Bags of rock are available, but ditto on the heavy part.
*Bags of rock also tend to rip. It's a pain in the patoot trying to clean up the spill when it happens on the lawn.
*Rocks soak up the heat from the sun. This can be good in the spring, but deadly in the summer and during breaks in the weather in the winter months. (Heating the soil causes plants to heave, which is one of the leading causes of plant loss.)
*If kids play in the rocks and happen to throw them onto the lawn, and you happen to run over them with the mower, the rocks can cause great damage to windows, the skirting around a trailer, or the eye of your pet dog...again, speaking from experience.
*If you use too many rocks, you'll cause the Earth to go off of its axis and we will all die. Okay, that's where I tend to get a little theatrical.

I love to see rock WALLS, or decorative boulders strategically scattered around for the zen aspect, or even football-size rocks used as a border around a bed. Rock Gardens are beautiful, but there is a combination of boulders of various sizes, as well as pea gravel, for this special garden.

Rocks DO have their place in the garden, but, in my opinion, they shouldn't be used as mulch.

I'll get off my high-horse now!
shel

Annuals Out My Ears

I still have tons of double impatiens, rex begonias, and Waves to plant. Today (since we didn't go to Morrisonville) I went to mom & dad's house and planted some of the impatiens and left left the nicotiana and some begonias for mom to use in a planter.

Tonight I am totally exhausted as I haven't slept well since Phyllis' passing so I didn't have any energy to put the annuals in the ground. Perhaps in the morning I will be able to at least do a few containers.

In the meantime, I will cut the top 4" or so of the leggy impatiens, dip them in a rooting hormone, and stick them in a soilless medium. This will give me even a bigger crop to plant and share with friends, and will make the original impatiens bush out and become full.

I look forward to a day at home so that I can start my Phyllis garden, which will be filled with nothing but purple flowers.

shel

Phyllis A. Klinger - Her Life and Death

At 12:15 this morning, Phyllis A. Klinger, my mother-in-law, passed away at the Taylorville Hospital. Unfortunately, we had left an hour earlier, and were not at her side. My heart bleeds to know that she was alone.

Phyllis was an excellent mother-in-law...she never interfered with our private life, hosted Thanksgiving dinners that were delicious beyond belief, and was incredibly easy to buy presents for.

In the past, she collected apple items for her kitchen. Recently her passion turned to Campbell Soup stuff. I had a blast looking for the familiar red and white can in unique situations..did you know they made a porcelain Campbell's Soup Christmas tree? Yep, she had it. Phyllis was passionate about the color purple, and loved just about anything in that color, except for lavender. I could never go wrong with purchasing for Phyllis.

I loved to hear the stories that Phyllis liked to tell, even though I'm not from Morrisonville and had no idea of whom she was referring to. She loved to stay abreast of the latest news from Morrisonville, Taylorville, and the surrounding towns.

Before I married her firstborn, Phyllis was a teacher. She dedicated many after-school hours with projects that would make the lives of "her" kids better. At the funeral home today, as we were making arrangements, one of the sisters (Kara, Kristy, or Kayla) told a story about how Phyllis used toilet paper to "tie" one of her problem students to a chair after she had done yet another destructive thing to the classroom. The original story was hilarious...I left out a lot in translation here. The girl ended up learning her lesson, grew up to have two children of her own (hopefully as ornery as she was) and be a productive member of the Morrisonville area.

Phyllis has been in and out of the nursing home in Taylorville for quite a few months. She was diabetic, with septic ulcers on both legs. I didn't know that she had been in renal failure for quite some time; she was very closed-lipped about things like that. The infection in her legs had pretty much overrun her body, making it impossible to bring her back to our world. I could look into her eyes, clouded over with agony, know that she wanted the pain to stop whatever the cost. It was hard to feed her ice chips, pat her shoulder, tuck in her blanket, and keep up a positive attitude. All that I wanted to do was yell at the nurses (they were only following doctor's orders and protocol, I know) for not being able to give her more morphine or change to a drug that would ease her pain.

On the whine side, I just have to say how unfair her death is. There were people that had been in the nursing home for years, minds and bodies gone, just waiting for their hearts to stop. Some wandered the corridors, singing songs and calling out for long-gone spouses, having no idea of even being there. Others sat in their wheelchairs, heads draped forward as they slept the sleep of the forgotten. Phyllis was still mentally alert, and, up to that point, only slightly out of whack physically. She used a wheel chair due to the condition of her poor legs, but was able to feed herself, go to the bathroom, and roll around to catch up on the happenings of her "neighbors". My selfish side thinks " WHY HER?????" In my heart, I know that she is in a better place, and, most importantly, out of pain.

Phyllis, I love you. You will be missed.

shel

Counting my Money Before It's Hatched

Yesterday I spent all afternoon in Lincoln giving my resume to any business that I am even remotely familiar with. (Not Auto Zone, as I don't know my cam shaft from my rear end.) After depressing hours on my feet, dressed in a professional manner...terribly uncomfortable...and smiling my fake confident smile, I was ready for some good news.

Jessie brought Bryan to me at Wal-Mart so that I could bring him home for the weekend. Foolishly, I drove the Honda Civic instead of the van. We made the exchange and then I was on my merry way.

The portable greenhouse that was set up in Goodie's parking lot called to me as I tried to drive past it. "We're Making Deals", the sign beckoned. Although I had less than $20 in my pocket, I had to pull in. Good thing I did! The lovely young saleswoman was in a VERY generous mood. Annuals were $1.59 each, buy one get one free. The majority of the plants looked marvelous and weren't root bound, so I started packing in Rex begonias and double impatiens. Then the gal advised me that it would be cheaper to buy a flat for $8.99 and she'd give me one for free. To make a long story short, I ended up with four flats of+beautiful double impatiens and yellow, orange and red Rex begonias, a big planter overflowing with Wave petunias, four ten inch hanging baskets of ivy geraniums, two large tomato plants, and a few odds and ends. Out of the original $20, I came home with $4 plus some change!

Poor Bryan was surrounded by flowers as I tried to pack everything into my already loaded Civic. He probably got dizzy from the scents.

My original plan was to sell all of these plants at Farmer's Market this morning. It's held on the square in Clinton, and costs a mere $10 to participate. Last night I made price signs, cleaned up the geraniums, loaded everything into the van, and prepared to leave bright and early this morning. Unfortunately, rain started falling sometime in the early morning, and it hasn't let up! With both Bryan and baby Gabriel in my care today, I was unable to go sell my wares and make some extra money to pay for gas and groceries for the next week.

My mother always told me not to count my chickens before they were hatched. Guess I should have listened to her!

shel

Vegetable Garden Blues

I pulled into the driveway at my parent's home today and noticed that the veggies in the 8'x4'x12" raised bed (built on their concrete drive) had grown dramatically in the three days since I had last seen them. The tomato plants did not get confined to cages, so they are lazily drooped over the sides of the box, their bright yellow flowers weighing them down. At the opposite end of the rectangle the two cucumber plants have engulfed the garden and have started climbing up the wall of the trailer. Green onions are ready to be enjoyed, as are the leaves of the three sage plants. In short, my mom and dad's veggie garden looks spectacular.

I schlumped my way through the shaggy lawn to my garden as soon as I got home, eager to admire the future bounty. What the HELL???? My tomatoes look just as scrawny as the day I planted them! Onions, which were planted at least a week before I planted at mom's, have tops that are already on the ground while the white part is still puny and tasteless. One zucchini plant has a bloom, but the plant is only about 2" tall so I have no idea if it will actually produce or not. All of my plants look stunted and pathetic.

I have to own up it my garden failure. Last fall I didn't till....didn't this spring, either. I haven't added organic matter, fertilizer, or mulch. Due to the extreme rain we have had this spring, I didn't water. I have never had the soil tested. In other words, I'm a failure as a Master Gardener! I didn't do anything right!!!! (Excuses are abundant...too much rain, was out of state, mom had eye surgery, took care of grandkids, and on and on.)

My plight is my own fault. The garden gets too much shade, so I will try to trim back branches that I can reach. I will add fertilizer and compost to the soil to try to get nutrients to the hungry plants, and top with mulch to help control moisture and temperature swings of the soil. It may be too late to do much for a summer crop, but I hope to clear out the failed plants and plant cold weather crops for the fall when the time is right.

The veggie garden is in the low part of the yard, and we had too much rain this year, so I will get wood to build a raised bed for next year. By doing that, I will be forced to add new soil, compost, sand and manure. The soil will be able to sit all winter long and "cook". Maybe in the summer of 2010 my garden will provide a plethora of vegetables!!
shel

Sticky, Sticky Weather

MAN, it's miserable outside. I've been inside with the kids most days. The flower and veggie gardens are doing well enough as we have had an incredible amount of rain in the last few weeks, but the people are wilting as soon as they step out their doors. What did we do before air conditioning?

Tonight I went out to put water in my 250 gallon horse trough holding tank for two of my koi, watered a few of my hanging baskets that tend to dry quickly, and pull a few weeds. Within 10 minutes I was a soaking mess. I certainally hope that it dries up and cools off before Saturday as it is the garden walk for DOVE in Clinton.

Tomorrow I'll babysit for little Gabe again, so mowing will have to wait until evening. I hope it cools down by then!

shel

DOVE Garden Walk in Clinton, IL

My best friend and neighbor, Becky, has one of the gardens that are featured in this year's garden tour. DOVE hosts the tour as its fund raiser every-other year. What a wonderful way to spend $10...you get an entire day of touring spectacular gardens (you can always steal ideas from the talented gardeners!), have a tasty free lunch, and give to a worthy cause.

I've spent a day or two helping Becky with some of the usual garden chores. The poor girl has two bulging discs in her neck and is limited in her activities. My gardens are overflowing with interesting hosta, so I've dug up clumps to replant down there.

Tomorrow morning I'll be dropping my resume off at a local business, then going to the movie theater with my niece and her three children. After that, I plan on spending the day helping Becky again. She is very talented with "extras" for the gardens. For example, she has a life-size wire frame dress form that we will stuff with moss and plant with pink impatiens. It will be a unique touch to her paradise.

In the meantime, money has gotten really REALLY tight around here, so I'm trying to sell clumps of daylilies and hosta. I've spent thousands of dollars and have hundreds of varieties of each, most of them named. (I have wonderful plant labels that I always put out.) No bites yet, but maybe once people see the flowers blooming they'll change their minds.

I'm tired, and need to rest up for my big day tomorrow. Sweet garden dreams, everyone.

shel

Missing It

I haven't been out in my gardens for quite a few days now, and man, am I missing it. Weeding can be quite therapeutic. We have had a wet, wet spring so the weeds are having a great time taking over the gardens. I'm hoping that it holds off on Wednesday, as I won't have either grandson and I will be able to get some mulch spread.

The hosta are fabulous as are the lupines. Sadly, the oriental lilies are being eaten by deer before they have a chance to show off. Same with some of the daylilies.

shel

Attack of the Mint

I could not back the riding mower, a Sears Craftsman Limited Edition, out of the shed today so I had to let the jungle of grass grow. Instead, I tackled the mint mess in the pineapple garden in front.

Five or six years ago I heard that if you place a five gallon bucket in the ground, leaving four inches of bucket above the soil line, you could plant mint and not worry about it invading the garden. WRONG!!! The invision is slower, but it is indeed a mess if you let things go for just one short season. I pulled mint for two hours. If I would have been dipped into a vat of hot water, there would have been enough mint tea to serve all of the folks in England!

The moral of the story is that you should never, EVER invite mint into a garden unless you plan on growing ONLY mint. The stuff will haunt you forever!

shel

Hosta, Hosta and More Hosta

After watching beautiful Gabriel all day, I decided that, instead of going to the Garden Club meeting, I needed to work in my gardens. I pulled at least ten pounds of chickweed from the Weeping Cherry Garden, as well as odds and ends of other undesirables. The lupin is blooming beautifully, as are a few daylilies. The clematis that is trained to climb up the weeping cherry is teasing me with buds, but is unwilling to fully open. Maybe tomorrow. (This garden is in front on the west side of the drive.

The Pee Gee Garden (that's a hydrangea that is trained into tree form) is full of poison ivy, poke weed, and chickweed. I pulled up most of the weeds but steered clear of the leaves of three. I intend to go out with Round Up and spray the heck out of all of the little starts that seem to reach out and grab me. (You'll find this garden in the front, on the east side of the drive.)

On the east side of the house I started weeding the Wedding Garden which is only about 2' wide but 60' long, but I once again touched poison ivy and had to run into the house. I thought that I was pushing my luck as the evening shadows made plant identification in a shady area almost impossible. (This garden is on the west side of the house, following the line of the woods.)

After a quick shower, I decided to check on the veggie garden. The tomato plants, cucumber and zucchini plants, green peppers, and a few cabbages are doing well. The radishes are gone (eaten by humans) and the peas are gone (eaten by deer and bunnies, curse them.) Green onions will be ready to eat in a week or so, and leeks are doing what leeks do best. I can't wait to cook with them. (This garden is on the east side of the house.)

My Randy Garden, named after my deceased brother, is stunning right now. There must be 40 different varieties of hosta in there. Not all of them are named, but most are labeled. The garden is 10' wide and 30' long, and surrounds oak trees. The hosta have been there for four years and they have filled in beautifully. I have a 'Candy Strip' mini rose that needs transplanted as it gets too much shade here. the 'Lady in Red' hydrangea is covered with buds, soon to be a mound of bright red. I have a flat of red impatiens to plant in clumps where the hosta fails to meet the rock border, and to put in the hanging baskets. My Randy Garden is the only garden that is mature enough so that it doesn't need mulch.

I didn't look at the other gardens tonight, but I sure did enjoy the ones I was able to work in. Hopefully I can get the mulch spread soon in the weed-free gardens, and can get the rest of the intruders pulled out from the other gardens within the next week or so.

Hope you have enjoyed my garden stroll. I'll try to get pics to put on here.

shel

Boys vs. Girls

I always throught that my children were treated equally....ha.

My son lived with his girlfriend (now wife) for a few years before they married and I was fine with it. Last night my daughter brought her boyfriend home and I had a hard time relaxing my fist from around the butter knife. They aren't living together, but they do spend weekends (and some weeknights) having sleep-overs. True, she is almost 20 years old and I should be over this protective, don't-touch-my-daughter-you-disgusting-pig phase, but I'm not. Will ANY boyfriend ever be good enough, in my eyes?

shel

Happy 80th Birthday, Dad

My father (the world's greatest) turned 80 yesterday. On Saturday. May 9, 2009 we held an "open house" birthday party for him at Kickapoo Creek Park in Lincoln. In lieu of presents, Dad asked for people to bring canned or boxed goods to be donated to DOVE in Clinton. I have three big boxes full of food to deliver tomorrow (IF the rain has stopped; otherwise, no way!) Dad enjoyed talking with old friends and family members. He got a very moving note from his niece Leslie, thanking him for being such a good uncle. She was very eloquent and touched dad and mom's heart with her kindness.

The folks had a 55th wedding anniversary party nearly two years ago. They had the same request...donations for DOVE. After so many years together, they didn't NEED anything else. This is a great idea for celebrations, especially with the poor economy and need in general.

shel
p.s. I found three morel mushrooms and my husband found one. Ya-Hoo! Dad had a feast.

Morel Madness or A Walk in the Woods

What a fabulous day! I had an extra hour this morning so I put on my showman baseball cap, tucked my jeans into my white socks, and pulled on a long-sleeved shirt. With the morel staff in my hand, I headed into the woods. After 45 minutes and several scratches from the %$#@*!! Japanese honeysuckle, I found myself standing in the middle of the path, listening to the birds and admiring the wildflowers. The sweet scent of the Russian olives (very invasive trees) made my head swim. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to God. I asked Him for help in finding at least one mushroom for my father's 80th birthday. (He loves morels.) Then I realized the time and started back home at a quick pace, eager to get to Middletown to see my grandson.

All of the sudden I noticed a morel! It was just a foot off of the path that I was following. Wow. A slow and deliberate search of the immediate area assured me that there was only one...just like I had asked. The prize is currently soaking in salt water, patiently waiting in my refrigerator. Dad will get his mouth-watering treat on Friday.

I wish you all happy hunting.
shel