October 30, 2009

Have everything ready for Halloween Night, Ann Stores is goign to have a giant pumpkin parade for all the neighborhood to partisipate in. Last Sunday I helped load the giant pumpkin onto a cart that 7Dee's loand us, we guess it weighs around 350lbs. This is "Little Terrorist # 1 Taeya with one of the pumpkins that I started in the greenhouse last spring, I guess I am going to raise them again next spring. I am going to miss the parade because I will be in Corvalis with Steve for the Beaver game.

October 24, 2009

MeMa is on a "Chick Trip" with Princess Jan, staying at the Inn of Spanish Head. So I have the whole weekend to work in the garden. I dug up all of GPa Potters Geraniums and put them in one gallon pots for winter storage in the garage, no room in the greenhouse. MeMa received flowers for her birthday from Jilly and I pulled out a large sprig of Rose scented Geranium and made about ten cuttings for next spring. Dug up all the pole beans and froze a bag of beans off them. Cleaned out MeMa's hen house and laid sawdust in the yard. Transplanted the large yellow Tree Peony to the back fence, I'm hoping that the reason it suffers die back every year is because it was in too shady an area. It will be in full sun in the new location. I put a large metal screen behind my climbing rose "Night Owl" that will give it twelve feet to climb. Transplanted climbing rose "Mme Alfred Carriere" into the edge of the vegetable garden bordering the path and installed another screen behind her as well. After filling the trailer with yard debris I gave the lawn a dose of Ammonia Sulfate to green it up. A good weekend in the garden!

Changes at the Manor

The end of August was not a good time at the Manor, It was Sunday night and I was doing some dishes. Old Otto had gone out to do potty and came back in and got into his basket after getting a cookie. I came back down into the room and noticed the lights were still on the Arbor so I opened the patio screen and went out to unplug them. When I slid the door open Otto jumped from his basket and scampered back out. I knew the only reason was because he wanted to get another cookie, I went to get him back in but Sophie came dashing out and she hadn't been out for some time so I said OK just get it done with and I went back into the house. I was inside for about ten minutes when MeMa came into the kitchen and said she had let Sophie in, I said I would go get Otto. As I came into the Sun-room I could see he was not on the patio so I went to the back garage door but he wasn't there either. I grabbed a flashlight and ran out the back door and immediately went to the pond....no Otto, so I started checking all the flower beds thinking he might have gotten disoriented and was stuck in the beds somewhere, still no Otto. I ran to the house and told MeMa to get another light and help me find him, I then turned and went back over the bridge and that is when I saw him float out from under the bridge, I grabbed him up and tried CPR but he had already been gone for some time....God Bless Otto.
A few days later I was headed to work after attending my second funeral for a friend and MeMa called in tears because she had a miss-hap with one of the canary cages that was hanging on the patio. She bumped her head on the bottom of the cage and when it dropped the bird died of shock.

August 19, 2009

Had the exterminator come today and spray and remove the Yellow Jacket nest that I discovered behind the Redwood. He told me that I could do the same thing for five dollars in the future. He said to just buy a can of wasp and hornet killer at Walmart, wait until night and spray the hole can down the nest hole and then put a large block over the hole so they cant escape , and then by morning they will all be dead. He said to remove the nest or the eggs will hatch and the young will just continue.

Sophie the "Baby Sitter", after her owner passed away, she was passed around from home to home for over a year before she came to us. She had never been around children but took an immediate love for them right away ( Little Terrorist #2 Brooklyn). She found her forever home with us. One of her previous (short term) owners told us that she was a terrible dog that barked and chased after everything and was better off being put down. With a little patience and love she has transitioned into one of the most loving animals we have taken into our lives.

Otto, at sixteen years old he is the venerable old man.

Betty our Pembrook Corgie, about the most polite creature to walk the planet

It Bloomed!

Cephalanthus occidentalis finally bloomed this year, better known as a Button Bush. We purchased it at Hughes Water Garden in Tualatin about six years ago and it would get little buds on it but they would dry up and fall off before doing anything. Not so this year, it is covered with pods.

August 16, 2009

Well it was a buisy weekend in the garden, MeMa and I are getting it ready for what has become an anual staff party for all my fellow office staff. Last year we picked the hottest night of the year but this year they are promising middle 80's.....perfect! Anyway there are not a lot flowers this time of year but the dahlias are coming into their own so at least it won't be all green.
I had to take the nest boxes out of the Keet's aivery because the two females in the bunch keep fighting with each other and both have bite wounds on their legs and faces. So enough of that stuff....no nests! They all seem to be happy now and are using both legs, so no permanent damage.
Yesterday afternoon I decided to clean out from behind the Redwood and ran into a Yellow Jacket nest in the ground, I got stung real bad on the back of my neck and little Soffie got stung on her ear and in her mouth so we ended up taking her to Dove Lewis emergencie Vet to get her a shot of Benedryl. I have pest control coming on Wednesday to dig out and remove the nest.
I dug out the last of the sweet peas and emptied a compost bin into the row which I will probably plant with some of the Basil in the greenhouse. Not getting any significant number of tomatoes yet but now that the row of Sweet Peas is gone there is a lot more light getting to them.
While I was out in the front yard dead heading roses I had a car stop in front and the lady driving asked me what plant that was blooming, I told hardy Hybiscus "Blue Bird". She said she just loved it and was going to go look for it at the nursery. I told her I had a small one in the greenhouse that she was welcome to. She was just thrilled and told me that she thought we had the most beautifull yard.
Last week the Night Blooming Cyrus bloomed two flowers this time. I guess it loves the greenhouse because this is the first time we have had multiple blooms on it.

The New Flock

Last year we tragically lost all but one of our hens (Tillie) to a night time raid by Raccoons. I let the dogs out first thing in the morning for their romp and piddle and they all stopped at the front of the chicken yard gate. I grabbed a flashlight and went out to find old Sara Jane (seven year old Buff Orpington) laying dead in the chicken yard, I looked up on the roof and was growled at by a full grown Raccoon and another coming out of the hen house. There were several on the fence and another in the nursery that borders our yard. I stayed home that day from work because all the other hens were still missing. As daylight came I went out and found the remains of the other hens under the building which is on pier blocks. I blame myself because I neglected to shut the little exit door that I put on for the hens to come out into the chicken yard that was only fenced with a four foot open topped fence. I decided then and there that I would not get anymore hens until I built the most secure chicken yard. So May 8th of this year we opened the door to Tillie's great pleasure and safety, and we also purchased four new chicks. Tammy the silver Wyandotte, Hazel the Americana, Gigi the Barred Houdan and Ella the Buff Orpington

June 19, 2009

June 19, 2009

Three years ago I built a flagstone path with some Red creeping thyme planted between the stones. That first year it seemed to work well, the plants flourished and it took care of the big dead spot under the giant Redwood. But after a winter and come spring the plants started looking pretty bad, nothing grows well under that tree except the Grecian pattern plants (Acanthus Molli's). Well three years is enough time for this gardener to give up on an effort so I dug out all plants and stones and relayed the stones in concrete. It took most of the morning but it looks great.

June 6th 2009

My umbrella garden.....protecting possible show winners from our Portland rain.



And all that protection pays off.

Best Polyantha Spray - "Mother's Day"

This is the second year That I have entered roses in the Portland Rose Show. Last year I entered as a novice and won Best Miniature Rose in the show and got a trophy as well and a very large Ribbon. Besides the trophy win this year I received two more first place, three second and one third place ribbon this year.