BBs Blog

Funky muses, and recycled garden totes

Although the muse has been in a funk the past couple of weeks, my green thumb has been producing some lovely flowers, and a well manicured lawn. There are times though as I am weeding, feeding, mowing, trimming, pruning, and watering the yard, I do wonder what on earth possessed me to make all this work for myself. Then I notice a new bloom on one of my flowers, and I understand what is was that possessed me to make all the extra work for myself.

Right now, there is a lot of work involved with getting my garden to grow. Even with the most easy to care for hardy perennials and bulbs, there will always be some work involved to keep them growing. And the grass, including that really green stuff growing over the septic tank, will always have to be mowed. In order to help make doing those chores a little easier, I have been experimenting with ways to keep the things I use the most in the yard within easy reach, yet out of the way when not in use.

In my infinite blonde wisdom, I decided the easiest way to keep up with my sunhat, and keep it out of the way when not in use, would be to hang it on the back of the door. I attached small clear plastic hooks to the back of the doors so that I now have a handy place to hang my hat when I come back inside. After discovering I could fold my shades over the ribbon ties that secure my sunhat to my head, or suspend it from a hook, I now have a groovy way of keeping both hat and shades handy, yet out of the way. “Decorating” the crown of my sunhat is a white dust mask. Keeping that dust mask strapped to the crown of my sunhat insures I always have it handy for mowing, trimming, and spraying.

As I was trying to figure out a handy place to keep my pruning shears, I had another one of those moments of clear lucidity, and recycled an old canvas purse that had been gathering dust in the bottom of the closet. My recycled garden tote is roomy enough to hold my pruning shears, several small garden tools, a pint bottle of insecticide, a 6oz can of Off, a couple of pairs of gloves, extra hose washers, another dust mask, and other miscellaneous items that come in handy while working outside. With hat and shades on, and garden tote in hand, I am ready for nearly any lawn and garden chore.

I make the constant chore that watering a yard here in west Texas a little easier and more efficient by making sure after I’ve done the evening watering, the sprinkles are set up where I want to start watering in the morning. I have installed hose butlers close to the front and back door, so now I can just step outside and turn those faucets on while I am waiting for my first cup of tea to brew. When I’ve finished the morning watering, I move the sprinklers to where want to begin the evening watering process.   

I have been battling mice off and on in the house ever since we had all that remodeling done. Between the holes Nick left when he did his thing, and the holes the a/c people left when they did their thing, the mice had plenty of points of entry into the house. During the day I hunted for holes, filled them as best I could, and frequently tossed poison under the house. At night, I set traps inside the house. At first, the poison, and traps helped keep the number of mice down to some degree. But then the little fuzz balls got canny, stopped eating the poison and began removing the bait, without springing the traps.

As I sat in the living room one evening watching a couple of mice that made it past the poison and traps scurrying around my living and dining room, I became so angry and frustrated, I actually picked up a shoe, threw it at one of the mice, and screamed “Get the *Bleep* out of my house!” Then, because I found myself seriously considering grabbing the shotgun and shooting the other mouse, I screamed, “That does it! Tomorrow, we call the exterminator! It’s that, or have even more holes in the house from me shooting these damn mice!”

Larry agreed it might be time to call in the the exterminator, and made a phone call to Orkin the next morning. At first we were told the Orkin Man would be out that Friday. But when Friday rolled around, the Orkin Man called and said he would be out the following Wednesday. Apparently, Wednesdays, are when he comes to Grandfalls. Wednesday the Orkin Man arrived as promised this time, and after thoroughly spraying, then setting out bait stations, assured me that in a few days our bug and rodent problems should be solved.

I did have a little problem at first with the bait station I had him put under the carport. I asked that one be put there because the mice have been getting into the truck again. I don’t know if the dogs have taken exception to having it around one of their favorite lounging and sleeping spots, or if a pack rat or some other varmint is trying to take the entire bait station back to it’s nest. After I had to hunt for it again Friday morning, and found it under the tree inside the backyard, I put it back where I wanted it, totally disregarded the instructions, opened it up, ran some twine through it, closed it back up, and tied it to the corner post of the carport. If anything bites or chews through the twine, I will make a trip out to the barn, and replace the twine with some bailing wire. If anything chews or bites through the bailing wire, I’m calling the Terminator this time.

I am very excited to see some of the iris and perennial lilies are coming up, and have a very good attitude about growing. Seeing at least some of the many bulbs I planted coming to life makes me hopeful the others soon will. I also have some daffodils I bought at Lowe’s that were marked down for clearance, and already sprouting thick stalks. Though they are getting a very late start, and probably won’t bloom this year, they are so grateful for a chance to grow, they are happily growing around the small frog fountain in the north garden.

All but two of my balloon flowers are happily growing as well. Balloon flowers are easy care, bug resistant, drought tolerant perennials that produce balloon shaped bulbs that open into beautiful pink, white and blue star-shaped flowers. If squeezed, the bulbs make a popping sound similar to bubble wrap. I planted 3 of the nine bare root balloon flower plants near the chair I sit in when I am relaxing in the north garden. So far, only one is in grow mode. I am continuing to water the other two, but have also explained to them if they don’t come up this year, next year they will be replaced by a couple more of their kind with a better attitude.

Although I do sometimes talk to my plants to try and encourage them to grow, as you may have noticed, it’s a tough love type of conversation. I reward the plants that are doing well with praise, and tell them how good they are looking. The ones that aren’t looking so good, get firmly told that if they don’t straighten up, they can be replaced with something that will grow. And when a plant does that, “Well I think I just might die” routine with me, it gets a 3 day grace period to change it’s mind, or it most surely does die when I yank it up, toss it over the fence, and replace it with a bulb, seed, or other plant that really wants to live. I realize that sounds rather harsh, but west Texas is a harsh place that only plants with a strong will to survive make it in. And at my age, I haven’t got time to waste on plants with hothouse suicidal tendencies.

I’ve noticed once they come up, most seedlings have that kind of, “Yeah! I’m going to make it!” attitude I like in a man, and a plant. All but a couple of my nasturtium seedlings are looking good. The couple that aren’t, will get yanked up very soon if they don’t get a better attitude about growing in my garden. All my morning glories really have the right attitude! Those babies are growing just like, you guessed it, weeds. I also have some basil and parsley coming up as well that have the right attitude about surviving in my garden. Although I seem to have a black thumb when it comes to those six pack plants, I am finding my thumb is a little greener when it comes to getting seeds to germinate.

Protecting young seedlings from from the many things that want to eat them can be next to impossible at times. I am experimenting with planting my seeds in thick round clusters now instead of carefully spaced rows. I am hoping this sort of “circling the wagons” approach might result in at least one or two seedling in each cluster surviving long enough to become a healthy plant. Although I was devastated to see something had destroyed all but one seedling in my first cluster trial, I am hoping that lone survivor will continue to make it, and one day become a beautiful plant.

With one small cascading pot fountain in the corner of the front border, two frog themed ones in the north border, and some suet hanging around as well, the front yard birds are singing in delight these days. As I sat quietly in the living room one afternoon listening to the birds singing in the front yard, I allowed my mind to take a little flight of fancy, and pondered questions such as, were the birds singing to each other in delight over the changes occurring in their world? Or were they rewarding the lady in the wide brimmed sunhat with song for all the hard work she has done making those changes? Or, on a very whimsical note, were they singing a song of growth to the young trees they were perched in? Those young trees do not offer shade or nesting habitat right now, but the birds do enjoy perching upon their meager branches as they sing in delight about the changes occurring in their world.

There are so many changes occurring in the yard right now. Though at the moment, a lot of those changes seem to be nothing more than bare, freshly mulched ground. But peeking through that mulch in spots, are the tiny heads of little seedling and small plants that will hopefully soon grow into beautiful flower bearing plants. And deep beneath the mulch and ground in other spots, bulbs are coming to life as well. Several of my little balloon plants are in the process of putting on stems and leaves. I’m also very pleased to see some of the dwarf jewel mix nasturtium and blanket flower seeds I planted a few weeks ago have germinated, and are growing fast. I also have a nice little stand of morning glory seedlings in one corner garden. I am hopeful those will soon start climbing the chain link fence, then quickly covering it.

The two hummingbird and butterfly gardens, as well as the Blazing Star Liatris bulbs arrived Wednesday morning. Though small, the plants all seem to be very healthy. By noon Friday I had everything but two pink butterfly bushes and the rest of the Liatris bulbs planted. This has resulted in still more seemingly barren spots popping up in the corners of my yard. But those seemingly barren spots actually contain a variety of tiny plants that I hope will grow into beautiful perennial corner gardens. If all my plans come to colorful fruition, then one day soon, the birds will really have something to sing in delight about.

Right now, I am taking delight in how happy the birds already are. And learning that hope, is a very important part of gardening for me. With all the bugs, varmints, and my own dogs at times seemingly intent on destroying certain things I plant, getting my garden to grow is no easy task. I know the next couple of years my garden will be growing by trial and error as I experiment with what does grow well here, and what doesn’t. What keeps me going right now is the thought that if I just keep trying, then sooner or later I will have a yard that is a delight to the human eye, and a colorful haven for birds and butterflies.

My days right now are revolving around the sun. Or rather, revolving around staying out of it as much as possible when working in the yard. That’s why I begin my daily gardening routine each morning in the front yard. As I chase the shade around the house each day to water the plants I already have, or dig the soil and plant new ones, I am filled with a wonderful sense of satisfaction as I look at how my garden is growing. Bringing as much natural beauty into my life in the form of plants and flowers is something I am finding very fulfilling right now. And yes, I also admit I am enjoying the challenge of creating a lawn and garden landscape that once established, will be beautiful, yet relatively easy to maintain.

Right now, I am diligently working on turning the north side of the house into a flower garden. I am striving to make that area as visually interesting as possible. I am using a few six pack plants, bulbs, and even planting some herbs, vines and flowers from seed. And I’ve noticed as I sit resting in one of the chairs tucked into the shadiest corner of the garden, the birds are already flocking to the two fountains that form the waterworks centerpiece of the garden.

As with all country gardens, bugs and varmints are always a problem. I spray regularly to control the bugs. Round wire cages help protect plants the varmints seem to enjoy munching on. Oddly enough, though the north side flower garden is far from gopher and rabbit proof, nothing seems to be bothering the plants in there too badly. Though I had to put wire cages around my lavender and roses in the front to protect them from marauding nocturnal varmints. When it comes to varmints, behind a small fence is the best place for a lot of my plants right now.

I am pushing myself to the limit right physically right now as I work to get everything planted as quickly as possible. But, I am hoping that hard work pays off in blossoms, blooms, birds, and butterflies later this summer. The bulbs I plant this year will probably not bloom until next year. But, if I can keep the bugs and varmints off them, the other stuff I am planting now will bloom this year. Next spring, thanks to two for one bulbs sales, there will be an abundance of blooming lilies, irises, and gladiolas. Now that I have a long term gardening plan in mind, I will be adding a couple of different varieties of bulbs and perennials, this fall, as well as next spring. Within 3 years, I should have a yard full of beautiful flowers that with a little tender loving care, and a lot of water, will return year after year.