a friend

gave me a plant! It's red hot poker flower.

Looks so tropical. 

I planted it on the front corner of the larger sideyard, by the turtlehead patch. Which normally would be swarming with bees, but the deer chomped off most of the flower heads this year.

the minnows

I admit, I have not paid much attention to my fishes lately. Aside from the feeding, and once a week (more like every two or three, which makes me feel guilty) water changes. Yesterday I finally started trimming old and algae-spotted leaves off plants in the 33L, put a new backdrop panel on it to block the sun (hair or thread algae is showing up again behind the rotalas) and sat back to admire how nice it looked again. Tucker showing his colors, especially when he gets excited about a worm. But of course that means I can't get a good photo, because he zooms up and down the front glass when I'm near. And leaps to nip my fingers again. I've had him just over two years now.

And I still have the one gold angelfish, Precious. And a dozen white cloud mountain minnows. One of the females has been looking particularly fat, I assumed she was full of eggs and ready to spawn. But nothing's happened- and she's been that way for a month or two now. She just keeps getting more swollen. Tucker chases the minnows when he's hungry, so I guessed she was unwilling to lay eggs with a predator in the tank. I don't want to raise fry, but I just want to give her some relief- she looks really uncomfortable. (It could be a disease, a tumor or something- but the squarish look is telltale of a gravid female, and I swear I can see the round shapes of eggs in there).

So I set up a temporary tank, in my usual fashion: half home tank water, half new, as much decor pieces with plants on them as I could pull out, some fake plants too for more cover, a piece of established sponge from one of the 33L filters, and two small sponge filters running.

It all looked good to me, but some of the fishes crashed- looking pale, breathing fast, lying near the bottom. I though maybe I'd lost my touch, forgot something important, so tested the water- no nitrite or ammonia. (That's my shrimp bowl behind the test tubes).

I figured some of the minnows were just stressed at the change. When some still looked bad on the second day, I did a water change, put those individuals back in the home tank, and replaced with a few different males (who were showing off their fins to each other). Here's the female's suitors- 

moving quick!

Except I didn't look close enough, I think this one with a slightly larger opaque white belly, is also female. She looks a little plumper today.

Then I saw something bad: a crack in the frame dead center on the bottom edge of the tank. Made me nervous. Only ten gallons but that's a lot on the floor. Sigh. I emptied it, transferring everything into my larger quarantine tote (switching out some of the plastic plants for softer silk ones) and also made a spawning mop of yarn. Because the clump of subwassertang is so small. First time I've ever done that. 

It looks kind of cool.

The minnows seem more at ease now- nobody's crashed, they all ate this morning- and I'm starting to see hints of the activity I was hoping for- the males checking out the yarn and subwassertang, flicking their fins in that inviting gesture, dancing next to each other with their fins fully extended and quivering for seconds at a time. But only the younger female seems interested- the really fat one hangs out in the back facing the wall. I think she's more distressed. I don't know if she'll actually spawn. Going to leave the setup a few days, wait and see. Feed them the best foods I have and hope. I'll just feel bad if only the young female spawns and not the older one that I wanted to help out. 

Side note: these fish were so easy to catch! In fact, the ones that got stressed on the first day, were in the temporary tank before I was even done setting it up- because I was scooping water out of the home tank with a plastic cup, and got some fishes by accident. They grew up in this tank, never been netted, had no fear of my hand moving stuff around. (They even come nip at freckles on my arms when I'm trimming plants). No dashing around like crazy trying to evade me. (Probably that's why they were stressed, being in the tenner while I was putting in all the stuff. I thought it would be better to leave them there then move them again for just twenty minutes, but maybe I was wrong).

I have still

not been out in the garden much. Pulled some weeds around the front walk and the front bed, that's about it. Here's a small report: my milkweeds are still tall and untouched. I did see one swallowtail in the yard the other day, and a goldfinch on the echinacea. The joe pye on the smaller sideyard are towering tall and lovely, but I haven't noticed any of those blue-winged wasps. My cardinal climber is pretty all over the deck railings, and I have to pinch off new runners daily to keep it tidy- but there's very few flowers. Because I planted it so late? I have not seen the hummingbird much (though it did come a few times to the geraniums outside the kitchen window, which was delightful. I hear the cicadas- they're not nearly as loud and annoying as previous years- but haven't found one up close for a picture yet. Borage came and went around the mailbox spot with only some aphid damage, I never saw a single japanese beetle- though I did find one on the catmint in the backyard. Only one! (Promptly squished). I pulled out all the fading stems to let the self-seeded celosia there grow in- but again, late in the season so I doubt there will be any spectacular flowers. Likewise my cana lilies are getting bigger! but I don't see any sign of bloom. 

I'm still quite pleased with the late boneset in the rear by the camellia, really want to get an earlier-blooming common one too. There's two butternut squash getting fat and tan in garden bed nine, I can't think what else they might be. Weeds are getting ahead of me in the lawn and fallow beds, all I have done is make sure to put the catcher bag on the mower when I see them seeding. I did some work on the smaller sideyard to pull out mock strawberry and vinca runners, and some weeding in the bed where the panicle hydrangeas are, and got most of the creeping jenny out too. 

On the deck, most things are doing okay, though my basil and chocolate mint are more bothered by aphids than usual. (I haven't been throwing soapy water over them as often as I should). The fenugreek was lovely for a while, especially the scent when I ran my fingers up it- but now it is faded and gone.

Thyme got big enough to eat a few times (in lentils, on fish, in chili and soups etc) 

Dill is all gone to seed and I pulled out most of the dried stalks. Scattered some randomly into the garden beds because I didn't feel like walking out to the compost bin, and now there's dill seedlings popping up all over. Which I like. I've cut summery savory to dry, and next will be tarragon. We've eaten more of the sculpit but that wasn't the best idea- the flavor was very strong (not quite bitter) and it caused some digestive upset. I think because of the heat, too far gone in the season and already flowering. So now I am just cutting it back to keep from encroaching into space of the tarragon, winter savory and lemon balm.

My little experiment with kidney beans is a fail. We have not yet got the fence built, and the deer eat every leaf off the plants. If I remember to scatter hair and/or irish spring soap shavings, they stay away for a few days but then come right back. Or maybe they are staying away until the plant regrows enough leaves to feed them again. 

I've been cutting back and pulling out yellow salvia from under the panicle hydrangeas, that bed just looks too cluttered and untidy now. And I'd rather see the pink turtleheads (deer are eating the buds off those too) and wild chrysanthemum- which grew much thicker this year and even has a few little offshoots. I'm thinking of digging up and replanting some of that into the front bed. The deer don't seem to touch it, whereas they've eaten the heads off most of my 'autumn joy' sedum this year. This chrysanthemum will bloom late in the year when not much else is . . . 

So that's very rambling but I will try to get more active in the garden, and keep up with posting here too. I'm starting to finally get my energy back and do more than just the bare minimum of housework and my usual tasks indoors- need to do some outdoors now too!

how some things are doing

out there- these are some of the newer plants, from the last swap I went to, months ago. Coreopsis on the narrower side yard did okay- at least, it bloomed- but flopped over into a tangled cluster. Pretty sure it ought to look a bit more tidy?

The Liatris spicata has made interesting spikes topped with purplish-pink flowers- but they're so straight and tall, the few in the front bed feel out of place. And this one's leaning.

I'll move them to join these on the side later

The obedient plants are unimpressive- just greenery. So is the boneset, but it's grown so tall and healthy looking, actually done better than anything else I planted in that spot back near the fence yet. I would like to get another boneset, maybe an earlier-flowering one . . . 

I've got a volunteer baby evergreen back here, too- that escaped my attention when it was smaller (I usually pull them when just a few inches high)

Here's that dusty miller I always thought would die- it survived and grew a little more. I think because I've started pulling out and cutting back all the yellow salvia around the panicle hydrangeas. They're spreading and it's too much.

Still love my false indigo plant, and it has these odd, fat fuzzy gray-blue seedpods now

Black-eyed susans have spread to the other side of the walking path. So bright in that corner. My kid likes picking them.

My milkweeds are tall, tall! But no monarch caterpillars still. I'm disappointed at that. They've got heavy hairy seedpods on them now (not pictured) and quite a few are flopping over- I think probably because growing near the remnants of old maple stump under the ground, which might thwart the roots of new plants still?

Last of all to note, here's one of my redbuds that survived the deer so far (because I fenced it in). Funny, this is supposed to be an understory tree, but all the others which grow in shade are much smaller than this one, which is getting full sun more than half the day.

weeks ago

I dug up a small rue seedling, and took two cuttings from a trim, and planted them all in this pot.

Soon after it got attacked by something white, fuzzy- I thought mold but they moved, it's probably mealy bugs or wooly aphids. I sprayed the plant and then rinsed, twice- and cut off all the sickly leaves. It was much reduced then, but now growing back fine!

The parent plant got cut back by half- and it still fills its space. (Bricks are crooked though). I was more careful this time- used long-handled pruners, wore disposable gloves, washed my hands and arms with rubbing alcohol and then lots of soap and water after coming inside. Didn't get a reaction this time (last time I pruned the plant, I had blistery rash on my arm and wrist that lasted several weeks. Honey was more soothing that calmonie, covered with bandaids to keep from scratching and spreading it.)

I've found a few more volunteer seedlings, debating whether to pot them up or leave where they are- I've read that rue plants have a 4 to 5 year lifespan, then you want to replace with younger set. Mine doesn't seem to be faltering yet, but nice to have its seedlings as backup.

well, look at that

my volunteer squash plant is producing after all. Looks like a butternut squash, though. Which I tried planting a few times years past and never got anything. So did a bird or rodent drop a seed here? or is it a revert of zucchini (if my plant last time was a hybrid, I'm not sure). Have to wait a bit more and see.

today

I did an hour or two of work outside. My goal was just to clear out all the creeping jenny I could- I remember well when I was pleased how that had taken and spread! but now realize with dismay it's considered invasive in my area, and it did grow far more quickly than I expected. No way I could keep this clear of the back fence to prevent it going into the neighbor's yard and further. There was an area several feet square and it took me a while but I think I got most of it out, digging down with my fingers to extract all the root clumps and thin runners possible. I know I didn't get it all, and it will probably grow back in numerous places, but if I keep an eye out for those pale coin leaves and pull anything that recovers, I hope to get rid of it. 

While I was back there I yanked out a ton of japanese stilt grass, and weeded around the entire path of stepping stones. Found to my disappointment that the sweet woodruff is now growing in only three places between the stones, I'm pretty sure I had it around five or more stones before, I don't know why some of it didn't come back. The patch of purple lysimachia in that area is doing great, however, and the coneflowers are spreading. I don't mind them spreading sideways towards the oakleaf hydrangeas, but I pulled out quite a few that were encroaching forwards among the hellebores. 

Here's a plant I didn't really expect would survive winter in the ground, but it did: canna lily. Not sure if it will bloom for me, though. Something's been taking bites out of it (probably the deer ate that tip).

I'm glad they haven't touched my new bigger rhododendron

My two young spicebush have really grown! I hope to remove their wire protective cages, have read that deer don't really like to eat the leaves but not sure if I trust that. They've eaten other plants in my yard that were supposed to be "deer resistant".

I think my older oakleaf hydrangea will be large enough this fall to remove its protective cage- and then move that to be around the smaller one, which is getting crowded. This photo is actually from last fall- it's twice the height now!

The deer don't eat my sensitive fern clumps, but some bug or pathogen makes them look all raggedy brown and wilted partway through summer. Maybe it's just the heat. Some of mine are recovering now and growing back fresh foliage.

All the hostas are eaten to nothing below the larger sideyard, while the small group of blue ones near the garden are only half-chomped. I should have been out there more often scattering soap shavings, or buy some spray I've read is a very good repellent. (What we really need is the fence)

At least my baby stinkin' hellebores are untouched. Maybe I will just phase out hostas and grow things the deer don't like (sigh). Neighbors have said they jumped six and seven-foot fences to eat things they never had before, this year. 

Checked the milkweeds because I thought I saw bug holes- but it's not from milkweed caterpillars. Some other bug feeding on them a bit. Where are the monarchs? Come to think of it, I haven't seen any swallowtail caterpillars on the rue or lovage this year, either. 

But I did see the hummingbird again today! I was kneeling on the path behind the rear perennial bed, by the camellia, when I heard a faint buzzing hum, just louder than an insect. Looked up and there it was, hovering close over the echinacea, I even heard it give a little squeaky chirp before it darted up to perch on a twig of the oak. I almost felt like the tiny bird was checking up on what I was doing- ha. Looked it up- apparently they do feed on echinacea flowers, though I've never witnessed that. I always just see bees and butterflies at the coneflowers.

tidied up

grass edges around a few more beds today, and borders of the lawn where my husband mowed yesterday. I was trimming stuff and pulling (what I think is) japanese stiltgrass from around the milkweeds- still no monarch caterpillars though I did glance looking for them- and saw the hummingbird! It was inspecting my young hybrid japanese maple tree (wonder what attracted it to that) and then zoomed over to feed on a few blooms of gladiolas. Must be feeding on the black and blue salvia, too. I'm hoping the cardinal climbers will bloom soon and then I can see it on my deck. 

I do believe my echinacea patch looks healthier than ever this year.

I'd hope it's from measures I took the year before last, to cut back on disease- cutting out all stems that had white stickiness fuzz from mealy bugs, and when the plants died back, cleaning out as much of the dropped blackened leaf litter as I could- assuming it harbored aphid eggs. This year there seems to be far less diseased leaves. (I had the same sense about my borage patch in the front yard, but it could just be that I'm so glad to be out doing stuff in the yard again, everything looks better than ever, ha). 

I've seen what looks like a single pea vine among the echinacea in years past, this time I found it flowering- looks like a sweet pea but no scent.

The funny seed stalks of my arum are standing around.

I did see a swallowtail butterfly up close among the coneflowers, and stood a while just to watch it. Still pleased with my patch of lysimachia purpurea groundcover

- although it remains much less impressive through the camera eye.

Also happy with the sweet woodruff, even though I still remember how my youngest thought it was a weed! (The one that's really a weed is the creeping jenny- I regret putting that in now. I must start pulling it out).

The boneset plant is doing just fine here in the back corner- where nothing else had really thrived yet. It's near my camellia- here's a picture of that- which also looks better this year than ever.

I'm telling you, my vision is colored overly positive since recovery has allowed me to get outside and get my hands pleasantly dirty again! Only an hour or two a day so far, that's enough to tire me out still, but I'm happy with it.

some work

I've finally got out in the garden to start doing a bit of work again. Yesterday I cleaned up three of the beds, mostly pulling weeds, where I did a silly thing a month ago. On a whim I planted kidney beans. We've been eating the end of an older package of the dry beans, and I'd been tossing the unsuitable ones into the compost bin. Where some of them sprouted. So I thought hey, if the beans will sprout in my bin, won't they sprout in the ground. And beans will grow fast, like the heat, without needing much attention. So on a day when I really shouldn't have been working, I cleared the ground in three beds, made rows of holes with a stick, and sowed a few dozen kidney beans. No idea if the climate here is good for them, if they'll mature in time (planted late!) or anything, and it was a bad idea that day to do physical labor, even though it wasn't much. It was too much for me. 

But look! Two of the beds, about half the beans sprouted. Ha. That does feel satisfying.

That day I also cut back the dill, which had grown into a towering thing with drying brown umbrels of seed. Tall just like in that book I looked at disbelieving two years ago. I saved the seed.

It's much tidier around there now. I also cut back the lovage which was towering over my head and full of yellowed, bug-attacked leaves. That was all yesterday. Today I trimmed grass edge around four of the beds, and used it as mulch on the beans. I cut back the catmint which was going crazy and flopping all over the place, too tall. The ones I puzzled over earlier in the summer? Also catmint, they look just the same now. This little plant 

did grow up into blue sage! Cheers me to see it, even if there's only one.

In the herb bed I cut back the lemon balm which was making leggy seed stalks, and the sculpit whose balloon flowers were flopping all over the top of other plants, and happily saw the winter savory is thriving again! I trimmed that one a bit just to encourage spread. Trimmed lavender back from the edge but going to do a proper pruning later when I can take more care for the shape.

I startled a rabbit out of the perennials when carrying stuff back to dump in the compost bin. Found a yellowish toad when I was trimming grass edges. And saw the most beautiful thing- a brilliantly gold beetle. It looks like a ladybird that's a jewel. Not kidding, it's spectacular. There were two. I caught one and took inside put in a jar (with a loose lid) to identify. Came back the next morning to take a photo before setting it free- and it had changed color. Now a duller orangish tan with translucent edges and faint spots. I'd read they do that, but hadn't expected to see it. I hope I find another one and get a photo of the gold color, it was just so stunning.

There's a giant squash growing in bed nine. At least, I think it's a squash. I thought it was a volunteer zucchini, from the year before. The leaves are wrong- they're too round and not notched enough. It does have the big yellow flowers just like a squash, but only one plant so don't know if I'll get any fruit to find out. 

There's lots more to catch up on, but that little bit of work just got me so tired- in a good way! I'm happy to be physically tired from actual work again, instead of dragging tired from illness and recovery. 

My milkweeds are tall and robust and making fat fuzzy-edged seedpods. But no sign of monarch caterpillars. I feel like I always expect them too early, so will check again! 

Up the railings to the deck, the handful of cardinal climber I planted late, is finally getting its height. But no flowers yet. And no hummingbirds. The blue salvia on smaller sideyard is in flower, but I just haven't been out there enough to see if the hummingbird visits. I'm sad to think it might have gone to forage elsewhere for the season because I didn't have cardinal climber growing for it yet.

Last thing to note: I learned this week that I can soften crystalized honey in my greenhouse, and melt butter for a baking recipe, and put dough in there to rise. But it's not quite hot enough to melt candle wax out of the bottom of a jar! (Worth a try, I thought).

young mantis

So hi, it's been a while. Hard to find motivation to post when I have not really been gardening. I have a backlog of some photos from June when I did take a few pictures of things but then never found the energy to come post them yet. I really need to get out there and clean up! but still have to take it easy for a while.

My lavender and catmint are going crazy out there, the borage did beautifully this year (no japanese beetles spreading illness to squish- I never saw one!) but is now starting to die off so I need to cut a lot of it out and give the seedling celosia in that spot room to grow. Cranesbill in the front is sprawling all over the bed edge and needs a trim, and the clary sage have all gone to seed so I need to cut back their stalks now too. The sculpit is going wild with balloon flowers all over the place that I also need to trim off- because have found some spread into the front bed of their own accord! 

On the deck my dill and basil finally took off in their deck containers, and the thyme is doing just okay. It's barely enough to flavor lentils once a week. Parsley is small and struggling, the sage cuttings never took- all died, and my garlic chives died too. However I'm happy with my fenugreek- finally got two of those growing okay and they give me the lovely distinct scent again when I brush the delicate foliage. 

I have other stuff to report, but will get to that later. It's still a garden, even if awfully neglected and scraggly this year. The rabbit has got so bold as to come right up against the decking and snack on clover in the empty beds (and plants in the others too I'm sure). Mostly because my elderly cat is not allowed to roam the yard by himself anymore, I think. Milkweed on the larger sunny sideyard has grown tall and robust, sporting some flower heads and I can't wait to get out there and look for monarch caterpillars.

But! I came here today to share a photo I got of a young preying mantis, perched outside the window above my 33L aquarium. It just made me really grin to see him (her?) looking back at the camera thru the window. I am pretty sure they are my favorite insect of all.