The Inconstant Gardener

It's Wind Chill Time

2006-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't a current weather photo. I took it back in February 2004. We don't usually get that much snow this early in the season. However, it does get pretty cold as you can see from tonight's forecast:

Colder. Partly cloudy. Lows around 5. Northwest winds less than 10 mph. Lowest wind chill readings 12 below to 4 above zero after midnight.

Hootie

2006-11-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Another feathered friend. He made a brief appearance a few years ago on the 5th of July. We think all the noise from the 4th scared him away from his normal habitat and he found refuge in a tree near our front porch. He hung around for a day or two, but we never saw him again.

Woodpecker

2006-11-27T04:47:00.000-08:00

A Thanksgiving feast for my feathered friend.

Mushrooms

2006-11-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

I discovered these mushrooms a few weeks ago. While on my walk today, I noticed they're pretty much gone. Wonder if the squirrels ate them or if they've simply fallen off now that we've had some freezing temps.

Sheridan Street Bridge

2006-11-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

I go under this bridge every day I walk the Rock Island Bike Trail. I love how the trees provide a canopy across the bike path. It doesn't seem possible that they're almost completely bare now. With our warm temps today (66) and even warmer in tomorrow's forecast, it sure doesn't feel like fall. But I'm not complaining! It won't be long before we're dealing with ice, snow and subzero temps.

Caught, Red-Handed!

2006-11-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

This little guy claims innocence, but I know better. He's been busy devouring my pumpkins! He should know better. In another few weeks, Rod will toss all the pumpkins in the backyard and let the squirrels feast away on them. But for now, Sammy will have to wait until the coast is clear before he can dine. Poor guy.

The Falling Leaves

2006-11-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Even if something is left undone,
everyone must take time
to sit still and watch
the leaves turn.
~ Elizabeth Lawrence

First Snowfall

2006-10-24T16:46:00.001-07:00

Yep. We had snow on Saturday. It even stuck to the deck railing and patio furniture for a little while. Thank goodness there wasn't a lot and what did fall was gone after an hour or so. Of course, there wasn't anything significant to photograph, so you're stuck with another autumnal picture. This is on the boulevard a few streets south of our house. It turned out to be a gorgeous day and we had a lovely walk along the bike trail in spite of the chilly temps and wind. Brrr.....

Sammy, the Singing Squirrel

2006-10-16T04:42:00.001-07:00

These pictures aren't very sharp (they were shot through our French door windows that need cleaning), but I couldn't resist sharing them. This little guy sat frozen in place, with his little hands up to his chest for what seemed like minutes. Maybe the pictures are blurring from my shaking shoulders. I couldn't stop laughing!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2006-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Happiness is heated seats in my Mini! :)

No frost on the pumpkins this morning, but boy was it chilly! 29 at 7 am. Brrrrr. At least we didn't get any snow. Time to dump the potted plants on the deck. They held up well, providing five months of pleasure.

Photos courtesy of June Jackson

Rainy Day

2006-10-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's been raining on and off all day. Temps are dropping (currently 46) as the cold front moves in. There's a rumor of flurries tomorrow night, but I'm not going to believe it 'til I see it. We do have a frost warning for tonight, however. I think my annuals have just about seen their last day. They gave me 5 months of beauty and I plan to plant even more next year.

Bike Trail

2006-10-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

The bike trail was fairly busy yesterday and today. Temps have been steady at 92. Hardly seems like autumn, but before we know it, we'll be knee deep in snow. Could be sooner than later. Seems to me, Halloween was cancelled (ok, postponed) in 1991 due to an early snowstorm. Personally, I don't mind if it holds off until December 22nd (when Amy comes home from Texas for the holidays).

October 1st

2006-10-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather.
~Helen Hunt Jackson

Autumn Joy

2006-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

What a perfect name for this perennial. It's such an easy plant to grow and looks so pretty in the fall. I love the color.

Fickle Fall

2006-09-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for fickle weather. One day it's downright cold and windy (ok, cold meaning in the mid-50s) and the next day it's 84 and humid. I've gone from running the furnace at night to cranking the A/C back on in the afternoon. There's a cold front heading our way again, so hopefully the cool weather will stick around a bit longer this week. I'm not ready for snow, but I sure wouldn't mind a nice, long month of mild temps.

Camera Shy

2006-09-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't believe the time and effort it took to get a decent picture of this darned bird! He's practically become part of the family, he's here so often. However, he's very camera shy; dashing off the moment I reach for my camera, yet lingering for long stretches of time if he realizes the camera was accidentally left inside.

Of course, Rod (who names everything: cars, ficus plants, wild birds, stray cats) has made it official. Please meet "Wally."

Last Rose

2006-09-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

'Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone.

- Thomas Moore

The Monarchs Have Arrived!

2006-09-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

I've seen dozens of Monarch butterflies this past week. The asters are full of them (as well as honey bees), in spite of the strong, gusty winds we've had. We even had a tornado warning in Lancaster County last night. First time in a long time I've heard the sirens go off in Lincoln!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Autumn...

2006-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Blue Sky

2006-09-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

After three days of rain and overcast, I was thrilled to see such a gorgeous blue sky this afternoon. It's currently 70 degrees with a very slight breeze and simply lovely outside. Just got back from an invigorating walk along the bike trail where I saw a sugar maple with a few red leaves! I'll take my camera this evening when I walk with my hubby.

I love autumn!!

Hostas

2006-09-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

I need to plant more of these.

Fall Aster

2006-09-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Return of the Wasp

2006-09-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wasp

2006-09-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

Country Road

2006-09-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

September

2006-09-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER

by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

HE golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.

'T is a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.

Field Trip

2006-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

This past week I've noticed an abundance of sunflowers in the empty fields and ditches on my way work. I decided to take a field trip one afternoon and see what I could see. In spite of the bees, wasps and ticks (no, I didn't see any ticks, but I KNOW they're out there!) I managed to take several decent pictures. I love the contrast between the brilliant blue sky and the yellow flowers. Makes me smile.

Garden Angel

2006-08-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

I should have this garden angel dressed in a rain slicker! It's been so unseasonably cool and rainy for the past few days. A mild 63 degrees with gray skies. Feels more like Seattle than Lincoln in August. Sure hope this doesn't mean we're in for a brutal winter. I'm not quite ready for fall!

Summer Wind

2006-08-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

The summer heat is back with a vengeance. The cooler, damper days of early August are all but a faded memory. It's 95, windy (when is it not windy in Nebraska?) with thunderstorms brewing on the horizon. Too hot & humid to go for our pre-dinner walk. Guess we'll just have to suffer and have a cold drink out on the deck.

*This photo is not from our property, but rather from my brother & sister-in-law's backyard. Looks like something out a Willa Cather novel.

Within My Garden

2006-08-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Upon a single Wheel—
Whose spokes a dizzy Music make
As 'twere a travelling Mill—

He never stops, but slackens
Above the Ripest Rose—
Partakes without alighting
And praises as he goes,

Till every spice is tasted—
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres—
And I rejoin my Dog,

And He and I, perplex us
If positive, 'twere we—
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity—

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye—
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An Exquisite Reply!

Emily Dickinson

Butterfly

2006-08-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly.

"One must have sunshine, freedom,

and a little flower."

Hans Christian Andersen

Photo courtesy of Rod Scher

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2006-08-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

The dandelions and buttercups
gild all the lawn; the drowsy bee
stumbles among the clover tops,
and summer sweetens all to me.
J.R. Lowell

Couldn't find any dandelions or buttercups, so this'll have to do.

Endless Summer

2006-08-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's pretty hard to get excited about my garden these days. The grass has patches of brown that I'm trying to ignore. Most of the perennials are finished blooming, leaving the annuals and shrub roses to carry the burden of pleasing the neighbors. Fall seems so far off, although a few bulb catalogs arrived last week tempting me with their glossy pictures, and I can almost imagine the scent of burning leaves (does anyone do that anymore??) and the grumbles of my husband as he hangs Christmas lights before the first snowstorm of the season (which has occurred as early as Halloween). I've been trying to decide what might improve my spring beds, scratching notes about possibilities and dreams for that area next to the garage, and jotting down ideas for hostas in the shade bed alongside the house.

During this lull (when I know should be weeding, deadheading, and watering), I find myself flipping through Flower Gardening in the Hot Midwest: USDA Zone 5 & Lower Zone 4. The author (for whom I worked very briefly in her independent bookstore here in Lincoln) has some marvelous ideas and thoughts on gardening specifically in our area. I especially like what I read this morning, feeling as if she'd been eavesdropping on my recent thoughts:

Gardens are easiest in spring and early summer - young, tender, sweet, moist, and effortless. Weeds are mere seedlings, rain is adequate, diseases haven't yet gotten a foothold. This, too, is when many of the most beautiful flowers bloom - delicate, profuse and fragrant... The garden is a delicate fairyland. It seems a paradise and you are in love with it. This is passionate young love when happily-ever-after seems not only attainable, but a lead pipe cinch.

Phase two - reality - hits around the end of June. "I've sort of lost interest in my garden," I heard someone say in July. Well, no wonder. It isn't all roses anymore. The weeds are up, the leaf miner has ravaged the Aquilegia (columbine), and mildew has overtaken the Phlox divaricata (woodland phlox or wild sweet William). Summer heat has struck the Midwest with its full blast, requiring endless watering. A gap in bloom between the spring flowers and the late season ones has made the garden seem a wasteland. This is midlife crisis with a vengeance. The strong light of a summer day reveals the garden's every flaw. Autumn will roll around with cooler temperatures, renewed rain, truer colors shown under the sun's angled rays, and mature love will reap its reward. Staying power is the key in the midseason garden. Staying power means keeping on top of routine tasks like watering, weeding, and deadheading to see the garden through the heat of the summer.

OK, I can do this. Staying power. How hard can it be? Water, weed, deadhead. Water, weed, deadhead. With rainfall exceeding the normal monthly totals and more precipitation predicted for the next three days, I'm in pretty good shape. At least I don't have to worry about mowing. I have my own personal yardboy!

To Bloom or Not To Bloom...

2006-08-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

That is the question this gardener has pondered for the past few months. What is it that causes a plant to do so well, producing a reasonable amount of blooms during its youth, only to rebel (much like a teenager?) and stubbornly fail to produce one measly bud or blossom during its adolescence? Neither my hydrangea or rhododendron bloomed this year and I haven't a clue why.

I'm not what you would call a sophisticated gardener. I know what I like and I either dig a hole and plop the plant in the ground or I pay a landscaper an outrageous amount of money to do the same. Both of these shrubs were planted by two separate landscaping crews, so at least the blame in that particular part of the process does not involve me.

So what gives? Too much shade? The southeast portion of the front yard has more shade than it did a few years ago, getting only a couple of hours of sun in the morning.

Too much water? The rhoddy is on a small bank that gets some run-off from the neighbor's yard, but it isn't boggy (however, we do have a lot of clay in Nebraska). The hydrangea is frequently watered by hand, but certainly isn't getting too much.

Too hot during the summer, in spite of the shade? The hydrangea is fairly close to the A/C unit and tends to get hit with the hot air that comes off the fan.

Not enough fertilizer? (Or any, says she, guiltily hanging her head over her negligence.)

I don't really even mind if the hydrangea flowers are pink or blue. All I want is a huge, bushy shrub with profuse blooms like the ones Mom and Bill get on theirs (but of course, they live on the Oregon coast where everything looks absolutely gorgeous!).

photo courtesy of Bill Sachs

And to top it off, my stella de oros failed to bloom! These are hardy, need-no-pampering-or-attention perennials that ALWAYS bloom. Not this year. They produced buds, but before they had a chance to bloom the bud and stem turned brown and died. The plant looked fine, but something caused the blooms to fail. I'm pretty sure the problem with the lilies lies in their current location. When we dug the bed in the front yard, I thought it was getting quite a bit of sun. But the crabapple has branched out so much so that the flower bed in question gets very little direct sunlight. Definitely need to relocate these lilies to a sunnier home. (Make note to self for fall project.)

As far as the other two troublemakers, either I do more research

(perfect activity for those long, cold wintry months) or I pack up all our belongings and drag my hubby to the Pacific Northwest. Gee, I wonder what he'd vote for. ;)

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night

2006-08-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

Yay!! Almost 2" of rain in the past 24 hours. It rained through the night, but it really poured this morning, reminding me of the storms in Texas. Flooded streets, overflowing gutters, and the sky so dark it felt like the middle of the night. Now the sun is shining, birds are splashing about in the birdbath and it's a pleasant 84 degrees.

Lantana

2006-07-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

Lantana camara
Common Names: lantana, shrub verbena
Family: Verbenaceae (verbena or vervain family)

This is my new favorite plant for pots on the deck. I bought one in a hanging basket earlier in the summer and transplanted it to one of my big pots. It's done incredibly well, filling the entire pot, demanding very little from me. It seems to thrive in the heat and bright sun, as long as I give it a drink every few days. I finally figured out what the spent blooms look like (wasn't sure if they were buds or old blooms since the flower portion falls off) and did a bit of dead-heading last weekend. Must've made it very happy, as it's blooming all over again. I love the brilliant colors. Definitely a winner and one I'll buy every summer.

Note: After wandering around the Internet, I learned some interesting tidbits about this plant. People either love it or hate it. Some like the fragrance, while others think it has an offensive smell (from one garden site: "In fact, both the Malay and Chinese names for lantana mean 'chicken droppings flower' because of its smell.").

I also learned that it's a noxious weed in some states:

"In Florida and other Southern States this is a noxious weed and EXTREMELY POISONOUS TO LIVESTOCK AND HUMANS. It spreads by the birds eating the berries and everywhere they leave droppings more of these come up. They are IMPOSSIBLE TO KILL - I have tried everything from sprays to digging them up. I have lost livestock to this plant and I attack it aggressively everytime I see just one small plant starting in my pasture. PLEASE GROW THESE WITH CAUTION."

Here is more info on the poisonous aspect of these plants:

From the West VA State University web site:

TOXICITY

This ornamental shrub contains lantanin, a triterpenoid, and other compounds irritating to the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. All parts of the plant are quite toxic and poisoning may occur year-round, but is most common in summer and fall. Many poisoning cases occur when clippings are thrown into the pasture.

Sheep, cattle, horses, and humans are sensitive to the effects of the plant. Children have been poisoned by eating the berries.

SYMPTOMS

Cattle are most often affected. There are two forms of toxicity: acute and chronic. The acute form usually occurs within 24 hours after eating the plants with the animal exhibiting gastroenteritis with bloody, watery feces. Severe weakness and paralysis of the limbs are followed by death in three to four days. The chronic form is characterized by jaundiced mucous membranes, photosensitization, ulcerations of the mucous membranes of the nose and oral cavity. The skin may peel, leaving raw areas that are vulnerable to blowfly strike and bacterial infection. Severe keratitis may result in temporary or permanent blindness.

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GA WEB SITE:

Description: Lantana is a common ornamental plant. The plant has spreading stems and opposite leaves. The flowers form clusters that are flat-topped and range in color from red-orange to yellow. Lantana poses several problems to the farmer in that ingestion of the plant causes liver damage in animals, the plant inhibits the growth of other plants surrounding it (this includes grasses or other animal fodder), and this plant infests potential pastures causing a decrease in fodder for the animals.

Toxic Part: The entire plant is toxic.

Toxin: The toxic compounds are currently disputed but are believed to be lantadenes, a group of triterpenes.

Symptoms: This plant has demonstrated toxicity when ingested by cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats. Poisoning occurs after ingestion of a significant amount of foliage (3mg foliage/kg body weight) at one time. The toxicity is not cumulative and not all species of Lantana are toxic. Symptoms of toxicity in animals include photosensitive dermatitis followed by necrosis of large areas of the skin, jaundice and yellowing of the mucous membranes, and loss of appetite with a decrease in ruminal motility. This decrease in ruminal motility may be a reaction to damage to the liver by the toxic constituents of the plant. L. camara poses several problems to the rancher in that ingestion of the plant causes hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity), the plant inhibits growth of nearby grasses and other potential fodder, and this plant infests potential pastures causing a decrease in fodder for the animals. In severe cases death may occur within two days or one to three weeks post-poisoning.

Treatment: Activated charcoal is a successful treatment for Lantana toxicity in animals.

Apparently one family lost its dog after it ingested part of the plant and others have had allergic reactions after touching the leaves.

Good information to be aware of!

These Are the Days...

2006-07-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I wish we had a lawn service! I've been putting off cutting the grass as long as possible so we don't have to hire someone while we're out of town. Doing it today means it will only be a little over a week until the next mowing. However, I usually don't mow in the middle of the afternoon when it's so hot (I generally like to wake the neighbors at 8 am on Saturdays).

Current Temp: 92
Mowing Index: 110

But now I can relax, wait for the rain (predicted for the next few days) and look forward to our trip.

Did I say relax? Who am I kidding? I need to figure which books to pack. Ack!

Flutterbies

2006-07-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)

Early this week it dawned on me that I hadn't seen any of the beautiful butterflies we usually get this time of year. My butterfly bushes have just begun to bloom and while filling the bird bath last night look what decided to show up! I don't know if they're later than usual or if this is the normal time, but I was very happy to see that at least one has finally made an appearance.

I still haven't seen any Monarchs like in years past. Maddie & I had so much fun chasing them all over her backyard last year, but Emily and I haven't even seen one. Maybe it's too soon. We missed the spring migration, but there's still a chance to see them this fall.

I don't know what it is about watching these beautiful, delicate creatures light on a blooming plant, but they're mesmerizing and I find myself smiling whenever they pay us a visit.

Break Time!

2006-07-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Current temp: 90

Since it's considerably cooler than it was this time yesterday, I really should get outside and pull some weeds (I watered last night). However, it looks like rain (YAY!) and is quite muggy. I'll just follow the advice of my favorite pinwheel and take a break & relax. We don't have any lemonade, but there's half a blender of Adirondack Margaritas in the 'frig... Nah. I better wait til Rod gets home.

Think Snow!

2006-07-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

Current Temperature: 105 UPDATE: 108 at 4:46 pm

Heat Index: 107

Number of Days Until the First Day of Winter: 154

The Power of Positive Thinking: Priceless

Duh, What's Up Doc?

2006-07-18T15:33:00.001-07:00

There are some perennials you can always depend on, no matter what. Too much water. No problem. Too little water. Don't sweat it. Long, hot summer days. They love 'em. Unfortunately, there's just not a lot one can do to keep the rabbits away once they've set their tiny little minds on something to destroy. One year it might be all the Moss Rose. Another year, a newly planted Yarrow. (They always eat the blooms off my Coral Bells, but I've come to expect that.) But they've never gone near my Black-Eyed Susans. Never!

Until this year. Argh!!!!

These first two pictures were taken in the summer of 2003. Stunning color and so cheery when so many of the other plants were too tired to bloom.

This one was taken last week. The rabbits have eaten almost all the plants as they came up earlier this summer and what they didn't devour, they still managed to eat the lower stems (and I've even seen them pull the plant down so they can eat the whole thing, stem & flower).

In addition to the rabbits, the Asters have taken over quite a large portion of that bed and, while they're pretty once they start blooming, I'd much rather have lush bed full of Black-Eyed Susans.

I'll let the rabbits have their fun this year, but next spring I'm going to have to put up a chicken wire fence to keep them out. I hate to do that since it won't look very nice, but it can't look much worse than the flowers do now.

Hmm, maybe I should just get that BB gun I kept threatening to buy earlier this spring.

Heat Wave

2006-07-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

How hot is it? Well, it was 80 degrees at 6 am and it's currently a balmy 93. Sure feels hotter (heat index of 99). At least it's not as bad as yesterday (101), but it's still miserable! These are the days when I really miss San Diego. I'd love nothing more than to drive to the beach in Del Mar and jump in the water. Instead, maybe I'll just go stand in front of the freezer.

In spite of the heat, my flowers don't look too bad. Well, except for the Impatiens and Hydrangea. They look just as I feel. But they always manage to perk up once the sun goes down. As do I. You'll find me and Rod on the back deck tonight, sipping Adirondack Margaritas.

Lilium "Stargazer"

2006-07-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

My Stargazer lilies bloomed this week! This is one of my all-time favorite flowers. I love the heady fragrance and vibrant color.

There weren't as many blooms on each stalk this year and I found one unopened bud on the ground. I wonder if they're not getting enough sun. They're in the front bed which doesn't get nearly as much sun as it used to, due to the healthy growth of the nearby crabapple tree. I think I'll plant a half dozen more this fall and move them to a sunnier location and see if that helps.

I brought two stems inside so we can enjoy them where it's nice and cool. These were Rachel's favorite flowers and every time I see them, I smile.

Come To My Garden

2006-07-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

In spite of the unforgiving temps (both in summer and winter) of the Midwest, I have grown to love puttering in my yard, tending the flower beds as one would a young child, coaxing each plant along through its tender youth, cheering as it blooms for the first time each season, poring over books in search of solutions when it fails to thrive or is attacked by invisible pests, and weeping when it simply gives up and dies for no apparent reason (or is devoured by a wascelly wabbit!).

Gardening brings me joy and frustration, but the former makes it all worthwhile. I can spend hours lost in the mundane act of pulling weeds or deadheading spent blooms, only to return to the cool comfort of our house when I suddenly realize I've forgotten to stop for lunch. Or water. Or bug spray. It's as close to a Zen experience as I've ever come.

I hope you enjoy my photographs and ramblings. Pour yourself a cold drink, grab a hat, and join me in the garden when you get a chance.