Friday, August 2, 2013

Yard Work at Last

We are still waiting on more rain, but our hot weather has returned.  Supposed to be 90° today and very humid.

I went out very early yesterday morning to do some much neglected work.  First, I trimmed the onion rows (I had pulled the onions the day or two before) with the trimmer, leaving the wide center area ready for the mower and then tilling.

DH came in from checking the cows so I called him into helping with the chain saw work.  Sugar came back with him with her tongue hanging out and slobbers flying.  Kris, you asked about her behavior.  I am happy to report she will return to her pen area with little prompting and seems to be very happy there.  We only leave her out when we are going to the field or working in the yard.  She wanders off if we don't.  We are considering a radio collar and area for her, but need to do more research on them.

We got lots done before I knew  my chain saw time was done.  I won't use it when I start getting tired....too dangerous and I don't like DH to use it much at all especially in very hot weather.  It is a 'no, no' for him.

I cut down the double trunked kolreuteria (Golden Rain tree) that had self seeded behind the house.  It was resting on the edge of the shingled roof.  Before I could get to it, I had to prune the back side  of a rose of sharon.  You can see the white round stump I left.  The rose of sharon is one I had sprayed with herbicide (in error) last year and part had some dead branches.

Then we cut down a totally dead rose of sharon back by the garden gate,
It was also a victim of this gardener.


and this one right by my garden shed.  Only half of it was distorted so I cut that away.  I do hope the back half survives.  It is one of my named ones, Lady something or the other.  It is a beautiful double pale pink.
It was also too close to the door and had to be pruned regularly.  I hope that chore is eliminated now.


and the poor half peach tree near the propane tank,  it is now just a 24 inch stump, it had to go!


I also braved the thorny tangle of a rose bush that was more dead than alive (yes, it was one of my victims).
We haven't pulled it away from the stumps so I am not yet sure if I got it all.  I didn't get a picture of it yet.

By then, it was 10:30 and the sun was in full force.  We quit for the day.  I hope maybe today we can do some work in the front yard.  That is mostly shady so it will be better,I hope.  I am cutting out some horrible junipers (and will never every plant one again!  they are magnets for bag worms)at the foundation.  Then there is the rampant climber Awakening....it has RRD and must go.  There is another rose near the abelia that I will  try to save.

I have mostly killed all the vinca  major and next  will attack the climbing euonymous that is up through the trim on the brick chimney.  Glyphosphate didn't kill it....I may have to resort to 2-4D or  chain saw it at the base........it is another thorn in my gardening side.  I want all the foundation plantings on that corner gone, gone , gone.  I don't know what to put there but it is on a mound and must be very (I stress very ) low maintenance....maybe a shrub of some sort.  I want nothing that requires much pruning.

 Then there are  a  couple  more Golden Rain trees that have come up here and there that must go.  I shouldn't have let them get so big before removing them,  but I did. 

Random Pictures

A pleasant surprise,


Can you see that small, chartreuse plant hiding beneather the monster nicotiana sylvestris leaf?  That is Jewel of Opar from a few years ago!  I hope it has a chance to set seeds this year.  It makes a wonderful contrasting color in the garden.

Limelight Hydrangea in full bloom in the front shrub border,



Oakleaf Hydrangea getting fall color, standing just to the left of the Limelight in the shrub border,



The rest of the day was spent reading.  I did collect a bag of summer squash, peppers, onions and garlic for a neighbor.  She sent her 15-year old son over.  He is like a surrogate grandson and visits with us now and then.  We enjoy him.  His older brother is the one with the horses (C. met him while down for her visit).

I did very little cooking.




6 comments:

  1. Wow, you were indeed busy!

    I love your Limelight hydrangea. We had one of those at the old place.

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    Replies
    1. I have three varieties of hydrangea and I love them all!

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  2. My oakleaf hydrangea has taken on its rosy/rusty hue on the blossoms and makes a nice contrast to the pure white of the August moon hosta that blooms near it. You sure got a lot done! That now bare foundation mound - sun or shade? wet or dry? Maybe another limelight for there?

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    Replies
    1. The foundation mound gets some sun and some shade. Getting something started is an issue because of mound getting dry so quickly. I would have to be very diligent with watering and I am not good at that......

      I have to do some research and think hard on it.

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    2. How about common coneflowers? They fill in nicely, have a long bloom time and tolerate wet or dry with little maintenance and attract bees, butterflies and hummers.

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