Weekend update

Wow, time is just flying by and I realized this morning that neither of us had posted since last week.  It was a busy weekend, beginning on Friday night with a graduation party for MacKay. Saturday and Sunday were hot and sunny, with the humidity doing a slow climb yesterday.  It was hot, sticky and buggy last evening by the time the sheep, hens and ducks were ready for bed.  So, the weekend...

On Saturday morning, I jotted down a relatively short to-do list (5-6 items) for the day, hoping to contain my new propensity to get side-tracked.  I knew I needed to water any newly planted seeds and transplanted plants (done); finish weeding and mulching the last quadrant of the circle garden (done); transplant the climbing hydrangea and a climbing rose I had planted next to the covered walkway in the rock garden to the new "parbor" (done); and dig the thistle and wild parsnip out of the rock garden (this area has been my nemesis since I moved in) - I don't recall what else I had on the list. Jim graciously agreed to help me tackle the latter.

I should have taken a "before" photo, but was too focused on the task at hand.  The bed is sloped, filled with small boulders (hence the "rock garden") and is approximately 10-12' deep at its widest point and 15' or more feet long.  It was thickly overgrown with 3' tall thistle and 4-5' tall wild parsnip.  In other words, it was a small jungle filled with plants that could either prick you or cause blistering similar to that of a 2nd degree burn.  Wild parsnip, although edible (root only) and not an unattractive plant with its yellow umbels (see below), is highly invasive.  The problem with removing it, however, is that is contains a substance called psoralen, which can cause a condition known as "phytophotodermatitis."  When the sap/oil from the inside of the plants gets on the skin, and the skin is exposed to sunlight, the result for many people can range from a rash to blisters and burning type pain.  For people who act severely to this plant, the burns/blisters can last for months with permanent discoloration to the skin.  This is a plant with an attitude.  Think "Aliens" and "acid for blood" only in innocuous plant form.

So, not only did we need to attack and remove this thicket of unwanted plants, but we needed to do so covered head to toe to prevent contact with the oil of the wild parsnip...on a day in the high 80s...in the direct sun.  How special.

But we're troopers, so we marched in and got it done.  Jim started the initial attack with the scythe, leaving only 6-8" of plant in the ground.  We could now at least see where to dig.  Well, the digging lasted about 10 minutes (if that) before we realized it just wasn't a workable approach.  It would take an eternity to dig out all of the roots, especially working around rocks and in narrow crevices and then we would still have to heavily mulch.  We discussed other options -- controlled burn (seriously I was ready to dump gasoline and take a blow torch to the area), 50 gallon barrel of Round-Up poured liberally over the area -- but saner minds prevailed and eventually we decided on a less dangerous, more environmentally sound approach.  We buried the entire area (rocks and all) under a thick cover of landscape fabric, cardboard and mulch.  There is little chance any sunlight is penetrating this area any time soon, and since I want to make sure these plants are good and dead, I plan on leaving it covered for at least the next 1-2 years. I'll just keep layering on mulch. I felt a huge sense of relief once this particularly unpleasant job was finished.

The natural mulch is covering  a small area I cleared last year (and again this year).  I still have a single potentilla and a creeping juniper (the little green mound) that survived the onslaught of the thistle and wild parsnip jungle. Only the brown mulched area was "smothered."

On Sunday, I finished weeding the other side of the rock garden.  That side has never gotten as out of control, and I thoroughly weeded, dug up roots, and mulched last year when I planted some potentilla and the climbing hydrangea.  So it really just needed some spot weeding.  For the first time since we moved here, I can walk out into the dog area without having to turn away from the eye-sore that was the rock garden. Some day it might even be covered in dog-tolerant plants (the dogs walk through this area as though it were an extension of the yard) and look like an actual garden.  I'm thinking a mix of potentilla, rugosa roses and ground phlox or heathers would be nice.

The little spots of green are potentilla, creeping juniper and near the bridge, a 2 year old climbing hydrangea that still hasn't done much.  It's supposed to shoot up by its 3rd year.  We'll see.

The bulk of Sunday was spent weeding the vegetable garden and pumpkin patch.  Things are finally starting to grow.  It's been nice being able to pull lettuce from the garden to satiate the lettuce-obsessed ducks.  I also picked a bunch of shell peas this morning that I can't wait to eat.

Nora, meanwhile, spent some time on Saturday and Sunday in her own 7th circle of hell.  She was determined to get the new strawberry bed weeded (again).  It's been a grass-fest in there;  thick mats of robust grasses that manage to grow right up through and around the base of each plant.  Even mulched, this bed has been time-consuming.  And Nora is a very thorough weeder, following each blade of grass from its base down to the tip of the sometimes quite lengthy root, and digging every bit of it out (or at least making a valiant attempt to do so).  She was feeling a little frustrated and quite defeated by yesterday morning, but she too "got it done." And she even resisted the urge to begin ripping plants out of the ground, and setting fire to each plant and their progeny.  As a result of her efforts, the bed looks fabulous and the plants are very large and healthy.  Unfortunately, at this stage, I don't think she cares :)

Over the weekend

The weather was spectacular this past weekend -- sunny and not too hot.  We had a busy one beginning with the new coop delivery Friday evening.

We bought it from Adirondack Storage Barns, of course; the same company that made and delivered our gazebo, garage and sheep barn.  I love these guys, and their amazing truck, that can rotate and drop a structure anywhere you want it.  Josh is so adept the truck barely left tire tracks in the grass.  MadeIt and Daisy2 are loving their new digs (which they will eventually have to share with the ducks, but they don't need to know that right now), and our smelly, not so little ducklings have been moved outside to the "temporary" coop Jim constructed almost 2 years ago.  I setup some 2' high fencing around the side of the coop for their pool and water, and now they have access to the coop, the covered run-in and a small pool cabana, complete with cabana "moms" who wait on them constantly -- oh, to be one of our pets!

Saturday was largely spent in the vegetable garden with some spot weeding, spot planting (filling in gaps left by the crows and slugs) and hilling potatoes.  Can I just say that I HATE hilling potatoes?!  But after about 20 trips to the compost pile with multiple wheelbarrows, the little buggers are hilled and the weedy spaces in between rows have been covered in cardboard and straw.  Saturday evening we actually took a break and have a lovely dinner outside on the patio with Tess, Mike and the kids.  Sunday, more gardening in the flower beds (with many of them left to tend to...)

Some random pics from this past weekend...

Achillea millefolium (Paprika Yarrow).  Drought tolerant, and grows well in almost any soil type. They make excellent cut flowers, and they bloom from summer to early fall if you deadhead faithfully.  An excellent butterfly attractor as well.  They do spread out a bit, so need some room to fill in.

Bird bath viewed through the Astilbe that is on the cusp of flowering

"Sarah Bernhardt" peony -- bloom about ready to drop

Nora's close-up of the glow ball in the garden; looks like Europa  -- taken on a sunny day, so a particularly cool shot

One of our little friends

"Carding Mill" rose -- a David Austin creation.  Isn't she beautiful?

In case you were wondering

Jacques is still up to his shenanigans.

A rare and sweet moment at the farm

The Earth must have fallen off its axis if Lynn is napping in the afternoon

Hydroducktherapy

I have returned home after a difficult couple of weeks. Lynn did a pretty good job of posting while I was away. I say pretty good, cause, well, let's not get carried away. :)
Anyhoo, yesterday I decided to get back into the swing of things so I headed out to the garden with the collinear hoe in hand ready to attack the never ending weeds. I completed the asparagus, edamame, sunflowers, bush beans, and the pumpkin patch. Not bad if I say so myself. My reward? A big fat blister at the joint where my thumb meets the hand. For real? So much for gloves.

After my weed slaughter, it was time to let the ducklings out. And not just out in the pen but in their new duck pool. So I inflated it old school style using my lungs, while smoking of course, (an act that thoroughly impressed Jim) and filled it with water. Time to bring the girls out. And here they are:

Their joy while swimming and splashing was infectious. I pulled up a chair and sat with them for a while, just basking in their glee. The sun was shining brighter, the sky got bluer, and the grass, a little greener.

Hope your day is a fantastic one,

Mother of Ducklings

The Ducklings Take Their First Swim

The ducklings were outside with me for a couple of hours yesterday.  It seemed warm enough for a swim...

Just chillin'

The first "dunk"

Much frenzied, happy flapping of the wings and spinning around the tub

Exhausted

There are days I feel way too old for this gardening s*&^.  Yesterday was productive, but exhausting and I barely scratched the surface of the to-do list.  The three or so days of rain were much needed, but as I mentioned, gave the weeds a boost as well.  June is a notoriously busy month in the garden to begin with, but the dryness, then days of rain and abnormally cool temperatures seem to be wreaking havoc.  The established flower beds are all doing well; the beds that were created last year are a weed-fest.  Several plants still need to be relocated as well - either because they aren't the right color for the bed, or they are being crowded out by a pushy neighbor.  I had a few casualties from this past winter as well, so there are still gaps to fill.

I spent 7 hours outside yesterday, until the rain arrived at 4:30.  I cleaned off the patio, which was covered with fallen leaves from our diseased, unidentified tree near the gazebo; swept out the gazebo and spot weeded the beds near the patio. Then I fed all of the new plants and the dahlias (I use an organic fish emulsion).  I did a little spot weeding in the circle and shade gardens, and made a quick trip to the nursery down the road for some gap fillers.  Then I moved to the front flower borders, which were sorely in need of attention.  I had high hopes of getting through all of them (3 borders nearest the house, the island, the small border near the driveway and the new 80' bed near the road).  I managed to get through the beds nearest the house.  Then, in typical fashion, I got side-tracked.  I had picked up a couple of Bleeding Hearts while at the nursery and needed to get them in the ground.  I wanted them in the bed under the apple tree near the barn, which meant weeding and relocating items there.  Because that brought me close to the rhubarb that had gone to seed and become overgrown, that meant I had to cut-back and remove some of that, which led to more weeding as I exposed ground.  I also discovered that the seed heads were covered with dreaded rose chafers, which meant a quick trip out to the berries to see how infested they were as well (some on the raspberries, but not as horrific as anticipated). Then it started raining...

So today began with the usual animal care and then a stop by the raspberries with the bucket of soapy water for some rose chafer decimation.  Once I return from running some errands, it's out to the vegetable garden, which has become over-run with slugs on top of thieving crows.  Feeling like an exercise in futility at the moment.

Not the greatest shot -- peonies, salvia, spiderwort and clematis

Sunday morning

The "smoking lounge" - awaiting Nora's return

We're not so little anymore

I can't believe they are only 3 weeks old

Cramped

Get your elbow outta my face

What a difference 5 days makes.

Rainy Days

It's been raining on and off (sometimes torrentially) since yesterday, so I really haven't been able to get outside with Nora's camera.  It's much needed rain, however, so no complaints.  I was getting tired of watering 400 or so feet of vegetable beds with a watering can (the hose only reaches to the garden fence), as well as all of the young perennials that I've recently planted.  The rain will also help tremendously with any remaining seed germination.  I spot planted a few areas in the vegetable garden last weekend (the crows helped themselves to many of my sunflower and zinnia seedlings), and planted some scarlet runner beans and nasturtiums around some of the trellises.  The rain will also give a not-so needed boost to the weeds infiltrating all of my beds, but what can you do?

Lady's Mantle

Peony draped over Stella D'Oro Lily

I headed home early from work today to meet up with the large animal vet from Canton.  The sheep need their annual vaccinations, de-worming medicine, and quarterly hoof trim.  I figured since the vet and her technician were stopping by to give shots, I'd let them have the pleasure of this quarter's hoof trimming as well.  I'll save myself the bruising.

Hopefully this visit will not set back the trust-building that has been going on between Tallulah, Jem and me. Both of them now come to me immediately when they see me for neck scrunchies and ear rubs, and there is much jostling between them to get center position.  I'm still working on Delilah.  She will sometimes tolerate a quick pat on the head, but that's about it.  Wish us luck.

Blooming in my absence

I was away for a couple of days and in my absence some of the June blooms opened.

Lupines and Iris

Lettuce poppies - these should self-seed throughout the border; this is my first year growing them

Peonies just before I left

And upon my return

Mother Robin

Nora recently wrote a post about our friend, the robin, who insisted on building her nest on a very narrow ledge above our front door.  Some people believe that we shouldn't project human emotions and motivations upon animals.  Sometimes I agree with these beliefs.  But how can one look at this robin, and her persistence in the face of the wind's (and my) constant removal of her partially constructed nest, and not see a study in patience and determination.

Well, her patience and persistence paid off. Nora caught a glimpse of a wide open beak pointing skyward the other day, and I have heard lots of baby chirping.  Mother Robin is never far away.  If we dare step out the front door, she flies nervously from fence post to arbor to fence post, all the while screeching at us.

This morning, while out watering in the front borders, I glanced up and saw 3 little beaks pointing skyward. Three babies!  I dashed into the house and ran back out with the camera.  By the time I returned, only two were visible.  I snapped some pics, most of which turned out blurry in my rush to photograph before they disappeared again.

This morning in the garden

"Miss Bateman" clematis; catmint and dianthus

Bearded Iris

The ever-watchful Ida

I turned around after photographing Ida and there sat this adorable little guy, watching intently, but in no hurry to leave

Contemplation

 Damn! Where did I put that nut?

Container planting

As you all know, we've experienced a recent, tragic loss in the "family."  And although we all need time to process the grief, and the world seems dimmed at this moment, hopefully the splashes of life and color in these posts can serve as a reminder to us all - in some small way -- that the world remains full of beauty and light; and it will wait patiently for each of us to recognize that once again, in our own time.

On a lighter note, below are photos of my attempt at container planting.  I've never been a huge fan.  I mean I love the look of everyone else's container plantings, but I see them as high maintenance.  Although no weeding is required (which is a blessing), they require constant watering and feeding.  It also requires some degree of artistic finesse to get the combination of colors, sizes and textures just right; a skill I do not possess.  But alas, Nora chastised me last summer for "ignoring" her patio area and leaving it looking like a barren wasteland in comparison to the rest of the yard.  I have attempted to rectify that situation this year with the addition of the "parbor" (half pergola/half arbor - get it?), a dahlia/herb bed to the north of the patio, expanded beds around the gazebo and the dreaded container plantings.  Did I succeed?  Remains to be seen as things fill in over the course of the summer.

These containers are a mix of annuals, an herb (borage, which will get to be almost 2' tall with purple flowers) and heuchera (the reddish foliage in the large pot, which will also get to be almost 2' tall); I'm hoping for a large, colorful plume of foliage and flowers in another 3-4 weeks.  We'll see.  

Random annual.  I never pay attention to the names; they simply don't stick around long enough to be on a first name basis.

Close up of small container on patio; again some random annuals.  I love the combination of yellows and purples.

Red geraniums; The old galvanized buckets make wonderful containers.

Gift from a friend -- a marvelous toad house

And because the garden is not complete without her; our friendly neighborhood, flower eating bunny, who is in visiting with her hen friends in this photo

Pucklings

What is a "puckling" you ask?  Nora began affectionately referring to our ducklings in this manner when we discovered, much to our chagrin, that ducklings are MUCH messier than chicks.  Chicks politely eat feed from a trough and delicately sip water from their waterer.  Sure you get the occasional plop of poo in the feeder, but for the most part you could drop them down in any 5 star restaurant and they wouldn't embarrass you.  Pucklings -- entirely different story.  Although difficult to tell from the photo, if you look closely above you will see water and feed splashed 1/2 way up the brooder wall, water and shavings all over the plastic tray (the fact that we even NEED a large plastic tray under their waterer is telling) that we placed in our pathetic and useless attempt to cut down on the amount of flooding that occurs from their drinking, as well as their consistently "dirty" water because they bathe their entire bill and face in the water every time they drink or eat. We find ourselves having to clean out wet shavings and the waterer every 1-2 hours.  Who knew ducklings were such high maintenance?!

Oh, and did I mention how quickly they grow?  They have easily doubled in size each week we have had them (2 weeks at this point).  Nora now refers to them as "pucklings, or whatever you are" and fully expects to see their heads poking through the windows of our house in another week or so.  Seriously, it took the chicks 6-7 weeks to get to this size.  I think they're mutants.

But damn their cute