Sweet November

Two words: leaf mulch. This is great stuff that I look forward to every fall now since I found out the husband's leaf blower, the 'Barracuda', can shred leaves. Put on beds, this mulch results in the spring with almost no weeds and happy plants with friable soil. I try to alternate every other year with the various flower beds. One would think that the shredded leaves could blow away but something about the shredding helps them lump together and stick. Putting them down a day before a fall rain helps also. Since our city now charges for removing leaves, I'm thankful that we can use the leaves. Only the leaves in the street were bagged this year as the street grime was just a little too much for the plants.

UHF

The husband and I took a long weekend trip to Toronto about a week ago. I really loved the plantings at the Harborfront Centre which were done be various artists. Some had arches. Some had hockey sticks. The one to the right had old TVs. The artist stated she thought that garden is actually more of a verb than a noun so she plants in the screens so the view is always changing with the seasons and the years. Ironically, the artist does not own a television. The Centre is on Lake Ontario and houses gallery, workshop and shopping space.
Below is a bonus photo from my aunt's balcony north of downtown. Toronto is a very 'tree-d' city as there are many ravines where the trees have been left to grow and thrive. Such an orderly, clean and fun city to walk around.

Some Like It Hot

The whole process of making compost has reinforced some ideas I have about life - old bits of stuff go in the pile, heat up, mix up and come out as something new. I put in in the ground or on the ground and it changes again into nutrients that go to the plants, giving me new bits for the pile. I've been thinking about the climate change debate and I keep coming back to this same recycling idea. Of course man using energy on the earth causes some global warming. Of course climate changes come in cycles as they have over the centuries and sometimes bring extreme results. Being an organic gardener, I'm not going to try putting the bad stuff in my pile. But I'm also thinking about how all that heat creates something different. Not bad, just different over time. Climate change is making the world different. We'll see where it all goes.

Continental Divide

Unfortunately, this problem just got worse this summer after putting in this edging last year. It seemed like a good idea with the recycled, flexible edging that I could pound into the cut edge next to the new gravel path. But no, it is heaving out of the ground along the outside of the path and looks terrible. And now I'm hating the bright green color of the fiberglass. So, I'm researching new ideas for edging. It must be able to be curved and avoid heaving in our crazy Ohio winter. And attractive, and sturdy and the husband has to mow right up to it. I'm thinking of those concrete (formed) edging pavers that lock together. Any ideas?

The Utah Trail

I've been playing in the late summer after all the yardwork of the past six months. The husband and I went to Utah to pursue his hobby of rockhounding and especially finding some rare trilobites at a quarry in the Utah desert. Desert and mountains, dusty terrain and wide open skies. We took some shots of the wildflowers and the aspen woods in the mountains. More pictures in the slideshow to the right.

Attack of the Killer Bees

I was planting some daylillies that I bought at the local annual sale last week when I somehow smacked a small bee or wasp while getting out the hose. I hurt but I moved on because I thought it was a bug bite. It itched and stung all day and the next morning my arm was swollen and itching. The topical benedryl only stopped the itch for about five minutes. Luckily, I work with a nurse who identified an allergic reaction that needed ice every 20 minutes. That worked and by the next morning I was better. Unfortunately, the trend for most people is that allergic reactions build antibodies that become more severe with each sting. I've been giving the bees a wide berth in the garden right now but I think with time I'll get a little more brave. After all, it has been 13 years since my last sting and at least 15 the time before that. I guess it is 'no pain, no gain'.

Under the Big Top

I've been pestering the husband about having some shade for the deck because the sun just hits us right in the eye about dinner time. The pine tree will need two more years at least to serve as a shield. So, I was thrilled when we found this gazebo on clearance last week. Now we have the perfect setting to sit and listen to the babbling water feature. And I need this more than ever because two days ago a wasp bit me. (See next post.)