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The Last of the Idylls

gardenbug
11 years ago

{{gwi:158143}}

I suspect with spring garden activity, Facebook, and busy lives we will not be seeing our old friends and families here. The days of shared pets, art work, bird photography, travel, home renovations, local history, family life & wildlife and so much more (fart machines, bum shots....) appear to have ended.

I would hope that periodically we might see photos of Idyllunion trips or a word or two from voices from the past. Perhaps in winter there will be more time for this? I would love to see some garden updates, before and afters, if you are creating something exciting in YOUR gardens.

Drop by now and again if you have fond memories of days of yore.

'bug

Comments (99)

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There was a threat of thunderstorms and wind in late afternoon, so I sent Randy out to get some photos of the clematises that are likely going to get whipped around a lot! [Update - the first band of storms passed us by without a drop of rain, but it looks like we're getting some much-needed rain now...]

    The clematises on the iron obelisk in the front bed are starting to put on a nice show. I finally seem to have a decent Huldine - I think it's the one that has climbed all the way to the top and has lots of buds but only a few flowers at this point. I have to check my records to see what the others might be!

    Obelisk viewed through the iron arbour:
    {{gwi:158279}}

    Obelisk with the copper and wood tripod in the background:
    {{gwi:158280}}

    Closer view of the obelisk clematises:
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    The clematises on the south gate arbour are also doing well...

    The front and top of the arbour (Randy was on the stepladder to take this picture):
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    A closer view of the top:
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    The back of the arbour (where the swag joins on):
    {{gwi:158286}}

    The swag clematises are a mixed-bag in terms of performance this year. Comtesse de Bouchard wilted and the ones on the fence side (shadier side) are quite spindly. The ones on the house side are stronger but are clearly going to need a few more years to bulk up, so I haven't taken many pictures.

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice job Randy on capturing the colours! I have a hard time with the rich blues and purples. I'm so glad that Huldine is a success!

    We did get a few short storms...and a lovely rainbow at dinner time too. I'm hoping our clematis will perk up today when things dry a bit.

    Phoebe is in desperate need of a haircut. At least the temperatures have cooled a good bit!

    Enjoy your gardens!

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a strange day it is today! Cool and windy...like September!
    I felt the need for a big Julie Job, namely cleaning out the garage. Well actually, I basically threw away bags and bags of stuff. (quickly before DH returns from his trip tomorrow!) I think it is basically at the stage where DH needs to throw away his stuff now! Gone are old soakers hoses, plant tray covers, burlap (one had a dead squirrel in it even) mangled chicken wire, and so forth. It is sartisfying to be rid of the stuff. Tomorrow I'll be at the dump twice at least. The first trip will contain 6 large bags of stuff, folded cardboard boxes and an old plastic sled. The second trip will have more plastic bags, cat litter, and a dozen or more plastic cat litter jugs for recycling. Man, I LOVE throwing things away!

    I hope tomorrow I can finish planting the shade plants that have been sitting on the garage floor! I weeded an odd area under some trees this morning where I then planted two hellebores and a nice fern. I hope they enjoy their new home!

    Made an appointment for Ms Phoebe for next week. She'll be happy with a new haircut...if not with the process.

    Off to prepare for Book Club tonight. This time it will be for snacks rather than dinner, so I'd better eat before I go.
    Ciao!
    'bug

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    July 1 will be Canada Day. Already we see flags popping up in people's gardens. The weather is HOT, in the 90F and higher range.

    We replaced an apple tree that was not doing well. The nursery people warned that customers were OVER watering their new plants and killing them. The over zealous are watering daily and drowning their new purchases. They suggested sticking to one thorough watering per week.

    I'm not feeling creative in the kitchen. I've been eating lots of raw vegetables and fruits while DH was away, and now I've been buying vegetarian sushi and cold summer soups.

    We had garden visitors the other night, which was quite fun because the roses and clematis are at their peak. He and his friend now understand what a clematis addict is like!

    DH phoned early this morning on his way to work. He passed a perfectly awful multiple car accident and wanted me to know he was OK in case I heard about it. I'm left feeling worried and sad for all involved. Makes me very hesitant to be on the road after things like this. I'll have to get "back on the horse" though.

    Fun to get photos of the kiddos from DH's camera!
    {{gwi:158288}}

    {{gwi:158290}}

    {{gwi:158293}}

    This one is special to me because Ivy is wearing the little French dress that DD wore over 30 years ago.
    {{gwi:158295}}

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I missed wishing our northern Idylls a happy Canada Day on Sunday, so a belated happy happy to all of you as we also celebrate today!

    I am going to try to be better about checking in here because I have certainly missed everyone. I have been on FB, but I do agree with you, Woody, about the privacy thing and I don't post very often.

    I read all the posts and loved the accompanying pictures. Wow-all the wee ones are certainly getting big, but they are as cute as ever even when sleeping!

    Woody, hope Randy's back is all healed.

    I have so many Julie Jobs to take care of today. Already hosed off the patio and deck, but the indoor jobs are demanding my attention. I let things go while school was in session and I have so much organizing to do now. The dining room table is completely covered with piles of books and papers. Ugh.

    I will check back later, but I do wish we could continue the Idylls and the next thread should be "Not the Final Idyll after all". :)

    Hope everyone is having a marvelous morning.

    Cynthia

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Every now and again I need to log in again. Such was the case today. Sigh.

    We are melting away these days. Some of my clematis are wilting seriously. The lawn remains crunchy. Rain is but a daily failed promise... Keeping the ghetto plants watered is about as much outdoor work I am up to. DH and I broke down and went to town for ice cream sandwiches. He needed to mail a book, I needed a few kitchen items. It took all of 30 minutes and we're both wiped out.

    Cynthia, you made it back! Good to see you here. Every horizontal surface at our house is covered with stuff. I wish it were only the dining room table! Yours is probably all spiffed up by now!

    Later folks. Hang in there. And whatever you are drinking, add ice!
    'bug

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Cynthia! Happy 4th to you... Were you affected by the big storm? Were any of the other Idylls affected? It certainly sounds like a very rough time - being without power for days in this heat would be beyond-words nasty!

    Randy's back has recovered but it was a good warning to him to not assume he's invulnerable to physical problems!

    gb - very cute kiddie pictures. I particularly like the 30-year-old fashion shot :-)

    Interesting day at Dog Guides today. When Randy was returning one dog to the kennels, he saw an 'odd' dog that he had never seen before. It turned out to be a black and white parti-color poodle. Very pretty indeed. There are also two (rather rowdy!) flat-coated retrievers - a breed you don't see too often. I looked into them as a possible breed to consider back when Chelsea was getting old. Apparently the breed tends to have a fairly high cancer rate so that put me off of them. They are handsome dogs though - they rather look like a black Golden. I suspect the two at the training facility were donated by a breeder to test their suitability for this kind of work. Comparing them with the Labs, poodles, and Goldens from the regular breeding program, you can really see that Dog Guides has done a lot of work to breed in a steady temperment. These two are very rowdy in comparison and I wouldn't bet a lot of money that they will pass the program :-) They are nice dogs though and maybe they'll settle down as they get a bit older - they look like one of those breeds that need to be 3 years old before the brain catches up to the body so they stop being lunatics!

    Terribly hot and humid here. Liam is visiting for two weeks and neither he or Misty are much interested in going outside during the day - me neither. Walkies happen before 8:00 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

    The Chinese wisteria has been doing a fabulous summer bloom - which helps make up for its pathetic spring performance when the leaves emerged weeks early and hid the flowers. This isn't a very good picture - the flowers are about the same color intensity as the leaves so the camera doesn't pick them up well, even though the flowers are blue-ish, not green.
    {{gwi:158297}}
    I need to remove the purple coneflowers that have seeded in under the wisteria on the left. I like the look of the heucheras ('Midnight Rose' I think) on the right, so will probably plant them on the left side too. The wisteria's summer bloom usually doesn't peak until late July, so it's a couple of weeks early.

    The heptacodium is also looking like it's going to be early this year. It is visibly setting flowerheads now - it normally doesn't flower until late September when the Monarch butterflies are migrating. If it blooms too early, the Monarchs aren't going to be happy! But maybe the heptacodium will have a chance to display the colorful calyxes that usually don't make much of a show here because the heptacodium blooms so late. A very strange year in the garden...

    We desperately need rain! We're 35% below our normal rainfall for April - the end of June and no rain in sight in the forecast :-(

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Happy Thursday all! We have temps near 100 degrees F today and tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be over that. Ugh. Why is it that the weeds are flourishing-noticed today some in the back are nearing 4 feet. Really! Looks like I will need to turn on the sprinkler and weed while being 'rained' on.

    Woody, we were lucky with last Friday's storms. We lost power for only 12 hours. John and Kelly lost theirs until late Sunday,so they and the wild one (Koda) spent Saturday and Sunday here. The truly irksome thing was that there was hardly any rain-all wind and lightning.

    'bug and Woody, meant to ooh and aah over your gardens. I wish my vacation was split between spring and fall rather than during the heat of summer. I just get so lazy when it is hot, so mine looks awful. I have bought some shrubs to put down in the back near the fence. I have a Kollwitzia, two exochorda and two clethra and Chuck has dug the holes, but I need to get some soil to backfill the holes since we have so many river rocks-no, those rock piles all around the lower level of the yard do not mark where someone died on the trail. Also, since I will be away from the 10th-25th, I figured it is more likely that they will get watered while I am gone if they are in the pots and right next to the hose! Ha.

    Am also ready to resort to nuclear weapons to get rid of the chipmunks. The entire part of the front walk near the door has collapsed due to their tunnels. I put the hose down several of the holes today to try to drive them out. Doubt it worked. They are resilient and invincible it seems. I wonder how deep their tunnels go.

    Time to fix dinner or, more precisely, pour the Cheerios into the bowl and add fruit and milk. :)

    Catch you all later. Hope it is cool and wet where you are.
    Cynthia

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello my friends. I have been very occupied for a few weeks, but that is no excuse for not checking in. Today I red through this entire thread, and realized that I needed to post again.

    First, DH's sister and her husband visited us for most of a week. I spent a couple of days making the inside and outside of the house presentable, then hosting, then a couple more days recuperating. I also dropped a large Jade tree that was in two pots, on my right hand two weeks ago. No fractures but still a bit sore and swollen now. And the drought! And the wind! I have dragged hoses around every single day for three weeks. Have already harvested the garlic, lost the spinach and romaine, and have mature carrots and beets already! Very strange year.

    Because it has been so hot, many of my blooms have come and gone already. The grass is pretty crispy, and the holes the dogs have dug in the back lawn give it a homey feel *LOL*I have four birdbaths going and a small pond. All are visited almost hourly, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, the local outdoor cats and sometimes even the dogs prefer the pond water. I think I will stop here nad open a new post so I can get some photos up without losing all that I have just typed!

    Cheers for now!

    Julie

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We just got back from walking the dogs around the block. I thought I was going to pass out before we got home! Misty didn't look much better - neither of us function well in the heat.

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lost our internet for a few hours last night. Weather is overcast, tiny sprinkles this morning, but still very hot and really really humid. I empathise, Woody! My doggies have had very little exercise this week.

    Cheers, Julie

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One of my attempts at leaf casting:

    {{gwi:158299}}

    This was from a zucchini.

    I am having a difficult time posting multiple photos so I may post several threads....

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Water Water Water Water Water. Everything needs water. I'm still dragging long hoses to the hard-to-reach areas. No end in sight! Supposed to be in the 90s through next week.
    My favorite people these days are Sandra and Monika who chat and garden with me. When I need someone to bounce ideas off of, they come up with good ones!

    Lots of stuff going on to keep us busy: planning finances, Haiti friends in need, the kids, travel, etc. But tonight is a dinner meeting for DH and a garden tour with friends for me, so that should be great fun.

    Is everyone panting in the heat? Drink lots of water!
    'bug
    {{gwi:158301}}

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We're back to HOT weather for the next few days, but at least we had a 15 minute rain shower yesterday. Probably not enough to make a difference to the farmers, but enough I think for me to take a day off from watering! Things still look like straw rather than grass or lawn, but at least you don't hear things crunch as you WALAT today.

    DD in Alberta, on the other hand, had a huge hail storm that destroyed her vegetable gardens! That was her major effort over the past few months and is so disheartening! Their big willow needed immediate attention this weekend as well and DSIL removed big limbs. More may need to go soon.

    We are preparing for a crane to arrive and remove our propane tank and replace it with a new one. I sure hope the damage won't be too severe! Those guys haven't a clue about my attachment to my garden!

    Yesterday some of us bloggers recorded what is blooming in our gardens in mid July. Time consuming yes, but an interesting exercise. Fun to "visit" other gardens this way, especially if you are unable to travel with the Idylls this summer!

    Happy mid July to one and all! That includes pets!
    'bug

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    {{gwi:158303}}

    In my composter: birdhouse gourds, growing just for fun!

    {{gwi:158305}}

    Happily blooming in the Spite Fence garden

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    Wine deck window box (I have four of these!)


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    Trying my hand at a Brugmansia

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    Early harvest

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    And every boy needs an aunt to send a hammock chair from Mexico to help with hot day relaxation!

    Cheers!

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a neat post Julie! Love all the orange, the variegation, the garlic and...three cheers for auntie!

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Julie - that's a neat-looking Brug! How about a shot of the spite fence from a little distance so we can see how it's developing...?

    GB - did your propane tank get replaced OK? I sure wouldn't want to be a worker messing around with explosive gases in the heat we've been having! The humidex high was 42C here yesterday!

    Did you guys get any rain from the forecast thunderstorms yesterday? We got two flashes of lightening but no rain at all. Our total rainfall here so far in July has been vanishingly small - 1.5 mm.! Randy has been doing a fair bit of hand watering but we need a good two days of steady rain - not a thing in the forecast though but more heat and sunshine :-(

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Our weather is identical to yours Woody. Only a light show, no rain, no tassels on the corn. Hot and ugly. Crunchy brown lawn.

    The propane guys are useless. They brought the wrong tank, had no notes on the job. So the guy gave us an "inspection" for $150. Pretty stupid since we already knew the tank was hopeless. Oyyyy. Anyway, at 7:30 this morning a propane truck arrived to fill the new tank, the one we never got! So much for communication! I hope we get this done before winter...and also while i am home. I still have visions of destroyed plants and sinking vehicles...

    Today I was interviewed by the local radio station on gardening. It went well, though of course we were all a bit nervous. We'll see how it goes once they splice it all together.

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GB - neat re the radio interview! What did they ask about (besides the clematises :-) ?

    At Dog Guides today I saw the parti-color poodle that Randy saw in the kennels a couple of weeks ago. From the picture he took that day I assumed it was a mid-sized poodle. It isn't - it is a big standard one! Gorgeous dog - nicknamed Oreo :-) The coloring reminds me of a black-and-white English setter although the black patches are larger near the head and at the hind end. It looked a fair bit like the one in the linked picture....

    Here is a link that might be useful: standard parti-colored poodle

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cute b&w poodle! They are supposed to be smart, though the 2 standards I knew ran away often in downtown Toronto. They chewed a lot as puppies, but outgrew that.

    On the show they asked me about etiquette at nurseries and private gardens...also about use of garden Latin...whether I was patient and able to wait for years to locate special plants...about plant shopping escapades with friends...and my favorite clematis. (I wasn't ready for that one!) Can't remember what else.

    Still trying to water things...but certainly the grass is a lost cause.

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi fans! I keep checking in here to see who's around. I hope some of you still do too.

    Cleaned a lot yesterday so I get a garden day today. Hot and dry again though. Going out to get a new battery for my camera later, but mostly staying close to home in the heat. Ajax has a dislocating knee, so he is officially on bed rest for a month. How does one keep a dog on bed rest *LOL*? One of my neighbours is in the hospital so a group of us has taken over her house and dog: walking him, playing, visiting the dog (my chore), running the dishwasher, cleaning the house, catching up her laundry (also my chore); spraying and knocking down wasp nests in her yard (DH's chore) and whatever else we can think of to make her homecoming pleasant. Sometimes the golden years aren't. I also planted a second crop of snow peas, spinach and lettuce last week - all is up and thriving so this year we'll have a second harvest in September/October. My gardens are doing pretty well, given the drought conditions, although the lawns are crsipy critters !

    I hope you all are enjoying yhour summer! Wondering how you are all doing and what's new?

    Cheers.

    Julie

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm here!
    Expecting company any moment. Also have a friend staying with us for a week or so because he has tonsilitis and is miserable and lonely...
    I'm packing bit by bit for my trip out west. Seems DS is coming here in September after moving out of his Boston apartment.
    Grass here is brown and goes crunch crunch....
    I'm studying which plants are the real survivors of the season. Gotta plan for more of the same in years to come!

    Margaret Hunt
    {{gwi:158313}}
    Later!
    'bug

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Julie! I keep checking here too - but it's a downward spiral; once there aren't many posts it becomes hard to motivate yourself to post since it feels a bit like talking to yourself :-) One thing I've noticed too is that I'm not taking many pictures of the garden this year - because there's no one to show them to :-)

    Poor Ajax! Zoe (rottweiler) has hip/ligament problems and, a couple of years ago her owner faced the choice of keeping her very inactive for a couple of months or paying a few thousand for surgery. Zoe was a very active youngster at the time... Her owner chose the inactive route. He was pulling his hair out at times! But it worked and she's fine now. Before then she was walking on three legs.

    What a nice bunch of neighbours! What kind of dog is it? Is it staying on its own with just day visits or has it moved in with you for a bit?

    Everything is very, very dry and stressed here - although a lot of things have survived better than I expected. 'Carol Mackie' daphne is positively thriving! Clearly these conditions suit it perfectly. It gets some shade in the afternoon from the garage but is otherwise hot and dry. It has just about doubled in size this summer! On the other hand, clematises have been suffering badly from wilt. Vyvyan Pennell is a gonner I think :-(

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ivy showing us what summer is about!

    {{gwi:158314}}

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Seeing double? I don't know what's going on with that double posting!

    Today on the agenda is the removal of some dead branches and a small sick tree in an island bed. Also removal of spent hosta blooms.

    In typical zone denial, I have a Leycesteria formosa from the sale table nearby. I figure I manage to get Vitex to grow here, so why not the Leycesteria? For the price, it's worth the try. Now, where to plant it....

    Happy today!

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi folks! Three star Sudoku and the crossword completed on one cup of coffee and it's not yet nine o'clock! I need to get out more *LOL*

    Ivy is so cute Marie! How is Sarah feeling? You must be getting ready to travel, yet again!

    My chores today: a tiny bit of weeding the front bed; showing DH the beautiful paths thread on GB to convince him that it would be a good idea to develop the Spite Fence strip; tidying and weeding the back triangle garden, which I haven't touched all summer :(, Miracle Growing everything, vacuuming the office (a small job), and heading out for coffee with a friend. Gee, looks like a lot more when you write it out *LOL*. I am happy to see that my Chinese Wisteria is still alive, and my birdhouse gourds are huge.

    A Gingko Biloba would be interesting and hardy for Sarah's yard, but they take forever to grow. Would they consider something like a Blue Spruce??

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cute Ivy GB! Can you please send me an e-mail...? My computer got a nasty something-or-other so we had the hard drive wiped clean the other day. Of course, I hadn't thought to back up the address book recently, so I've lost all my e-mail addresses! We got the computer back late yesterday afternoon and I'm currently battling to reload software and get it all set up right. It's going to take me forever! Julie - I have a lot of sympathy for your recent computer woes!!

    We got 1/2" of rain yesterday. We have had several half-decent rains in the past two weeks and I noticed on walkies this morning that lawns are suddenly looking greener again. I added up my rain records for July and was surprised to see that we actually got a little over 2"! June was about the same. BUT June's rain was mostly in the first two weeks of the month and July's was in the last two weeks - the four weeks in between had virtually nothing. And May's total was only 16mm.! So it's definitely a serious drought year.

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So sorry about all the computer woes. I HATE THOSE!

    Yesterday's rain only lasted a few minutes. It was a hard rain, but not the kind that soaks in gently. Most is just run-off.

    A friend is cutting back dead branches this morning. So nice of him! Now we can walk the "woods" better, without fear of our eyes being poked out. It's too hot to work in the sun though.

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all. Back from vacation-yes, I was meant to live in France! I suspect the wine, cheese, and foie gras may have something to do with that. Wonderful trip.

    Since getting back, I have weeded and am spending every other day at the dentist again. More gum surgery. Not so bad, but it does limit what I can eat unfortunately. Oh well. No wonder I miss France. Ha.

    Ivy's pic is well worth posting twice, 'bug! Gosh, they do grow up so fast.

    Woody, meant to tell you how much I like that clematis you have coming up through the hydrangea. Inspired planting.

    Julie, I will need to try to find that beautiful paths thread. How is your spite fence planting coming along? I have planted about six feet of ours, but there is lots left to hide.:( I have started with camellias and euonymous for a backdrop that will stay green year round. I put in several Exochorda in front, but the pups did in two out of the three. I do have two clethra, two more exochorda, and one other that I can't remember in this moment, but I may put those along another property line. Since our spite fence is on a hill, I haven't been too quick to get to the sloping area. Have planned that for fall weekends. Hoping for a rainy fall that will make digging easier. We have not had nearly enough rain this summer. I think we are about 8 inches below what we should have gotten by now. I am watering like mad.

    Time to brush and head to the dentist. Hope everyone is having a marvelous first day of August.

    Cynthia

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi friends!

    I am trying to learn a little more about my camera and posting photos. Today I managed to replace the batteries, take some new photos, transfer them to the computer, move them to Photobucket, and post one on facebook. Believe me, this is a personal best for me!

    Cyn, the Spite Fence planting is going very well! The Virginia Creeper is fabulous and the daylilies really add to the look. The daylilies were not as good this year as last due to the dry conditions, but even so, I am very pleased with the results. I am adding Clematis to the far end; that is the part we usually see from the yard and deck. I am not sure my neighbour would be pleased that this has made me happy *LOL*

    {{gwi:158315}}

    Woody, I will try (!) to send you an e-mail also. What a nuisance losing your stuff!

    Marie, are you off to Winnipeg now? Anxious to hear! and see!

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh Julie, that looks amazing! Good for you. The Clematis will be wonderful, too.

    Woody, isn't it awful when you lose all those contacts? I had my phone updated before I went on vacation and they assured me that I wouldn't lose my contacts. Well, that was partially correct. I still had names and phone numbers, but no email addresses or street addresses which meant no postcards. :(

    'bug, if you are heading off, have a marvelous trip.

    We, too, are looking for a good soaking rain. Here's hoping we all get lucky sooner than later. I may need to take out a second mortgage to pay my water bill!

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'll be heading to Edmonton when I get a phone call...any time this month!

    DD had her belly painted with henna art at an International Fair yesterday. It looks very cool!

    I lost my watch for 3 days: very frustrating. Tonight, after a birthday party out with friends, DH found it on my plant light stand!!! Such a relief.

    Weather has been less humid and hot...just lovely! Hotter tomorrow. I MUST do more packing. Lots of Nana gifts for the kiddos.

    {{gwi:158316}}

    Good night all!

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not again...Oy!

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    gb - the little ones look all set for a future Olympic competition! :-) The double post thing seem to happen if you click on the refresh button after you've posted and before you've navigated away to another page - it usually happens to me if I've posted somewhere, walked away from the computer to do something, and then come back much later and hit 'refresh' automatically - without really registering that it's still showing the 'you have posted...' page!

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So here is a not-very-good photo of the front garden today - maybe two if I can manage to post them both *LOL*

    {{gwi:158317}}

    {{gwi:158318}}

    You can barely see the two bananas on the patio.

    Cheers

    Julie

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The patio today:

    {{gwi:158319}}

    Four hours in the garden, a quick dip in the pool, and now the housework awaits. Can't do very much inside with Hydro One's Time of Use system anyway!

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lawn looks mighty green to me Julie! Don't see any bananas yet. ;)
    What's Adrian up to these days? Skyler is visiting an uncle somewhere in Ontario. Haven't heard from him.
    Sarah got her belly painted with henna at a fair over the weekend! It actually looks really cute!
    I plant shopped with a friend yesterday and picked up a few spots of colour. Today I weeded and watered. (Same old stuff!) It looks mostly OK here except for the grass, but we have loads of wasps. Friends are coming for the weekend. I may or may not be here depending on the new baby's arrival time choice....
    'bug
    {{gwi:158320}}

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Julie - the patio looks great! It looks like a very cozy place to watch the world go by :-)

    gb - what 'spots of color' did you get? It sounds like that painted belly is ready to pop...? When's the official due date?

    I signed up for another Uof G on-line course today. It's for the fall term and I'm a little worried that taking a course in the fall might cut into garden time!

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woody, I got a tiny Cercis 'little woody'! Also an angelica gigas that is in bloom, a cardinal flower, rudbeckia trifolium, veronicastrum 'fascination' and other things I can't remember off hand.

    The official date is Aug 25th, but it is pretty meaningless...

    Which course? ? ?
    As to garden time, I suspect I'll be doing lots of cutting back. The poor plants have been mighty stressed and don't need to be dragged out forever!

    Here is a link that might be useful: little woody

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    gb - cute re the redbud!:-) I'd get one of those - except I have nowhere to put it... Aug. 25th is our anniversary - a nice time of year for happy events... I assume you're waiting for the first indications of arrival before heading out...? Will your DH be going too or staying behind with Phoebe?

    We're still waiting to hear definite dates for Copper's stay later this month and hoping nothing unusual pops up on the head MRI I had on Tuesday to change those plans. Just in case, Copper's owner has booked all their motels (on a road trip to PEI) at places which take dogs, in case they have to take Copper along. She's a bit worried that, if they have to take Copper, the motels might object that Copper is a pony not a dog! :-) We aren't scheduled to get the MRI results until late Sept. but they will call us in sooner if there's anything urgent. Randy will be heading out to see his father in late September, after we get the results, so hopefully nothing comes up to change those plans.

    The course I've signed up for is another Landscape Design one. The two previous ones were detailed, technical ones - the first being about hand-drawing plans; the second being the CAD plans, using the Dynascape software. This one appears to be a more verbal thing re analysis etc. so I'm hoping there should be some interesting discussions as part of the course. And, hopefully, the workload will be a bit lighter than the first two - they took up huge amounts of time! (But they were fun too....)

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Woody, DH is staying home for sure. He has lots of work as well as class preparation.

    DS will be here in September as well. I should be back from Alberta by then. I have book club with dinner here on the 17th.

    Tomorrow I'll be making tomato & pesto tarts for lunch. The men-folk will make stuffed salmon for dinner. (from Costco) Then Mapleton ice cream (local) for dessert.

    Gentian
    {{gwi:158321}}

  • jak1
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    {{gwi:158322}}

    Hey Marie, I'll see your gentian and raise you one blue Hydrangea...except I don't know what its name is and it turns pink as it matures! I am anxious to see this new addition to Sarah and Wayne's household!

    Good for you Woody, another course! That must be fun over the winter! I hope your MRI results are good!

    Wow, at the rate we're going we're going to hit one hundred posts on this thread and we'll have to start another. Maybe not the "last of the Idylls" after all.

    Rainy day, so lots of work got done inside. I refuse to mess up my sparkling kitchen tonight so it's off to the pub!

    Cheers,

    Julie

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    " I refuse to mess up my sparkling kitchen tonight "

    I SOOOO understand this!

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    'sparkling kitchen' - what's that....? :-)

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We finally got a decent rain - 14mm. between 3:00 and 7:00, when Liam arrived for the weekend. So it was a nice cooperative rain that soaked the garden but stopped in time for evening walkies.

    Cyn - I just realized I missed your post above. I hope you got a nice rain too sometime in the last few days when there seems to have been more around. How are you progressinwg at replacing your lost information? The one good thing I've found is that I had a lot of outdated and rarely used stuff in both my address book and on my 'favorites' list of web sites. So, looking on the positive side, it was a sort of forced edit/clean-up. But still a major PITA and less than 50% replaced at this point!

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another 24mm. of rain overnight! With 1.5" since yesterday afternoon, the garden - and the gardener - is happy! :-)

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The rain had been gentle until this afternoon. I love a steady gentle rain. But at dinner time things got more serious with heavy downpours, thunder, lightning.

    Our company was not deterred by it though and we visited the new greenspace in our town and also went to Lee Valley's store where they purchased indoor plant watering devices for when they are away traveling.
    We also went to a great little shop where you can buy saffron for $1.35 and I bought maple syrup buckets (for cut flowers)for $2.50 each.

    Heard from David B the other day...for those who remember him. Just sold his "new" house. He seems to be doing well through lots of changes and spoke of plants and things which still interest him.
    'bug

  • woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another 12mm. of rain overnight last night, so we're up to 2" now. The average Augest rainfall in the garden for the past 10 years or so has been a little over 3", so we seem to be on track now for a decent August. There's more rain in the forecast for the next few days too.

    gb - there's a new house (tear-down and rebuild) up the street that reminds me of some of the pictures I remember David posting of his new house. This one is smaller though (but is for sale for an outrageous amount!)

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for pushing ahead with the Idylls. It's up to you all if it is to continue. That would be grand IMHO!
    'bug

    The Alexandra Rose
    {{gwi:158323}}

  • laurenlolly
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all! I'm not sure if anyone here remembers me :-) I used to garden in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia but have now moved to the great city of Melbourne and, with a new house, will be starting my gardening adventures from scratch! An exciting prospect but also a LOT of work. Here's a quick shot of my new garden:

    {{gwi:158324}}

    ('scuse the washing on the line) so as you can see, lots of space and lots of potential. Well! I hope you are all well, I'll be back soon!!