Odds and Ends Archives - Page 6 of 7

Sunday and More Rain!

I’m not sure of the exact number of rain free days we’ve had here since May, but I know the number is low. Like really really low. Let me tell you about this past week. We had a sunny day or two at the beginning of the week, I think Monday and Tuesday. I think it rained Wednesday. Thursday either rained or looked like it was going to rain. Friday the clouds parted, angels sang and the sun shone. You could hear lawn mowers and weed trimmers fire up through the neighborhood.

Saturday – more rain. Today? More rain. The forecast called for rain most of the day but only partly cloudy for 3 hours – from 5 am to 8 am.

I slept until 7.

Honestly there is not a spot in my yard that isn’t soggy and spongy. There is so much left to plant! Outside projects are impossible if it takes more than a couple of hours. Wash windows? Nope. Hang out laundry? Hardly but I did hang a couple of loads out at 6 am one Saturday so it would dry in time for the rain expected by noon.

Never the less, I persisted! On Friday I spread two more loads of compost. The last load was a very generous yard (it was way more than a yard) and I am done spreading compost for this year.

The Back Yard

The goal is to rehabilitate this scruffy back yard. You can see the chain-link fence with a bunch of maple trees growing through it. I can’t afford to have the trees removed let alone replace the fence, so I have to make it work. You can see where I’ve run wire for the pet-fence to keep the dogs contained. Neither are wanderers, but the Shepherd does want to do what Shepherds do and protect the yard. That behavior absolutely must be contained to our yard.

The entire yard is clay, but it is more of a problem in the back yard than anywhere else. There’s a significant slope to the yard, watering can be difficult because the water just wants to run down hill. Hopefully the thick layer of compost will help to absorb some of the water on it’s way through.

The plan is to grow a hedge. All of my research says that Yew is the best option for this location. It will tolerate shade and prefers things a little dry. Well-drained we can’t do but I’ve got dry covered – if it ever stops raining.

Nothing planted in this photo is in it’s final location. If we get any breaks in the rain this week, I’ll plant the hedge then start on the garden in front of it.

Is it rainy where you’re at? How are you coping with the disappointing weather?

2018 Garden Tour

Last summer was a bit of a wash-out here for a few reasons which meant nothing got done last fall. And because everything has consequences, that meant a very slow start to the gardening this year. But somehow it came together enough to have a mostly respectable looking yard.

Beating the heat…

Last weekend we had some astonishingly hot weather, making this good boy more than eager to lay around in his pool. He discovered that the pig floating in front of him could take on water. I have no photos of him running around shaking the pig and flinging water everywhere – I was too busy trying to stay out of range.

Fluffing and Stuffing

Once I finished the weeding (for a hot minute or two), there were a few things that needed to be shifted around.

This area in particular was not working for me. The Prairie Fire Dogwood added nothing to the composition and the area needs some contrast to the various greens & yellows. Initially I wanted to get a Wine & Roses Weigela for this spot, but I didn’t care enough to really hunt for one.

Instead I planted a Victoria Weigela, there are also some White Snakeroot ‘Chocolate’ off to the left.

I also moved the Hosta ‘Grand Slam’ (between the Japanese Maple and Hardy Hibiscus) and the arrangement is more pleasing IMHO. There is an empty pop bottle in the yard because of that character in the pool above.

Sedum for the win…

The back row of hosta in this bed were struggling. It’s under the eave of the shed and a huge maple tree. Sedum handles dry conditions well and even though they prefer plenty of sun, they seem to tolerate shade.

Side Yard foundation planting

I’ve finally got the Chameleon weed mostly under control. The bleeding hearts are finished, but the Asiatic lilies are ready to pop any day. This bed is about 4 years old, so the Golden Tiara hosta clumps are getting pretty big. I had to move two Astilbes that were getting smothered. The Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ are also a bit bigger than anticipated, the two Heuchera ‘Silver Scrolls’ needed shifting to give them some space.

Calling all Hummingbirds

I am making a determined effort to attract hummingbirds this year, we will see what happens.

This bed was new last year. I moved the Hosta Sun Power here along with Spartacus (new last year) and the Huechera Black Pearl. I’ve added some Lamium for contrast. Who knows, maybe it will choke out some weeds.

New additions this year were 7 Lamium, 3 Heuchera Purple Palace, and about 9 new Hosta. Other than the perennials, I planted 3 flats of Impatien, 1 of Nicotiana and another of Marigolds.

2018 Goals

I’m not into making New Year’s resolutions, but I do have a few goals for the upcoming year.

I know most people reading this came here by way of a topiary turtle, and I’m happy you’re here, thrilled really, but as much as I love Fred I don’t want to spend all of my time making topiary. It’s expensive and doesn’t really fill any of my needs. If you’re currently following this blog, you’ve probably noticed the last few posts are sewing related. I hope you aren’t too disappointed that my first 2018 goal is to…

Sew more

Sewing satisfies me on every level. Choosing fabrics that are economical and wearable, in colors, prints and textures I like. Cutting out fabric and lining up my projects. Pressing each seam as it’s sewn and watching a garment take shape from flat fabric. Oh and the results! Sure some of my attempts have hit the trash, but when I wear the successes and they fit properly? That is heaven.

So I will continue to sew and share my makes here, I still have a few wardrobe gaps that need filling. I’ll probably also take part in some weekly sewing challenges from the Facebook group 52 Week Sewing Challenge, provided the result fulfills a actual need. I’m not interested in owning patterns or fabric just for the sake of having it, I’m interested in sewing items that will actually be used, which brings me to my next goal…

Spend mindfully

I follow two types of Facebook groups, Sewing groups and Hosta groups. Occasionally I get put off by the excess I see. Honestly? There is a fine line between pursuing a hobby or spending money as a hobby.

The Hosta groups…

In the Hosta groups I see it all the time – gardens full of Hosta with only one or two eyes that you know are all new. Collections are lovely, when they are carefully curated over time. Some hosta take up to 5 years to reach maturity so if those single eye babies make it, you’ll be searching out new homes for them.

It’s not only that they get bigger, it’s that some of them look different too. Hosta collectors who build their collections over time have gardens that are so much lovelier. You can see the careful selection and layering of color, pattern and texture. That isn’t something you can replicate in a single season no matter how much money you spend.

Gardening is a marathon not a sprint. If you’ve got hundreds or even thousands to spend in a single season, it’s better spent building ‘good bones’ for your garden with hardscaping. The plants themselves will evolve over time as they should.

The Sewing groups…

Oh the sewing groups! Have you ever watched Hoarders? There is a reason that you see a sewing machine in nearly every episode. Some of the women in these groups are super frugal, repurposing old clothing and carefully planning their pattern purchases. But some women get into such a buying frenzy when sales are announced that they end up buying the same patterns multiple times!

So as much as I love having clothing that fits me and makes me happy to wear it, I have zero intention of falling into the trap of filling my house with shelves and totes of fabric or boxes and boxes of patterns. I prefer using patterns that I’ve already prepped and adjusted for fit, so some of my posts will show how I used those patterns to achieve a certain look. Otherwise known as pattern hacking. I also prefer sewing garments that will get used often, so my pattern and fabric purchases are carefully selected for garments that fit my lifestyle and taste.

Get rid of stuff

My house is small, just 1,000 square feet with no basement or garage. The rooms are laid out oddly – it was built as a summer cottage, and there isn’t much closet or cupboard space. I did an enormous purge in the fall, but I hope to continue purging things I don’t use, need, or love.

Blog regularly

This is something I used to do daily at one time and love. I don’t think I want to go back to that level of time commitment or obsession, but I would like to blog regularly enough to build that level of community again. I also want to avoid the parts of it that are distasteful and sometimes downright slimy.

Yes, you will see advertising and affiliate links on my blog but hopefully you will also see my enjoyment and satisfaction in the projects I share. I also hope some of my projects will help someone else, either figure out how to do something or find the inspiration to take on their own projects.

Happy New Year!

How to Mount an Orchid

Lately, I’ve been seeing mounted Staghorn Ferns trending a bit. Staghorn Ferns aren’t always easy to find, but Orchids can be mounted too. And since it’s something I’ve wanted to try for a long time, I’m going to show you how to mount an Orchid.

Last year, my oldest started building a shed. When he was digging the post holes, he pulled out some really cool looking bits of tree root. I decided to use one of them to mount my orchid.

I mounted an orchid on one of them. Many orchids are epiphytes, meaning they would normally grow on trees.

Materials to mount an orchid:

Orchid – most grocery store orchids are phalaenopsis which are perfect for this. If you purchase a different type just make sure it’s one that likes growing in trees.
Bark. You can purchase cork bark in pet stores where it’s used by reptile enthusiasts, or you can purchase from Amazon using my affiliate link here.
Sphagnum moss
Thread or clear fishing line.

I started by cleaning all the existing growing media from the orchids roots. And then I forgot to take any more pictures until after I finished.

Thankfully I made a video of the process. I sincerely apologize – I had no idea I breathe that loud!

I am so happy with how my mounted orchid looks! It isn’t quite as cool as a mounted Staghorn fern, but it’s still pretty neat looking!

Have you ever grown mounted orchids?

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Flea Control that Works

I have dealt with fleas for over 25 years, as long as I’ve lived in this house and had pets. Thankfully flea control has come a long way and the stuff actually works now, because where I live the fleas also live. Recently I saw a discussion about flea control on-line and I got pretty ticked off. (Ticks are another problem where I live.)

Among the suggestions were sprinkling baking soda in the carpets and using vinegar as a perimeter spray. I’ve heard it all when I mention fleas to my neighbors, from “I just bathe my dog in Head & Shoulders” to “I just use the flea shampoo”.

Please note: This post has affiliate links, which means if you buy something through one of my links I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Every one of those suggestions is useless! Although I do shampoo my dog with Head & Shoulders for its anti-itch properties, I prefer to spend my time and money on something that works. Fleas are so hard to kill it takes 24 hours to drown them. There is no homeopathic/organic/natural remedy that will prevent or control fleas on your pet and in your home. Let me repeat myself here.

There is no homeopathic/organic/natural remedy that will prevent or control fleas on your pet and in your home.

Flea control before Advantage

Pre-Advantage days were a nightmare. I would spray cracks and crevices, under furniture and appliances because fleas lay their eggs in dusty places. Pre-Advantage was flea bathing a hissing spitting cat and then using flea spray on the same hissing spitting cat and then watching them drool big gobs of slobber on my bed. I’m sure I’ve still got the scars on my arms to prove I’ve been in the trenches when it comes to battling fleas.

The flea sprays of the time would kill fleas on contact (as long as the spray touches them) and then prevent flea eggs from hatching. I would spend $50 or so annually on these products – the best there was then – and entire weekends battling fleas. I never won the war until Advantage came on the market. Advantage turned my dog into a walking flea killer. Applied once a month any fleas that wanted to hop on that snack bar ate their last meal.

Flea Control that works!

If you really want to control fleas on your pet – get Advantage. It actually works and you won’t need to spend an entire weekend crawling on your hands and knees spraying under baseboards. We have even used Advantage on Guinea Pigs – your vet can help you work out the correct dosage – with absolutely no harm to the Pig.

Signs you’ve got a flea problem.

Excessive licking and chewing is always the first sign. It is hard to see the fleas themselves – one way to do it is firmly and rapidly rub the fur on your dogs back up and down, then quickly turn them over, the fleas will all run to the dogs belly. This is hard to do with a larger dog or a dog wary of being in a submissive position.

Even if you don’t see the actual flea – signs of flea dirt are just as accurate. You’ll see flea dirt in the crease of their hind legs mostly but also around their anus. Fleas will go to a dogs eyes and anus for moisture – which is why if you are using flea shampoo you suds up their neck and back-end before working on the rest of the dog.

Areas that your dog can easily chew will have thinning fur or bald patches. Sometimes you can see actual clip marks from their teeth in the fur from chewing. Some dogs will develop a severe flea allergy resulting in serious skin issues, including flea allergy dermatitis. Fleas feed on blood, so they can also cause anemia and even grosser than the blood sucking thing – they can give your dog or cat tapeworm.

If you have fleas

Flea products sold in pet stores are not effective. Flea shampoos will kill the fleas on the dog, but will do nothing to prevent re-infestation. There are drops sold in pet stores, made by Hartz, etc. that can work as a temporary measure but they are nowhere near as effective as Advantage or Revolution (also effective for preventing Heartworm) or any of the other brands your vet can supply. Advantage can be purchased on Amazon. It will cost more than vinegar, baking soda or borax, but it actually works.

If you’re going to put a chemical on your dog, and you will have to if you want to control fleas, it may as well be one that actually works. Let me repeat myself here.

If you’re going to put a chemical on your dog, and you will have to if you want to control fleas, it may as well be one that actually works.