Bogieblog

Transplanting a Ninebark

The ninebark in the left raised bed finally quit flowering so I could transplant that nine bark and continue deconstruction. I was just trying to figure out where to place it. Then I posted pictures of what I called Sunshine in the Sunshine. The first picture is in the backyard, and the second in the shadegarden under the crabapple

What do these cheerful flowers have in common with transplanting a ninebark? Well, a FB friend commented that she wished she had some as she remembered her past husband giving her some at her previous house. I offered her some and before she even saw the post I went out and dug some up from under the crabapple.

Looking at the hole, aha, I have something to place there. I had started digging out around the pot before I thought to take pictures.

The shrub had massive roots and I ended up haveing to chop off 3 tap roots. Figured out that the ninebark had been in that holding bed since 2015, so it was well established.

Its new spot is fairly shady so it shouldn't get stressed by being in too much sun while the roots regenerate. Gave it and the surrounding area (that was dry for the 2 feet I dug down) a good drink both before and after planting.

Hope it does well and is happy there. It is the "bushiest" of all the ninebarks I have. Naturally I'll have to keep it well watered while it adjusts to its new home.

Flowers From Week of 6/21/20

White foxglove in the wood line, don't have any idea where it came from, but it was thirsty so hooked up hose for that side of the house and gave it (and others) a drink

Couldn't even see the viewer when I took this picture from the ground

A couple of feet away I found this. Looked it up and it seems to be a red campion (yeah, I know, it is pink). Would never have guessed it was a campion since it doesn't look anything like my rose campion.

This ninebark has outstanding red flowers. Second picture is to highlight  some of the gold in the new leaves

I spied something that started with a P and an I behind the forsythia. Can't say I'm happy about it

But I was happy to see the clematis winding its way thru the repurposed lighthouse birdfeeder. You can see a tendril coming thru the middle hole

Still looking for rain. Got about 5 minutes of Friday but it wasn't enough to move the gauge. Heck, the ground was still dusty. The only way I could tell it wasn't my imagination is that the driveway was wet as well as under the dripline on the ramp. Maybe next week.

Another Peony

Here is Felix Crouse, the second type of peony that I planted last year in the roadside garden. It is somewhat darker than Madame Debatane and the scent is much less pronounced, and of a more floral bouquet.

The Rose Campion is very happy with the dry weather we have had the last 3 weeks (1/4" of rain in that time). Apparently the rogue foxglove likes it too, as it is still in bloom.

Those, and the wild, invasive roses in the swamp are about the only things in bloom right now. Well, I mislead with that statement; the clematis and ninebark are still in bloom or just finishing. It looks like the butterfly weed should be blooming soon though as well as some of the dayliliies, so oranges will be on display in the near future.

The Eyes Don't Have It Together

If you have never experienced only getting 1 eye dilated you'll never realize how badly you actually see when both are dilated. Had the 2nd eye appointment in 9 days yesterday (yes, on a Saturday).

My right eye is the one they dilated again to check on the retinal tear I had toward the end of last month. My right eye is my "good" eye (relatively speaking) so my brain is used to trying to use that one to see. Sure, I've known that when both eyes are dilated, vision is off, but it was horrifying to really understand what it does to your vision.

Also had a Visual Field on both eyes. The test was supposed to be in late March, but was delayed because of COVID. Results showed additional abnormalities in my left eye (which has more than it's share of problems, including two cataracts). I'll have to have another VF in 4 months. I was on a yearly schedule but this is the second time in a row it has done worse so the schedule has been upped.

Doc thinks it could be the second cataract getting in the way (2nd one, in that eye showed up last year). My pressure is fairly stable even if it is elevated, as it has been for years (pressure is checked 2x year). But, she says the nerves look okay, so she doesn't think it is glaucoma - we'll just have to keep testing and taking pictures to see how things progress.

Peonies, Foxglove and Clematis

Peoniew aren't supposed to bloom the first year after transplanting, and sometimes not until 3 years later. Someone forgot to tell Madame Emile Debatene that. Both of those as well as Felix Crouse are blooming (Felix does not have open buds so isn't pictured). Madame smells as good as she looks and I cut a couple of blooms for the house.

A couple more iris deigned to bloom

A foxglove hid amognst some rogue rose campions, I don't even know where it came from. It picked a good spot as I have been mowing around the rose campions even though they are outside the landscape timbers of the stairway bed.

Two different Clematis vines, situated about 5 feet apart but they have blooms on opposite sides of the pillars.

And last, a Baptisia (false indigo) with a bumble bee

I cropped up the picture so the bee is in the very center

I should get some Felix peony blooms this week to capture, although they look much like Madame's, the size and foliage is a bit different.

Who Knew Mower Blades are a Precious Commodity?

I got my money out of this mower blade - from my Craftsman mower. Yeah, I know it is bad for grass to run them this bad, but I not only hate grass (funny since I just planted some), both lawns I mow are mostly weeds anyway.


 

Pretty proud of myself - first time I've changed one of those suckers. Hardest part was finding a 22" blade. TSC - nope only had blades for riders. Hardware Store - nope, no blades at all. HD 30 miles away - again, only rider blades. Lowes in same city as closest HD - nope, nothing at all. And that was it for my search last weekend. To be fair, the stores that only had blades for riders had big empty spots where push mower blades would have been.

This past Thursday I was out in ManchVegas for Dentist and eye appointments and stopped at the HD that is normally 40 miles away from me (but only adds a couple of miles to my trip from Manch if I take highway home). Finally, scored a generic 3 in 1 blade there. Had about a billion adapters with it, and surprise, surprise, one of them fit

Side Yard Transformation

Until late November 2016, the view from the back door, and down the ramp was this

I had that behemoth removed and my view immediately improved to the raised bed gardens.

Sorry, that side of the house has not been a pretty sight, so I usually don't take pictures down the ramp unless to show snow. The left and center gardens were originals. I had redone the center one, but the left one was n such bad shape that i just left it alone. I built the one on the right in 2015. Since then, they have held vegetables only 1 year. They had been turned into holding beds for overflow plants.

Then I got rid of the fence, but the front two raised beds were not only falling apart, but gathering junk.

Since that picture in May, I have totally removed the center bed and removed the cinder blocks to the bed on the left. I have also dug up and redistributed soil of approximately 1/2 of the left bed (teh back side). There is one ninebark shrub that had been in "holding" that I never got planted so I need to remove it. But, it is flowering right now so I will leave it alone until it is not using extra energy. I covered the soil where the center bed had been with heavy garden fabric to keep the weeds and grass from immediately taking over.

Center area with sod

The sod covers the center area, plus where the propane tank used to be. That area never really took hold with grass/weeds and still had a decent-sized depression. I added soil that came from the center bed to even that area out before laying the sod.

I think I will leave that bed on the right. It has some creeping phlox in it as well as some tansy (most of the tall plants in front). There is an oak trying to grow in there, which would be a nice change from all the maples around. I may transplant the poor ninebark over there if I can't find a suitable site for it.

As for vegetables, I don't need that many, and this is the first year since 2016 I've had time to deal with them. I bought some portable raised beds last year, and finally took them out for use this spring. The location and the fact they are on white pavers grab my attention so I remember to water them (they have a huge reservoir below, so only need watered every 5-7 days). Two tomato plants and two basil are in the back planter. Three peppers (bell and mildly hot) along with a lemon thyme in the front planter.

Pay no mind to the wire around the peppers - they came out of the center raised bed and I needed a place to put them :) . The tomatoes have cages and once they outgrow those, they will have the fence for support. The rocks on the pavers were for holding a bed sheet in place to protect from frost  we had at the beginning of the month and will be moved soon.

Blooms for the First Week of June

All I've got for this week are a couple of flower pictures.

This was taken the first day of this month and tries to highlight the Purple Sensation Allium. These are supposed to get 3' tall, so I planted them in back of the roadside garden. Unfortunately, they are presenting short this year (2'). Doesn't help that one of the peonies (at left of pic) has decided to reach for the skies even though it is only supposed to be 2' tall, means they can't really be seen from the road. Maybe once the allium has another year or two, it will get taller. I know that maple will get taller, so the foliage will be out of the way.

The iris blooms are pretty sporadic - each of these were the only ones of their color to even be interested in blooming (aka, have buds). Maybe they are just ahead of their class and the others will catch up. Pics taken 6/4/20

Variegated weigala disappointed me at first. Took this picture on 6/5/20 and the blooms were almost totally white.

Only one day later, 6/6/20, and look at the difference

And last, but certainly not leas, The focus of this picture was the squirrel that thought it was a bird. Only while posting it in FB did I realize that it also showcased a vivid red geranium (given to me by the gal that picked up the old fence posts), and salvia in one of the planters on the back porch railing. Then, it was pointed out to me that in the background is also a nice shot of my shaded sitting area.

That's it for this week folks - hope the picture brightened your day!