Bogieblog

Thanksgiving Cactus

My Thanksgiving cactus bloomer right on time (who knew that there are Christmas, easter and Thanksgiving cactus?)

I don't do anything special with this plant and it bloomed 3-4 times this year. It is in the living room bay window and I water it about every two weeks. Looking online, you are supposed to keep them moist - ha, this one should ever be so lucky. Actually, if I keep it moist it starts looking a bit shabby, so I let it dry out on a regular basis. It also gets full sun - although with our rainy and snowy fall, there has been little sun, so it has experienced a lot of unintentional darkness. And, the bay window is cool during the winter since I keep the drapes closed to conserve heat - but none of that explains it blooming at other times of the year. Oh well, I enjoy the blooms and that is all that counts.

I had to take a lot of pictures before I could get the ones posted above. Some of the other pictures:

Last of the Fall Color

On 11/3, shortly after noon I snapped a couple more pictures of the October Glory Maple.

Good thing I got those pictures as a couple of hours later both it and the burning bush were bare of leaves from strong winds.

The next day I snapped these photos of the yard - how it has looked pretty much since September (besides the leaves)

The side of the yard by the swamp is also under water. I didn't bother taking pictures as there are so many leaves on top, it isn't obvious in pictures. Sunday afternoon I scooped all the leaves out of the culvert between my yard and the trailer to help the pond there drain. The culvert wasn't clgged and was running well, but I figured that being proactive wasn't a bad thing.

Previously, on Sunday morning, I had been driving to Concord to attend a HOG meetig and turned around to take these pictures.

It is not unusual for the High Tide to flood during the spring when the Contoocook River runs high from rains and snow melt. But it rarely floods during the fall. On my way back home, going over the bridge on Rt 149, I saw the river was nearly as high as I'd ever seen it and close to lapping over the stone wall that some apartments are built on. Those apartments are in an old mill building that was designed to let flood water thru, so there was no danger there, but was startling to see.

NH is still very fortunate that we aren't in drought and dealing with fires, nor is there much true, life-altering flooding, and my basement has stayed dry, so all is good. The biggest danger is we've had high winds for the last couple of days, which can take trees down because of soil saturation not allowing the tree roots to hold itself in place.

 

Trees of Color

The October Glory Maple is really looking good (all pics taken a couple of minutes ago)

The Autumn Blaze is starting to show that it wants in on the action

Comparison of the two trees. October Glory is down below, Autumn Blaze is in foreground, and the red behind the AB is still the burning bush, which I think arrested its change a couple of weeks ago - right after I took the last picture.

Oh, and the real comparison is the scrub maples.

Two weeks ago I could barely see the garage, could not see the cars, and certainly couldn't see the blue house across the road.

The Seasons are Slowly Turning

First, a picture os Spot - she loves to lay on the stuffed tiger above the desk when I am on the computer.

Next, some fall pictures taken last Sunday

Penstemon

Burning bush

October Glory maple starting to turn

Yesterday the October Glory looked like this

Good thing I placed a water loving tree in that spot - it has been constantly flooded for the last couple of months. This summer I have felt I've been transported to Seattle with all the rain and dark, gloomy skies we've had. That happens some years, but is not the norm. This week will be a shock as the moring temps will be in the low 30's. So far we have had mostly warm, 50's and 60's, mornings. the days may not have gotten much warmer than that, but we haven't really experienced much cold.

Weed-proofing

We;;, as close as one can get anyway. I hate weed wacking even more than mowing, so since last year the area next to the garage wall has been covered with landscape fabric to kill off most of the weeds there. I've had the rock and sand for several weeks and today I decided to do the deed. I ripped up the old fabric, stripped off the sod, dug in for the edging and put it in place. Installed a new double layer of landscape fabric, then rock. The sand went to the outside of the edging.

Naturally I ended up a couple of bags short of rocks

With a storm coming I cleaned up everything and called it a day - just in time too.

Blooming Good Time

The lilies I planted last weekend have started blooming. Not everything was what I expected . . .

Right side planter (looking at chair): The pink ones are Roselilies. The white ones have a tag saying they are another pinkish-purple lily called Acapulco  but I'm not convinced :). Both are tall and very aromatic. I can smell them at my back door. I clipped 1 flower off the Roselily plant and placed it in the living room. It is making the whole house smell good. Glad I stayed with one flower as an entire stalk would have been overpowering.

Left side planter: Sunny Bonaire lilies. These are shorter and the scent isn't as strong as the two taller lilies, but they still smell nice.

Sunny Azores are beside the Bonaires. The buds are decieving because they have a pink/purple stripe, but they open up to white flowers with a yellow center (just what is shown on the tag).

The Gayfeather beside the front door is opening and inviting bees to take a taste

A couple of day lilies in the driveway garden. The darker ones have been attacked by some sort of fly (not Japanese Beetles), so doesn't look as good as it should.

Some sort of sunflower-type in the shade garden

 

Update to Woods Sitting Area

When last I showed the New Woods Sitting Area, it looked unfinished. Only took a couple of weeks to get the rest of the materials for finishing (mind you I had no plan so was winging it), and a couple of trips to Agway for plants (again, no plan - just what caught my fancy), but yesterday I got the job done*

From the back porch (zoomed slightly)

From directly in front of the area. The bird bath is supported by two sapling stumps and a rock.

To the right (as facing): I placed a wood lot-look planter with two oriental lilies (almost ready to bloom) as focal points and to either side are columbines.  Note that there was a casualty to the three ferns I planted previously. Something really liked one of the painted ferns, and dragged it away. Last weekend I replaced that one with a hosta from the driveway garden that was getting sunbu scorched (should have known better than to place a light-leaved variety in full sun). So, although the hosta looks to be struggling, it is actually doing quite well and likes the change.

On the left (as facing), another log-look planter with 2 more lilies. There is a columbine between the two tall plants and a creeping winter berry on the right. Note that the foxglove is still there, just behind the planter. Since I didn't plan ahead of time sometimes things like that happen :)

The log-look planters have been hanging iout in the shed since last fall. Our local TSC had a huge fall sale and I got them for about $20 each (66% discount). At the time I got them I had no plans, just knew they would come in handy one day. When I got the lilies from Agway, I had actually expected to place a barrel planter where the bird bath is (said planter also being from a sale last year). However, that planter was smaller than I thought, so the 3 lilies I bought wouldn't fit - then I remembered the log planters. And yes, I had to go back to Agway for the 4th lily.

* The bird bath top will need to be painted so it either blends better, or at the very least is better looking. It is very old and was here when I bought the place - I found it in the overgrown garden under the crab apple. The broken pedestal has always been in the woods on the other end of the property

New Woods Sitting Area

After cleaning out a good portion of the woods, or at least the largest stacks of branches, leaves and shrubs that were attracting undesirables, I had to do something other than just leave it. So, a new sitting area is in the making.

These pictures are from last Saturday (6/30/18).

Some stones I picked up from a BBS with the old rocker that I brought from the old house (it was my BD present in 2003). To the right of the stones are a couple of ferns that I got from a local nursery and to the left is a pot with a couple of daylilies that you will see planted in a later pic.

View from the seat which faces the shade garden. To the left is a hosta, then a hydrangea tree, some buttercups and the crabapple. Along the fence are some hydrangeas and daylilies. Only a small portion of the street is visible. You can see where the rocker used to sit just in front of the other chair to the right of the crabapple.

The daylilies that I've been holding in a pot since last year, plus the errant foxglove that was in the old holding garden at the other side of the yard.

View from the back door

Today between mowing yards, going to the dump, and doing some running around, I did some more work on the sitting area. The first two are from the back porch

This one is from directly in front of the area. One of the 3 ferns on the right got taken away by some sort of wildlife (probably that chipmunk that I befuddled - getting me back for demolishing the den). The daylilies and foxglove are doing well. It has been extremely hot the last week, and the ground is bone dry for at least the top 6", so I have been watering every night. the mulch I laid today should help keep the moisture in.

The timber is just there to help me visualize and not make a mess while pouring the stones. I did take a break after this and sat in the chair and read for a while. Got a nice breeze and after a while I heard a tink, tink and got to see a downey woodpecker getting an insect from a tree just to my left (as I was sitting on the rocker).

Still not finished, but getting there. Not quite sure what I am going to do directly behind the timber since that area is rising, but I'm sure I'll think of something.

Cleaning UP

The "woods" behind the house have been a catch all for limbs/branches, shrubs and leaves. I haven't contributed for a couple of years (taking such stuff to the dump), but one pile in particular was growing with out my help. In May I saw a rat come out from under it to eat bird seed, which I immediately stopped supplying. Then there were a bunch of chipmunks taking residence in the woods. Sure, they are cuter, but can be destructive in their own way. So over a couple of weekends I started cleaning out all the old, dead stuff - including breaking up the den which was about 3 feet high and had a diameter of about 4 feet. The rat wasn't in residence and hadn't been for some time since I didn't find a midden in the den. From my research, they keep a room for their duty but also move often between several set homes. That room, if used recently is purported to reek to high heaven when opened, so I was glad to find no bad smell.

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures before I started. But here is a shot from April 2018, before the den really started to grow. You can see a couple of openings where chipmunks used it for shelter and had tunnels.

Lets just leave it that I made two dump runs on 6/28 - one containing 9 bags of leaves and small stuff. And then took in 3 loads last Saturday morning and 2 more loads that afternoon.

This is where the den used to be. This is before I cleaned up a bit further to the right last Saturday. You should have seen a chipmunk come across where the den used to be. He kept looking around and was obviously thinking, "but I left it right here, I know I did." He even got on top of the small stumps in front and looked around. It was funny to watch, although I felt bad for disturbing his habitat.

Some woods clean up at the other end of the yard

Some of the wood from the den

7 bags of leaves and small twigs from the den (there were 2 more bags from cleaning the other end of the woods)

The truck stuffed with the first load after taking in the 9 bags of stuff.

The rest of the loads looked similar so I didn't take any more pictures.

Flower Show

Instead of real content, you shall be regaled with pictures of what was blooming this last week. Starting at the driveway garden I planted last year. First up is butterfly weed

Daisy (not Shasta, but I don't remember the cultiver

A penstemmen

Purple coneflower

Speedwell

Now to the side yard. First up is a rogue foxglove that was not planted in the former holding garden. Foxgloves are planted nearly 100' away, in the shade garden at the other side of the house though.

Clematis - I'm too lazy to look up the name though :)

Ninebark leaves

Spirea

Along the front of the house. First is a hosta with nearly dead roses behind it (I am giving up on roses)

Husker red penstemmen

Rose campion

The shade garden - the foxgloves that I actually planted

Heuchera with some solomon seal leaves in the top left

A pretty green and blue hosta

Buttercups

The leftovers from a peony

So those were all the pictures from 6/24/18. But wait, there's more. Taken yesterday

The standard orange lilies at the front of the house

Not a very good picture, but the only red and yellow daylily stil blooming in the driveway garden

The driveway garden

Okay, that is it. Hope you had fun looking at the pictures.