Whew! After a stunning weekend here in South Jersey, we've had a ton of wind and rain - and a visit from the Snow Fairy?! Sure, it was just a tiny little bit. Still, a little advice, Weather: go home, you're drunk!
The replacement to my Hypnotize rose arrived in lovely form (Thanks, Jackson & Perkins!) and is planted in the very same pot. I hope it does as well as the first one did, and has a better winter!
My husband, Gene, and I spent a big chunk of the weekend out in the backyard. I am proud to report that mine is no longer the messiest backyard in the neighborhood! Woot! We finally tackled a task that's been on my to-do list for more years than I care to admit: we cleaned out the shed. It's not even a big shed. More of a glorified closet, really. Piled full of stuff up to your waist.
Yeah, I know.
A beautiful Saturday morning, and a slight overdose of caffeine, got us out there. We went hard. We took everything out, threw away five bags of outdated and broken stuff, and reorganized what we kept.
Found:
three bags of fertilizer I forgot I had
my bocce ball set
two cans of wasp killer
a beach shovel from 2009
my bulb hole digging tool
one pair of pink swim goggles
three swim rings
the bike pump
. . .and a partridge in a pear tree!
This gave us the chance to put away a whole bunch of things that were lying around the yard. Now it's nice in there. Organized. I can barely believe it's mine!
But wait, there's more!
We also got out to the hardware store and got fresh mulch and some sweet stock. I love stock - it smells awesome! Stock is a great plant to use as a companion flower for roses. It's attractive, long-blooming, likes a lot of water, and doesn't compete for food with your rosebushes. You can get it in pink, white, and purple. We also invested in a nice shepherd's hook for my new bird feeder!
And why, you may ask, did I get a bird feeder?
We have birds! A mated pair of black-capped chickadees have finally moved into my birdhouse! I am dorkishly excited, and have dubbed them Chuckles and Marge. Chickadees are awesome - not only are they adorable, they're smart. They can remember where they've stored snacks, and how yummy those snacks are, for up to 1000 places! When the snack is gone, so is the memory of it, and new stashes of seed are remembered instead. Pretty neat! Happily, chickadees tend to remain once they've nested, and they eat bugs! Oh yeah, free pest control!
The bird feeder is also bringing me visits from other avian couples in the neighborhood - cardinals, robins, and grackles. I am very much enjoying the additional aerial traffic.
Last but not least, we also hung up a wind chime my honey got me for Christmas. It adds a wonderful layer of auditory happiness to the visual and olfactory happiness. I absolutely love the sound. It's like fairies laughing.
What are you doing in your garden?
The replacement to my Hypnotize rose arrived in lovely form (Thanks, Jackson & Perkins!) and is planted in the very same pot. I hope it does as well as the first one did, and has a better winter!
 |
| Baby Hypnotize Rose! |
My husband, Gene, and I spent a big chunk of the weekend out in the backyard. I am proud to report that mine is no longer the messiest backyard in the neighborhood! Woot! We finally tackled a task that's been on my to-do list for more years than I care to admit: we cleaned out the shed. It's not even a big shed. More of a glorified closet, really. Piled full of stuff up to your waist.
Yeah, I know.
A beautiful Saturday morning, and a slight overdose of caffeine, got us out there. We went hard. We took everything out, threw away five bags of outdated and broken stuff, and reorganized what we kept.
Found:
three bags of fertilizer I forgot I had
my bocce ball set
two cans of wasp killer
a beach shovel from 2009
my bulb hole digging tool
one pair of pink swim goggles
three swim rings
the bike pump
. . .and a partridge in a pear tree!
This gave us the chance to put away a whole bunch of things that were lying around the yard. Now it's nice in there. Organized. I can barely believe it's mine!
But wait, there's more!
We also got out to the hardware store and got fresh mulch and some sweet stock. I love stock - it smells awesome! Stock is a great plant to use as a companion flower for roses. It's attractive, long-blooming, likes a lot of water, and doesn't compete for food with your rosebushes. You can get it in pink, white, and purple. We also invested in a nice shepherd's hook for my new bird feeder!
 |
| Sweet Stock is a great companion plant for roses. |
And why, you may ask, did I get a bird feeder?
We have birds! A mated pair of black-capped chickadees have finally moved into my birdhouse! I am dorkishly excited, and have dubbed them Chuckles and Marge. Chickadees are awesome - not only are they adorable, they're smart. They can remember where they've stored snacks, and how yummy those snacks are, for up to 1000 places! When the snack is gone, so is the memory of it, and new stashes of seed are remembered instead. Pretty neat! Happily, chickadees tend to remain once they've nested, and they eat bugs! Oh yeah, free pest control!
 |
| Chuckles chilling on a windy day |
 |
| Marge with a snack |
The bird feeder is also bringing me visits from other avian couples in the neighborhood - cardinals, robins, and grackles. I am very much enjoying the additional aerial traffic.
Last but not least, we also hung up a wind chime my honey got me for Christmas. It adds a wonderful layer of auditory happiness to the visual and olfactory happiness. I absolutely love the sound. It's like fairies laughing.
What are you doing in your garden?
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