Saturday, October 29, 2011

Nutty Weekend

This weekend is being sponsored by the most beautiful fall weather. The sun came out first thing this morning to melt the frost. The temps have warmed to a whopping 50F (10C) with sunshine this is marvelous.

My DB went out to check on the grill. It needs a screw to hold something in place and when I looked up he was standing at the back door with something in his hand. PEANUTS!
We were surprised by how many were at the roots of this plant. It didn't grow in full sun. 
Just look at em.  I am thinking about going all around the garden and digging up the nuts.
I will wait until the frost really knocks down the foliage in hopes that there will be enough for a snack. 
Do any of you know how to process the peanuts? Maybe I can find out on line. What did we ever do withouth the internet??
My DB has been inspired to do a little weeding while out. He has plenty of help too. Luna is very casual about the whole thing. She does keep an eye on everyone. Oly, the toy poodle, is always following his own agenda.
Vinny, the Rat Terrier/Jack Russel mix, is the ever ready dog. Always on alert to any creature that dare come into the garden. Woe be it to any squirrel that dare set foot into this garden while he is on patrol. 

Obviously we are dog-sitting this weekend. I am so pleased that they can be outside today. They will be ready for a nap this afternoon and will sleep good tonight with all this exercise.
I want to leave you with a picture of Ramona Clematis, one of the last blooms of the season. I hope your weekend is full of sunshine and lively companions. 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Bringing in House Plants etc

On October 3rd I brought in most of our house plants.  This included this huge fern that has taken over our dining room.  Yesterday I finally figured I had better give it a good watering and bring in the last few plants outside.  I needed to get a good drip pan under this fern.  It is in a long shallow terra cotta pot and it will be a long winter for it inside. I had it sitting on some heavy duty aluminum foil. I knew that wouldn't last because it is so heavy to move around.
My only choice for this job was a big stainless steel pan I had under the plants in the other room. So I gathered individual saucers for the other plants. Just imagine my surprise when I moved that big ole pan to the floor for the exchange I found a tree frog sitting in that pan. It appeared to be hunting sow bugs. I dashed back to my DB's room to ask him to come take photos for me.
Isn't he just adorable?
No, not my DB the little frog. Although my DB is adorable too.
We watched him eat at least 3 sow bugs. I didn't have sense enough to use the video setting on my camera to get  the action. He was so fast. I was just amazed.
Then you could tell he was full. He didn't bother with them at all. He started hopping around the pan a little. Maybe he was looking for his winter home? We had set the pan back up on the table so my DB didn't have to stand on his head to take pictures. We (I) was so excited I took the cards in to the computer to see if any pictures turned out good.
Unfortunately while we were away he hopped out of the pan. We couldn't find him. All we could find was this and ...
 
this. Possibly his room mates. They weren't saying if he was staying with them or not.

His winter home was on the floor at the moment he departed the table top.  I hope he found which plant he came in with and snuggled back down for a long winters nap. I played a tree frog call last night in hopes it might react. I guess it is just the wrong time of year. He wasn't to be fooled.
This episode made me glad that I don't put poison on my plants before I bring them inside. I just hose them off good and hope for the best. I think the best happened. Have you ever brought in more than your plants when you bring them inside?


Monday, October 17, 2011

Foliage Follow Up - Minature Shrubs

For the foliage follow-up this month I want to show you what I did with the small shrubs I found at K&W Greenery in Janesville, WI. Picea abies 'Dans Dwarf' is a bun of Norway Spruce. Leaves are very small and light green. It gets 6inch by 10inches in 10 years. Another is Cham pisifera 'Baby Blue Ice'.It has darker blue foliage that looks icy, especially when there is new growth. The third one is a mini Chamecyperis 'mop' of some sort that I don't have a tag for. Darn the luck.

With these I have created another small Fairy Garden in a basket planter that I had. Here is what I had in this basket this summer...
This little guy will hold court in this minature garden.
Not only did I put these minature shrubs into this basket I left the minature hostas that had been there all summer.  I added some dwarf mondo grass, chocolate chips ajuga and some Scotish moss to the mix. I think I will be very pleased with it when it all starts growing in.   
This also gave me a place to display a few of my favorite rocks. The large one in the middle was given to me many years ago by a friend that brought a piece of Plymouth Rock.
For those of you that have Foliage Fever this time of year please do a post and link to Pam at Digging who hosts this meme each month. Right now she is busy promoting local Nurseries. I am happy to say these plants were all purchased at local nurseries. I should say Local in that they weren't purchased at Big Box Stores. I tend to purchase plants as I travel around.  If you want a closer look at the small shrubs you can click to enlarge the photos. I hope you all are enjoying the lovely fall weather. Let us see your fall foliage.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Perfect Weather This GBBD

This day 4 years ago Greenbow blog was created. I was encouraged by Carol at May Dreams Gardens who is the Hostess for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. People like me all over the world post their blooms the 15th of each month and then link on Carol's blog. If you would like to share your blooms put up a post then head over to Carol's and put the url to the post on Mr Linky. Thanks so much for hosting Carol and for all your encouragement to all gardeners.

A lot has happened at Greenbow over the past 4 years. Yet when I look around it seems like a lot stays the same too.

Blooming this month is the periscarias: Lance Corporal with it's wirey stems with little dots of red blooms is so unusual. Everyone likes them when they see them blooming. They are difficult to capture in a picture.
 Red Dragon has these tiny white flowers that will last until a series of hard frosts take them out. They also do well in flower arrangements. They resemble baby's breath except they have red stems that lend another color to your arrangement.
The white Japanese Anemones are blooming up a storm. Unfortunately the Pink ones just didn't bloom well this year.
Two Toad Lilies are blooming. Togen and 
"Empress" does impress. 
Those sweet little hardy cyclamen are continuing to bloom.
A few annuals are also blooming...Hyacinth Bean Vine hits it's stride this time of year.
Begonias in the window box just outside my window.

Alyssum, Geraniums, Black and Blue Salvia.
All in all, despite the droughty fall we have a few blooms. What is blooming in your garden?

New Blogger, Old Blogger

     All I can say it is difficult to deal with change. This new Blogger format is not as user friendly in my opinion. I guess I will get us...