Choice Morsels

Today's Garden Pic: Pink Pampas! It's the prettiest of the Pampas, I think.   

 Interesting Garden Pics today: A Pair of Mourning Doves Resting in the Grass Next to my Patio: I snapped the shot because I've never seen them just nestled in the grass like this before. Usually, they're prowling my patio for the bird seed I throw out on the pavement so my cat can enjoy a closer look at the birdies thru the sliding glass door.  I like the cool noise they make when startled as they fly into the air. Interesting facts about Doves: They mate for life. They are strictly seed eaters. (no bugs) And they can fly 55 miles an hour. Who knew? Another Seeker After Bird Seed... This very young Box Turtle wandered out onto my patio for some seed this morning. This youngin' lives under the Hydrangea bush that's immediately around the corner to the right. It's lush with Lady Fern & Ponytail Fern; the perfect safe place. Probably delicious bugs & earthworms under there, too. I saw him come once before on a rainy day for a bit of water, then he turned aroun...

Earlier in spring, I found a baby tomato plant sprouted near my doorway and transplanted it to a raised bed. It was only about 3 inches tall. Here it is now. It was always greener and healthier looking then the store bought tomato. After making a few red medium size tomatoes, it stopped doing anything---until recently, it suddenly put a a bunch a fresh growth and is blooming again. Despite the heat. I brushed the blossom's with a paintbrush to try and make sure they were all pollinated to give them the best chance of developing. So, we'll see.  

Today's Garden Pic is a container of Caladiums with a Hosta & purple Shamrock & Ajuga in the foreground. That's two kinds of Caladium: the green & white one is called "Christmas." I forget what the red one was called, but I didn't expect any of the Christmas Caladium to winter over---but apparently a bulb did! (I found it when I was planting the red.)  The Hosta is front is a large type that wasn't doing well where it was and I moved it here, where, it's gradually been doing better and better.  I can see this area from my sliding glass door and have been trying to make it visually appearing. This one area is doing fairly well. It's sort of a work in progress. The area is under a Maple tree, so mixed sun and shade plus it's left more natural and wild with the ground thick with leaves and pine straw & mulch I throw back there. I just plant this and that back there in hopes stuff will take over.

Hope you had a Happy 4th! It finally is raining today after a week of heat. Today's Garden Pic is another Coneflower blooming out in the front bed by the mailbox. I raised a group of them from seed last fall & winter, then planted in the spring. This is one of them.  

 It is soooo hot out right now! In recent days I've waited until 7pm to mow and then only a section at a time; 20-30 minutes max.  Today I rehung my Chickadee nesting house. I had it inside, gluing a portal protector on to keep the Downy Woodpeckers from drilling on the entry. Come fall, I plan on getting a Downy nest box, so they can have their own space, though I've read they primarily want a cool weather roost. And I pick up a few sticks tossed about by recent thunderstorms. It's that rainy time of year with nearly daily storms. I have plenty of firewood now for when the weather cools off. I've read we're expecting an "arctic summer," though here that may be 88 next week instead of 98, but anything is better. Garden Photos Today: Limelight 4 O'Clocks: Really this color. Bright lime leaves with magenta flowers. There's a story about these: I bought it as seed once, but never have more. I had one and saved seed from it and got 2 with the second mo...

While my tomatoes and the first round of squash are done, my cucumbers are just coming on!   I often find them standing on end like this. These are pickle cucumbers, so they grower to a shorter length; about 5 inches. They makes them quicker to enjoy. They mind the summer heat less and if I keep them picked they could last all season. I also planted a couple more spaghetti squash; one seed from packet and one I saved from a squash and both have come up. Here's a bunch picked: My favorite way to eat them is peeled & sliced with a touch of salt, Dill Weed and sour cream.