My Omaha Garden

Spring 13 Blooms

2013-06-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's what's happening in my garden these days:

These irises usually don't bloom till July! And they have spread so much in one year! I didn't plan that.

The irises are lighter this year. Usually they're very dark purple, nearly black. Did this happen because I divided them?

New plant.

To the left in the same bed as the irises. DH's weather station, and the hostas, aka "bunny salad bar," doing better this year.

The crabapple tree! Nicely trimmed and top still bearing fruit. Still provides lots of shade, but in a better way.


Under the crabtree, there's this downspout on the corner of the sun room. We have had so many problems. Hopefully, this will help resolve them. I am concerned about varmints climbing up the spout like a little ladder. Any suggestions? It's about 5" diameter.

On east-facing wall of back of the garage. I planted catnip here; I hope the cats will scare the rabbits away! Should grow about a foot or two high, hide the ugliness, and attract the kitties.

My patio pots. The fuschia isn't standing upright, but I love 'em this year.

Two years ago we had terrible flooding. Last year we had terrible drought and heat. This year it is beautiful weather, including just enough evening rain so that we haven't had to run the sprinkler. The squirrel diggings were reseeded, and look full and lush (look behind the patio pots; that was all dug up last fall).

Here in Nebraska, we tend to complain about the bitter cold of winter, then turn around and complain about the oppressive humid heat of summer. I've been purposely not doing that, and these days it's easy to just enjoy the blessings of the weather. Husker Sangrias on the shaded evening patio at 78 degrees? Yes, please!

Cheap Fix for Stumps!

2013-06-16T15:35:00.001-05:00

Not sure what happened with the stump contractor. We had to reschedule a few times. The guy is related to the guy who cut the trees. I sent payment and never heard back.

Then, as we were waiting for better weather, I noticed the stump area in the back, where the tree was removed last fall, still had shoots coming up. Messages were left at both businesses asking if I should retreat with stump rot before they come, after they come, or what, and never heard back.

The stumps were small, one about 6" diameter, the other about 5". But we didn't like them just ... there. I searched the Interwebz for info on DIY stump removal. We didn't want to dig huge holes in the yard, and then have to refill them. We sure weren't going to set them on fire! Renting a grinder was not in our best interest. How were we going to address this?

We turned to DIY, but we didn't "grind" them. The stump rot had done its job on the backyard stump, and time had done its job on the side yard stump. We had #1 Son take his ya-yas out on the stumps with an axe, to about 2" below the surface. Then just to be sure, we treated them again with stump rot ($8 at Westlake Ace), and covered with topsoil (1.97 at Westlake Ace). DH is going to reseed in the fall. I noticed the shoots have already gotten weaker.

So, for about $10, and without use of a gargantuan machine which would have dug up the lawn IF we could have gotten it through the gate, we took care of our stump issue. It'll be a couple of years before the hump in the backyard is flattened, sure, but we can live with that.

Can't beat free!

Garden Too-Soggy-Day: Can't Do Nothin'

2013-04-17T09:36:00.000-05:00

There is lots to be done in my garden, but this wicked weather won't cooperate. Rain, hail, sump pump, rain, sump pump, snow, rain, sump pump, rain, sunshine? Yay! Rain and snow predicted for tomorrow. I drove down West Dodge at 7:30 this morning, and it was a night. mare. I'm trying to get a feel for what this might mean for summer weather.

The tree stump grinding has been rescheduled twice, the crabtree pruning is still on hold, the sprinkler guys cancelled this morning due to rain and lightning. And, of course, I need to have Brad the bug guy out, but since he sprays outside, too, that has to all be coordinated.

The Purple Martin Scout Report shows Nebraska covered with purple dots. Still no takers in my yard, though. Even the sparrows are avoiding the bird house this year so far. I don't get it. Looks like it's in line for being sold this fall. Any takers in Omaha?

Hope the weather is great in your neck of the woods. Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday .

Garden Tuesday on Wednesday -- Heeere, Birdie, Birdie!

2013-04-10T19:13:00.001-05:00

The Purple Martin Scout Report shows the Omaha area covered with sightings. I awoke the day before Easter to the song of the martin, and assumed they were a block away at my neighbor's colony. I quickly put up the pole and house, thrilled that this might be The Year!

The pole is telescoping, with four sections held in place with tension clips. They've worked so well in past years that it's been difficult to slide them down as needed. Wouldn't you know it, the third pole keeps sliding down. I've fixed it four times, and each time it's down within a day. I know I wouldn't like it if my house kept dropping three feet. Sometimes it takes a while to get out there to fix it. Once this nasty cold rain stops and things dry out a little, I'll go out there and try a few tricks to get it to stay up.

Speaking of weather, I hope you all survived the unexpected golf ball sized hail yesterday evening. Wasn't that scary? I talked with someone this morning who drove through it. All the rain kept our sump pump running all. night. long. (We need a new check valve.)

Shared on Facebook by Sempeck's Bowling & Entertainment

Anyway, the birds have not taken up residence in my yard yet. The good news is that the sparrows haven't, either. Since we're still going to have the crabtree extensively pruned, maybe this year it will bear less fruit and the sparrows will go elsewhere. We have many more robins this year than I remember seeing in the time we've lived here.

The forsythia are just starting to show tips of their yellow blooms. The bright yellow daffodils got pelted with the hail, so I hope they come back. No grape hyacinth budding yet. I suppose I should go out there and clean up what I didn't get to in the iris bed last fall (they hang on forever and it snows over them). I'm hoping to see healthy and lovely hosta this year.

And, of course, there is Peter Rabbit. There are two distinct rabbit paths across our backyard. One hits an area of the fence where I cannot find an opening through or under it. The other goes to a definite under-fence escape route, and I will enlist the help of my boys in carrying some old concrete (from fixing the fence posts) back there to bury and block the opening. I haven't seen Pete yet this year, but I know he's out there. Heeeeere, Hawkie, Hawkie, Hawkie!

That's what's happening in our yard. Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday .

A Weird Outside Week

2013-03-29T06:33:00.000-05:00

Single-digit wind chills early in the week, 68 degrees yesterday..... welcome to Omaha weather! It's been difficult to plan because of odd weather patterns. Last year it was consistently in the high 70s and low 80s at this time -- I remember explaining to our European exchange student that no, this was not typical weather, but yes, enjoy it while you can.

The grass is suffering from the pushme-pullyou weather, with brown patches and footprint freezing. And trash blown about on Wednesdays always ends up in our north side yard (that's what boy children are for, right?). No buds on the trees yet, and no bulbs pushing up, either, which surprises me.

I'll try to clean up two back flower beds, the one closest to the house/windows and the one that hosts the bird house, this weekend or maybe Monday while #1 is still home on spring break.

My DH kindly brought the purple martin house and pole down from the outside attic last weekend. Today I'll will wipe it off, and get out in the yard to clean up the pole hole where it will be raised. Saturday it must go up. April 1 (Monday) is the theorized arrival date of scouts to the Omaha area. I doubt they'll be here then, because they're smart birds, but I want to put out the welcome mat. Plus, there haven't been many posted sightings yet in southeast Nebraska.

This year we have one less tree in the backyard, which opens up a flight path. In that same area a few years ago, the fence was knocked down by a "non-tornado" and I saw purple martins enjoying their freedom until the fence section went back up. So I have high hopes this year!

And if they choose not to take advantage of the amenities I provide again this year, then I believe I will sell the house and pole and wipe the dust off my feet. We'll also plant a replacement tree.

That's what's happening in our yard. Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday .

Less Gardening For Me This Year

2013-03-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm making a lot of changes in my life these days. Among them are measures to make my life easier. Last fall I decided to ditch the decrepit square foot containers and skip that this year.

My tomatoes didn't really produce the last couple of years. And last year I bought better quality plants. *shaking head* The lettuce was iffy. The carrots never grew, nor the onions. We're eating more organics these days, but I'm finding great deals in the stores that make vegetable gardening moot. Sort of.

I do, however, enjoy fresh herbs. I bought a healthy chive plant from the grocery store last fall, but I put it at the kitchen window, which faces north, and it died from low light and cold. I have no south-facing windows, by the way, except a skylight in the boys' bathroom (ew!). So this year I decided to start thyme and rosemary from seeds, and they are just beginning to come up, by an east-facing window, hidden behind the TV. (I tell you, this house is just not set up for plants!) I used organic seed starter potting mix with fertilizer. Sounds like an oxymoron, but it's working well.

Also starting are aubrieta, which are perennials, so a good start will assure years of beauty, right? RIGHT? The package shows purple flowers, which will go nicely with the rest of the yard. Fingers crossed.

I want to share what my DH got me for my birthday. It's the perfect thing!

It's a stepping stone! There are some really cool things about this. Our house is medium/dark green with cream trim and patio awning; there is a faux green finish to the "stone" with creamy-gold accents. We have bright orange day lilies in our yard; this brings that element to another part of the yard. Many of the accent flowers in our yard are purple; the purple butterfly is perfect. And who knows....maybe that butterfly will finally attract purple martins to the house! We do have a stepping-stone path through the flower bed under the crabapple tree. There is a bare spot in another part of that bed, and this will fit it just fine, thankyouverymuch. Thanks, Honey!

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday .

Purple Martin Scout Report

2013-03-14T11:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the Purple Martin Scout Report for 2013. Looks like 3-4 weeks away as of today!

Squirrel Mischief!

2013-03-14T11:07:00.002-05:00

Omigosh! I'm so sorry, garden peeps! Things got really, REALLY crazy last fall, and I dropped the ball. Sorry!

First, let me share with you some squirrel mischief! Yes, more rodents to join the rabbitsssss. Here's what they did to our lawn in one day/night/morning in October.

We weren't sure what exactly did it at first. But a friend in another part of town actually caught a squirrel in the act, doing the same in his yard! In broad daylight! The grass is pulled up and peeled back, exposing the soil and roots, and we don't know why. The grass surrounding the digging is weirdly dead. We have not had issues with grubs in this area, the lawn was quite healthy, and there were no nuts buried there.

I tamped down the "squirrel divots" and prayed for the best. But the darn animal came back night after night. Are squirrels really nocturnal? Anyway, we overseeded, but the turf is still a mess. So we decided to have a lawn care company take care of our grub control and fertilizing this year, to be sure the right stuff goes down at the right time, in the right spots. We crunched the numbers and found it's a good deal for us this year, especially with visitors coming in May and some other work being done.

The playfort is gone, and we had the small tree taken down, as well. The little purple tree never really flourished in the 12 years we've been here (planted before we got here); arborist said the species is prone to infestation. Next month we'll have its stump ground, along with an older stump outside the fence. I was encouraged to plant another tree about 5 feet from where the other one was, so we'll be getting a real tree (not a sapling this time) in the ground, too.

And we will have the crabapple tree addressed. This year it gets a long-overdue haircut (or rather, amputation) by the arborist. I was told last fall that it wouldn't hurt it to cut way back. Another interesting thing is about the bark. Remember how I was concerned about it splitting? The tree guy said it was okay, and normal, even. Okie-dokie, then. He was more interested in the amount of fruit. Well, it's all gone now, thanks to the Nebraska winds.

So we start the spring season (okay, it's a week away) with big projects. I've got herb and flower seedlings started inside, but that's another post.

Garden Tuesday: Speaking of Bugs

2012-08-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Ick, ick, ick! It's been a couple weeks of dealing with bugs. We finally got some rain (yay!), and "normal" temperatures, and it brought out the bugs. Lucky me to discover their abundance.

For starters, that lovely spider web (yes, I know it's an arachnid, not an insect, but it's still a bug) in the crabapple tree belonged to the ugliest darn thing! He was huge, bulbous, cream-colored, and menacing. He came down with some of the upper-branch fruits that needed to be trimmed away. He's gone now, but I'm having nightmares.

And the mosquitoes found their way to human flesh. That scares me because of the West Nile virus, so we're just being extra careful.

I discovered two large ant hole openings near the back patio (building up their doorways for a storm). Inside, I found hundreds of dead tiny ants, which came in during the last 3-4 weeks. (The area is behind the TV/game station, and I get it once a month.) So the barrier spray is working as it should, although the buggers are trying to get in.

But the most disturbing insect to this homeowner is the carpenter ant. Talk about your nightmares! {shudder} We "gave away" the playfort over the weekend; actually, it fell apart as it was being taken down.

We had no idea it wasn't going to be usable! (Those carpenter ants are pretty sneaky, with their damage on the inside.) The taker was kind enough to haul away the unusable wood and keep the plastic parts, so after we helped him load up, we took a look at the vacant area. The hardwood mulch and the wooden structure had been a palace and playground for some of the largest ants I've seen in Nebraska. We were going to rake up and reuse the hardwood mulch, but I think now it's going to be purged.

There is a smaller tree also in the backyard that I noticed this spring was infested with insects, which I now realize is the same carpenter ant. It's dead halfway up, and the top portion did not leaf out well this year. I had already planned to have an arborist out this fall to address that (take it down).

One call to Brad the bug guy, and he came out assess the situation. Fortunately, he said they're far enough away from the house that they likely won't head for it, and our fall spraying in a month or so should be sufficient. He said they may go to the fence (better than the house, but still not good). We've been through carpenter ants before, and termites, and they are quite destructive, so I hope they just go away. HA! I sprayed the area anyway with ant stuff.

At least the bugs are staying outside. The ones I see inside have met their end; the flies that get in are gone quickly, and there are very few other carcasses I vacuum up. (Except those tiny ants.) We're supposed to get 100-degree weather again tomorrow, but after this round, and with the next cool-down, I'll get out there and start preparing the garden for fall. Little by little.

How are the bugs in your yard? Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday: Around the Yard

2012-08-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

Today I'm presenting the Back River Birch. It's in the backyard, gets runoff from the downspout, as well as sprinkler water, and gets full sun.

The watering can is for size perspective, and the pic was taken at 8:15 am. Three years ago, this was literally a twig with roots. Now, it's easily 7-8' tall, filling out, and is really healthy! I worried about the river birches because of the drought, but I am pleasantly surprised! There are green shoots at the top, probably due to some cooler weather this week, and a tiny bit of evening rain. Eventually, this tree should get to be 75' high or taller, and will shade corner windows (to the left just outside the pic).

This area of the yard was landscaped designed as a large tree/flower bed that would accomplish form and function. The former owners left us the plan so we could finish it out. We've had irrigation issues, and installing the bed was not on our priority list when we had the system installed. So the idea became a tree, rather than a bed that would entail redoing the sprinklers. I plan to fertilize again this fall, as that worked well last time. Hopefully, he'll double in height again next year.

I am very proud of the trees I planted a few years ago. They were saplings from the Arbor Day Foundation, and we got a nice variety. The red maple went in the front yard for shade from the evening sun. Two river birches were planted on opposite sides of the house, each to shield large windows. Two quaking aspen were planted just outside the side fence, in a triangle with one inside the fence to make a "grove"; the inside one was an Arbor Day giveaway to my son 8 years ago, and while they told the kids they probably wouldn't grow, ours took off and is easily 100' high now (not kidding).

Also around my yard today, I took a look at the neglected flower bed along the fence behind this tree.

I did weed and mulch it this spring, but with the extreme heat, I did not go back out. My poor drooping irises! Must tend to those soon. They're late bloomers and kind of hidden now, so I don't usually remember to take care of them after the blooms. And usually the flowers are abundant, but the heat/drought quashed that, too.

I took a pic of an awesome huge spider web from the crabapple tree drip line down to the mini azaleas. But it doesn't translate well in the camera. Yes, the insects are buzzing and crawling quite happily now that it's below 100 degrees. There were pretty big mosquitoes out last night.

Oh, I did get two more small tomatoes from my plants. There are two more green ones on one plant, and blooms but no fruit on the other. More disappointing each year. I may give up on that garden and just concentrate on perennials and trees from now on.

How's your yard coming along? Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday: Telltale Signs

2012-08-08T05:27:00.001-05:00

Pretty hosta fleurs! I really didn't think I'd see any this year, so I'm Thrilled! Wish I'd gotten the pic when they were newer.

Taller than usual, but also more lavender-ish than the creamy flowers from last year. I like them. Maybe it has something to do with the drought.

As if the hot weather patterns weren't enough, we've deduced additional sprinkler issues. The death patterns in the lawn reveal problems from both issues.

We've given up on the lawn for the year, only watering every other day, only enough to simulate dormant conditions. At this point, it's the only sensible thing to do. Especially since a couple of sprinkler heads got broken. Darn things don't go all the way down, and are easily damaged.

We will have the lawn aerated (probably early) this year, and water well before the end of fall. And we're constantly pulling weeds! But, yeah, it's pretty much over. We fared better than many in our neighborhood this year.

And I enjoyed my first tomato, a Better Boy, very meaty and flavorful, but squishy. More are reddening. The BER plant has improved, and I believe I'll be getting some lovely fruits from it.

How did YOUR yard do this year? Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday: Too Hot To Think About

2012-07-31T08:09:00.001-05:00

We are wrapping up the driest July on record, with less than 1/100th of an inch of rain in Omaha. It's also been the hottest I can remember wherever I've lived (including the Southeast). High 90s and over 100s for most of the month, and I'm tired of it. The lawn is tired. The whole yard is tired.

The weeds, however, love it. Those creepy-crawly, manhole-cover weeds are thriving, no matter how often we get the whole roots. I decided to spare you the pics. So I got nothin' this week. Just prayers for rain and staying inside. Fortunately, we've been able to adjust the home temps for a little bit of energy savings.

Sorry for the puny post, dry as the weather. Also, I realized I didn't link up last week! Ack! HERE'S that post, which actually has pics of my tomatoes, which are improving and starting to turn red finally.

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday: Blossom End Rot -- Uck!

2012-07-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

"It's always somethin'." -- Rosanne Rosannadanna's grandmother

And right now it's blossom end rot. Funny thing. I bought both of these tomato plants at the same time, same variety, same store. Planted them the same, water them the same. One gets BER and one doesn't. I mean, clearly one is healthier than the other.

The healthy one has some huge fruits which I look forward to enjoying. The unhealthy one has produced several (6-7) small (1-2") fruits which have turned red and rotted out. At least I have the one, and I just wish the tomatoes were ripening, already.

How's your tomato crop this year?

Garden Tuesday: The Crabapple Tree, 2 Months Later

2012-07-17T07:14:00.000-05:00

Wow, has it been nearly two months since I've posted?! Shame on me.

The crabapple tree has seen an improvement! The first thing I/we did was adjust the sprinkler spray. Now the bed underneath the tree isn't directly watered. To the left of the tree, there is a sprinkler head in a far corner. At one time, we adjusted it to a 90 degree rotating spray so that, while we were on vacation, the container plants we placed under the tree for shade would also get water. The wet area included the tree and plants under it. The head wasn't adjusted properly back, and the constant soaking contributed to the bark swelling and cracking. Unfortunately, the spray head can only be adjusted so narrow, and I had to make it so that the spray hits the leaves and falls, rather than hitting lower and getting the trunk. The lawn is hit by another rotating head and gets drainage, so it works.

To the right, there is one along the patio edge. It had been set at a 180 degree rotating spray, which also hit the trunk. (Yes, I know. The installers did not listen to me, did it their way, and actually made several mistakes.) So that was adjusted to spray lower and miss the trunk, as well, so it would get more of the lawn.

The tree is doing better than in previous years. As a matter of fact, some of the branches were so overladen with fruit that I had to cut them back quite a bit (three bags worth) -- they were 1' from the ground! I hated to do it in this 100 degree heat, but it really had to be done. The crab gets water from the roots, and the drainage grading allows for plenty of that. Plus, DH is still watering the lawn regularly and everything is thriving.

I think this fall I'll have an arborist come out and prune this tree properly. Another tree has been overtaken by insects and needs to be removed, too.

The rest of my garden is doing quite well. I hope to have favorable report on the tomatoes next week. Since it's too hot (extended 100 degree days) to spend too much time outside, it's a little morning or evening work, and sort of letting the yard do its own thing this year. Here's my garden plan for the week:

Keep hand watering the tomatoes and herb pot in the back, and the little corner of lawn that isn't getting sprinklered these days.
Keep watering the hanging baskets in the front, which are doing amazingly well this year.
Try to get out in the morning shade to clean up the picker bush trimmings that DH left for someone else to do. And never told me about. I stepped on one.

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

The Crabapple Tree

2012-05-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

This is another edition of "Remember When?" Last fall I posted this article about the bark on my crabapple tree. Here's a new pic, with bark woe enhanced by fresh water (read on about that). You can really see the splits when the bark is wet:

Well, I think I figured out why we got bark splits. Remember that it wasn't insects, and it wasn't because of winter freezing and ice buildup. The foliage and fruit seem unaffected by this. The tree has always leaned (planted by previous owner) and is secure in the ground. I wondered if it was too much moisture. And it is. "Here's what's happened." (For you Monk fans.)

A few years ago, when we went on a long vacation in the middle of summer, DH and I adjusted the sprinklers to water beyond what they normally did, because it was very dry, and so that the potted vegs and flowers could be placed just so and be watered while we weren't there. When we got back, they didn't get readjusted. The following spring, some of them did. Except for two. Which hit the tree. One hits it halfway up! I know, right?!

DH likes to water the lawn at 4:30 am. (Let's not get started on that discussion, please.) I'm usually in bed, trying to fall back asleep at that time. This week, I asked him to start it later (6 am). The backyard zones disperse at about 7:30 (yup, really big lawn, ten zones), so I have seen two days of the tree getting doused too much in the wrong places. This explains why the tree is damaged on all sides, and why the branches are damaged, too, not just the trunk. There is no splitting above where the water hits.

So tonight we adjust the sprinkler heads, again. This should prevent further damage, but I'm not sure how to fix the current situation. Any suggestions? Should we wrap it?

Garden Tuesday: Azaleas!

2012-05-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

It should be a great day in my garden. Temps quite pleasant (65 up to 75), sunny, not very windy. There is so much to do! But first an update.

Remember the beautiful white flowers on the shrub in my backyard?

I saw the same plant at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago: azaleas! I never, ever thought there would be azaleas in Omaha, Nebraska! I'd always believed they were not hardy, and should only be planted in zone 7 or higher. These are a mini version, obviously, and I've never seen plain bright white (just pink, peach or red), so I never thought of azaleas. Furthermore, I know from my 16 years in Atlanta, that azaleas require high acid soil, which is why they do so well with pine mulch, and under pine trees there. Mine are under a crabapple tree, which definitely does not produce high acid soil. "I'm so confused!" Every year, when the daffodils and grape hyacinth in the same flower bed die out, I'd been tying the leaves so that the soil gets more nitrogen. Last year, however, I got lazy, and just cut them all back. I'm wondering if that had something to do with the abundance of flowers this year. Regardless, I now know what they are, and can take care of them better.

So today I finally have the time and energy to get out there. The daisies have taken over my yard, so I have to pull those up before they sow. Some late fall bloomers were left unattended amid the hassle of my life, and their debris needs to be addressed (yes, I know it's the end of May). There are many weeds in one particular flower bed where I cut the shrubs back last year. I'm going to be the Terminator.

Already there is much trimming to do. The crabapple has encroached the territory of the retractable awning (which is fabric and very hard to clean, no matter what they claim). The fruit is plentiful, and it needs to be pruned so the branches don't bow too much. The purple leaf tree in the back is suffering from something, and the low dead branches need to be cut away (this is new since fall). The spirea are huge already, but I think I'll wait to cut those back. And the shrubs I cut way far back two falls ago (the "chainsaw incident") already need a good trimming.

DADGUMMIT! I just looked out and saw a young bunny! What happened to the neighbor's cat?!

Anyway. The problem is that I need about another 10-20 bags of mulch. That means a few trips with my little sedan, and an extra $25-50. But it'll be worth it. We just won't eat much this month. (Actually, with one teen gone for three weeks, that's entirely probable.)

So I'm off to Westlake Ace to fill up my trunk with another 7 bags of mulch, then out to the backyard to get some exercise. This means I don't have to work out today, right?

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday: Spring Flora

2012-05-01T08:25:00.000-05:00

Isn't this shrub gorgeous! We have a few of them in the backyard under the crabapple tree. This year they are absolutely abundant with white flowers. Usually, our springs are cooler, and we only get about half the number of blooms. But the unseasonably warm weather got these going early. The flowers smell fragrant, but not sweet.

Here are the flowers close up. Just beautiful!

And this is my next door neighbor's lilac tree. She can't stand it. I never knew it was there until the huge tree got knocked down in a storm about a year after they moved in, and the sun hit the tree, making it grow and bloom. I LOVE LILACS! And these smell so very wonderful and sweet. It's too big to transplant to my garden, though. I love to sit on the patio on when there's a mild warm breeze, and enjoy the aroma of these flowers. It's hard to see them over the fence, but that's okay.

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday.

What's blooming in your garden today?

Tomatoes: Where Are the Best Plants?

2012-04-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Has anyone tried the Tomato Tree? There aren't many details about how it grows, but the web site says it grows to 8 ft. The video shows plants that appear to be "trees," but I think they're just staked extensively. I can see how that would get to 8 ft in a summer. Lotta hype about tomatoes.

I didn't have any luck with tomatoes last year. I used my Topsy Turvy -- the first year it produced a fair amount, but last year it produced nothin'. The plants were the issue, I believe. And while I'm all about buying quality plants this year, I won't buy from the same source.

Plant sale fundraisers are great as long as you get healthy plants. We've purchased hundreds of dollars worth of plants from the one at my son's school in the past 5 years or so. But I can't do that anymore. The plants offered are supposed to be from the area's best supplier, but we've had some non-productive and non-growing ones in recent years. The first blooms fade, and that's it. Or the tomatoes just don't grow. Or the ivy dries up and becomes a bird nest. Times and finances are in their own state of topsy turvy around here, so my choices need to be more practical.

What's your best source for garden plants in the Omaha area? Where are the best tomato plants?

Omigosh! It's Gardening Time!

2012-04-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! This Spring got away from me! All the gorgeous, beautiful, warm weather, and I failed to take advantage. I admit it, own it, and regret it.

We've had many, many distractions this year. We had a European visitor for a few weeks, and in the middle of that, a family medical issue out of town. So you see, I've been a tad bit distracted. When I felt like getting outside, the tree pollen counts were outrageous so we had to stay inside and close up the house. (We went out distributing flyers before Easter, and we only lasted about an hour.)

But I did get my purple martin house up! I watched the migration map, and saw they were nearby in mid-March already. I got the house and pole out of the attic, cleaned the poles and wiped down the house. This year I was smart and coated the poles with a little Vaseline to make raising and lowering easier (and to keep the dirt out of the poles where they intersect). That little trick has worked well.

So I got the house up, with little pluggy things to keep out the sparrows (who had been hanging around for days). On March 28, I saw a few in the neighborhood, and pulled out the plugs. I saw a martin checking out the rooms, but the free wifi and cable amenities didn't win him over. Now I have sparrows again.

This week, after the expected foul weather, I'll clean them out once more, and see if that helps lure the martins back. I'll lower the house this morning, to keep it from blowing away, and put it back up on Monday after extracting the nests and fumigating for bed bugs.

Speaking of nests, when we removed the cover from our retractable patio awning, all seemed well. Then I plugged it in and lowered it, and a robin's nest fell from the center area, along with two eggs, unfortunately. Those goofy birds do that every year, and every year we forget about it. We don't want to remove the cover too early, but did find we needed it recently, with the hot sun out so early. Can you believe temps were in the 90s in March in Omaha, Nebraska?!

I promise pics. Just not of the fleurs, because they've bloomed and faded already. I have much growth action on the trees, and a new statue off the patio. And there is so much work to be done. I think the pollen levels are lower now, so as long as I can breathe out there, I'll make the effort. Stay tuned.

Winter Garden: You Can't Get Garden From Ice

2012-02-11T07:18:00.000-06:00

It's 5 degrees with a wind chill of -15 this morning. We've still got several inches of last weekend's storm on the ground. It's difficult to get into the gardening spirit when the ground is rock hard. And yet, it's the perfect time to get started on some cold-hardy seedlings inside for planting in a little while outside.

Part of my "gardening" right now, in the middle of February, is the decision process on how and where to grow my food plants. For my veg garden, I use the square-foot method, in my 1' x 1' x 1' pots. (They currently host the three pine seedlings in the garage / on the driveway.) I've checked that I have enough ingredients for soil replenishment; that's ready to go.

Since my square foot pots have taken a beating the last few years, I'm considering getting a Mini Grow Bed from Gardener's Supply. It's a 18" x 3' x 10" raised bed, a great size for modified square foot gardening. I'm thinking the rigid rabbit screening would still be manageable on this size. Get free shipping at Gardener's Supply company on orders over $75! Expires 3/8/12.

I'd love to plant some broccoli this year, and if I start the seeds in the next week or two, I can plant them in time for a young harvest before it gets too hot. While seeds are showing up in the stores now (even the grocery store produce departments!), a good place to get better quality seeds is Burpee. They have such a variety of seeds, and new eco-friendly self-watering seed-starting kits. For a couple more weeks, get $5 off Orders of $30 or more with code FSA12, thru 2/29 at Burpee.com.

I also used a Topsy Turvy for tomatoes last year, and had some success with the growth, but not with the fruit. Rabbits will continue to be a problem, so hanging the plant out of reach may still be the best solution. A new source of plant will probably be helpful.

Oh, the dreaming. Planning, practicing "visualization," and hoping for an early thaw this spring!

What are you doing this week in your garden?

Winter Garden: A Time For Planting!

2012-01-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

The three white pine saplings have been planted! In containers, temporarily, till they can be replanted in the spring. The ground was too frozen. And since we're giving them away, anyhow, I thought my square foot containers would be perfect, and the soil was already prepared!

So last Thursday, when it was 66 degrees, I planted them, gave them a big gulp of water, and set them in the sun to get comfy. Now they live in the garage, protected from night frost and winds. Thankfully, we still don't have brutal cold yet. Knock, knock, knock on wood.

Here's how they look when you get them from the Farm:

And here he is all snug in his rabbit-free home:

All three of the boys enjoyed a good sunbathing when the sun came around the house:

Yes! Those are cords to my Christmas lights! I took them down later the same day, so don't be hatin'. Since we've been having such beautiful weather, the pots are going out on the driveway quite frequently. It's supposed to get pretty frigid later in the week, though, so maybe just an hour or two, then scoot back into the garage.

I guess there really are things to plant in the cold Nebraska winters, after all!

NEW Eco-friendly self-watering seed-starting kits available at Burpee.com

Winter Blues?

2012-01-03T10:09:00.000-06:00

We got nothin' going on in the garden. The first snowfall brought a change of scenery to the area, but it quickly melted, and we've got blah.

The squirrels think it's springtime, and well, let's just say there will be an abundance of baby squirrels in 2012. Oh, I hope the dadgum rabbits aren't getting any ideas. The geese and ducks are flying north these days. And there are tons of birds hanging out on my crabapple tree.

Actually, one big bird is up there shaking the branches so that the mushy fruit falls down to a flock of other birds, who are chowing down. Interesting. And messy on my patio. Ah, well.

It was 56 degrees on Christmas Eve, 50 on New Year's Eve, and will likely get to 38 today. Close to 60 is predicted for a few days from now. Outrageous! We can certainly do without the feet and feet of snow and ice we've had in recent years (especially since my oldest just got his driver's license). It does a lot of damage to the lawns, trees and bushes. But I pity the kids who got sleds for Christmas. There's always Mt. Crescent or Mahoney State Park, I guess, for sledding on man-made snow.

When the sun comes around the house, it'll be warm enough to crack a few windows and air out the house. The air is still fresh enough, and the farmers haven't started prepping their fields yet (you know....landluft!).

We got three white pine saplings from Arbor Day Farm when the boys went last week. I'll be planting those in my square foot garden pots in the garage, and bringing them out into the sunshine throughout the winter. I plan to offer one to my neighbor, and two to the church and parsonage to replace ones removed during roadwork.

Unfortunately, there's no real work to be done in the garden right now. Plus, I don't want to accidentally kill a plant.

What's going on in your garden these days?

Winter Beauty at Lauritzen Gardens

2011-12-13T18:51:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday we went to Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's botanical gardens, to get out and enjoy the fresh air, and to see the gardens in winter. The poinsettia displays were fabulous. Remember: Lauritzen Gardens graciously offers FREE admission on Sundays through the end of the year! Here are some pics of our visit.

The Omaha railroad display is usually outdoors, among the gardens, but they bring it in during the harsh winters. They installed it among the poinsettias, and it is lovely.

We walked over to the Japanese garden to see what that looks like in winter. Wow! The top of the entry gate is awesome in snow.

Thanks to DH for the great pics. By the way, if you were there and saw a very thin Santa walking around, that was us.

Winter In The Garden

2011-12-04T19:02:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were hit with the first sticking snow of the season in Omaha. It was messy. Streets were tricky, and the white blanket was beautiful.

Here's the side of the long side fence, which takes on a whole new appearance after snowfall. The pickets are nearly bare below the what you can see. I found this intriguing.

It's like icing on a cake. Or maybe foam on a beer.

Don't mind the fallen pampas grass. It's not my favorite plant, anyway. It's retaliating after attempted herbicide.

Enjoy your coming winter season. This time of year is truly Advent, anticipating so many things: Christmas, cozy winters at home, perhaps a trip to Florida.

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday.

Garden Tuesday -- Not A Bloomin' Thing

2011-10-04T05:00:00.007-05:00

Fall is definitely here! I've been enjoying some time making lists of what to do soon: trim shrubs, transplant herbs to an indoor pot, mulch. And I've been taking stock of what the heck might have happened out there this year.

My blackberry lilies did not bloom this year. Not one flower. The pods did eventually open, revealing scant, small berries which seem to have dried up already. Hrmph!

Usually, I get a handful of coral blooms on each stem, followed by clusters of large berries, which the birds love to eat (and digest fully).

But for some reason, the plants on north and south sides of the backyard got leggy and didn't produce flowers. Good thing the crabapple tree has abundant fruit, because the lilies won't even provide an appetizer for the birds this year.

One possible reason for the poor lilies is that they were surrounded by daisies that lasted and lasted, and when #2 was recruited to trim them, he didn't do the best job in the world. By the time I got out there a week or so later, the lily stems had shot up already, reaching for sunlight.

Those daisies are so hard to predict, too. Some years they've been in full bloom by mid-May, and this year they bloomed late June. I try to pull by the roots within 3" of the landscape edging, because they hang over and drop seed onto the grass, which proves difficult to control. The daisies used to grow in "groves" in two plant beds in the backyard. Now they're everywhere, and I know how that happened. But trying to get it back to the way it was is a challenge.

Nice weather for gardening lately, though! Lots of debris to clear, grass mowing galore, and beginnings of falling leaves. Yup. Fall is definitely here!

Share your garden pics and enjoy the others at Garden Tuesday, and Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.