The Whole Earth . . .

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all.
The whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:3 NIRV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall's New Beginnings!

Fall is my MOST favorite season . . .
crisp temps and amazing colors.  AND I love the physical work 
involved in putting my yard and flowerbeds to bed for the winter . . .

which I began 2 weeks ago.

 
 
Project #1  . . .  my iris bed . . .

BEFORE

 

AFTER
This bed is now home for my new Tall Bearded Iris Collection. 
The tall bearded iris will bloom late spring to early summer and
re-bloom midsummer to frost!  Mature Height:  24-40"

Project #2 . . .

 

  BEFORE

Daffodils never really bloomed, as were too deep.  I put
off transplanting them as I did not want to disturb the sedum . . .

or the bed in general.  Cranberry bush was dying a slow death
the past couple of years, so  . . .
decided this was the year to disturb this bed!

 

 

 AFTER

I replanted a few daffodils at the rounded end of this bed.

In the middle, I replanted 100 tulips. 
After the daffodils and tulips bloom, I will plant annuals.

 

 

 

 Project #3 . . . mail box . . .

 

BEFORE



We put in a new mail box this spring and moved it toward
the drive.  The creeping phlox, beautiful for many years,

 "bit the dust" during this year's drought.
There was also a large clump of daffodils that needed attention.

 

WORK IN PROGRESS . . .

my husband, Ken, and our gardening buddy,
Sir Oliver.

 

 

 AFTER
I replanted some of the daffodils around the mailbox post.  I'm thinking
about taking the red rooster grass from the pot
on my front porch and planting it to the right side of this bed.
This bed will be home to annuals . . . I think :-)

Project #4 . . .

BEFORE
A couple of years ago, we extended the front edge of this bed
into the front yard.  Needing to dig up a couple of patches of
tulips and a patch of daffodils this fall was
motivation to finally get the sod dug out!!!

AFTER

This bed is the new home of the iris in the first picture,

along with tulips and daffodils.


For the past 35 years, I have purchased all of
my flower bulbs exclusively from Brecks, along with my new tall bearded iris.
My other iris were given to me by a friend. 

This fall . . .1/3 of my iris, tulips, and daffodils have found a new home
in my daughter's yard . . . another 1/3 in my daughter-in-law's yard!
 

New mulch will be added next spring to all my flowerbeds.
 

ONE Reason . . .

The warm, rich color of mums . . .

ONE reason why Fall is my MOST favorite season!

 

 

Red Rooster Grass stayed but geraniums

replaced with mums!  LOVE this combo!

 

 

 

No words needed!

 

For many years, I planted marigolds in this spot

because they are heat and drought tolerant . . . BUT

they need to be deadheaded  :-(

Then, for several years, I planted vincas . . .

heat and drought tolerant and they deadhead themselves  :-)

I purchased these mums from Lowe's the fall of 2011 . . .

tiny plants in 4" pots, 88 cents each . . .

but look at them now! 

(P.S.  Do you see my gardening buddy?)

 



 

Mums . . . new this year from Lowe's ($2.48 each)

in my half-whisky barrel with solar bug zapper!

 

 

 

Rain . . . Hail . . . Beautiful Clouds

We got about a 20 minute, fairly heavy rain tonight.  I don't know how much because our electronic rain gauge is not working.  Need to put the reliable plastic tube gauge back out.  Along with the rain, we had 10 minutes of hail . . . pea-size to marble size . . . which melted quickly.

Took these pictures of the storm clouds from my deck . . . as they headed east.  I so love Nebraska skies! 

Night Raider & Sunflowers

A year ago, a critter(s) raided our fish pond on 2 different nights, enjoying a gold fish snack, . . . not the Pepperidge Farm variety unfortunately.  During this week-long, fish eating contest, our neighbor's pond and our brother-in-law's pond were also targeted.  All 3 ponds are within 3 blocks of each other. 

Ken rented a trap from Animal Control and 2 opossums were caught, which Animal Control picked up at no charge to us.  When we asked Animal Control what they would do with the opossums, we were told that they are required to release them in the general vicinity.  We were hoping they would deliver them to Wilderness Park.

So, a year ago Ken put lights (electric eye for on/off) in the bottom of the pond, which run all night and seemed to deter our night visitors... UNTIL yesterday morning (Sunday).  We woke up to this . . .

After Sunday morning's raid.

Before the raid.



Murky water and 4 fish remaining of 5.

Water lily remains.   All leaves were severed from the plants. 
The 2 plants in the 2 round pots were torn out of the pots,
which Ken has repotted.All the water lilies have been
put "to bed" early for the winter.
 

On a happier note, I planted a package of mixed color sunflowers. 

Here are my first 2 blooms . . .

 



2 Weeks Ago . . .

Drought has been hard on all creatures great and small . . .
eating instead of stashing away for future enjoyment.



Baby robin surveying the situation . . . Ken & me on the patio.

Blamed the squirrels for digging EVERYWHERE in my shade garden.
The culprit?  Redheaded woodpeckers! 
Had 6 in my yard!  I don't recall seeing them feeding on the ground before. 
Sorry, not very close pictures as VERY flighty birds.




Redheaded woodpecker to the right of the birdbath, just above the hosta.

 



Even in Drought . . .

For the past 3 or 4 years, I have planted wave petunias in my big clay pot because, under normal circumstances, they will bloom continuously.  But they have struggled to survive the heat and drought even with the rationed water doled out to them.  I'm hoping the cooler weather and today's rain will bring a return of their fragrant blossoms.

My roses seem to be faring better.

 

New shoots appear at the crown of my leafless peace rose bush, producing a single, beautiful rose from time to time . . . which I promptly cut and bring inside to enjoy!   

Peace Rose



Peace's next door neighbor, Grandma's Blessing, continues to push through the heat and drought . . . isn't she beautiful!!!

I have cushion mums around the street light pole at the corner.  They have been loaded with flower buds for the past 6 weeks or more and are beginning to open.  Will post pictures later.

Being a city girl, I don't know if rain now is too late for the soybeans (I think it is too late for the corn) . . . but I continue to pray for gentle, soaking rain for this parched land . . . for farm crops and pasture land, for livestock, and to refill rivers and lakes and wells.

And I pray for God's Holy Spirit to "rain" on this nation.

 

My Flowerbeds -- Part 3 -- Shade Garden

My favorite flowerbed!   Also the one to which my grandchildren gravitate . . . hmmm . . . could it be the magnetic pull of the birdbath :-)  They do like to help me clean the birdbath and refill it with fresh water for the birds and squirrels.

Originally, this area was an uneven weed patch and tree roots.  Because I wanted to bring in soil . . . and it's not good to cover the tree trunks in soil . . . this bed was designed around the 2 trees.  Landscaping stones were placed along our fence to redirect the neighbor's runoff water from flowing into our yard.

Flagstone walkway was added later.  Would like to plant "stepables" or possibly moss in the flagstone.   

The small pebbles in the far right of the picture have been extended into the bare area.  The purple tree decoration is my watering wand . . . out of the reach of little hands but still within reach of this person!

Fish pond is nestled at the east end of the shade garden.  Ken would like to find a way to add a waterfall to the pond.  His first suggestion was to set the waterfall in my shade garden.  NO negotiations on that waterfall location.

This area is still a work in progress, as we plan to redo and extend the current patio.



My Flowerbeds -- Part 2 -- Large Flowerbed

My "large flowerbed" was the biggest project . . . requiring a dump truck load of black dirt (12 yards) delivered to the drive.  From there, my husband and son moved the dirt via wheel barrow to the bed site.  Landscaping stones were added after the dirt was sculpted.  This flowerbed is 100% perennials, making it low maintenance.

View from our deck shows shape and size, approx. 20 feet x 40 feet
(If you look closely, you can see the edging to the front. 
When we get the grass dug out,
the front edge should be a close mirror image of the back edge.)

Front View. There is a single row of landscape edging, seemed ok at the time.  When we put the edging down, we intended to come back and dig the grass out . . . a project yet to complete. I do not like the edging and would like to take it out and use the same stone as the back of the bed. Redo of landscaping stones is still in negotiations  :-)

 Back view of bed.

 Flowerbeds along the fence: Iris bed and raised vegetable bed.

Once again, my little (15 pounds!) gardening buddy!