What have you done today in the Garden?

Today was the day I decided to reclaim the edging around the lawns in both the back and front gardens, and both center islands , areas around the water features and several other invaded garden spaces surrounding the gardens. The moles and ground squirrels digging causes ridges and large mounds thruout the edges. And everywhere in between. A picture of Mars would adequately describe it.
So I took the power nozzle and watered the dirt back down the lil holes and smoothed out the edges back to what they are supposed to look like . Now it’s neat as a pin.

While addressing the opposite section across from where I had just finished watering soil back in the holes and tunnels at least a dozen or more. I saw a big fat mole ‘half eaten’ soggy up on the surface of the lawn from one the tunnels . It was only a few feet away from me. Now that sorta sent me in a spin. How the heck did that happen with me just a few feet away . It was an animal that attacked a half drowned fat ugly wet soggy mole that popped up for air from one of the flooded tunnels. I watered the horizontal tunnels and runs and they pop up for air. I have caught many that way over the years. At first I had no idea what creature would attack something with a human in such close proximity. I thought about it for a while and remembered a few years ago I’d seen that before when we had a juvenile bobcat around.

Long story short since March something had been digging up dirt around the gopher mounds in areas around the pasture. While searching thru these areas I also found mounds of soft powdered clay soil dug out 2’ or more from something hunting gophers that left large paw prints in the soil. Also in various area of the pastures I remembered something had been hunting quail and left a trail of feathers in several areas. I’ve known a predator animal had been stalking game but never thought it was a bobcat again.

Monday will contact the Oregon wildlife agency who ask people to report bobcat sightings, so they can gain a better understanding of urban wildlife. Sometimes they will send a trapper out if the animal had been stalking to close to people.

Did a lot more cleanup boring stuff and got a lot of mulching done from trimmings. It’s been a nice cool week nice sunshine and I am still playing catch up with all the daily garden tasks.

Sorry this is so long. Would like to leave you with one last thought.
We may think we are the only watchers in our gardens but in some cases something could be watching you.

 

Are Bobcats a danger to humans then Pac....they look so cute.

It's very true it's quite amazing to discover who visits when we're not around. Although we don't catch animal movement on our security cameras ( we've set it not to) if and when we get snow the amount of tracks are amazing.

 

Oh yes bobcats have attacked several people on park trails in California and oregon.
A few years ago one attacked one of our horses. They stalk deer rabbits quail mostly.

 

Ah....definitely not so kitty cat cute then.

 

Nothing much today just watering, it's too hot.

 

Thanks @Oreti. That's good to know.
I thought the seeds might not grow, so I planted all of them. Now there are too many of the plants LOL.

 

Be careful out there!
A cougar took my neighbor's Pomeranian a few years ago. It was a sad thing to happen.

 

https://youtu.be/u-E-D7Uurgo?feature=shared

Daniel: Sorry to hear about that little dog. It does remind me of a song I know.

 

I always wished my ancestors came from a region that contributed a dog breed. It would be fun to tell people that I'm a Pomeranian, or Dalmatian, or Alsatian. Or Labrador. My family history actually does include Alsatian, but not much.

 

Thanx for all the cautionary tales of woe. Bobcats have taken cats and dogs around this neck of the woods. Not to mention attacking my horse. While riding my horses thru the forest next door I’ve seen many kills by the side of the trails and bobcat scat over the years. Also remember seeing scat recently near a weeping elm tree next to the patio. And the dogs will bark at something out the windows . I always thought they were having a tissy-fit seeing a deer. Yet no deer scat around for months. I never did see anything running outside , after each dog commotion. I should know better by now. This morning the dogs did their oooff ooff again. I looked out and didn’t go outside this time . I know now they have been barking at a bobcat.

Great song Sjoerd. Handsome group and very talented. Brought smiles. Thankx.

I have been a bit spooked lately since the mole incident. I am a bit cautious when going out in the gardens/pastures.

 

Pac— glad you liked that song. I am fond of shanty music. There is singing here every summer.

 

just a bit of "garden management," today.

I bought a couple of rhodos that were reduced to clear in Aldi, three years ago.
I put them here, to fill a gap as a temporary measure where an azalea had died.





But they "grew like Topsy."
This year, they put on an impressive display, outfacing the azaleas on either side and behind them






A couple of days ago I pruned off the tops, but that did nothing to hide the fact that they looked out of place amongst the azaleas.





They'd keep growing and there's nowhere else for them in our small garden. What we needed there was another azalea.

So today I decided they'd have to go. It was very hard to remove the roots, I had to use a crowbar as a chisel with a lump hammer.


We had "a suitable case for treatment." This azalea usually lives with the "unloved roses" next to the fence at the side of our drive, where they get little sun.
It has taken its turn on "sentry duty," in the ceramic pot outside our front door, earlier this year.






So now it has found a new permanent home. It'll grow into the space.











Replanting anything in the middle of a hot July afternoon would be unwise. That's why it's still in its plastic pot, in the big hole I dug for it. I'll plant it out towards the end of the year.

 

Welcome to your lovely new home little Azalea.

Off topic I know but I hope your wife 's health is steadily improving @Doghouse Riley .

 

Sorry that the job was so difficult. There’s nothing easy about removing mature bushes or trees. It looks like you made a good choice though.
When I have to transplant or remove bushes or smaller trees this is my tool of choice:
https://sneeboer.com/en-us/hand-forged-garden-tools/transplanting-spade-with-steps-3

My gardening neighbours have used my tool more than me because they wanted to try it before they bought it. It is a bit expensive, but it is our most valuable tool.

 

I scattered chicken bone meal and crushed egg shells over the bed that contained garlic until yesterday. Then worked it into the soil.

I planted a window box - type container of Chinese chives, dividing and making two rows. They had become too crowded and were drying out too fast. I split out enough bunches to make two rows. After watering them in, I mulched with a thick layer of leaf mould.



Chinese chives are rugged, and usually respond well to dividing and replanting. They are one of our important vegetables, as the main ingredient in jiaozi (Chinese dumplings ).

I also planted two rows of bush beans and an experimental row of winged beans. Then watered it all in.

I mulched the germinated bush beans with more leaf mould.



They need thinning soon.

That's about all. A soak in the tub was needed.