It's good to see you all! Reading about all the abnormal weather conditions and failed crops and blooms makes me sad. But shared misery is half misery, right? Like you, Toni, I've decided not to plant anything I can't be certain will make it through winter and thrive if next year's as wet as this one has been. Opposite problem from yours, though. The gardening season is coming to an end, but thankfully no hard frosts yet. I might still have time to clear the borders they way I want them cleared. Frank, it's dark around 17.30 now, so it's hard to get much done during the afternoons unless I use a head torch. I have gardened with head ligth before but it does look weird. Haha, KK, what sort of games are you playing?
Hehe!! mainly real time stragedy - RTS - games. Today the weather was fine so I had to pull myself away from my game and get into the mini farm to do as much as I can and keeping my fingers crossed for another fine day tomorrow! Hmmm ... come to think of it gardening is more-or-less like a RTS game too!!
Droopy, Dooley, Toni, & Eileen, I am sorry you all have had difficult growing seasons. Gardening is a wonderful hobbie, but when weather doesn't cooperate, and you have to watch your hard work (to say nothing of your 'babies') get fried to a crisp or washed away, it is very disheartening. Here is to a better growing season next year!
We had a pretty good growing season this summer, but here in New England, one week ago we were hit by a freak snow storm. 10" of heavy snow while the trees were all still in leaf. Needless to say, many many trees came down. We were without power (heat, water) until Thurs night (almost a week, it gets depressing living in a cold dark house). Our road alone had 3 trees across it, pulling wires down in 3 places. Our town looks like a wreck right now. Many roads are narrowed to one cleared lane. We were lucky in our yard, however. No major trees down. Some bushes lost branches, but they will recover. And, the heat is finally on!!!
Hello Cayuga, we saw your snow storm on the national news here. What a mess! We also get problems if we have a very early snow fall. The trees can take a lot of snow while their branches are bare, but with leaves it's a totally different story. I can't imagine how it is to have to cope without electricity for a week even though we're equipped to handle that if the need arises. We've been lucky so far. The power cuts have only lasted for a few hours.
Thanks Droop. Yes, I have never experienced snow on trees still in full leaf before. It is an unusual occurrence. It is sad to see so many large old oaks pulled down, but it is what it is. The oaks seem to have been hit the hardest for some reason. I am now determined to get a generator, the kind that you hard wire into your electrical system. We have been without power for a week every winter for the past 3 years, so a generator is a must at this point. Thanks for your kind words!
Rain, cool to cold temps, moss and mildew tell the story of our summer here in western Washington State. It was not a summer at all. Although some flowers did well others disappeared. I've never had echinachae plants eaten to death throes by slugs, but it happened this year. Here is what my walkways and patio look like. moss on the "south" side of the patio ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) the cleanest of the bricks/sidewalk, mossy, mossy ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) mossy pavers ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Now I have always liked moss, but never had I had to scrape it from the pavers. Interesting summer. Then there is fall, work, home remodeling, and my son's junk filling the garage. With furniture and boxed belongings cluttering our world, I am beginning to feel like a horder's TV reality show. son's stuff in our garage ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Soon it will be straighten away again and order will be restored. Most of my son's furniture has been removed. He only has a few house plants to go. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Now I don't want you to think I didn't get any vegies at all this summer. That wouldn't be totally honest. But this one small basket is really the entire thing. The dogs and raccoons raided all of the squash and green tomatoes that didn't start to ripen until the beginning of September. There wasn't much except for edible pod peas. Got 2 or 3 meals of those. The green beans.... I got about 4 that finally formed on the gazebo by the end of September beginning of October. a whole summer's worth of vegies??? ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Early this AM the dog caught a young raccoon in the vegie patch looking for any vegie left overs and is now at the vets on a Sunday getting her gums stitched up and some puncture wounds taken care of. The coon doesn't have anyone to take it to the vet, but it didn't stick around once I separated them. Thank god for small miracles. I tend to be guilt ridden when having to take care of animal mishaps. (more accurately having my hubby take care of them)
Wow Jewell, that is a lot of moss! I have never seen it grow like that on a south walkway. I smiled about your garage full of your son's stuff. I am guessing he is in that young adult stage: coming & going. Let us hope it is on its way out. Your basket of vegies is beautiful, but oh my yes, 'is that all there is?'. Tough wet summer,huh?
CM, the furniture and boxes are gone :-D except for an overlooked box that was in the breezeway and a few plants. Break-ups are always tough, and parents are so handy? Oh well, he has a nice new home now with a years lease and possible purchase so hopefully he is settled. Moss, proof that it was wet and cool. It is even growing on the asphalt drive way and cement walkway out front(shown). Just one of those "green" years.
Golly! Your pathway looks exactly like ours. I've removed huge flakes of moss and there's still plenty left. I think I need to make a moss wreath for Christmas in order to get rid of it all. Your garage looks a bit like mine. Hubby's trying to clear out and throw stuff away. He's not very successful poor chap. I think he's a member of the Packrat-club.
Hi Droopy, nice to see you back in action again,..sorry you had the garden blues,..i imagine your weather is similar to Eileen and mine,..and just now we are in flood alert,..but touch wood,..just another 12 inches and the river will be in Town area,..you asked for some pictures,..well here some are shots during the summer. Video..Blooms 2011.
Hello Philip, thanks for the blooms. You've got lots of nice flowers in your garden. I like the Digitalis selection, and I see the bees like them too.
