What have you done today in the Garden?

Gosh ! ...and there am I getting excited over our bees, butterflies etc.....bears, opossums, bob cats, skunks and coyotes...makes our lists look a bit tame!!

 

"It pays to complain."
At the beginning of May, my wife noticed an advert in a magazine for a dozen begonias for £9.99, from Suttons Seeds. They came delivered through the letterbox they were that small and the rip-off packing and postage charges made the total. £16.98.
I wasn't best pleased, as only half of these tiny plug plants were viable.
Even now, those that survived are only this size, in a pot on the windowsill of the shed.





So I "ripped into them" in an e-mail.
A profuse apology followed and a voucher code for £20. Which didn't work, so I had to phone to get it applied. I used it to buy two little hydrangeas, one will go in a ceramic pot, the other in the bed next to the kitchen window.
They still cost me £5 because of the high postage charge.

 

I would not know how to get them to stop feeding the raccoons and deer. Feeding the raccoons seems to help keep them from my chickens.

 

Postal rates here are astronomical also. The USPS sends mail for the continental US all the way to Guam and Hawaii before delivering items here. If not out to sea, it sends them all over the country before delivering something a few towns away. Our mail is more traveled than most people. A friend keeps a folder for tracking her mail, and screenshots of the tracking info for them. She has had packages take well over a year to be delivered. I have had them take 4-5 months to arrive, and one that I sent was never delivered and that was 18 years ago.

They could save tons of money by not sending mail on around the world tours before delivering it.

 

Riley that is fancy packaging. Same issues today here too, extensive packaging and plastic containers boxed for plants. Last time I received a plant by mail it was a nightmare to open needing the tool box full of different tools to open and remove them . Not to mention the ton of waste. And the packaging cost is more than the plant in some cases.
The new hydrangeas look very nice . It’s tough to mail plants with tender long shoots .

AAnightowl the mail route is a bit complicated in your area. Our mail was similar a few years ago but has changed a lot the last few years since there is more competition than just the US mail service.

Fish and Wildlife dept has certain restrictions in our area , even trash cans have to be secured. It has cut down on the number of bob cats, raccoons , and coyotes that can have attacked our pets .

 

Pacnorwest good to hear that you're on the mend.

Sjoerd your lotti is so nice and tidy.

Planted out the pot marigolds along the path, they grow to 8in. they're behind the polyanthus.

 

Nothing today had physio appointment. Definitely have Bursitis...again !! Having my hips injected in a 2 weeks time..can't wait. Hope to have a day out in the garden tomorrow to finally finish the planting out, not too much left to go out now thankfully.

 

Oreti so sorry to hear of your hip issues. Some injections, cortisone’s, steroid or hydro fluid usually with a pain reliever. Bursitis is a swollen node on the trochanteric that becomes inflamed and extremely dog gone irritating. I used to have a very sexy limp from hips acting up. Osteoarthritis did a number. I had more issues with my hips than sports illustrated.

Mostly now feel like the million dollar woman . Both hips now installed with steel parts and lube with special lining all works wonders. Every once in awhile I need to go in for a parts check. I think that’s what saved me with that horrible fall last week it could have been a broken bone . Since reinforced with steel , all good.
Hope it helps and you find relief for the nagging pain .

 

Riley— you are so right about complaining. I do it all the time, and I always try and use a bit of humour. It isn’t just me, our entire country complains. Haha. There really isn’t anything wrong with pointing things that are not correct, especially if it is a business you are dealing with.
So, well done you. Keep up the good work.

Loggie— looking good there. BTW, are your Verbena bonariensis beginning to bloom?

Hey Oreti— how are things with your brother and his new accommodations?

Pac— it sounds like you are a million dollar woman in more ways than one.

 

Thanks @Pacnorwest . I afraid to say I know all about Bursitis as I'm unfortunately very prone to suffering from it. I have had to have numerous Steroid injections in both hips, both knees, one elbow and both shoulders many times now.
Like you I also suffer from Osteoarthritis in my hips and knees . I also have Osteoporosis of the lower spine and had to have joints in both of my feet permanently fused . I think bad joints run in the maternal side of our family. When my Dad passed away a few years ago he was more sprightly that his offspring...and he was 94!! My hips have always been an issue...I tend to go to bed around midnight and often end up getting up about 3-3:30am. I 've got use to it now and fortunately I don't seem to need much sleep. Another injection should calm things down again for a while and allow me to enjoy our Summer when It finally arrives.
It was also suggested today that after I see my Orthopaedic Consultant in 5 weeks time ( and depending on what they think) it might be good to have another injection in my right knee. I had to have bone spurs and most of the Meniscus removed from it just over 2 years ago but it's beginning to play up again...my own Dr thinks it's best for me to have a knee replacement really but I'm holding off from that, it didn't prove a great success for my Mum, older sister or my brother.
There 's worst suffering going on in this world...I'm a lucky one and count my blessings daily.

 

So kind of you to ask @Sjoerd ,thank you.

My brother is as good as can be expected....some days he ' seems' OK , but he equally has extremely low days too. We are all finding these low days very distressing as he cries and asks us why he can't come home with us.. He is very confused and cannot retain any memory now...long or short term. He lives his life now only by each minute .

The actual Care Home and staff are fabulous and we can at least rest assured that he is well cared for and treated with great care and respect.

That now is our greatest wish to him.

Thanks again Sjoerd.

 

Good that you have gardening to help cope, which seems to trigger pleasant reinforcements meds help too. My heart goes out to you. Life is not easy at this stage.

I had my first joint replacement at 54. The latest studies show its best to remove diseases joints than risk serious complications down the road. I have been a joint patient advocate for 20 years and see so many patients happy and grateful once recovery is complete . My life is so much easier and 100% better quality of life .
Sending blessings your way.

 

Well Oreti, I hope that you can be at peace with things such as they are. It must be difficult for your family with the ups and downs as his condition progresses. I wish for you that it could be different. I wish a large dose of strength for you.

 

@Sjoerd .. the reference to the ‘ Million Dollar Woman’ in post above was to a tv show that was on in the US . Basically due to terrible accidents both a man and woman in the tv series experienced damaged limbs beyond repair. The scientific advanced surgeon replaced the limbs with all new robotic limbs . The tv show was called the ‘Million Dollar Man’ , the other called ‘The Bionic Woman’. That was the image of metal joint replacements - translated into what were tv shows with characters with bionic limbs to fight crime. A comparison jokingly made by those of us who have had metal joint replacements.
I hope I got that translated right. TMI ?

 

Today I moved the remaining geraniums to the deer border. I think they will look nice there, and deer seem to ignore them - probably the tough and fragrant leaves. :Most of them are three to five years old, but a couple are new and one is twenty years old.

Also the eucalyptus plants. I doubt deer will touch those either.

The tomatoes have black flea beetles (I think - they look like tiny black sesame seeds). I ordered some peppermint neem oil for them. Never had those before.

I adjusted the black plastic mulch for the squash plants and turned over the soil where I will plant them tomorrow.

I used a string trimmer on some of the unruly edges.

I repotted an accidental canna. Accidental because it was in a group container with other plants, that I overwintered outside. When I was digging out the sedums and dusty miller, I discovered the growing cannas. So now they have their own container. It's a miniature variety. It's not all that attractive, but having survived and growing now, I will see what it does this year.

Tomorrow's list -

Plant the squash seedlings.
Do a bit more weed work and mulch work (Tree chips on top of cardboard)
Water (of course)
Putter a little. I don't want to overdo it, it is also dog food making day.
Maybe plant marigold seedlings in the emptied deck containers.
Some of the flea beetles seem to hang out on the cardboard mulch. Maybe spray them soapy water?