Showing posts with label Mums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mums. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Halloween And Other Stuff

I don't decorate much for holidays.  Once again, I bought a pumpkin and didn't carve it.  But no kids knocked on the door again, either.  It's been like 15 years.  I saw a couple outside, but they didn't stop here.  I was even wearing my wizard costume.  And I had good treats...  Oh well...

I'll set the pumpkin and 4 orange Mums out on the front doorstep to note the season, though. 

The Mums were cheap from Walmart.  The blooms all died, but I cut the seedheads off and they are re-blooming.  They will look good in 2 weeks, but I will have to bring them inside to escape the freeze predicted tomorrow.

I'm thinking of trying to cover and warm the tomato plants.  There are finally a lot of fruits getting ready to ripen.  Next week, the night temps are going to be warmer, so if I can protect them them for this one frost, they might mature.

Covering the whole bed of them is awkward, but I have a roll of 16' wide black plastic I could place over all the plants like a loose tent.  And a single standard light bulb under the plastic would keep them warm enough.  Anything for a few more ripe heirloom tomatoes!

Spread grass seed over the lawn 2 weeks ago.  They need water to germinate.  The forecasts kept saying it would rain, but it never did.  I watered the lawn with a sprinkler and the missed spots by hand yesterday.  Hopefully, some will germinate.

My compost bin is finally heating up.  Not as it should, but at least it is finally hotter than ambient air temp.  It was very imbalanced and dry.  So I soaked it, mulched and bagged lawn leaves and layered them.  Should start heating up seriously soon.

I need more earthworms in the compost bin.  I recall my Dad used to put plastic sheet in a clear ground area that encouraged earthworms to the surface.  He was doing that for fishing bait.  I'm doing that to encourage composting.



 

Monday, September 20, 2021

Deck Mums And A Surprise Visitor

I didn't do too well with the planters hanging from the deck rails (usually Zinnias or Salvia) but the deck floor planter Mums are beginning to bloom...





The beds were mowed for renewal, but do you notice a small object near center top?
A bunny was visiting...
Marley and Ayla have mostly retired from hunting the bigger critters (mice are just fine these days) but Laz has an interest in rabbits and squirrels.  I mean, he was LOOKING at the backyard (see the top pic).

It was funny.  The rabbit was obvious to ME, but even when I picked up Laz and aimed his head to it, he didn't see it.  Because the rabbit wasn't moving.

I understand.  I'm shape/color/movement/far-sighted evolved and he is movement/sound/near-sighted evolved.  And sees yellow-blue best (which is why bunnies and i are brown, I suppose).

So I whistled suddenly and the bunny twitched its ears.  Wow did THAT get Laz's attention!  He was off like a shot (I have a wound to prove it) and went right after it.  No chance to catch it off course but he was enthusiastic.  Give a rabbit a headstart and no hope for a cat.

But it probably made his day.  He didn't need any food, but "the thrill of the chase" was good...

Adventures In Driving

 Last month, my cable box partially died, so they sent a replacement.  But they wanted the old one back anyway.  The store in town only hand...