Busy Lately Outside

It is the end of the outside gardening season.   We had hard freezes 2 night in a row.  I covered the tomato plants because the next 10 nights are forecast to stay above freezing and I was hoping to get a few more tomatoes to ripen.

But they all died.  Well, tomatoes are actually tropical vines.  So I picked all the green ones.  There are some recipes for using them.  Fried in batter is routine, but I saw one for Tomato Parmesan and will try that too.

The Coleus and Mum pots were safely in the house, so they can go back outside for another week.  I will be bringing them and all the salad trays indoors after that to limp them through Winter.  Any color inside and any salad cuttings are good.

I disassembled the tomato bed today.  Not the simplest thing.  Pull out thge cage support stakes, remove the cages, take up all the labels, pull the plants, pull up the black landscaping fabric that kept the weeds smothered.  The fabric is all trash.  It seems to fall apart in 6 months.  

But at least the grassy weeds are all dead this year.  I'll be planting most of the Pansies there next week (a few will go around the mailbox and some in the deck pots this year).  

Did some serious compost bin work the past week (there are 2 bins).  

I bought a self-propelled battery Ryobi mower a few years ago and it is wonderful.  I have it set for mulching, and I can still use the bagger attachment (easy to attach and remove).  I shredded/mowed leaves all over the yard.  

Filled the empty bin 6" deep.  Then filled 4 trash barrels and 2 trash bags with leaves for future use.  There are more leaves in the trees, but I will shred them in place on the lawn as free fertilizer for both grass and trees.

I had too much green stuff for proper composting, so the leaves were nice to add.  Yesterday, I started turning the existing greenish pile into the other bin and mixed it with more shredded leaves 6" at a shot (the layers compress).  Found I had some good worms in the existing pile.

I got half of the old piled moved but it gets tiresome.  So the rest will get moved tomorrow.  Between the existing green stuff (kitchen scraps) and the newly shredded browns (leaves) and watered a bit, the new pile should finally heat up nicely.

I overseeded the lawn a week ago.  The shredded leaves won't bother them when I do that next week.  They will have either germinated or not and they can grow up between the leaf-shreds without difficulty.

Blew all the leaves off the deck.  They don't bother me any, but the cats dislike walking on dry crunchy leaves.  It offends their sense of stealth.  I indulge The Mews.  And the leaves don't do any positive good sitting on the deck.

Put a marinated chicken on the smoker.  Not exactly my old model (fancier shelves), but close enough.

I can never quite get it to fully-cooked in the smoker, but I've read that all the smokey flavor gets in after 2 hours, so I just finish them in the oven.  Sometimes I brush half with BBQ sauce for variety.  I pulled off a whole leg for dinner (with veggies).  It was delicious!

More to do the next few days...

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.

 

Marley And the Sub Q Teatment

A few readers here are not cat-people or at least not familiar with some specific cat-problems.  So I'll mention that Marley has some kidney issues and needs subcutaneous fluid injection 2x a week and a special diet.  The vet will do the injections at no cost (though I have to buy the bag of fluids, but bringing him to the vet place 2x a week is a pain.

They said it wasn't that hard to do it myself.  I doubted that, but after watching them do it several times, I decided I could.  But I wanted to do it a couple times under their supervision.  The first time, I spoke the steps out loud while mimicking the procedure with the equipment.  

They said I had it right.  So I did it myself in the clinic 2x while they watched.  I passed, and have been doing it myself since mid-September.  It helps that Marley is a calm tolerant cat.

It has been an odd experience.  I don't mind getting annual flu and covid shots at all myself.  But doing it to a pet feels different.  Thankfully, it is not a muscle shot.  You lift up the scruff of the neck and insert a needle under the skin but above the flesh.

A hanging bag drips fluid into the loose area.  I hold Marley and the needle with a folded washcloth and watch the bag drip through a tube to the needle.  The better-positioned the needle is, the faster it drips.  The faster it drips, the shorter Marley has to sit unmoving.  There are markings on the fluid bag for each dose and a clamp to open or pinch the dripline tube.

It isn't expensive.  A monthly bag costs only $40 and the tubing and needles are included.  At least cost is not an issue.

That's the theory.  The "fun" part is that the needle has to be changed every time.  The needle comes with a protective plastic cover.  It is easy to put a new one on the tube.  The needle fits on easily and there is a plastic screw at the base that tightens easily.  

It's getting the old one off that is a problem.  I've tried several ways.  First, I just pulled.  Then I pried with a screwdriver.  Finally I used needle-nose pliers.  I've "only" stabbed a finger 3 times out of 12 injections...  

OUCH!

OK, I've gotten better about that.  But I was really stupid at first.  I was throwing away the protective cap after I attached the new needle.  So it occurred to me to save the protective cap.  😂

That helped.  Though, to make it even safer, I got the idea of taking a 2" 90 degree metal support bracket.

I'll cut a slot through the top hole and screw it to the subQ station I've set up.

Then just set the needle base in the slot and pull it safely off.

I have plenty of things to do on my workbench and outside, but after getting stabbed a 3rd time on Thursday, it went way higher on my list!  LOL!  I mean, that is a used needle, and it doesn't take much pressure to get stabbed 1/4" deep.

I seem to be pretty immune to general infections and I heal quickly.  But I'd be a fool to tempt fate...  Anything I can think of doing to make the subQ injections easier and safer is high on my To Do list!

Marley will go back to the vet for a blood test in 3 months to see how much the injections are helping.  I have been told it can keep him relatively healthy and happy for several years. 

Light Frost Predicted

It was predicted to get down to the high 30f last night and I'm not sure what temp the coleus will withstand, So I brought them inside for the night.  Those shower curtain hooks make them a lot easier to grab and take off the hangers.  All next week is going to be warmer, so I'll put them back out later today.

I moved the deck pots close to the house.  Residual house-warmth should keep them going.  I cut the balsams at ground level,  They aren't blooming any more.  But I saved the seed pods in a jar.  I don't know if the seeds will bloom but I'll toss them around in early Spring in case they do.

Saved some dried Tithonia seedheads too.  They are supposed to be annual repeat self-seeders, so they should.  Both are in labeled jars in the basement fridge.  It all multiple flowers all Summer and Fall.  I could enjoy more of them.

The deckpot marigolds are showing off well.  After I saved the Balsam seedpods, I cut them off and soil level, so the pots are all marigold.  When they die back, I will add the pansies.  Ans I have enough pansies for several places.  

This is before I cut off the dying Balsam, but you can see the marigolds in there.

Most of the Pansies will go where the tomatoes are now.  They will be dying soon.  A whole bed of 60 is nice all Winter..  Other pansies will go in the deck pots after the marigolds succumb to the cold.  And some will surround the mailbox.  Flowers in Winter are amazing!

I think I will try to keep the Coleus thriving inside.  I will add some ceiling hooks near the deck doors and see if they will last a bit longer.  The deck faces South, so they will get some sun.  I might even add a grow light above them.

Answers To Comments

Today I reply to comments.  I used to do that more often.  Time to do it again.   

To Ceecee - Long time since ECFans!  I miss the place of the early years when all that was discussed was the details of the books.  You can email me.

Marcia -  You asked about red pnsies and changes in distance vision.  The red pansy is posted.  And regarding my vision, I have been far-sighted most of my life.  My distance vision is actually becoming more normal as I age.  I still see well across the yard, but it is slightly less than it used to be.

Megan - You mentioned cheap plants, declutterring, and touch-typing.  I buy small plants (and small fish for the aquarium) because I know they will grow well with care.  My declutterring fees are 1st class cruise ships and pizza on arrival.  LOL!  

I can't learn to touch-type.  My fingers don't talk to my brain.  I can't play a tonette or a child's zylophone.  For whatever reason, I have to see my fingers to do anything.

Thank you all for commenting.  I don't get many here.  😞

At least I have a few dedicated readers...  😂

The Other Deck Flowers

 Its not all just regular potted plants here.  I mentioned I bought some really cheap Mums at Walmart and the flowers all died.  So I snipped them clean, but didn't really expect much.  Well, hurray, they are sending out blossoms!

The buds are pale now, but will bloom orange.

And I have a real gem of a self-sowing annual in 2 pots...

It's called Tithonia and grows about 3' high.  Usually 5-6 flowers on a plant.  I am going to save the seedheads and scatter the seeds around in the meadow bed Late Winter.  If only a few grow, they might spread slowly.  

The meadow bed has not been very successful, but I keep trying.  I'll get in there with shears soon and snip around between where the meadow flowers are "supposed" to be (according to the labels and landscaping flags I stuck near them).  

If I find some, I will surround them with cardboard to reduce competition with the weeds.  And plant new ones next Spring.  It has to start working eventually!

Regular Deck Flowers

Late Spring, I planted Balsam, Marigolds, and Coleus.  They did well.  I am saving the Balsam seeds to scatter around next Spring.  You have to handle the seed pods carefully.  If you are familiar with them, the pods pop open when squeezed, LOL!   But they succumb to cool weather early.

So the Marigolds are showing up better now.

And the Coleus are doing nicely.  I thought they would be gone by now, but I hadn't grown them in years.  They are more hardy than I remembered.

And here is a trick I've recently figured out for hanging pots...

Have you ever had bungee cords that wore out?  Well, save the metal hooks.  They are often useful.  I discovered that if you thread the hook part through the hole in the end of a hanging bracket, the large spiral part works as well as a nut and bolt.  

But you still have to thread the hanging chains of a heavy pot onto the hook which is a couplke of feet over the edge of the deck.

WELL, I noticed a pack of metal shower curtain hangers at the DIY store (and I am very willing to re-purpose products).  Obviously, shower curtain hangers are waterproof.  So it occurred to me that I could thread the pot-hanging chains onto a metal shower hook on the deck conveniently, and then just hang the shower hook on the bungee cord hook.

I'm not sure how well you can see this.  But the saved bungee hook is set through the hanging bracket at the top, the metal shower hanger allowed the pot chains to be easily threaded onto it, and the wide shower hanger made it easy to hold while I reached out over the deck to hang the pot on the bungee hook.

😄

I love being resourceful and reusing old stuff!  There is something about "what else can I do with that", that just pleases me no end...

It's like when I saw a 10" wide plaster spreader and thought "hey I can scrape the cat litter boxes with that"!

Pansies Again

 I went out and took pictures.  First, a group shot of the 96 pansies (for 50 cents each).

And I mentioned they were yellow, purple, blue, white and red.  I haven't seen many white ones, and red is a surprise to me.  I picked among the various 8-packs to get a good variety but I took every pack that had a red one in it.  

Pansies

I like to plant Pansies in the Fall.  I replace the dead Tomatos and deck pot flowers with them most years.  Best deal I found was 12-packs of them for $12.98 at Lowe's Home Center.  $1 per plant isn't bad.  But I decided to wait a week (the tomatoes aren't dead yet).  So I looked online at their site in a week and saw there were 8-packs for $3.98.  That's 50 cents per plant!  And there were yellow, purple, blue, white and red (and red is hard to find).  

I mentioned previously that I found small pots of individual Mums for $1.24.  That seemed a great deal, but the blooms all died.  I snipped the deadheads off.  I see new ones developing, but they may not bloom for Halloween.  There are reasons some things are cheap.

The Pansies seem the real deal though.  Some in full bloom, some with spent flowers (so I know they can flower and I can usually tell which color they were).  I bought 12 8-packs of various colors.  I'm planning 4 per deck pot (I have 6) and the rest will be planted where and when the last tomato plant dies.

The price is crazy low.  And I'm happy to take advantage of that.  Pansies will provide color on the deck and in the tomato bed all Winter and Spring.  And, in fact, they will die back almost exactly when it is time to plant new tomato seedlings.

Speaking of tomatoes, it is tie to plant them in a different spot next year.  I grow heirloom tomatoes and they aren't very resistant to diseases.  Since those build up in the soil, it is a good idea to choose a new spot every couple of years.

I stretched it to a 3rd year this year, and they struggled.  I didn't get much from them.

But of course, as any gardener (or sports team) will say "next year will be better"!

Facebook And AOL Email

 Facebook and AOL email are driving me crazy!

I set up an account on Facebook about a year ago just to read something from a friend.  I have no use for it otherwise.  Last month Facebook advised me that I wasn't using them enough and they were cancelling my account.  OK, no prob.

Except they told me they were "giving" me 180 days to re-establish it.  OK.  But they send me reminders ("notifications") about that several times a day.  I first started sending them to my spam folder.  But I actually don't get much spam, so they were the only daily ones.  I hate having to manually delete spam every day.

It has become beyond annoying.  I tried to email them to stop.  They won't.  They say "just log in and adjust your preferences".  I can't.  I don't have an active account there any more.  And they want a smartphone number to send a text code to, to re-establish my password.  

I have a smartphone.  I don't use it except for GPS (and I can't navigate around in it anyway), but I could read a text message to see a code.

But I can't log in to Facebook without them sending me a security text code first.  And my "phone of record" on my Facebook account is an old landline cordless type which doesn't show text (yes, those things still exist).  

So I can't actually contact them to explain the problem.  Which leads me to AOL...

Years ago, Verizon dropped their email service and transferred users to AOL which kept the existing Verizon email addresses).  So I thought to create an email filter to send all Facebook notifications direct to the trash folder.  I used to set up email filters at the office and on my personal Verizon email.  Easy stuff.

I can't make the AOL filters work.  Tried everything...  The "from" line.  The "subject" line.  The content keyword ("notifications").  Once each and several at the same time later.  It doesn't work!

And this is going to go on for 6 months?

I may have to change my email provider.  That would be painful.  Changing email addresses is almost worse than changing your street address!!!

I'm old and have been around a lot of internet places.  Friends and family have my email in their contact lists.  I have very "occasional" contacts from old friends and odd sites.  My email addresses are often my user name in many places (well, that might still work).

But between Facebook and AOL, I am going slightly crazy...

Overseeding The Lawn

The guidelines for "overseeding the lawn say to cut the exiting grass down to 1".  I tried that.   The mower shimmied and shook!  It was actually a bit scary (seemed like the mower blade was coming loose or something).

I finally realized the blade area was just too filled with grass.  Apparrently, you can't cut grass that low in "mulching mode".   There was no where for all the cut grass to go!   So I raised it to 1.5".  Same thing.  2" was OK...

So now at least I have the grass cut low enough to cut it again (hopefully down to 1").  Why am I cutting it to 1" (you ask)?  Because newly-growing grass can actually be sucked up by a mower!  Weird but true!

But why am I doing this at all?  Grass spreads, right?  Not most.  The best grass for my part of the country is "turf-type tall fescue".  It clumps...   And insects and diseases kill some of them.  Which means new seeds every few years.  And I haven't done that for several years.

The good points about "turf-type tall fescue" are that it pretty tough grass and does well enough in full sun and partial shade (which pretty much defines my lawn), doesn't need much fertilizer, and is basically evergreen.

I mentioned "doesn't need much fertilizer".  Why not?  Well, what does a leafy plant need?  What it already has in itself, of course!  Grass has exactly what it wants most;  what it is already made up of.  Just leaving grass clippings on the lawn feeds the grass about 1/4 of what it needs to thrive.

It cracks me up to see neighbors carefully raking (or mower-bagging) thgeir grass-clippings.  And then putting them away in trash (or "yard-waste") bags.  And applying new (expensive and synthetic) fertilizer 3 times a year.  

And, BTW, they cut their grass too short.  Grass is sort of an equally "up and down" plant.  The taller the aboveground leaves, the deeper the roots.  So they are throwing away free "fertilizer", watering too often (and too shallowly all Summer), and buying "bad" fertilizer.

My lawn looks better and I hardly pay any attention to it.  The secret to some parts of the yard is knowing what you don't have to do...