Kaseys Korner

Frosted!

Twas the 6th day of December and not a twig, branch, leaf, blade of grass, etc., etc. (you get the picture) was left untouched by frost.  Wait ~ December 6th??  Isn't it still officially fall?  No one would believe that in my neck of the woods. 

The tree line across the street from my house screams "winter:"

Notice the snow covered ground too??  Sure looks like Winter to me.

It settled in on October 26th (the date of our first snowstorm) and refuses to give Fall it's rightful time back!

Blog readers prepare yourselves for a looonnngg stretch of the "winter blues" compliments of yours truly.

When winter bullies in after only one month of Fall it doesn't take a calculator to figure that's FIVE months of gnarly white cold versus the three dedicated on the calendar.

Totally disproportionate, don't you think? 

This gardener would prefer if the months were skewed the opposite way!

Maybe Spring will figure out a way to chip off some time on that end?

You know that's what this girl's hoping for....

Hibiscus 'Powder Puff'

and the first snow of the year.  Say what???  Yep, you read that right ~ we got the first snow of the season last night and into today.  It was heavy, wet stuff that left a TON of damage in its wake since most of our trees & shrubs were still fully leafed out.  I was out throughout the night and all day today trying to knock it off the branches I could reach.  Tomorrow I'll have to assess the damage but already I hear chain saws working on the many branches down across the neighborhood.  The ground was warm ~ it was 80 degrees on Monday ~ so the pavements and streets mostly melted.  Below you can see some of the accumulation on my patio table:

At one time I measured 10" using a ruler but I'm sure there was more since it was melting the whole time.  Here's another look out the back patio door:

Isn't that crazy??  Melted concrete but piles of snow. 

Thank goodness for 'Powder Puff' Hibiscus that opened in the middle of our wintry day:

Feeling grateful I brought it indoors to overwinter, I'd considered otherwise.  It's loaded with buds:

which it also had last year but then they all fell off after coming inside??  That's why I was torn about whether to keep it or not.  I don't know what I did differently this year, I'm just happy for a bloom when everything is cold and white outside.

Makes the whole snow thing a bit easier to swallow, doesn't it?? 

clusters in the garden

Everywhere I look these days I'm seeing "bunches."  Sometimes it's good, like (finally) fruit to harvest from the tomato vines:

I thought I'd been watering a lost cause!

and berries on the Viburnum hedge:

Robins have been gorging themselves on these!

Even insects are crowding together:

I understand ~ I've been seeking the warmth of a sweatshirt in the early AM's & PM's too.

There are a few clusters I'd rather not see. 

Like these oak galls found abundantly on the undersides of the Bur Oak leaves:

At least I now know why I have so MANY yellow jackets on the Mugo Pine (that grows beneath the oak.)  The galls secrete a sweet substance the bees eat.  I'm hoping a neem oil application next spring will help because I'm frustrated at not being able to enjoy the front patio area.

I've also noticed quite a few Tachinid flies, this one on a cluster of aster blooms:

Too many Tachinids could spell disaster for the caterpillars recently discovered in the garden. 

One thing I've been looking for all summer and wishing I'd see in multiples ~ toads.  Finally, at the edge of summer, an appearance:

Hoping for greater numbers next summer. 

So many other "groupings" not photographed ~ flocks of geese flying overhead morning and evening,  gatherings of starlings ~ sorry, but I won't miss them at all ~ etc., etc.  No matter how hard I try to deny the arrival of fall, there's no escaping.  The change is in motion as evidenced in the garden.  I'm sure you've noticed it too...

where is a bull snake

when you need one??  and you know you need one when you find out your "mostly indoors only cat" has lost his mouse hunting 101 skills.  Well, not completely, he DID find the mouse and one step further, he brought it to me (who trains them to do that??) but he sure didn't finish the job.  You should have seen me jump when I saw what he had in his mouth ~ and that's amazing considering the hour of the morning!  See the coffee cup ~ I had been sitting on my front step as I often do first thing in the morning (with my camera in hand) when this whole episode occurred:

Just so you know, while I was photographing said mouse, it escaped because my cat became distracted by a Miller moth!  egads.  How's that for attention span?  I hope the mouse doesn't tell all his nest mates ~ I'll have a house full of mice this winter because they now know my cat isn't much of a threat!

To help me not perseverate on that last thought, let's look instead at what's new in the garden.  Lobelia x 'gerardii' has begun to bloom by the pond:

That's a nice and much more beautiful subject to focus our attention on, right?!   It was bought as a companion to Lobelia cardinalis which you can see in the background of the photo below has not yet begun to bloom:

Close tho.  You might remember I finally had success overwintering several 'cardinalis' plants last year so I'm hoping I have the same luck with 'gerardii' too.  I think it's all about "location, location, location" especially during rough Colorado winters.

The first tomato has also been harvested ~ although I may have jumped the gun by a day or so in my eagerness:

 

I'm very excited about having homegrown tomatoes ~ I hope I can harvest thru September if we don't have an early frost.

The same day I harvested the tomato, I'm happy to tell you I almost stepped on a baby toad.  Wait, that came out wrong.  I SAW a baby toad which made me happy because there have been very few toads in my garden this year ~ I definitely did NOT want to step on him!  Notice how tiny he is (about the size of a quarter) ~ for scale he is nestled in some vinca leaves, which many of you grow, so you know a size comparison:

Cute little fella, isn't he?  I hope he has siblings although I haven't seen (or stepped on) any yet. 

I also managed to work up a sweat in the hot sun trying to snap two butterfly photos for you (and me), one of a tattered Painted Lady:

and the other unknown to me and not the best photo to boot: 

It did not appear to be a Monarch to me although it had an orange and black color combination ~ the markings just seemed different??  Maybe it will return so I can try again for a better image?  or maybe one of you knows off the hand an identification???  That would be fabulous.  Just as I hope your weekend is....

if you're a praying mantis

the best dining spot in the garden is not really in the garden but underneath a light at night.  I found that out this morning as I was watering my viola basket (which sits underneath my back door light).  When I turned the spray on the basket, up popped a praying mantis:

Smart guy.  I haven't seen him there before, but it's a terrific spot.  The light attracts tons of insects at night so he'll eat well if he stays put.  They must have good hearing ~ the first click of the camera caused his head to turn in my direction:

I'm more convinced than ever that the E.T. character was based on them!

I resumed watering my other containers and when I finished, I looked for him again.  He had disappeared from the top of the basket but a keen eye spotted him, in a "ready" position, clinging to a viola bloom:

Never fear.  I won't "out" you ~ stay as long as you want.  It's a good deal for both of us.

For another winged visitor, apparently Verbena bonariensis is the best place to dine.  Planted to attract bees and butterflies, to date it's only drawn in Tachinid Flies:

Lots of them too.  I counted seven flies this morning on just this group of plants.

I'm not sure how I feel about them in the garden.  Knowing they parasitize caterpillars, my first instinct is to exterminate them.  I know they have some beneficial qualities tho and considering I've been warned to tread cautiously when it comes to "policing" nature, I'm leaving them alone.

The weather was perfect for photography this morning.  Overcast and cooler, with rain in our forecast for today.  The western horizon looks promising:

so it just might happen.  I better get my gardening done before the drops fly!

shopping continues

made downright irresistible by rock bottom prices (now I know how "Black Friday" shoppers feel ~ I'm just as euphoric about greenhouse sales!!!)  With incredible prices like 4" pots for $2.00 and anything smaller, $1.00 ~ how can the offerings not be checked out?  Of course, I did more than check ~ I came home with a gorgeous new pink Dahlia 'Karma Thalia:'

Seen again, nearly translucent in the morning sun, next to another new acquisition ~ Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) 'Ice Ballet:'

'Ice Ballet' was purchased as a replacement for my orange variety (Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly weed) which, unfortunately, did not return this season. Although I had never seen Monarchs on it, I knew I "needed" another.  Maybe they will like the white variety better??

There were several more purchases (you knew there had to be more, didn't you?!) which will be planted and featured in future posts.  But now there are also new blooms in the garden that I thought you'd enjoy viewing as well.  Like Oriental Lily 'Dizzy:'

Three bulbs were planted last fall but only one grew.  I can't say I am surprised.  I have been really short of bed space and cramming things a bit too tightly. I hope I have the energy for a bed makeover this fall ~ so many plants could use dividing and that would create a bit more much needed space (to once again cram full!!).

For the second year in a row, an Amaryllis has decided to bloom while summering outdoors.  Last year it was 'Red Lion,' this year the bud belongs to Cybister Amaryllis 'Night Star:'

 

There must be something to the fresh air and fertilizer that stimulates blooms out of season?  or maybe it happens when they don't bloom during "season" which 'Night Star' did not?   

The bees continue to give Veronicastrum virginiana a work-out:

 

Good thing it's more than happy to oblige. 

Lastly, look what showed up in my window well today ~ a bull snake:

He doesn't look very big here ~ I had guessed 3 to 4 feet until we tried to remove him ~ when he uncoiled he was more like 5 or 6 feet!  In case you're wondering what happened to him upon removal, he was set free to eat more garden pests (hopefully the furry variety).  Too bad I can't train him to leave the toads alone...

touch of fall

in the midst of summer ~ a floral creation I couldn't wait to assemble, inspired by a new (to me) website called Twigery:

 

I knew just the place to harvest the cattails too:

fields and fields of them surround the perimeter of a lake very near our home. 

A beautiful evening, with beautiful (coveted) light, in an exquisitely serene spot at the base of the Rocky Mountains:

It doesn't get much better than this...

Dusk descended softly after we harvested our cattails.  I turned the camera in the direction of our house and captured what I could.  

Least you think I live in the country (like the photo above eludes), one quarter turn to the left, reality hits:

If I didn't work from home, I wouldn't be opposed to working here (once construction is complete).  You can't beat the surroundings even tho it's sad the area has to be developed at all. 

Besides the cattails, there's an abundance of milkweed too:

 

I was happy to see so much but couldn't find one caterpillar or chewed leaf? 

All too soon, it was time to leave ~ a final parting photo before heading home:

On this night, in the midst of this spectacular scenery, I couldn't think of any where else I'd rather be. 

Be sure to remind me of that sentence come winter!

project modifications

After a week of chasing starlings, I'd almost decided the flicker box (as much as I wanted to help them out) HAD to come down.  The responsibility of managing the box for them (until they actually claimed it and set up house) was wearing me out and becoming a time-consuming job.  As luck would have it, about this time, I visited my local Wild Birds Unlimited store.  During conversation with the sales person, I learned about a new improved version of flicker nest boxes that are supposed to be "starling-proof."  Sign me up ~ I'm all over that!!!!

Thanks to friends with power tools and willing spirits, I now have my own new box:

This box has an angled front (not sure if you can discern that from this photo or not) so that the sides are higher than the entrance hole.  Plexiglass is screwed onto the sides (or slid into grooves) just over the hole portion of the box to prevent Kestrels and starlings (who have to fly straight to the hole) from using the box.  Flickers are able to land on the bottom part of the box and climb up (under the plexiglass) and into the hole.  Ingenious, don't you think???  I can't wait to see if it works and what my resident flickers think.  Here's another view, from a slightly different angle, that perhaps shows the design better:

If you would like to erect such a box in your own yard but don't have the tools (or handy friends) here's a link where you can purchase one:

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=COV-10072

I bet the flickers would thank you.  I've been reading a lot about how their numbers are dwindling because of nest site competition with European Starlings.  The Starlings wait until the Flickers excavate a nest site then usually take over the cavity.  Anything we can do to help out is a good thing. I'm also VERY excited NOT to have to chase off the starlings every five minutes like a crazy woman!  I'm sure my neighbors will be happy too since they were probably wondering what had come over me.  ;-)

Another project footnote, triangles were cut for the corners of the raised bed and now the finials fit perfectly!  Yay.  

 

No more fretting about the finial bases overhanging the bed edges (not that it was a big problem but details matter to people like myself with perfectionist tendencies!!)  It's a happy Saturday here!  Oh, and it didn't snow either so everything is good in my little world right now.  Hope it is in yours too? 

a frosty first

Those of you who know me, know all too well how much of a fair weather gardener I am.  I'm certainly not one who ventures out on a frosty morning to take photos ~ I just admire yours (from the warmth of my living room).  Something completely inexplicable came over me this morning tho while I was hauling the trash to the curb.  Some crazy impulse to grab my camera and give this heretofor unexplored venue a try.  Everything frosted that I turned my camera on was either brown or inanimate but I have to concede, there IS a beauty to be found in icy crystals.  You'll never know how hard that was for me to admit.  My favorite frosted photo from this AM was this one:

Freeze-dried roses covered in spiky hoar frost.  Okay, got to admit, that's pretty.  What about this little grouping of dangling rose leaves:

They're not bad either.  I'm getting in the groove now.  Let's take a peek at a rose hip stem:

Wow, a frosted star on a stem.  Glorious.  It feels foreign for me to even think that.  But okay, I'm warming to my early morning adventure.  (I can say that now because I'm back indoors & thawing).  Here's the last shot I snapped before heading back inside:

 

The vintage iron fence that was once surrounded by poppies, iris and later hollyhocks stood rather forlornly in it's icy cloak.  I was tempted (just for a second) to touch those crystallized fleur-des-lis until I snapped to.  Enough already.  It was fun (for the teeny bit of time I spent outside) but I don't know that it was so enjoyable I'd be anxious for a repeat.  At least I have some pictures to prove I tried it.  :-)

Magnolia 'Jane' & a snail

I need your help this morning.  I've been looking at my Magnolia 'Jane' thru the kitchen window the last few dreary days, and thinking to myself, "it doesn't look good."   Look at this photo taken today and notice how bare the branches are:

You may remember that I purchased this magnolia last year and never got around to planting it.  It overwintered in the nursery pot until I finally put it in the ground this spring.  At first, everything seemed fine.  It even put out a few beautiful pink blossoms.  Sometime over the summer tho, a change occurred (I don't remember when exactly) and she started looking a bit stressed and lost most of her leaves.  (Even tho I complained about a lack of heat, I think it was a great summer for planting shrubs and trees ~ there was certainly abundant moisture which isn't always the case). When I inspected 'Jane' up close this morning, I was surprised to find new growth/buds (??) along all her branches:

I guess I'm never satisfied because although I should be thrilled to find out she's not dead, I am now worrying whether this is a good thing late in the season as it is???  Anyone out there that grows 'Jane' know the answer?  If we get a killing frost anytime soon, I hope it doesn't permanently set her back.  Until I found out about 'Jane' I never dreamed I could grow a magnolia in this climate/zone.  Now that I've discovered her, I definitely don't want to lose her. 

On a different subject entirely, look what was crawling across my driveway this morning (as I was leaving to take my daughter to school):

A snail!  Woo hoo.  He was headed in the direction of my little pond.  I've never seen a snail in my yard before so I don't know where he came from but I'm thinking my tiny water habitat drew him in???  I helped him along by moving him nearer to his destination and out of harms way.  We'll see if he sticks around now.