July 17th - Dusting off the garden hoses

15 years ago

I finally had to drag out the garden hoses to water some seedlings. All that rain I was complaining about earlier in the year seems to be drying up in a hurry since it's gotten hot.

My watermelon plants are finally starting to grow. I planted them earlier than last year but maybe not early enough. They still seem pretty small.

I have a few ripe blueberries from my lonely little potted blueberry bush and I think that's it for my edibles right now. Still waiting on tomatoes and yard-long beans.

I planted birdhouse gourds around mid-June and they're still very small. I know I should've planted them earlier. I'm wondering if I might as well just rip them out. I don't think there's any chance I'm going to get gourds big enough for a bird to nest in.

I have lots of annuals and perennials blooming but still waiting on some. I cleaned out my seed box earlier in the year so I've had several mystery plants and still don't know what some of them are.

I have at least three hummingbirds visiting my flowers now. I would have more, but TWO flew into my front window last week. I heard a sound and looked out my front door and there were two laying on the front porch. I think they must've been chasing each other. I have a couple paper plates stuck on my front window now so it won't happen again. I need to put something up that looks better. Anyone that comes to the door will think we're nuts.

We lost one of our Shelties earlier this month. We took her to the vet because she was lethargic and he thought she would be ok but she was gone by the same evening. The necropsy(?) showed that her heart was thin and the vet thinks she may have had cancer of the blood. My kids think our remaining Sheltie needs a friend of course. I'm still debating whether we should get another dog/puppy and what kind.

Comments (7)

proudgm_03
15 years ago
So sorry to hear about your Sheltie. I was so heart broken when I lost mine. And my other little dog misses her also. I can't bring myself to get another one because this one is so jealous of me.
oakleif
15 years ago
Am so sorry about your pet dog, Christie.
Have had to get out my hoses too. injoying fresh cukes and a very few tomatoes. My daylilies are past their prime and i injoyed them so much. Am still slowly transplanting daylilies from beds to containers. Have developed another problem. Where am i going to put all the containers.
annuals still doing good. Am going to leave seeds in containers and stop deadheading so i'll have volunteer plants next year.
Christie, i learned a long time ago that non-gardeners think we gardeners are all nuts anyway. They don't know, its the rest of the world thats really crazy. LOL
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bunny6
15 years ago
Christie, sorry about your Sheltie. I lost my collie of nine years to cancer. I said I would never get another dog, but one day while hicking in the woods we came across two stray dogs. They were so thin you could see their hip bones. Oh course, we were only going to fatten them up, get them a check up with shots and give them away. One year later they are laying on the back porch. I guess they found us instead of us finding them.

I have had to water also. I am going to love next month's water bill.

My friend paints people on her gourds. Just a suggestion.
Ann
helenh
15 years ago
Sorry about your dog. I have never owned a Sheltie, but I think they are beautiful dogs. I would like to have one someday if I ever get to choose my dog. My three dogs and two cats were either dropped off here or I agreed to take them because someone I know found them in a shed or wandering in a parking lot. They are all attractive (except Blackie who got grass seeds in his fur and had to have a haircut) and wonderful animals. I would wait and see what comes to you unless your kids will surprise you if you don't choose yourself. Yes, I think the rain is over, but it was nice to get through daylily season with ample rain. I don't know about gourds but why don't you leave them. With the weird weather we've had maybe we'll have a late frost.
proudgm_03
15 years ago
I have had to water almost every day. Of course,all most all of my plants are wintersown babies and need it. If I don't water the tomatoes every day they start to shrivel up. I have one in a big flower pot and two growing upside down in 5 gallon buckets. And I have one still in the WS pot. It was a late starter. (Can you say too lazy to put it out!)
jspeachyn5
15 years ago
I don't know about all of you but some of my flower beds have become "sunny". I mean that the ice storms have broken so many large tree limbs off that the have way too much sun now to be shade beds. I thaink that is some of my flowers problem. I started watering last week and some of my plants seem to be starting.
Although I always grow sunflowers for the grandchildren, I say that but I really love them too. but they are almost to the roof top this year! They normally don't quite make it that tall. guess we'll wait and see. We go out to check them every day.
I did some winter sow as well for the first time. I have to say I did like the idea and I had some success, but I am one of those that I like some instant color. I know I won't get that form this os I think I will get some annuals to place in with them this year. When I do that again next year I will know for the get go and plant some in there to begin with. I planted a lot of new bulbs this year and got all the green tops but no flowers so sure hope nothing gets them before spring!
Proudgm, what is this "tomatoes in upside down 5 gallon bucket"? Is it like those bags? Where did you "hand" it? You have me thinking up all kinds of crazy things. that's not always a good thing for me, lol.
Oh yes and my elephant ears are doing so great this year too.
sure wish I could figure out why every thing else is so stunted.
Christie, so sorry to hear about your families loss. I know a new friend will find you when it is the right time. My Mahala is still hanging in there. I give her shots and a lot of meds. she has goo days and bad, but she isn't in pain other when it's cold or rainy. Like me w/arthritis.
Bonnie
christie_sw_mo
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone. Proudgm and Ann - Sorry about your loss as well. We sure miss our little Sheltie and wonder how much our other dog misses her. She's been wanting to stay inside with us much more than she used to but that's ok. : )

Bonnie - Sounds like you're taking good care of Mahala. She's lucky to have someone that cares.
We lost trees when we had the ice storm too and I had to move a lot of shade plants. I still have a few things to move and need to do it soon so I can kill the thorny hedge sprouts that are coming up where the trees used to be. It's a mess.

We got a surprise rainstorm on Friday(?) that dropped more than TWO inches on our yard. I was almost finished watering my plants and heard thunder. I should've waited a little longer to water I guess. Rain is always welcome this time of year though.