Something old that’s new

This spring I’m going to replace some of the drown and/or frozen plants in my yard with something I haven’t grown previously. 

One such item is Utrecht Blue Wheat.  It is sold as an ornamental grass because it is so beautiful from summer to frost (plus it’s hard to thresh).  This heirloom plant was originally grown in the early 1900’s in Utrecht, Netherlands.  It has steel blue heads with long black bristles which grow on long 5-foot stems.  According to the planting instructions, after sowing the seeds, the rows should be protected from the birds by a scarecrow or other ornamentation.  OK, I’ve built scarecrows before, I can do that.  Then, when the color is good, cut the stalks and hang to dry.  So, all I have to figure out is where I can plant (and protect from birds and damn squirrels) wheat.

Maybe by the Sea Oats.

When I was growing up, the sand dunes along the west-end beaches were full of Sea Oats.  I can remember, Mother would walk into the dunes (a big no-no these days) and cut long stalks full of seed heads and bringing them back to the house in Galveston.

Sea Oats is a long lived, slow growing, warm season, perennial grass commonly associated with the upper dunes along beach fronts. It grows erect to approximately 6 feet in height at maturity.  It is very drought tolerant. It prefers full sun.  This plant has been adversely affected by urban encroachment. Treated and untreated sewage, urban runoff and general pollution has impacted the plant negatively. Off-road vehicles damage them by disrupt their roots and compact the sand.

By the time Michael and I moved to Galveston, the huge Sea Oat plants were gone.  Anyway, several years ago I was at a local nursery and found a pot of Sea Oats for sale.  Nostalgia took over - I snapped it right up.  For the longest time I kept it in a good-sized pot until I noticed little Sea Oat plants coming up in the flowerbed where sat the pot.  Hmmm.  Now, I have a large shed in my back yard with a small weedy area behind it.  So, thinks I, I’ll just transplant the Sea Oats behind the shed where they can grow and get big.  And grow they have.  They haven’t gotten very tall yet and right now, like everything else, they look TERRIBLE (flood and freeze damage) but I did notice today all sorts of new green growth.  And, they have taken over that small area behind the shed.  So maybe I’ll plant the wheat there and have both decorative Sea Oats and Blue Wheat.

Take care.

Fertilizers .. Pesticides .. Herbicides

I am a member of the Wharton Garden Club – have been since we moved here in 2004.  It is a group of men and women that are interested in growing all sorts of plants – every day annuals to orchids and plumerias to cacti and succulents to grass and trees to all sorts of edibles.  We are a very diverse group.  The clubs’ program director chooses a variety of speakers through out the year with the hope that she manages to hit on topics that are interesting to everyone.  I’ve had that job.  It’s tough.

Today, she hit the nail on the head with a speaker whose topic was about the fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides we all use.  How to save money.  What to look for in the ingredients.  How to make your own.  It was a very good program.

So, I thought I’d share a few things I learned: 

First of all – you should know about your soil.  No need to waste money and time amending your soil with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, etc if you don’t need it.  

Fertilizers all have three numbers prominently listed on the package.  Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (N,P,K).  Which means, if you purchase a 50-pound bag of 10-10-10, you will have five pounds of nitrogen, five pounds of phosphorus, and five pounds of potassium. The remaining 70% is simply filler.  So you want the nitrogen.  The other two?  Well maybe, maybe not.  Something to think about.

Homemade fertilizer:  Add 1 cup of household ammonia (nitrogen) and ½ cup liquid dish soap to a gallon of water. 

Next -- Read the label.  I do this.  Not that’s it’s been particularly helpful since I am not a chemist and have had no idea what any anything listed is.  These are some of the things to look for -

Bifenthrin is an insecticide.  It interferes with the nervous system of insects when they eat or touch it.  It’s found in a number of products which gives you the ability to price shop. 

Imidacloprid is a systemic pesticide.  Which means that it is absorbed by the plant root and moves up into the stems, leaves, flowers and fruit.  And, while it is good at killing many noxious insects, it will also kill bees collecting pollen or butterflies that drink the flower nectar. 

Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide.  It is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses.  There are over 750 products containing glyphosate.  Price shop.

Triclopyr is used for the control of undesirable woody and herbaceous weeds.  It is used on rights-of-way, pastures, rangelands, forests, turf, and residential lawns.  It’s good for all those pesky trash, bird-or-squirrel-planted, trees. 

Interesting.

Take care

February Februarius Solmonath

It’s time for everyone’s favorite ….. WHAT’S GOING ON IN FEBRUARY!

There are many, many month, week, and day celebrations but I chose just a few that captured my imagination.  Like

Beat the Heat Month     really??? – it’s February.  Shouldn’t this be in August???

National Haiku Writing Month

An old silent pond...

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

     Basho Matsuo (1644-1694)

Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month     or at least the cart corral!

Next, special ways to celebrate weeks in February -

2-4 Feb - Cordova Ice Worm Festival

Every year in Cordova, Alaska they celebrate Cordova Ice Worm Festival with a winter carnival.  They even elect an ice worm king and queen.  Oookaay.

11-17 Feb - Random Acts of Kindness Week

Did you know that people who are kind produce 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population?  Engaging in acts of kindness actually lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. 

26 Feb – 02 Mar - National Invasive Species Awareness Week

An "invasive species" is defined as a species that is non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Like: Zebra Mussels, Red Fire Ants, Chinese Tallow Tree, Water Hyacinth along with many more. 

Ok – you’ve already missed –

1 Feb - Hula in The Coola Day

2 Feb - Working Naked Day

4 Feb - Liberace Day

5 Feb - Shower with a Friend Day

Today is ..

7 Feb - Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbor's Day 

A real holiday – the purpose of which is to raise your comfort level in your neighborhood so, when you see a neighbor today, wave all those digits and add a smile. If you are feeling particularly bold you could even utter “Hello!”.

Then, these caught my attention for the rest of the month –

8 Feb - Laugh and Get Rich Day   uhhh, like laughing all the way to the bank maybe???

12 Feb - Extraterrestrial Visitor Day

13 Feb - Mardi Gras 13    Laissez les bons temps rouler

14 Feb - Valentines Day 

Modern St. Valentine's Day celebrations were derived from ancient Christian and Roman traditions and probably the greeting card, flower, and candy industries!.

15 Feb - National Gum Drop Day wow – who knew!

23 Feb - Curling is Cool Day

No, no – nothing to do with hair.  Curling is a Scottish game developed in the 1500’s that involves launching a stone on ice and sweeping the ice in its path as it attempts to land on a target and dislodge your competitors’ rocks.

24 Feb - International Sword Swallowers Day    

28 Feb - National Tooth Fairy Day

 Have fun

February's Violet

Shhhhhhh – whispering now …..

I have been sneaking plants outside.  Yes, sneaking – one or two a day.  Nothing big.

BECAUSE, I cannot stand it any longer – having plants in the house and garage!  

The plants are not very happy with being inside as well.  

I’m being quiet about moving the few to the outside because I firmly believe, whomever it is that controls the outside thermostat, will notice and turn the temps right back to 30°.  Then, I’ll have to move everything back inside.  Haven’t moved anything big or heavy – none of the plumerias.  Haven’t moved anything really cold sensitive.  Haven’t moved any of the seedings.  None of the succulents.  Just a few things.  Yeah, yeah - I know - just February - still winter.  Shhhhhhh.

Today, it’s supposed to be in the low 70’s.  Nice but very overcast and threatening rain.  Tonight it’s going to be in the middle 40’s – chilly but ok.  Tomorrow, ick, it’s going to be a high of 45° and overcast.  Then, it’s supposed to rain, possibly for all of February.

Right now, my yard is abloom with flowers!  Little teeny-tiny flowers.  Nothing I want blooming.  Weeds – sigh.  I am fearful that the weeds, loving the cool temps and rain, will get to be thigh-high in no time.  Of course I could look at it more positively – many of the weeds are considered edible and medicinal.  

Pass. 

  

Ten Petal Anemone

Birdseye Speedwell - A Plantain

Chickweed

Henbit

Wood Violet

Take care.

 

Dandelion

I’d like to say

……. that I enjoy reading poetry.  But – for the most part – I don’t.  Tends to be a bit tedious.  I did go through a period when I read everything Edgar Allen Poe wrote, poetry included. 

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, …….”

Didn’t we all?

I did read The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer --- because I had to ---- in High School.  And, I had to memorize a section and recite it before the class (there were a goodly bunch of us that had a section to recite).  It was a v-e-r-y painful thing BUT, I still remember my section -

…..And specially from every shires ende

Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,

The hooly blisful martir for to seke

That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.

Now, if I’m going to read any type of poetry. Let it be light and fluffy, like …

A Light in the Attic

   By Shel Silverstein

                 Peckin

The saddest thing I ever did see

Was a woodpecker peckin’ at a plastic tree.

He looks at me, and “Friend,” says he,

“Things ain’t as sweet as they used to be.”

Great Big Ugly Man Came Up

And Tied His Horse To Me

   By: Wallace Tripp

I eat my peas with honey,

I’ve done it all my life,’

They do taste kind of funny,

But it keeps them on the knife.

Or how about this ...

O Frabjous Day!

  Edited by Myra Chon Livingston

… from a Cornish Litany

From Goulies and Ghosties,

And long-leggity Beasties,

And all Things that go bump in the Night,

Good Lord deliver us.

Take care

I've had a long day working on my genealogy.  Just trying to put names and family units together.  I'm having trouble getting things to stay where I want them so .....

I am going to turn off the computer and go into the other room and do something else.

Time Travel

You know, Time Travel is possible.  Yesterday I was neck-deep in the 11^th century.  

My goal yesterday, which I did not achieve, was to clean up some of my genealogy files.  I started with the HARDIN family and Eadnoth.  From Eadnoth, the line is traceable through the Hardins to Storms to Sims to Bace to Abbott.  Whew!

Eadnoth (1024-1068) ”The Staller (master of horse) and Constable” of Somerset, may have been a son, legitimate or not, of Svend II, Estridsson Ulfussonn King of Denmark 1047 to 1076.  Or he may have been a son-in-law or someone with an active imagination.  You can find pros and cons on any and all paternal choices.  But, no one really knows. 

One of the things that is historically supportable is that Eadnoth served three kings – Edward the Confessor, Harold II, and William I (the Conqueror).  Because I like to include historical information of the times, I did some research on Harold II (having some general idea on the other two already). 

Harold (1022-1066) was a son of Godwin, the Earl of Wessex, and nephew, by marriage, to King Canute the Great of England and Denmark.  Harold was actually only king for 10 months or so because he was killed at the Battle of Hastings by the armies of William the Conqueror. 

It was really interesting and I learned a lot about his grandfather Wulfnoth Cild, thegn of Sussex; Godwin (his father and very powerful Earl of Wessex); Sweyn Godwinson (his older brother – a real bad ass); Edyth Swannesha (consort of 20 years and mother to most of his children); Ealdgyth, daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia (wife of 10 months and then he was killed). 

Then, I refreshed my memory on just who the Anglo Saxons were (as they are mentioned numerous times in the historical texts).  They were the Angle, Saxon, and Jute tribes that lived along the coast of what's now Holland, southern Denmark, and a little of the German coast in between.  And the Normans ????  They were Vikings that bullied the Frankish (French) king, Charles, into giving them a large amount of land in northern France.  And, they all invaded England.

Next thing I knew, it was 5pm and Morgan was waiting for her dinner.  I never got off Eadnoth.  But, I did learn a great deal. 

Take care.

Gilly Flower

Moon Magic

So, last night we had our final Supermoon, the largest and brightest of the trifecta plus it was also a Blue Moon and a Blood Moon.  

Superstitions, myths, and folklore aside, all three Supermoons grabbed the world’s attention for a while.   

 

3 Dec 2017

1 Jan 2018

31 Jan 2018

“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.”

Take care