My Successes

Although they have been few and far between, I have actually had a few successes when it comes to my yard this year. I've managed to keep a few things alive and I've even grown, without much help, several plants. Below are my successes:

1. My Pennsylvania Wild Flowers- beginning as seeds, I scattered them throughout my yard. Just recently have they begun to show themselves. I thought some of them were weeds and was going to pull them as soon as I could get my lazy butt moving. Good thing I didn't. My brother Dennis is giving me a book to identify them.

2. My tomatoes- which have grown into monsters! I should have staked them, as I mentioned in the previous email...... but didn't until this weekend. Bad move. Point taken for next year.

3. My Day lilies. They line my drive way and are a gorgeous mix of crimson and gold. I am thinking of splitting them and growing their area. Although I didn't plant these, I didn't kill em' either. Yeah me!

4. Hydrangeas- One beautiful blue one and one limelight one. I bought both at Brenkles this year and planted them on either corner of my lot. I am hoping for big beautiful bushes some day. The blue one had been pushed to bloom in the spring..... the woman told me it wouldn't bloom again this year, however I have buds. I just hope it doesn't crap out for next year! I also have three existing bushes. Two are white and one is coming in pink. The pink one is in a VERY shaded area and I am thinking I will move it next year.

5. Mint- didn't kill it this year! WHOO HOO!

6. Dahlias and Gladiolas- Both doing well...... growing at least.

7. Some shade plants- transplanted a few from my neighbor AND bought a few purple ones for my patio area and they are living!!!

8. Rhododendrons- Transplanted and doing OK

9. Peas- the nazi threw a few out but the ones that survived are thriving!!!!! YUMMY!

10. Astilbe- semi alive..... we'll see how they do!!!

and the miracle of ALL MIRACLES--- popcorn verburnum is coming back and coming back strong!!! It has more leaves on it each day!!! YEEEEE HAA!

Houston, We have buds!!

I need to reverse the obituary on my popcorn verburnum. It is ALIVE! Fancy that! Yesterday I was walking a friend around my yard showing her all of my plantings, when we came across the verburnum. I told her the story surrounding it and just when I started explaining how I thought it may be alive since the wood inside was still green, she agreed. There amongst all of the brown november like branches were buds. LOTS and LOTS of buds...... and a few green leaves. I am hoping it has come back and will be with me for a long time. It is quite a gorgeous plant, when alive and blooming.

Yesterday and today (and probably a bit tomorrow), I have been catching up on work that should have been done a month ago. I began staking my tomato plants. and boy is that a chore. I should have done it when they were little and able to be tied...... but I waited and now they are vining all over the place. Most have taken on a second set of roots and have extremely crooked stems. Staking crooked stems sucks! But I do have maters on some and all have several buds. It seems tomato season is coming which means canning season is here too!!! Yeah!

Ticked

Saturday, after my semi sucessful yardsale, I decided to mow the grass. Since Matt is out of town for an unexpected extra week, I need to keep up with his usual duties. I was at the very end of my mowing, underneath out HUGE mulberry tree when I felt something bite my back. I brushed my hand across my back and kept moving. Later that evening, I glanced at my back and noticed something blackish. I asked my Mother in Law, who was with me at the time, and she said it looked like a very big black head. I knew then that I had been bit by a tick. It totally skeeved me out and made me itchy all over. I called my country mouse friend, Jess, who said to pour alcohol on it and just dig it out. On my way home that evening I called my neighbor, Karen, to see if she would come dig it out. How's that for a neighborly feat? I was embarrassed to ask and I am pretty sure her husband thinks I am strange, but I couldn't go to sleep knowing something was in me.

I called the doctor on call on Sunday and he said I should be fine. He claims Lyme disease in this area is VERY rare but to be safe, to come in on Monday. I did and the nurse practitioner dug out the remaining head portion of the tick. I deduced that when mowing under the mulberry tree, one must have fallen out of the tree on me. We have an over abundance of deer around here and they LOVE to come eat mulberries out of my tree. I am assuming a tick crawled off the deer and onto my tree. I just happened to be it's next target.

So now, to be safe, I called the docs office to get a round of antibiotics. I feel like a hypo, but at the same time, I'd rather be safe than sorry!!!