Hand-feeding Koi

Today I watched a gardener hand feed his koi fish. It was the most incredible sight! The fish heard him call, approached, ate, then swam away. See for yourself:

 

What can your pet do?

Upcycling McDonald's Mik Jugs

Not too long ago the kids and I picked up Happy Meals for dinner. As I was peeling off the labels from the milk jugs to toss them in the recycling bin, I noticed simple instructions to upcycle the jugs into bird feeders. Yes please! It took a few weeks to actually get around to it, but the finished product is too cool.

Start with a clean jug.

  

Drill a medium-sized hole for feeding and two smaller holes for the perch. Make sure they line up. We used a straw per the instructions, but a bamboo skewer would also work.

 

 

Drill a hole in the lid for the hanger. I used wire because this is what I had on hand, but you can use rope too. (In a pinch, I've also used dental floss and it held up quite well.)

 

Fill with food and hang.

Super cute right?





Everything's Just Peachy

Ever have something in your garden that you've fought with for years? I have several of those, one of which is a peach tree I planted in honor of my daughter.

Growing up with the sub-tropics, it was common to have fruit trees in your yard. And they required very little maintenance. Generally, you planted it, left it alone, and after a few years, you were rewarded with fruit. Not the case in SE Alabama. Fruit trees, specifically stone fruit trees are difficult at best. They require constant attention as they are subjected to any number of diseases and pests. I have waited year after year for my peach tree to set fruit, only to be sorely disappointed.

Imagine my surprise last weekend when I finally got around to spraying, that I noticed it was loaded. Actually my first reaction when I spotted the sea of yellow from a distance was, "It's only May! What's wrong with it already?" As I approached, what I thought were discolored leaves were actually baby peaches. Score!

 

 

There are quite a few on the ground already, which I'm hoping is due to birds picking at them. But nothing could dull my excitement. For me, this is the holy grail of gardening...hard work paying off! the DH suggested pruning them for large peaches but I don't have the heart to do it.

 

In other gardening news, my Asiatic lilies are blooming. YAY! Aren't they gorgeous?

 

 



Happy Gardening!

April Showers

So I know this area around my bird bath is not very manicured but I wanted to show you how well the plants are filling in. In my defense, it has rained everyday for nearly two weeks so I have not had the opportunity to weed. Further, the DH was able to mow late yesterday evening but ran out of daylight before he could edge. But just like our lives, this area is perfectly imperfect.

Here's another shot of my veggie garden. The rain has been good to these plants. They are growing, blooming and setting fruit. As soon as I have a dry 48-hour period, I can start spraying for bugs, particularly aphids which have been hanging out in our yard.

Neighbor Appreciation

It's always nice receiving a compliment from a neighbor about my landscaping. Yesterday at my daughter's gymnastics class, a gentleman who lives down the street from us told me how much he admires the flowers around my mailbox.

I appreciated his comment very much. I garden, not for the compliments, but because I enjoy it. Since we spend such little time in the front yard, there are only a few areas I beautify, this being one of them. So for someone to take the time to notice, and let me know that they noticed, is very special to me.

 

 

As you can see, the daffodils have died back but the hardy glads and amaryllis are in their full glory. Also, the lantanas are coming alive. As we approach summer, this area will take on a whole new look as the bulbs die back and the low-growing lantanas cover the area in a mass of orange and yellow blooms. Can't. Hardly. Wait.



Veggie Garden Finally

Two weekends ago, I finally got my summer veggie garden installed. This year, I planted in one of the beds closest to the fence that was used for compost. There are four tomato plants and two bell pepper plants. Believe me, this will be more than enough for my family, the neighbors and co-workers!

In the other bed next to the fence, you will notice my blueberry bushes. They are loaded this year. I can't wait to enjoy them with the kids. That reminds me, time to get the rubber snakes out to deter the birds!

 

Planting season is my most wonderful time of the year. The weather is beautiful, spending time outside relaxes me and I truly enjoy seeing / tasting / smelling/ touching God's handiwork through my labor.

 

Happy Gardening!

 



Fern-o-rama

Like any good, southern lady [or in my case a lady learning to be southern), I enjoy ferns. Bostons, Kimberly, asparagus, turkey, woodland, bird's nest...I have yet to meet a fern I don't like. Last fall however, I realized I don't like them in my flowerbeds.

 

 

THEY. TAKE. OVER.

A few years ago, I transplanted a few woodland ferns in my rain garden from a vacant lot on my street. They were slow to start but began multiplying rapidly last fall. When the garden went dormant, I dug up as many as I could, only to find they came back this Spring with a vengeance.

I am dutifully digging them up as I don't want them to smother the Crinums, Cahaba Lily, hostas, elephant ears and Louisiana irises. No easy feat as it seems like whenever I pull one up, three others take its place.

As far as ornamentation for my front porch and even my desk at work, they are still the apple of my eye. Pictured below is a bird nest fern in my office.

It seems the moral of this story is that my ferns are best potted.