El Niño Humor

So I've been dying to post this image from Pinterest for weeks but had been waiting for consistently cooler weather:

 

But since it looks like that's not going to happen this winter (thanks El Niño), I figured I'd post it anyway for a good laugh. 

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors But Oversized, Misplaced Sheds Make...

...me very annoyed.

When my neighbor told me her husband was thinking about getting a shed I thought cool, extra storage is always great. I didn't expect to come home one day from work and find this monstrosity up under my fence, ruining my side view.

The DH and I know this is not permitted because the variance in our neighborhood is three feet (i.e. there has to be three feet of clearance from any existing structures including a fence). Clearly, this is not. But for now we're going to try and be neighbors and not file a complaint. But my God this is going to take some getting used to.

Is It Fall Yet?

The weather's just been ick lately. For a few days in October, we had crisp, sunny days in the southeast. However, we've transitioned into a purgatory state of mugginess and rain with temperatures all across the spectrum. What has this meant for gardening? Not a whole lot. For me anyway. Who wants to be outside?

In spite of this, my bell pepper bushes are still producing at a rate faster than I can consume or give away, and there's that stray pumpkin vine in my compost. Keeping my fingers crossed I'll be able to harvest a few.

Orange You Glad You're Not a Pumpkin?!?

 

Here's a funny story for ya...sometime in August, with visions of pumpkin-lined steps leading up to my front porch, the kids and I planted two flats of pumpkin seeds. None germinated. However, a stray seed ended up in my compost, and voila, a few months later I have a thriving pumpkin vine.

 

 I doubt the pumpkins will be large enough to decorate with before the season is over so I still won't have the pumpkin-lined steps. Still, this made for a great laugh. Ain't life grand?

My Fall Porch

I'm a little late this year but I finally got it done. Welcome Fall!

The Ever Blooming Christmas Cactus

My colleague has a Christmas cactus that blooms all year long. We have a large window that floods the office with sunlight, which as you may know, works against a Christmas cactus blooming out of season. So its our little mystery.

Anyway, I thought I'd share these delicious blooms with you.

Fall Prep

I haven't been up to a whole lot these last few weeks, other than some yard maintenance. And by yard maintenance, I mean vigorously pulling Mexican heather from my rain garden. Those babies have a tendency to take over! And they're obscuring shorter, more attractive plants like my Cahaba lilies and ginger lilies.

After removing 90% of the Mexican Heather

We've had a dry summer which has damaged the woodland ferns in the rain garden. Lucky me! I also plan to dig those out as soon as I'm done with the Mexican heather. Hopefully that will enable my canna lilies to progress as it seems their growth has been stunted the last few years.

Totally Overgrown!

On the hillside, I am going to replace a small island filled with irises and daylilies with another fruit tree. I have my eye on a dwarf pear tree that will fit the space perfectly.

Its a long to-do list with very little time. Hopefully I can get most of this done before we have another cold snap which forces me into hibernation.