With several days off around Thanksgiving, I'm hoping the weather will cooperate so I can get some things done outside (and in).
Today:
* Unhooked water hoses and left to drain down driveway.
* Pruned neighbor's laurel that's growing through and over the fence in the backyard. Placed leaves and branches on strip of dirt along fence as way to keep weeds down.
* Pruned dead growth off all lavenders.
24 November 2009
07 November 2009
Tasks - 11/7/09
Today:
* Pruned all the roses.
* Removed eucalyptus from front yard -- all but the rootball (a spring task).
* Weeded the blueberry bed.
* Cut back the maximillions.
* Cut back some driveway overgrowth.
* Moved worms from a worm bin to the rotating composter.
* Tomato bed in back yard: Removed plants & cages; planted cover crop (hairy vetch) and placed grate and bamboo skewers for cat protection.
* Removed tomato plant from small bed in front yard.
* Pruned all the roses.
* Removed eucalyptus from front yard -- all but the rootball (a spring task).
* Weeded the blueberry bed.
* Cut back the maximillions.
* Cut back some driveway overgrowth.
* Moved worms from a worm bin to the rotating composter.
* Tomato bed in back yard: Removed plants & cages; planted cover crop (hairy vetch) and placed grate and bamboo skewers for cat protection.
* Removed tomato plant from small bed in front yard.
07 October 2009
Noxious Weed - Level B
As of December 31, 2009, butterfly bush are only allowed to be sold by a few licensed nurseries in Oregon. Existing plants, both at nurseries and in home gardens, must be dead-headed so they can't go to seed.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has classified the butterfly bush as a Level B noxious weed because:
ODA Plant Division. Noxious Weed Control
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has classified the butterfly bush as a Level B noxious weed because:
"This plant is a pioneering species that dominates open habitats. It poses an ecological threat to dry-land meadows, open slopes and dunes, dominating these sites as much as Scotch broom has historically. It also invades reforested sites, resulting in a loss of forest productivity."Today I dead-headed the one butterfly bush I have on my sidewalk strip, placing the seed heads into my worm bin where they will be obliterated by hungry red wigglers.
ODA Plant Division. Noxious Weed Control
Tasks - 10/7/09
Today:
* Dead-headed butterfly bush on sidewalk strip.
* Continued pruning overgrown eucalyptus in back yard.
* Dead-headed butterfly bush on sidewalk strip.
* Continued pruning overgrown eucalyptus in back yard.
06 October 2009
Tasks - 10/06/09
Today:
* Weeded and tidied the herb bed, removed the volunteer pumpkin since its fruits kept withering.
* Finished gathering seeds, and storing them.
* Removed last tomatoes, will cook&freeze what I can, compost the rest. Cut some greenery & composted it.
* Moved small cold compost from tumbler to next to the herb bed, within easy reach of the worm bins.
* Trimmed overgrown eucalyptus in back yard.
* Made the woodpile smaller and more tidy.
* Removed goldenrod from back yard garage strip.
* Weeded and tidied the herb bed, removed the volunteer pumpkin since its fruits kept withering.
* Finished gathering seeds, and storing them.
* Removed last tomatoes, will cook&freeze what I can, compost the rest. Cut some greenery & composted it.
* Moved small cold compost from tumbler to next to the herb bed, within easy reach of the worm bins.
* Trimmed overgrown eucalyptus in back yard.
* Made the woodpile smaller and more tidy.
* Removed goldenrod from back yard garage strip.
Bugs!
Something new this year was the plethora of beneficial insects in my garden. It's true I added the ladybugs early, but they liked the party and hung around all season. I saw about 5 different kinds of bees, including the teeny green jewel-like mason bees. Butterflies! Dragonflies!
And then the supremely creepy but very useful preying mantis made an appearance among the coconut lime echinacea. Not sure how I spotted it while I was watering, but lo!
I must have been doing something right to attract all these good bugs! This made me do my happy dance.
And then the supremely creepy but very useful preying mantis made an appearance among the coconut lime echinacea. Not sure how I spotted it while I was watering, but lo!
I must have been doing something right to attract all these good bugs! This made me do my happy dance.
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