Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

Went out to check my mail and looked down and couldn't believe my eyes.  I planted this Yarrow last year.  It never did anything including grow much.  I actually have the name of it 'Treasured Deep Rose' achilla tomentosa x millefolium.  Don't bother looking it up, I can't find it on Google.I have the tag though and that's what it says.  Previously, I believe I told you about my abelia x grandiflora 'kaleidoscope'. I still say it's the best bush ever. Number one it doesn't grow real fast. Number two you can trim it if needed. Number 3 it has so many colors. Never the same!  My third and fourth pictures are a whimsical thing and a picture I really shouldn't have taken. I was driving at the time! Shame on me, but I couldn't pass it up.  Was coming back from Columbia, MO and saw the balloons and saw the moon.  Daughter was driving so that was okay.  The other was when I was on my way to Columbia and have to pass by the airport where I l...

A lot going on on the personal level recently so no blogs.  The other day was out on the deck and thankfully I had my phone in my pocket.  I had just emptied the trash and came up the deck steps. I heard this bird call. It sounded somewhat familiar.  I looked around and saw a bird I hadn't seen in a few years at my feeders.  My first thought was "I don't have my camera". The second thought was "Oh, but I have my phone". I slowly removed the phone from my pocket and gently set the recycle basket down.  I took a picture and then another and another.  The bird flew away.  I looked and a couple pictures were not too bad.  This is the Red-breasted Nuthatch. They are smaller than the White-breasted Nuthatch and, you can tell by the name, has the rusty chest vs. the white.  The song of the Red-breasted is much prettier than the White also. In my opinion. For those that don't know- here is a picture of the White-breasted Nuthatch. I just realized I...

Today I decided I would roast some Poblano peppers and stuff a few tonight with some cheese, sausage and rice. No, I do not have a recipe. It's winging it time! I went out on the deck and picked several peppers.  I washed them and then cut the tops off and seeded them.  I did keep some seeds to plant next year. I watched a YouTube tutorial on blistering the peppers but I did it before quite a long time ago.  I figured I could do it again. I had to split the peppers in two bunches as I had quite a few.  I rubbed each pepper down with olive oil and put them in a pan with sides.  I know how oil is and how the moisture runs amuck and I sure didn't want that burning in my oven.  Put the broiler on Hi and propped the door open and turned on the exhaust fan.  I could hear the popping and snapping of the skin. No, I am sure it wasn't Rice Crispy's. I turned them all over and after a few more minutes I took them out of the oven and put them in a glass bowl a...

I just wrote a post on the Central Missouri Master Gardeners Facebook page and decided the post should be here for you all to see. You just never know about nature and growing. Today is a good example. I have a flowering crab that looked really bad last year. This spring it flowered but hardly any leaves and looked dead most of year. I told Jim we were going to trim it up and use it for the birds to roost in. I walked out on the deck this evening to call one of the dogs in and glanced over and saw this white thing on a branch. I couldn't believe what I was seeing so ran inside, grabbed my camera and took 3 pictures. One, what I saw at first. Two I zoomed in a little and three zoomed in a lot. There in all it's glory was a flowering crab bloom! You just never know about Mother Nature!

I started out this morning by picking up the dog poop and starting laundry and working on the Master Gardeners Newsletter for October.  I saw the time getting away from me so put everything down, went and got my hand shovel, clippers, my sitting palette and my container for the weeds.  I started at the bottom of the drive in the side area under the Pin Oaks.  Lot's of unwanted things growing.  Noticed two of the transplanted Heuchera (Coral Bells) had died.  Pulled out dandelions and other weeds that I have no clue what they are just know they weren't put there by me.   Worked up to the top, then sat on my palette and started in with all the violets, dandelions, crabgrass and a new one I learned at a Master Gardeners Field Day on Saturday. Sericea Lespedeza.  I guess the Conservation person said the name enough because not only could I say it, I knew what it looked like. I was doing real well with the weeding but then, as normal, got sidetracked ...

My previous post was how I weeded out about half of the garden as it was overrun by weeds while I was gone to Michigan.  There were 10-12 pumpkins hanging on the vines and a couple were on the ground.  I picked up two of them to take home. I just didn't have the energy to pick all of the pumpkins and the Butternut squash. I figured they would be okay until I came back.  I really should have known better!  Or maybe it's that I am too trusting? I am so disappointed in people right now!  Almost all the pumpkins were taken by someone.  I did manage to get a couple for Teresa but the rest of them were gone.  I went over to look at the squash and the zucchini was missing.  I am getting so upset! I went to get the Butternut Squash. My favorite.  Out of approximately 17 of them hanging at one point in time, there are only 6 and one of them is tiny and not ripe at all.  One looked like it had been stepped on!  A couple for Teresa and 4 fo...

The garden was over run with weeds as I wasn't around to work in the garden.  Life gets in the way sometimes and you have to take care of business. Yesterday was my first time back at the Master Gardener's gardens - River City Gardens - across the river - North Jefferson City.  Going to do some up-dating of the Medicine Wheel. Today was at the garden plot and Wow!  The weeds did take over.  I got out the weed eater and went around the outside edges of the garden.  I thought that Parks and Rec were supposed to mow from the road to the edges of the gardens but that hasn't happened all gardening season. After the weed eating, I pulled out my little pallet that I sit on, grabbed my trusty hand shovel, put the refuse bag just behind me so I could pull it along with the handle at the bottom and started to work. As I was working, I was listening to all the sounds. The bugs making noises, the birds singing away and the corn stalks making rustling noises in the win...