Sorry It's Been So Long

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted!! I guess I've just been busy (aren't we all). Between keeping up with the yard, nightly "skunk patrol", the occasional load of laundry and my latest venture (more to come on that)... I feel like I am constantly playing catch-up.

Thankfully, I can report track season has come to an end. As much as I enjoy watching all the high school sports, I was just so ready for a break. For our daughter, it's volleyball year round (school, private lessons, jump training, club, and summer leagues) and when you add track to the mix for a couple months it just seems caotic!!

I think when I last posted, I was being visited nightly by a skunk who enjoyed rooting around in my yard and digging holes under the fence. Well, our skunk problem is over!! We relocated our nightly visitor to an area a couple of miles away, out in the country near a tank surrounded by lots of trees. Hopefully he or she won't bother anyone out there and can root around all night!

Below are some pictures of the delicate relocation process:

Yes, he (she) sprayed a little during the ride but I'm sure he was scared to death because the road was horribly bumpy! All in all it wasn't too bad of an experience. Hubby never took a direct spray and we released the skunk into a great environment to roam free.

Gotta run for now. I will post again soon.

Free Pet Available to Good Home

For those of you who follow my blog and know that I am trying to rid my backyard of an intrusive skunk, yet allow this little creature to continue to LIVE..... I have only these words:

CASTOR OIL GRANULES DO NOT REPEL SKUNKS!

Maybe if you brought the skunk inside and placed him in your closet with castor oil granules in the far back corner, her might (just might) dig his damn holes and tear up everything only in the front of your closet!!! I wouldn't even feel confortable guaranteeing that! He would probably just dig up some of your carpet, shovel all the castor oil granules into the hole and go on about his business of total destruction!!!!!!!

Pepe Le Pew may have won the battle but the war is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, if anyone reading this blog is looking for a great pet with gorgeous marking to keep you company in the yard, please email me :-) I would be thrilled to make your dreams come true!!!

Now We Know

For the past couple of weeks we have noticed that something has been digging under our privacy wood fence to get into the back yard. There are 4 or 5 little passageways that allow this intruder into an area previously only inhabited by my cat.

*Note small passageway under fence

I have a corner of the yard with a nice Crepe Myrtle growing and about 4 or 5 bird feeders all hanging within several feet of each other. For whatever reason, the intruder has taken a liking to digging all around and under these feeders. Aside from the fact that something might be eating the bird seed 'thrown' everywhere by the birds, the dirt in this area is also loose which would make it iseal for rooting around in. Upon further inspection.... it seems there are small holes maybe 2-3" wide by 3" deep all over outside the privacy fence.

So we set up the automatic night camera to catch the culprit!

We angled the camera toward the area where the intruder enters.

And low and behold.....

what do we see on camera????

Phewwwwwww!! Now what???

I don't mind this *lovely* creature living his life "outside" my yard but now that he has welcomed himself into my private part of the world.... something must be done!! David had some castor oil granules that claim to deter skunks. We'll see!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day March '09

It's 48 degrees right now with the potential of 68 this afternoon. We have been blessed with some much needed rain over the past several days. There is still a possibility of a few storms today but next week looks like clear skies and warm days. As much as I welcome the rain, I miss working in the yard! Almost a week straight of rain and I am climbing the walls!!! LOL So it was nice to get outside and see what's blooming.

Red Geraniums invite hummingbirds to the yard


But I much prefer these little pink and red ones!

Texas Mountain Laurel

Wildfire Spreading Verbena in a hanging basket

Petunia Mini-Me Red Star makes a beautiful addition to this pot

Horrible pic of the bloom on the Mexican Lime Tree

HELP!! I forgot the name of this little plant. Maybe Firecracker Fern or something similar. Any help would be much appreciated :-)

Everbearing Strawberry

Bottlebrush trying to bloom. This is one of my All-Time Faves!

This Hybiscus just bloomed yesterday evening while I was outside.

I think this is a Firecracker Plant.

This Begonia is in a pot by the front door.

My Chinese Fringe Flower is blooming despite the fact that it doesn't have many leaves. I used to grow these with no problem...now I see to struggle to keep them looking like something that shouldn't be ripped from the ground and tossed! I need to research this plant and see what she needs.

Well, that's it for now. I can't wait to visit everyone else's blogs and check out what's blooming in your yards. I just love Bloom Day!!

FEAR NOT!!!!

That's what Jerry Parsons told me today via email. "FEAR NOT!!!!!!"

I, like many others in this part of the country, have been patiently waiting for the local nurseries to get their fair share of the damn near famous "Dwarf Cherry Surprise" tomato plants debuted at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo last month. It's been called the most naturally disease-resistant cherry tomato ever sold in Texas as well as being nematode resistant.

I inquired about the Dwarf Cherry Surprise tomatoes at Fanick's Nursery last week only to be told they wouldn't be in for another week or so. I dropped by again today (just in case) and was pointed to a couple of flats housing 4" pots of some very nice looking tomato plants. Upon further inspection, the tag stated the plants to be 'BHN 968' SWEET CHERRY. I just stood there looking confused (not a difficult act for me to pull off) and asked the guy working the greenhouse if these were indeed the Dwarf Cherry Surprise. He said "yeah... that's the rodeo tomato". Okay, okay!! I bought two of the $3 plants, all the while thinking I was being mislead.... unintentionally of course, because I have nothing but trust for the knowledgable folks at Fanick's.

Upon arriving home, after venting to my best friend and husband about how I'd been sold the wrong plant, I immediately emailed Jerry Parsons himself. I wanted to hear from the "horses mouth" so to speak. Within a couple of hours, he replied and confirmed what Fanick's had sold me was indeed the coveted Dwarf Cherry Surprise. I have copied his exact message below so that noone else need go through this tramatic experience in their search for the latest and greatest, rodeo tomato:

"FEAR NOT!!!!! You got the real deal!!! When first testing this tomato, the number 705 was on it. Then the company (for some unknown reason!?!?!) changed the number to 968. Since this tomato is still in the testing stage, I gave it the name Dwarf Cherry Surprise. Sorry for the confusion. Let me know how it does for you." ~Jerry Parsons

Too Late??

Well everyone has the itch... the itch to plant vegetable gardens that is. Although we only grow tomatoes, seems everyone else I know has much bigger plans for their gardens. I hear talk of okra, green beans, onions, radishes, bell peppers, cucumbers and squash. Aside from the fact that all this talk of gardening makes me feel inadequate and somehow less of a person.... I find myself excited at the prospect of growing such edibles!

Both my sister and best friend had a couple of their dreams shattered when the gardeners at the nurseries informed them that they were "too late" for some of the veggies on their wish lists. Seems like there is a time for everything! Who knew??? Well ok... I am sure some of you more experienced gardeners knew but to us this was a complete surprise. My sister missed lettuce and my best friend missed onions. So I was browsing the internet when I came across a few calendars for vegetable gardening in Texas. Maybe these will help: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/earthkind/ekgarden14.html, http://main.org/aog/downloads/plantcal.pdf and http://www.fanicknursery.com/Downloads/Calendar%202009.pdf.

I won't be taking this project on this season because I know it requires more of me than I am willing to give at this point. I will learn through others this go round. Maybe by the time I get around to giving it a go, my friends will have figured out how to successfully grow veggies of all kinds. I will "cheat" and copy their ways!! So to all my friends and family out their in gardenville.... grow, grow, grow! While you're at it.... write down all your tips, tricks and lessons learned for me if you don't mind :-)

A Labor of Love

Lexi and I spend a couple of hours Monday morning peeling and planting Sago seeds at Grandmas. Uncle Gary has been growing Sagos this way for years. It is a slow process to say the least. You have to collect the seeds from the female, soak them for a couple of days, peel them by hand and then plant them carefully in shallow pools. Once they are established and about 4 or 5 inches tall (8-9 months) you transplant them into individual 4" pots. I now understand why Sagos cost so damn much!!!

Created with flickr slideshow. The slideshow above shows photos of me and Aunt Holly helping Uncle Gary and Grandma get the newest Sago babies started. Lexi helped too but was also playing photographer so she's not in the pictures.