Happy Earth Day To You

Earth Day is only a few short days away.  From the looks of the forecast, I won't be spending much time outside enjoying it.  But I can reminisce about past days spent in my garden.  I thought I would share some of my flowers from my gardens with you.  I hope you enjoy them.



Thank you Mother Nature

For all the years that I have lived in my home, I have set a goal of finishing any garden projects by Memorial Day.  The original May 30th date.  Last year with the spring rains, that did not work out too well.  As a matter of fact, other than cutting down two large bushes in the yard, not much got done. I had a new front porch put in, but since it was contracted out, it doesn't count.

This year I had two projects planned.  The removal of grass in the front yard for a new sitting area and a dry river bed for the back to handle the water from my sump pump.

First, the front yard.  Done a couple of weeks ago, the plantings are now all in.  TADA.

And as an indication of how I spend my time there:

Then there was the back yard problem.  My sump pump runs a lot.  When our foundation was dug in 1972, it sat full of water for several weeks.  When my sons dug a hole to put up their basketball hoop, they hit water at about 2 feet down.  If some state representative wants to pass a law to have the state take ownership of all ground water, I say come get mine.  Please.

I've had way too many problems over the years trying to control the water to even begin to detail them.  My next door neighbor asked me yesterday what was the river I had running down the side of my property over the late winter and spring.  I showed him my new containment method:  the river bed.

The water flows into the bed that we dug and continues out to the property line behind the house.  Everyone is amazed by the volume pumped out.  The robins are having a field day.  They splash around and sit in the shade under the bridge.  I also get to sit, or at least I will now that the projects are done and the rest is the usual yard maintenance. 

Enjoy your summer!

Birds and Butterflies and the Dreaded 'Purple Loosestrife'

One of my 'claims to fame', if there is such a thing, would be ridding West Bloomfield of their Township Flower and Township Bird.  No, I didn't physically get rid of them, I just suggested to the Board that we find new species to identify with.

When I came into office in 1988, the Township Flower was 'Purple Loosestrife'.  It is a highly invasive wetland plant and weren't we trying to save the wetlands?  I kept hearing from everyone that 'It is so pretty'.  Well, it is, but it is everywhere it shouldn't be.

I even received a call from a former official asking me how I could suggest such a thing. Well, at the time in the late 80's, a few states had already outlawed the plant. Once it invades a wetland, good luck to anything else surviving.  You can no longer sell it or bring it into Michigan.

We eventually agreed to name 'Trillium Grandiflorum' as the new Township flower, which was abundant in the township nature preserve.  Check out the photos here.  I have heard that the deer have eaten many of theses plants in recent years.  Guess no one told them the plants were protected.

The other species to get replaced was the Bobolink.  I had lived here since 1972 and had never seen even one.  The idea of replacing this bird with another, as yet unnamed, species caused even more of an uproar.  Must have been a slow news day, for I even heard from the Lansing Journal.  My phone rang off the hook.  'Oh, what a lovely bird.   How could you!'

I would ask the caller if they had actually ever seen one in West Bloomfield.  'Well, no, but they used to be here'.  Well, so were dinosaurs.  I thought of this incident because the latest issue of Defenders Magazine had a 'Speciesspotlight' on the Bobolink.  It says they were at their peak in the horse and buggy era, but their populations have dimished.

Our Township Bird is now the black-capped chickadee.  Yes, common, ordinary, everyday chickadee.  So what is wrong with having a township bird that everyone can see and recognize?

I even had this photo hanging in my office.

Which brings me to the butterflies.  No, we do not have a Township butterfly.  I did, however, see a most unusual specimen in my backyard yesterday.  Not that the butterfly is unusual, I had just never seen the species before.  It is called Vanessa atalanta, a red admiral butterfly.

I was surprised at how close it allowed me to get to it.  So, let me propose, that since there is at least one, that perhaps we have a township butterfly.

Garden Path

I think the front landscaping project is finished.  At least for now.  The project I was not planning on doing this year.

I will probably add some plants as the season goes on.  We'll see.  Anyway, all the grass that was there is now history.  Or at least what was left of the grass after the winter mole damage.

The photo above shows the old path which stayed in place.  The grass on the left is gone and now we have this:

The same sitting group has travelled from the side yard, to the back, to the front side, to where it now sits.  Smack dab in the middle.  It will be a nice place in the late afternoon and early morning. 

I have yet to fill the birdbath with water.  The deer came through the day after I planted the hostas and mowed them down.  While we were standing out front at three in the afternoon, we watched a doe gobble up all of the neighbor's tulips.

Well, I have a surprise for Miss/Ms/Mrs. Doe.  Her backyard nursery area is being turned into a dry river bed.  In a few weeks this area will look totally different.  Minus the deer and the grass.

Doin' What Comes 'Nature'ally

I have spent the last two days doing something I love - Working in my yard.  It helps that a few neighbors walked by and told me how nice my house always looks, both winter and summer.

I had told myself that I was not going to do any yard projects this year.  Just maintenance.  Well, I suppose I could call this project maintenance and file it under the category of 'getting rid of grass'.

I have been on a mission for many years of eliminating most of the grass in my yard.  The way I see it, unless I am running a golf course, why do I want grass?  It is labor intensive or costly, or maybe even both.  (I cut my own but hire someone to fertilize).

So the south side of my house has zippo grass. Half the grass has been removed from the backyard. The north side is all perennials and patio.

 While I am content to leave one small side in front with the green stuff, I have been getting rid of grass in the front.  The area that lies between the front plantings and the garage is going to become a rock garden of sorts.  A friend suggested that some rocks, a small table and chairs, maybe a sculpture would fit perfectly.  I couldn't agree more.  Let the digging begin.

It's Gonna Bloom

Oh, the sun is shining, the grass is white, and my paph orchid is going to bloom.  I am in heaven this morning (well, I'd prefer green grass, but two out of three ain't bad).

I have been growing orchids for several years now.  I only have around twenty five due to lack of space inside and no greenhouse outside.  I have also been battling mealy bugs that I believe came in on a new orchid last spring and have lost a few small ones not strong enough to fight the infestation.

Anyway, I have had this particular orchid for three years.  My son Scott bought it for me in bloom one Easter.  He thought it was cool.  It is.  Its Latin name is Paphiopedilum.  It is commonly called "Lady Slipper" orchid.

The following year I had no luck getting it to bloom and I was worried that I could not manage it in my home environment.  But last winter I saw a bud emerge.  I was so excited.  I had the same reaction this morning when I opened the blind to let in the sun and saw the start of a new bud.  I am ecstatic.

You get one flower with this plant, not the array of blossoms as seen on something like a Phalaenopsis.  Those tend to make up the majority of my orchids, although I also have Dendrobiums and and Miltonians.   The Miltonians are called "Pansy Orchids"  due to their resemblance to pansies.  But as you can see below, this is one big flower.

It is so very tempting to keep buying them, but the routine of checking for problems, Making sure they have enough but not too much water, enough light but no harsh sun, etc., helps me keep my credit card in my wallet and enjoy what I currently have.  That is, until the Spring Orchid Show.

Cold and Sunny

It is kind of a good news/bad news day.  It is sunny today, but bitterly cold.  Officially it is only 9 degrees, but my outdoor temp here says --.-.  So, either it is so cold the digital temp is frozen or I need to change the batteries. 

Better part of the day spent watering my orchid collection.  Several are sending up new flower shoots.  Am still battling mealy bug on two plants.  Much better than six months ago when almost every plant (around 25) had bugs.  Ugh!

Have walked past my home office at least six times today and thought I should start sorting receipts for tax preparation.  Why does this have to be so daunting?  I guess on the upside, it creates work for a lot of people who actually understand how to fill out all the forms.  Who says government cannot create jobs? 

Til tomorrow.