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Wednesday 24 March 2010

Garden Quirks and the dreaded "R" factor

This morning's sunrise was without drama .. clear cold skies have very little drama in fact, so just catching the layers was about all I could do.
They do look pretty against the vast blue sky though.
This is the first time I have had a picture give perspective on one side and blurred image on the other .. if you look to the right it is sharper and in focus .. the left is not .. all those bony fingers are sticking out on the right tree limbs EEEKKKKKK !
OK .. I guess I still have to talk about it .. it is therapy of a kind I guess .. after crying , talking is better and your eyes don't get so red ? .. here is the custom built trap door for the Mafia Raccoon Club .. so far it has only been the one .. but you can never tell, I swear I heard raccoons arguing over the remote control .. after our adventures two years ago .. WHY US ????????????????
Looks simple doesn't it ? it is highly affective and Fat B*****D won't know what the heck is going on when he can't get through and actually drops from it with nothing to grip .. if I hear a thump in the night I am NOT going to see what happened ... remember National Lampoon's Christmas and the squirrel ? that would be me .. with a raccoon on my back !!
So .. some nice calm drift wood with Mr. Smiley ...
Yes ... I can not express how happy I am with more lichen .. it is beautiful : )
.... and unusual right ? look at those sucker cups .. some what like a squid or octopus ??
Long shot of tranquil scenario ..... aaahhhhh !!
Perky Spring bulbs by PRUNED Mugo Pine ... and I mean PRUNED !
Cute GREEN foliage to a plant that is on the tip of my tongue .. really ... I mean it .. I know what this is ... any minute I am going to type its name ....
Frozen water of bird bath .... I'm still working on that "name" ...........
Has anyone done what I have done to this Austrian Pine ?? .. I have made it into our own personal "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" .... now how amazing is that ???
Alas ... it might be known that I am a heuchera, heucherella, and tiarella NUT .. so even though these babies are fatigued from winter they look fantastic to me : )


Now aren't they something to see from the Great White North ???
... and no .. I did not have tiny heating pads on them all winter !!!
Yes .. even though I swore off root plants from last year's over zelous shopping .. well .. I couldn't "not" help myself to a couple of them ? .. fern leaf dicentra is another weakness of mine .. and who can't love Black Barlow columbine ?? for the chocolate part of the garden .. and yes .. I am still looking for Chocolate Cosmos .. they might have it in soon !!
Books are also essential ... I don't have all the new ones on the table .. because it might frighten me with how many I have bought this winter .. but this is the most recent and it is a little treasure : )
OK .. I used to think people that bought these "too cute to live" ornaments for plant pots or gardens .. well I used to think they were NUTS ?

I'm not sure whether I want to be an almond or a walnut ... I'll let you know !

24 comments:

Lona said...

Joy glad you have the Raccoon problem solved.What cute pot picks.Glad you joined the rest of us nuts LOL!

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Too funny, Joy. Even with all the craziness over at your place, you still manage to retain a great sense of humour. Or have you just gone completely mad? LOL...

I went out today but I was very, very good. I didn't pick up a thing for the garden. But tomorrow, I'm dropping off Nacho at the vet's office early (a little after 8) and then I'm planning to go garden (window) shopping. Of course, it'll be understandable if I buy something to help ease the pain I'll be feeling with Nacho in surgery and away from home for more than 24 hours. It's for therapeutic reasons, of course, not because I have no self-control when it comes to garden stuff :)

Your new goodies are really cool. I say we only live once, so we may as well enjoy the simple hobbies that make us happy. The few bulbs I planted last fall as started to sprout. There will be a small display of tulips and daffodils very soon, which I'm really looking forward to. Especially since there's nothing else planted...LOL...

Barry said...

Joy:

Lets hope the raccoon dilemma is short lived and that you can soon return to peace and quiet, and sanity!

I too am amazed at the progress that the Heuchera seem to make every year. I have my eye set on Heucherella Golden Zebra - it is stunning in a somewhat garish and gaudy manner - like Patsy dahling!

The Woodland Garden is a wonderful reference.... I picked mine up at a second hand book store a year ago and already it is filled with highlights on plants that have piqued my interest. I am half way through William Robinson's 'The Wild Garden,' which was originally published in 1870, but is coming into style once again with the 'naturalized' gardens on the periphery of the larger estates.... you know the ones..... the very ones that we do not own, but covet nonetheless!

Anonymous said...

You're much more the hazelnut type, don't you think? :) I just love seeing other gardens this time of year. I hope your raccoon door does the trick!

Carrie said...

you're as nutty as a fruitcake! Embrace it, you're little friends are adorable.
That Racoon will be out of there in no time!
I LOVE the lichen - sign of good clean air! xx

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Almond I think.

miss m said...

You must be thrilled to see your beloved HH&T's again ! I love Black Barlow columbine. I want some for the garden. If not her, then another dark variety. They're just stunning !

Good luck with the bandits !

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Your Charlie Brown xmas tree is perfect!

BTW, you must come to Alberta and show people that mugo pines can actually be *pruned*. They are taking over front windows all across the province! It's an epidemic, I tell you! ;-)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Lona girl .. these little "pot pixies" is what I call them were at the "Dollar Store" and I totally fell for them .. nut-case !! .. today (Thursday .. the crew comes back to check on the status of our raccoon lodger .. if there is no evidence he is sprawled on his bed watching TV up there .. well the repairs and raccoon proofing will start ! phew !

Martha girl .. I am stark raving MAD ;-) Nacho is going to be fine .. but I won't bother saying not to worry we both know of the conversation I had with you eh ? LOL
It is thrilling to see those bulbs come up isn't it ? Just think next Spring you will have LOADS more to see : ) and YES ! you need some garden shopping therapy pronto !

Patsy .. sweetie ;-) now every time I see that Golden Zebra I will automatically think of YOU !!
There are some gorgeous varieties I am still stumbling on and I did fall hard with the order into Floral and Hardy (they are wonderful !!! questions are answered pronto and I rate them A+ in costumer service so far : )
I am enjoying this book so much and it was a bargain at Home Sense .. I will keep my eye out for your book .. everything "old" is new again eh ? .. all we can do is drool at those estates but I'll have lots of tissue ? haha

Hey Nancy girl .. that reminds me I might be "Nutella" ?? yum !!
The ground is still a bit hard .. and I am wearing a path out looking at the garden from the deck door .. a few of my babies "heaved" a bit so that has to be addressed along with some transplants .. but boy .. am I ready or not ? LOL

Carrie girl I think we should promote a "Liking the Lichen Club" right ? LOL .. I am easily amused with everything .. after the crying stops that is ? haha
Fat B*****D will be shut out soon and he can go cry to his friends about loosing the perfect "flat" haha .. cheeky bugger !

Lisa .. how ever did you come to that conclusion .. the crumbs by my face ? LOL

miss m ! I have had the one plant for years and still be amazed every year i see the flowers .. they seem impossible but there they are smiling at me .. I do love the dark flowers for sudden impact as you gaze over the garden : )

Ms. S ! LOL .. I have seen the same thing here .. people don't seem to get it with this little pine .. and even though I went beyond regular pruning .. these gorgeous little guys lose their character if you don't take them in hand eh ?
An Austrian Pine turned Bonsai ;-)

Carol said...

So funny to read at the end of your hilarious post about nuts... I was thinking while reading this that you are a wonderful nut! ;>)) Thank you so for the laughs! I do hope you do not hear any thumps in the night! I love those little lichen bird baths too!

Dave said...

sorry about the raccoon problems! They seem to be able to get into anything. I need to get out and divide our heucheras soon. It's great to have plants that don't disappear in the winter!

Anonymous said...

Your heuchetiarellaella are pretty. I've been wanting to add more. I only have a few heuchera. Sorry about the raccoon. Hope the door works and they move out soon. Good luck!

Skeeter said...

You crack me up with your raccoon tales! Our raccoon are so bold we have pictures of hubby standing next a big fat one as he munches on a compressed corncob. Fearing they would take up residence in our attic, we stopped putting out the corncobs which were for the Red bellied woodpecker more then the squirrels or raccoons. We thought that in time we may start with the cobs again but finally took the feeder down about a year ago. We erected a Squirrel Proof Suet Pole Feeder for the woodpeckers instead. Now that is down due to a rotting support which we knew would be a temporary stand. Gee, it never ends with trying to take care of the wildlife around here. Hubby refuses to allow me to plant anything with height next to the house as well. Little does he know, I am thinking of a Camellia on the east side of the house, hee hee…

our friend Ben said...

Hey Joy! Let's hope you have those raccoons foiled. I also love lichens, and of course heucheras etc.---yours are fantastic! I've been to Floral and Hardy and wish you could come down and go, too. I know you'd love it! Linoose is much recovered and says hi to the girls...

donna said...

Years ago, I HAD a Mugo Pine, that is until I pruned it. I'm not sayin' that's going to happen to yours:)

I know what you mean about the heucheras. The snow melted away and there was my heuchera 'Caramel'looking all pretty & rested like it had been on an extended vacation.

donna

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Interesting picture perspective, makes me think of the Mona Lisa! Your visitors are really too much, can't they tell they aren't welcome? Your PRUNED mugo pine is lovely lol, the cute little round leaf plant below looks very yummy (nom nom nom), but I suspect you aren't growing it for salad purposes. Your heuchutiarellas are all looking lovely. The new ornaments are adorable, I have also added elements I never thought I would...

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Carol girl you are too sweet ! Thank you : ) .. humour is the driving force that keeps me "insane" so I mix with everyone else on planet earth ?;-)
After paying the hefty hefty "good riddens raccoon" bill it better darn well work !!!!!

Dear Dave .. I just can't stop saying that for some reason ;-)
Raccoons are moving in all over Kingston .. I think our expanding city has cued them in for better lodgings than a tree trunk ?
You can't say enough good about these plants and hybrids they are gorgeous .. a few have "heaved" but that is no problem .. I think I am officially crazy about them ?

Thanks bloominrs : ) I am adding to my collection and can't wait to see them all looking wonderful together .. fingers crossed we won't be targeted by the raccoon mafia again !!

Skeeter girl ! I think we should form an "Abused by Raccoons" club so we can sit in a circle and get it all off our chests about these diabolical creatures ? .. I like your way of thinking girl .. why should husband have to know all the details to our garden plans .. go black ops and just DO IT !! LOL
But don't tell your husband I said that or where I live ;-)

OFB how are ya' ! and I just know Linus is getting tons of attention still .. naughty boy that he is .. the girls should snub him just a little ? haha
We have a Canadian Floral and Hardy that do mail order plants .. that is where I am getting my new ones from and I am so excited !!!
This is what Christmas is to me .. garden season coming up and NEW plants to coo over : )

Donna girl .. I know what you mean .. I can get overly ambitious with the pruners but it is a test between me and the pine this time .. if he doesn't make it , he was on his way out .. if he does make it .. well he can stay ? LOL
They do look marvelous even in the dead of winter to Spring don't they ?

Gail said...

Joy, Now the old Almond Joy commercial is running through my head~~"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't!" Love the little fairies for you plants~~Hope they get rid of Mamma raccoon and soon~~gail

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Rebecca girl ! how did you sneak in there between comments ? .. this happens a lot lately .. is it me or is it Blogger ?? eeekkkk !
Thanks girl .. perspective is always a little wonky over in my world ? haha
Now I hear nom nom nom going on .. get out of my head !!! LOL
Yes .. funny how we change our thinking about things eh ? Does that mean we are getting old ?? LOL

Gail girl .. I was thinking about that commercial all the time in the back of my head and I was wondering if I should say something or not ? hahaha
We "think" madame or monsieur raccoon is gone .. they really want to be if they get me mad enough ? haha .. pot pixies are just too darn cheerful aren't they ? ;-)

Kathleen said...

I hope that trap door works quick Joy! I wouldn't get up for a thump in the night either ~ I'd be afraid of what greeted me.
I didn't know mugo pines could be pruned??? I'm going to research that. I have a huge one on my front flagstone patio that is taking up too much space ~ I'd love to give him a haircut!
Beautiful lichen photos. You have a lot of stuff going on in this post Joy!!! Happy Spring (if I haven't said it before).

Kathleen said...

ps I started 'Black Barlow' columbine from seed last spring. It germinated readily, if you want to go that route ~ I hope to see some blooms this year.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hey there Kathleen girl and thank you ! .. There seems to be two minds when it comes to pruning mugo pine , but I say go with your gut feeling and if it is taking over too much space just take your time , prune bit by bit and step back every one and a while to check how it looks ! I say go for it girl ! LOL
Yes .. I hope this is the end to the raccoon lodgers .. they are so darn bossy and bold ! and they don't even pay their rent on time to boot ! haha
Black Barlow is one of the prettiest columbine I think .. I got my original one years ago and it keeps coming back no matter how much those darn leaf miners have their way with the poor thing .. it is a keeper for sure : )

Sylvana said...

You're silly. I like that :)

As for the mystery plant - um, coreopsis? I have a "Sunrise" that looks similar.

Your raccoon problems make me so glad that mine stick to the city drains around here!

Anonymous said...

We might not get our chocolate cosmos this year girl, I hear there is a shortage because of the cold temps in the south!