Spring Project?

Time to get back home. I was planning on returning from Florida April 1st, but the Florida boredom is setting in. Been thinking about the dry areas along and up the driveway. Nuttin' wants to grow in the dry summer months. It has great soil after working it the last two years, but dries out too fast. First I thought of lining the bottoms with 6 mil plastic sheathing then crystal polymers came to mind. How about irrigation? I've always toyed with getting water up there from the creek. The current method and small pump will not get water up there. House water can get halfway up the drive but it's annoying and considering it's shared spring water, Carl my neighbor wouldn't hear of it. Think running out of water in August.

Ram Pumps

They're hydraulic requiring no power to use except the force of the creek water, or something like that. More with these videos...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkrWEAyYhbU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wG7o8ic_OQ&feature=related

Definitely more research is required.

Solar pump? Height is probably too great.



Florida? Been tinkering here and there with Mom's gardens. Caladiums brought down from Georgia coming through the ground.

I got some potato vines from up the road I hope to take back with me when they recover from their transplant. Little buggers are three bucks each at home. Hope to get a few dozen plants from this.

Oh, constructed some netting for Moonflower and morning glory to climb in the backyard. Can't believe that project got approved!

Not enough sun in the area now, so they wait for transplant. Rumor has it they don't like being transplanted? Oh well, wait and see.

Fall Foliage & Some Things Thrive

Like the Nasturtiums that never do much of anything until the cooler weather arrives or so it seems. In previous years I just gave up on them in the middle of the summer.

Black Eyed Susan Vines are putting out nicely. This is Spanish Eyes.

Yellow colored Marigolds that grow about 20 inches in height finally bushed out along drive. Zinnias in background.

Mexican sunflowers (background) found a better place this year. However they did get knocked back quite a bit from the heavy rains of about a month ago. Very fragile with their hollow stems. Coleus gradually fading with a Pineapple Sage taking the stage this time of the year.

Mums planted from two years ago, moved two times to this spot under shade. All the Asters bought at fire sale prices last fall for one dollar failed to make it one year. Well, some are hanging in here and there but the plant size is 80% less. Scraggly. Not worth a picture.

Some fall foliage...

More Late Summer Pictures

I never took a picture from this angle, but it does give a good overall idea of the back yard size looking from the edge of the woods. Morning mist after a few days rain. Sun peaking through.

From the other side of the woods

Black Eyed Susan vine mixed in with some Marigolds and Begonia nearby...

Moon flowers still going strong but nearing the end. It's been five weeks of steady blooms.

Poldka Dot plant with another BES vine (late seeder, no blooms yet)

A newer smallish garden for Coleus. They faded quite a bit when put into 4-6 hours sun.

Annual Salvia love this spot. It is very rich in organic stuff though.

Finally some fall bulbs. Gladiolus bicolor acidanthera.

Just started blooming a week ago. One by one. 

E Cigs - Nine Days Without A Smoke

And it wasn't that hard at all. It's these e-cigs that I learned about on a TV infomercial. I think it was about the Blu brand which I've learned does have it's drawbacks mainly with battery power. E Cigs work by way of water vapor or mist with flavors and that all important ingredient of nicotine.

Even though you can order tobacco flavors it seems few actually stick to them; and they don't really taste like a real butt. Some taste like pipe tobacco. I've tried five flavors with Keoke Coffee (mild coffee taste) seeming to be the winner at this time. Strength: 18 mg, whatever that means. For hard core smokers that use Camel and the likes one can opt for 24 or 36 mg. I tried a test vial of 24 mg and it knocked me back a bit.

It started at 7PM Friday September 9. I've been cutting down on those older analogs (that's what they call real cigarettes in e cig circles) since April of 2010. Down to 10, 8 back to 12 and finally at six per day, while only smoking 1/3 of a butt at a time. This past summer it got worse as far as breathing capabilities. I thought I had COPD or worse. I thought I was done, a goner.

I couldn't push the lawnmower without taking two breaks, walk up part of my driveway without five breaks. Nine days later it's a complete reversal. I zipped through the lawn with ease and actually pushed a wheel barrel up the drive with one break. I have energy and don't dread doing yard work anymore.

More important I can breathe again. Yea, it sounds all preachy, but will it last? For me it has to which will make it work. The real benefit to this and not all the other gimmicks is the sensation of "vaping." Although different flavors offer different results it's just a matter of forgetting that real cigarette feeling...if that makes any sense. I'll admit I'm not there yet, but minor urges pass me by each day.

Yea, I've been "dragging" on coffee all throughout this short entry. If you're interested I would suggest the TRex e cig and buy the additional power thingie that you can plug into a PC. While they claim the batteries last awhile(300 charges), I don't trust it. How safe is nicotine? Who really knows? Could be similar to caffeine. With some e cigs you can ween yourself to 0 mg. One thing is clear, I don't choke and gag every morning.

Good message board for more information.

More Final Garden Pics

I'm not expecting any changes from this point for the rest of the year. That moon flower has been a tough one to photograph, mainly because the leaves are shiny so there's always a glare off them. This one taken after the big rains early last week with dear ole' momma.

Another view taken this morning along with the Morning Glories that have fully leafed out. Notice Cleome bush in front. I had dozens of these things coming up earlier this year and decided to keep five of them. Cut back about five times and they've become a bush. Petunias growing wild in driveway as well. Reseeded from last year.

More Petunias below. White silverish ones from seed...took forever. I had them scattered everywhere but this time of year it gets too shady in most areas so most were moved into this spot that catches more than six hours sun daily. I'm planning on tiering them up the drive next summer. Picture taken this evening. Cardinal flower vine getting full (fence post)...some flowers...too tiny.

Along the side of the cabin. Annual Lantana that was rescued for $ 1.50 back in July. Three plants in pot. Two types of potato vine, a struggling Clematis but it did have a bloom last week. Lot's of different colored impatiens, Red salvia, and some stupid African Daisies that only bloomed for one week.

Let's see what else? A hodgepodge of a mess here...Begonias did very well in part sun this year. Never made it in the shade in previous years. Coleus here and there, Angelonia, one sun Impatiens that never really found a real home. Butter Daisies (yellow) reseeded from last year. They're real late comers. Didn't pop through the ground until mid July.

Blue star creeper planted two months ago filling out nicely. They seem to crave this spot. I've already taken plugs and spread them to other locations.

Another pic shows a Black Eyed Susan Vine that failed to climb all over this lattice. Not sure why this one didn't get off the ground like others. Lottsa Cleomes in back ground...the "Cleome jungle" Others, double Impatiens, Swedish ivy, creeping Jen, variegated Vinca vine, and Coleus.

Another hodgepodge. Leftovers more like it.Many rooted New Guinea Impatiens beginning to get full. Several rooted Petunias as well.