I iz learnin' stuffs
I hate outdoor chores. Always have. Maybe its because my mom always decided to do weeding and stuff on the hot-*test*-('") day, full noon and with no gloves so that I can grab hold of the nastiest, spinney, wormy, slimy, spider-filled weed monster that was lurking in the myrtle. Since Nat was good enough to take me in, I try to be as of use as possible when she's at work. Nat owns 3.5 acres of meadow and wetland. All the pine trees planted on the property were Christmas trees. We have a huge apple tree in the front, though its never been properly shaped. To sum it up, we have a pretty, natural, not over-done, not too show-offie garden and yard. Nat, not only has a green thumb, she's just a plain nature baby. She’s, like, The African Violet Whisperer. There were rose bushes that were planted in the wrong place some years ago. Nat unearthed one pitiful little stick of a rose bush. She dug it up and just stuck it in a different spot right after her father died. Nat went on a cross country expedition and I told her that there were wine colored roses in the back. She didn't believe me. This year that little stick yielded, so far, 28 beautiful rich wine colored roses. Without any nurturing. So I have tried to take over some of the gardening chores while Nat's at work. I am beginning to like gardening. I always did well with my Daffodils. I faithfully braided the long leaves after the blooms have fallen off and made little buns everywhere. People thought this was the oddest thing until I told them you're not supposed to cut daffodil leaves. Braid them, tie them in knots or wind them into little French buns, but don't cut them. The green in the leave goes back into the bulb to feed it for next year. and I. AM. MUM-WOMAN. I do good with Mums, which for some strange reason, nat doesn't have any luck with at all. Maybe because I am a fall person and she is a spring and summer person. I have been left in charge of getting her mums into shape for this fall. :kitty: I am excited. We didn't do window boxes this summer but Nat says we can put mums in there this year and decorate them with pumpkins and other gourds. I have been pestering her like a child every week. Is it pum'kin season yet? No....not yet. She's very patient with me. She knows I don't like summer too much because of the long sticky days here in NJ. Today Nat taught me how to prune Lilacs and to cut the seeded bud-stalks off so that there will be bigger healthier blooms next year. She also taught me to pinch back the rhododendrons so that they will yield nicer blooms next spring. I wanted to prune a huge dead branch off the apple tree, but it requires the chain saw and, for some strange reason, nat won't let me. I don't know why. So I've never used one before and am somewhat graceless when it comes to outdoories things...and ladders....She says to wait 'til my father can come and do it. Piffle. But I yield to her judgment, though I am tempted. I'm not allowed to use the hatchet or ax when she's not around either.... Bah and Piffle. I have never had an accident with these tools, but Nat is going to teach me to use the mower. I'm afraid of the mower. I don't like lawn mowers ever since Mr. Beavers, a classmate's father, cut his toes off mowing the lawn when I was in second grade. She brought him in for show and tell. (I think for safety day show and tell) Y’know don't bother your dad when he's mowing. Make sure your daddy can see you when he's on the tractor. Don't walk up behind your daddy when he's using a chain saw...do schools do this anymore?) He was fine, they sewed them back on...but, Nope, do not like mowers. We had a toddler death last year because the father had his 18 month old on his tractor mower and then put him down so he could go to his mother. He promptly backed over his son and killed him. Anyway. I am learning the gentle satisfaction of gardening. Things I have learned so far: How to properly prune trees and shrubs When and how to prune or pinch back flowering bushes and shrubs What are bad weeds (garlic mustard) What are good weed and we likes them. (nettles, dandelions, thistles, wild ground ivy...its a witchy thing. We hate the Scotts Lawn Seed Commercials with the Dandelions haters. Didn't these people make Dandelion tea when they were kids. Philistines. Dandelions are great. I give a fist full of the biggest ones I can find to my mom every year. and she puts them in the Dixie cup of Honor just as she did when I was little. ) Burning the tent worms (ewwwww.) those things creep me out anyway. tent worms are those big web sacks that are spun around the ends of braches and hold 300 destructive type caterpillar-wormy things. I walked head long, face first into a low riding one because it was full of hundreds of squimming adults ready to leave their nest of ick. Ah yes...a gigantic sticky cocoon of worms stuck to your face. talk about doing the 'Dance of Icky Bugs on Me dance' I have trauma flash backs every year when I see the new web cocoons out. (Blah, does the icky dance) Slugs like beer. We put out bowls of beer for them they fall in, get drunk and drown. Happy slug death. we don't like pesticides. Those pretty vines are actually poison ivy. Don't touch. Random ouchy plants. Put your gloves on. How to plant or replant badly pot-bound plants Peonies are poisonous. Don’t let the cats eat them Deer don’t eat Peonies and Daffodils because they are poisonous. Daffodils now come in pink and peach colors. Deer don’t like pungent herbs like sage or rosemary. Hang sprigs of them near things that deer do eat. I also decided that I am not uses a little shovel or trowel anymore to dig holes for bedding plants. I use a bulb planter. It makes perfect little round holes for bulbs, why not use them to plant bedding plants too. Just use it half way for a 2 to 3 inch deep hole. These things are like biscuit cutters. With only a turn of your wrist it makes a perfect 6 inch hole for planting bulbs. No more stabbing at the ground with a little shovel. Its good for aerating too if you use it carefully. Use it three turns next to each other and I have a perfect hole for big plants like mums. A real time saver. Well, its that time of day that we all look forward to in the wilderness of NJ. Its time for “I have been outside for more than 5 minutes so now I have to take off all my clothes and look for ticks and then take a shower.” Ritual. Really, they are bad this year. Besides, I have catapiller poop in my hair from pruning the lilacs. Yes, I can identify catapiller poop when I see it. Our pool used to be full of it when it was Gypsies Moth Catapiller season. Dead drowned Gypsie Moth Catapillers and their poop. Blah. ...i got some in my eye too.