Washtubs With Memories

Redbush has finally been able to plant her bedding plants which have been carried in and out of the garage for the past two weeks.  It has now become warm enough to plant them even though the ground is still cool.  The weather has been scaring Redbush since she put them out because the temperatures have been at 0 degrees for the past three mornings.  This a.m. at 4:30,  Redbush looked at the thermometer and panicked because it was at 0 degrees, so she went out and watered all her plants that she planted.   Not a creature was stirring, but, Bonzi! The washtubs that she has posted pictures of are tubs that she used to bathe in when she was a child.   Oh, drat, she is dating herself!  She remembers bathing, then when done, huddling around the wood stove to keep warm, and  dry off with towels.   Now she has put the tubs  to another use, but, the memories linger.   She hopes you have a wonderful sunny Monday!

Snow Haven

Although Redbush hasn't appreciated the cool weather in the past few days, she can't say the same for Bonzi.  He, on the other hand was quite happy to snorkel in the snow, roll in it, eat snow,and  catch all the shovelfuls he could while Mr. Redbush shoveled off the steps, and deck.   Redbush is happy that today is much warmer at a temperature of + 13, but, she knows Bonzi will miss it!   Here are a few pictures of Bonzi basking in the sun after a few hundred ball throws. 

Pretty Thripin' Petunias!

Redbush wonders if this cold weather is ever going to end.  Today's temperatures even make her bulbs shutter!  This a.m., it was -3 degrees.  She  longs for the day when she can put out her bedding plants that she keeps putting back in the garage at night, then again putting them out in the morning.  Oh, yes, they have already become hardened to the weather, she is sure!  This year for the first time, she didn't buy one of her favorite flowers to plant, - petunias.  Everyone that she talks to has this flower as one of their staples in their pots with gorgeous blooms that reach for a width of about three feet in diameter.  One of her best  friends, a rancher's wife always makes her jealous with her beautiful petunia pots that last from early summer to late in the fall.  When Redbush tries to grow them, they last for the first few weeks, then the blooms start to droop and other buds won't bloom, just shrivel up and die.  A terrible bug called thrips have attacked her petunias for the past five years, or so, thus she has decided to stop growing this flower.  (Sniff, cry, sniff!)  The bugs go into the flower of the plant, and suck all the nectar out.  Then, what you're left with is a drooping bloom, brown undergrowth and leaves, and a slimy film on all the buds, and flowers which then end up dying.  She has tried every control substance-chemical possible that has been recommended by gardening places, and gardening friends.  She has even tried to make a concoction of cigarette butts  and about 12 other interesting ingredients that she had a  friend who majored in biology gave her a recipe for.    That didn't kill them either, but the stench just about killed Redbush, so she gave up that idea!  These tiny black bugs which are about the size of an aphid are also hard to get rid of because they fly.  She hopes you don't have these bugs in your area.  She is going to miss trying to grow them again this year, but, she won't miss the heartache when she tries to save the plants to no avail again!  She hopes you have a wonderful Monday, and a relaxing Victoria Day!

Holy Hell, It's Hailing!

Redbush arrived home from checking out the estate land.  She had just bought more plants to be put in when the weather got warmer.  The temperatures are still around + 4 degrees!  She hadn't been home very long when she looked out and saw the hail coming down in torrents!  She should have gotten pictures of it, but, neglected to do so.  Luckily she had put her plants in the garage.  The hail wasn't very big, but, it probably would have done some damage.  She still hasn't planted her garden, and won't be able to until it dries some so that it can be rotivated.   The good thing about the hail is when it melted this morning, it gave us more water collected for our plants.  She hopes you all have a sunny weekend.   

You're Fired!

Redbush hasn't been blogging too much lately as she has spent the last week weeding and preparing the gardens for planting, then complaining about her aching body after.  Yesterday, Redbush and Mr. Redbush spent the day digging up wicked weeds in the garden, namely quack grass.  If you don't have this weed, consider yourself lucky.  They have roots some 2 feet long and longer!  As you dig, if you break any of the root off, or, even if you leave some of the root hairs, these weeds relish, and celebrate as they produce thousands of more plants.  Redbush knows if you don't dig them up, that the rotivator will only spread the damage across the planting area.  As Redbush and Mr. Redbush dug and pulled these dreaded plants, they wished that they could harness some of Bonzi's energy, changing it from squirrel chasing, and snooping for varmints to weed-digging!  After his prolific squirrel-chasing episodes, he leads a life of relaxation, so, Redbush fired him!  But, she knows that his come-back would be, " Well you've banned me from the garden, don't you remember, the last time I made crazy round and around trips in the fresh dirt, racing a hundred miles an hour."  With the change in today's temperatures, he is now lounging on the mat in the house, resting from yesterday's activities.  Ah,  the life of riley!  Redbush is wishing she had some of his agile muscles as she feels her aching back today!  She has posted some pictures of Bonzi yesterday, and the change in weather today from yesterday's +20 temperatures to -0 degees today.  Oh, she's so glad she didn't buy any bedding plants yet!  She hopes you are all basking in the sun in your world!

That's Progress!

Redbush and family decided to take a drive out south where they have camped in the past to see if they could find any birch wood for their fireplace in the winter.  When they saw where they used to camp, they were a little devastated.  It didn't look at all like it did before.  Redbush found that the area had been logged out, and could find no  trace of her favorite camping spot.   Redbush and family have to see if they can find other places to camp in the wild, but, it is becoming less and less scarce.   On their way back, they stopped at the river for a picnic with Bonzi and Bonzerelli.  They had a good snooping time!   She hopes you have a wonderful day!

Winning Second Thrice; Perennials

It's a beautiful spring day in Redbush's world.   Except for a bitterly cool wind, the weather would be perfect.  Last week Redbush went to a gala for her artwork entry, and won second for the third year in a row.  She wishes it could have been first this time, but knows that second is definitely a good win!  She is going to attempt to post a picture again of the painting, as she lost the last one someplace in her photo file!  Yesterday, she buried some water hoses in her flower beds, and today has to try to finish the process along with cleaning all the leaves off her perennial beds.  The neighbors have some huge Russian poplars located close to her acreage fence.  She is sure none of the leaves, or branches end up in their yard because Redbush's yard is full of them.  She has now spent three days raking and hauling leaves away to the compost.  Another day won't make much difference. Good exercise, but, oh, her aching back!  Redbush has been looking at perennial books to see what plants might be a good addition to her beds.  She has been considering the following plants:

pinks, bitterroot, rockcress, saxifrage, sea thrift, stonecrop, phlox( garden, and Douglas) tickseed, campion, yarrow,  and verbena.  If any of you have any special knowledge of any of these plants, or hints, please feel free to help Redbush out.  She hopes you have a wonderful sunny day!