Murphy’s Law
by Leslie Cox; Wednesday, August 7, 2013
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”…especially when you are on a schedule and you are trying to get a big job completed. And yup, you know it. Murphy hit us right between the eyes. More than once, in fact.
It was my bright idea we should rev up our new-to-us used chipper/shredder (your first clue) and tackle our large pile of garden debris to be shredded down for the compost bin. We had started this chore back in May with our other, second-hand chipper but Murphy showed up instead. The machine gave up the ghost on us right when we needed it the most. Non-repairable.
Tip of the Week: Category – Garden
by Leslie Cox; Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Scatter pennies on the picnic table to keep hornets and wasps away.
This tip comes from some very dear friends just recently. And it works!
We have been using pennies on our outdoor table for the last two weeks now and only once did we have a hornet come around our granddaughter’s hotdog.
Can You Stand Talking About the Forest Tent Caterpillar Even More?
by Leslie Cox; Monday, July 29, 2013
I know, I know. We always seem to be harping on the bad news. Is our morbid side the predominant trait in our character make-up? Don’t know. But I do know that when we get a pest bug showing up and doing major damage in our garden I want to know as much about it as possible. Knowledge helps in planning one’s defences. Ask any general.
Forest Tent Caterpillar Moths are Laying Eggs…Now!
by Leslie Cox; Sunday, July 28, 2013
Was doing some tidy-up the other day in my rose garden. I had allowed my dead-heading chore to lapse a bit but with friends coming over for an evening visit that included a glass of wine, dessert and a garden tour I had to jump to it.
So I was busily snipping away at the spent flowers when I spotted it.
A small, dark, glossy egg mass!
A Warning About This Invasive Plant – Giant Hogweed
by Leslie Cox; Thursday, July 25, 2013
Heracleum mantegazzianum, also known as giant cow parsley, giant cow parsnip, wild rhubarb and wild parsnip, is a member of the carrot family. An incredibly tall perennial, it can grow to eight feet (2.5 m)…15 feet (4.5m) when in flower…or even taller.
The flower itself is made up of many small white florets in a large, flat-topped umbel…much like Queen Anne’s Lace, only bigger.
Stout, hollow stems are either reddish-purple or green with purple spots in colour and two to four inches (5-10 cm) in diameter. Dark green, compound leaves are deeply incised and can measure up to five feet (1.5 m) across.
(FYI…the giant hogweed plants in the photo are on a steep downward slope behind my granddaughter, Shelby, so they look shorter than they really were. This photo was taken in Victoria along Dallas Rd.)
