Some of our azaleas bloom in both Spring and Fall if the Summer is not too dry.
Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category
Fall Azaleas
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006New Concrete Paver Walk-Up
Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
The powers that be long ago declared our old walk-up composed of 15-inch square concrete pavers to be unsuitable, and last week I finally made the plunge to replace it myself. I think it was the $4000 quote from a landscaper that provided the final incentive.
Above is the after photo, with 6×9 concrete pavers and new 6×6 timbers, bringing the supplies cost to around $200. The sand hasn’t completely settled, yet, and I may have to redo some pavers if they end up being too uneven, but even redoing them all wouldn’t be too bad.
The only physically hard part was actually moving the old and new pavers around. Skill-wise, the hard part was cutting the edge pavers, especially the ones needing diagonal cuts (near the timbers). I did all the cutting with a hammer and chisel, which worked OK for short perpendicular cuts and not as well for others. I only had one successful long diagonal cut. Usually it would break where I wanted eventually, and it doesn’t look too bad having a couple of pavers glued together with liquid nails for the unwanted breaks.
Anybody need any 15×15 concrete pavers?
Homemade Deer Repellent
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006When we had a landscaper over to consult on, among other things, installing some deer fencing so we could plant some more perennials, he suggested a much cheaper solution. He gave us his homemade deer repellent recipe, and it’s been working fine for two months now.
The deer still get some of the new growth, such as the shoots and blooms, but here’s a nice hasta bloom that eluded them.
The recipe is simple: 1 quart Texas Pete and 6 eggs and water. Mix the Texas Pete and eggs in a blender, and then add with water to fill a 1 gallon sprayer. Leave any unused portion in the sprayer until it all gets used.
Stays on after rains, though I made a refresher pass after a month or so, anyway.
Good Forsythia — Bad Forsythia
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006
It’s great to see the forsythia plants blooming, but some are better than others. The photo above is a good forsythia, and the photo below is a bad forsythia. Forsythia grow and bloom on long shoots and aren’t meant to be shaped like boxwoods. Please prune with care.
Winter in the Woods
Sunday, February 19th, 2006
Living in town with a sporting dog makes me get out to some local hiking trail two to three times a week, especially since Willow has never taken to walking in the neighborhood. We usually go to nearby Duke Forest which has a good variety of trails, some along New Hope Creek, but whatever the trail, I’ve discovered that winter is actually the best time for walking in the woods.
Pests, like ticks and snakes, are less common. The creeks have more water. Underbrush has died back, improving visibility and opening up otherwise overgrown trails. No crowded parking lots or trails, except on New Years Day.
And as demontrated by the ferns in this photo from the Eno Rivier, there is plenty of green around.
Winter Mystery Bloomer
Monday, January 30th, 2006
I don’t know this bush is, but anything that blooms in January with such a fragile-looking flower deserves some recognition.
Before and After at the Concrete Bridge
Wednesday, December 14th, 2005
New Hope Creek normally gets pretty low in the summer, but our late summer and fall drought left the creek lower than usual. Above left is a photo from October 1st of the concrete bridge in the Korstian Division of Duke Forest. Above right is the same area from December 10th after two weeks of on-and-off rain. The creek flows over the bridge during periods of heavy rain, but we’ll take what we can get.