Our gardening diaries - from latest toys, flowers to wildlife .. Please upload pics

[johnny canoe]

What a crazy couple days. So you know how I was complaining of how hot and dry it was here, well wicked thunderstorms rolled in last night. Flash flooding in parts of the city, and a tornado touched down about 20km north of me plus two men were shot in front of the pub down my street, all last night.
Good grief! Well my rain tanks are full and I can ease up on watering for a bit, however the heat wave returns in the morning.

 

[Logan]

@MaryMary sorry don't know the variety of your phlox.
Got to take Barley for his yearly booster. Hope the cosmos is ok, slugs and snails will be out.

 

[Logan]

@alp just googled woodash, can't use it on blueberries.

 

[alp]

@johnny canoe Whoa! it sounds like some kind of crazy drama.. I thank heavens that my son is very risk-averse and he seldom stays out. All the horrible things seem to happen in the early morning hours. By the way, how come you're up already, @johnny canoe ?

Funny how the weather reports sound eerily similar - ie. very hot, very dry (well, not for @Zenj !) and then thunderstorms, lightning, flashflood (last time it flashflooded, the junction down the road became a ford! and that was only after half an hour of downpour!) and the papers are talking about very hot and dry weather or freak heat wave till the end of August! Does it sound similar, @johnny canoe ?

Good morning to you all! @Logan - all butts full and I feel like I'm living in India - with all the receptacles for water everywhere .. Such a relief .. no more panic for 2 weeks ...Killed a few fat slugs ..After the blueberry harvest, I will change the soil for my Patriot. Where did you buy yours?

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Morning everyone.......hope all are fighting fit this morning
Must dash as we have an early app.
Have a Wonderful Wednesday

 

[Logan]

@alp the ericaceous compost is called Verve, from local garden centre. Any ericaceous compost will do.That's great about your water butts. We'll be saying that there's too much water.We've got 2 water butts round the side of the house. Not connected to the down pipe, so have to fill it up by hand. Yesterday afternoon, OH was out there in the rain filling them up with the watering can.
It's nice having the rain, but the dogs/boys get all the black silt in their paws. Managed to get Barley in the car to go to the vets for his booster. When i was little i can't remember my dad taking our dog for his booster.

 

[Logan]

TONIGHT
GW is on instead of Friday at 9 pm

 

[johnny canoe]

Hi alp, Actually I wasn't up already, I was just going to bed. lol I think it was a little after 10pm when I posted that.
Smoke from the British Columbia fires has rolled into the city.


http://globalnews.ca/news/3592462/c...wednesday-morning-despite-apparent-smokiness/

 

[Upsy Daisy]

,@johnny canoe....I feel a bit awful clicking 'like' to your last couple of posts....... flooding, shootings and smoke filled city skies but I do enjoy your posts as they are interesting and very informative

 

[alp]

@Upsy Daisy - and I think Canada is sparely populated and nice and clean. I remember seeing somewhere in Canada (ah, now I remember, some wildlife people trying to film artic foxes or some foxes) and suddenly, I saw Canada (probably Saskatchewan being carved up for mining .. terribly indusitrial!) So air quality can be bad in Canada too.

Spare a thought for the Chinese pupils who had to sit for their exam in a smog filled outdoor area where they couldn't see beyond their nose.

Shocking .. All because they manufacture so many products and sell to countries who can't pay .. (well, some countries any way!)

So 5 am is 10pm in Calgary. Now I know..

I have started a thread on Wish list or bin list .. if you have time, please share you pet love or pet hate..

 

[alp]

Went to diy store and had to ask a random person what size of spacer to buy. It ended up with him coming to give me a quote. I still want to do it myself.. Bit worried I can't get up after squatting on the floor..

 

[alp]

@alp and @Logan, yes, they are phlox. They are very tall phlox, but I don't know the variety.



Do you want the short version, or the long one?

Short version: Coffee grounds are good for a couple reasons. They add to the soil's tilth, helping to open up spaces in the clay for movement of air and water. (Instead of water just sitting in the clay... it filters through the coffee like coffee through a filter!! .) . They add organic matter to the soil, and draw earthworms. (Earthworms eat half their weight every day. One pound of worms will eat 3.5 pounds of organic matter in a week. .) Earthworms have gizzards, like birds, and they need to eat "grit" for digestion. Coffee grounds work as that grit. As they move through the soil, the worms aerate it, further helping to break up the clay. The worms will also be leaving worm poop, which is wonderful.



For the long version... ... just keep reading!!

Click these links.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_conditioner#Composition

@MaryMary That's very good and clear. I will go up the road and ask for some coffee grinds this Saturday and Sunday. The Turkish lady and her husband are very nice to me.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Some pics from today.....a bit rain battered !

 

[MaryMary]

Oooh, beautiful, @Upsy Daisy !! What are the deep purple flowers in the first picture?

 

[alp]

Lovely flowers, @Upsy Daisy . I had the same cosmos two years ago, this year, I have only had the orangy sulphureus ones. I haven't seen any cupcakes at all.

Love this kind of hydrangeas, with a bit of tiny bits in the centre. Mind you, if they are pink or serrated, I would love them too.

That acer is so elegant.. How can a garden be without acer!?