Temperature Climbed Today/Then The Wind Hit!!

When the wind hit, everything went

flying!! Our yard is trashed and limbs

were found in our yard again!!

So I'll be spending my Sunday cleaning 

up what I can and making sure Sable's 

area is where she can go out to potty.  

The sap is all over also.

The evergreen trees to the east dumped 

junk all over the yard and house.  It 

thick on the deck so I know the gutters 

and roof is covered.

We hit 87 degrees today and the wind 

was just horribly dry! 

After spending my Sunday morning on 

the roof and cleaning up the north side 

of the house the wind picks up again.  

So after picking up 3 buckets worth 

of evergreen junk, it was time to stop

and let the stuff fall again.   I'll be out

on Monday cleaning up more of the mess. 

We found limbs down and it was a 

total mess!!

I can say the yard is now cleaned 

except the south side of the yard.   

19 -5 gallon buckets of the above 

junk.   Then today I took two 

bags of leaves off the north yard.

It's just starting and you want to 

know why our gardens closed 

early.  I'm just to busy picking 

up the neighboring tree junk.

Again the wind kicks up and I 

spent my weekend cleaning up

the yard.  This weekend I picked

up 7 mulched bags of leaves to

cleaning up our yard.  My husband

also took a bucket out of the gutters.

I also had to clean up Sable's area

and took a full bag off this area. Besides

finding limbs on the shed and between

the carport and greenhouse.

10/25&26/2022

Yesterday and today I had to take a bag off 

both days, so I'm getting behind on things

that need to be done.  Not our trees!!

Abutilon / Flowering Maple / Parlor Maple

  Abutilon are free-flowering plants with leaves

 like maple trees and colorful flowers that have

 the look of crepe paper.  Malvaceae / mallow 

 family.

I have been asked about our collection several

times  Last year we had well over 2 dozen varieties

but this year we had to cut back due to my knee

surgery.  I also put the largest ones in the Brug

house after running out of room inside.  With the

cooler temp most did not survive.  The greenhouse

was warmer but there was no room!

So we are now starting over with that was left.

Here are some photos taken this year of what

we have.

Clematis

 Time to cut them back and get them 

ready for winter.  Try to start cuttings

and let them rest.  

Of the 28 we have, three are in the 

ground and the rest are in pots that

will have to go next to the foundation

where it's warmer.

What Started As A Nice Day!!

 Then the wind hit! So much for the 

clean yard after spending most of Friday

morning cleaning up the mess!  I took 

2 1/2  mulched off the east gravel area

and another  3 bags of evergreen off the

three north beds!  Yes, all from neighboring

trees, not ours.  I also mowed and picked 

up the leaves the had come down or night.

When I went out I found our huge Flowering

Maple  laying on it's side so after uprighting

it I moved it to the garage.  Besides the other

one that matches.  Then I cleaned off the 

driveway.  What a mess!!  When the wind 

stops it will be time to send the leaves back

to the other end of the road where they 

came from!!  Why is it folks with trees in 

this area don't pick up after their trees?  

Nope they allow them to blow all over the 

neighborhood, whom cares??   I sure don't

need them in my yard.  I clean up enough 

and it's starting to cause health issues.  Last

night I had a really bad asthma attack due

to the evergreens I had to clean up!!   Again

whom cares???

11/4/2022

Again high winds and rain.   For the past

couple days I have been trying to keep the 

yard free of leaves and evergreen junk.  I 

have taken 4 bags off the yard daily for the

past week.  Then I have taken 2 bags off

the gravel area. We will see what the wind

bring for today.  I know how I'll be spending

my Sat., more cleanup!

Rain!!

 Finally!! 

A day of rest and getting caught

up here with what we have been

working on.  Yea!!

Putting Away The Collection

 That time of year to move the collection

to a safe area.  I first move the smaller 

ones as they take up the lower areas.

I remove the leaves and put them away.

This year we allowed several brugs to

just do the healing due to be put out 

in the spring and then we got the 

freezing temps.  

When is it time to bring them in?

I go by the fact that there is no 

pollen on the anthers.  I find that

the bees do visit but there is nothing

for them.  What to watch for, the 

temps drop into the 40s at night.

You want to do so between flushes

of blooms.  One needs to be careful

to not knock off the buds or seedpods

when stripping off the leaves.

When moving them in I cut the 

dead areas away.   I will evaluate 

come next spring if some can be 

saved or not.  Over the winter

they should grow new and I'll be 

able to get cuttings if need be.

I have been asked why strip off the leaves

and I'll say this, less mess is best when

you keep them like we do.  Leaves do

grow back so you will have to remove

monthly to keep them from just taking

over.

As you can see there is no room to walk around.

We utilize space the best we can and this year

we aren't going to be stacking pots.  The shelves

will hold the hanging pots and the over flow will

be placed on the floor under the shelves.  When

that area is full then we have the lower PVC pipe

to have them on.

We have placed the two half barrel stands

to the south end of the Brug House where

we have put the smaller ones to contain

them so they can be watched instead of 

being tucked between larger pots and then

hoping for the best.

Years of watching for cooler spots in the

BH, I have learned which brug can take 

the cooler temps so they go into those 

areas.  The ones that can't get the areas

closer to the heater.  We do have cameras

in each Greenhouse to help monitor beside

the thermometer for warmth.  Plus each 

GH has it's own rainbarrel that helps keep

the heat in, in case of a power outage.

The last Brugmansia to go in is 

B. Shorty's Variegated which sat in 

the large cement planter out front by

the driveway and walkway.  This year

the mom plant was to large to go there 

so we put her daughter up there due to

her size.  Well she loved the spot and 

we watched her take off.  She our grew

her mom plant!!  Here is how she is 

removed.

First we have to dig her out of the 

large cement pot.  You will see she

is in a 5 gallon pot sunk into a 5

gallon Pickler bucket for easier 

moving.  This year it took two of

us to puller her out.  In the large 

cement pot is also a 5 gallon pot 

turned  upside down so that the

pickle bucket will sit on that and

dirt filled in around it.

As you can see she grew a lot and her 

spreading outward will make it a task

to get her in the greenhouse.  This year

we place some of the special ones in the 

GH not the BH.  

Next step is stripping off the leaves and

removing the green worms that have found

her desirable!  

Now that the leaves and worms are gone

it's time to assess if she will fit in the GH.

Nope, so I took a flat of cuttings off her so

she will fit. I had to spend an hour in the 

GH to rearrange it.

Here is a photo the night before she was 

moved in.

More to come.

Our Gardens Are Closed For The Season!!

 It's time to close for the season and getting

cuttings and start cutting back the yard.  We 

will be busy!!  

Thank you to those that have stopped by

and admired our gardens.