August, 2024--Cleaning up

  8/1/2024 was clean up for Sable's area.

I took a full bag of mulched up evergreen

junk off her gravel area.  Yes, the male cones

are still coming down!

8/6/2024  again I was out cleaning up Sable's

area and vac up another bag of evergreen junk

from this area.

Then I decided it was time to clean out the

north beds where the north evergreen were 

dropping and covering the garden beds below

due to the trees are dying.  I vac up 4 full bags

off this area to be able to see the mulch not

the pin junk.  Can you see the mulch??

8/13/2024

I vac up 2 full bags from the front gravel 

parking space where DH parks his truck.

Then I picked up 4 full bags off Sable's area

behind the gate. 

8/14/2024

Today I just blew off the walkway and the

gravel area which is Sable's area.  Then I

blew off the driveway and finished cleaning

by doing so with the hose to remove the

chips that was missed.  I got a phone call

from the team nurse to check up on me.  

After explaining I over did it yesterday

I was told I'm still in the recovery mode

and needed to take the day off!  Not in 

my world when I deal with males that

don't care.  They don't know how to clean!

8/15/2024

I vac up 9 full bags of pine wood chips

today after they took the trunks down.

I also blew off both roofs due to chips

up on them.  I had to wash off the plants

several times to get them clean.  I also 

blew out the circle again due to the 

tree folks didn't clean up!  So now you

know why I don't allow folks to cleanup!

They don't know how to clean up!!

It took me 3 and a half hours to clean up 

the mess that took them 4 hours to make

Yes, the trunks are still in their yard. 

Once the wind come through this week

end I'll go back out and clean again.  I 

have one happy dog, she has her space

back!!

8/17/2024

We decided to take the Heavenly

Bamboo out as their bases were covered

with pine chips, pine cones and needles.

I then got to clean up the whole area and

wash down the fence!  It's so bare out

there even Sable was shocked.  She had

to check it all out.  More space for her!

That was a $9.00 run to H&H to get 

rid of it due to the bins were full.  I

vac up another 2 bags!

Our Allergies are terrible!

This next week we will tackle what

is between the carport and the fence

plus what is between the shed/Brug

House and carport.

8/25/2024

Yesterday we tackled the carport area!

We took 45 gallons of pine stuff off 

this area and I was able to clean the fence

before the new carport went up. We

had a foot of this all along the fence.

We also found a branch that went in 

one spot and came out another on the

carport.  DH is working on a letter with

photos to show the damage for the Tree

Remover, he wants damages paid due to

they were told about the carport and the

classic car under it.  I'm ready to go to the 

BBB and their corporate office due to the

run around we are getting.  The first gal

was caught in so many lies!  Then she 

demanded we meet when we both had

doctors appt..  she was told this but

still showed up and DH is handling this.

Last day of the month and I'm still watching

the north trees dump in our yard!  Maybe

I'll get to cleaning up this area on Sunday

when the weather isn't so hot, maybe not??

Still Cutting Back Spring Flowers

 Just taking is slow but I'm getting

a lot done.  Last night the cardoons

were cut back!  Hopefully today 

I can get the last of the Daylilies

cut and call it a day due to we are

about to get hot . . . . . . I don't do

the heat and 100 is way to hot to 

be out in the garden.

Local AT&T In Salmon Creek

 A shout out to Carter for your help

today in getting my new photo!  Wow!

Thank You!!

The first photos from it.

Clematises Down!

 I have been cutting back our Clematises

due to the heat wave we have been having.

I am down to just one left in my process of

cutting them back.  Lots of burnt leaves and

some die back.  

Sorry no Photos as Google wants Cookies!!

Not allowed so I guess it's time to move the

blog some where else!  This wasn't an issue

until now so time to move on.  

Just half of the collection.

They grow up so fast!  Just a month

after being cut back.

Filling in nicely and a few are starting

to bloom!

Temporary Closing Our Gardens

 Due to the Heatwave.  We will

reopen when the temps are more

normal.

7/9/2024

Even the Tropicals are frying!

7/21/2024  

Finally some cooler weather!  Hottest 

July on record with little rain.

8/2/2024

With additional health issues we have

decided not to reopen the gardens for

the rest of 2024.    You are free to look

from the curb or catch me out working

in the yard and ask but let me tell you 

we are busy cutting back.  The heat has

taken a tole on us and the gardens this

year.  Thanks for your support.

8/17/2024

Then this happened!  

What a day/week.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/

4913187183769930086/8664029375385865981

Our yard on the east side was trashed!  

Brugmansia/Datura/Iochroma

 I know that the original post was done long

ago and have had some folks request that I

update this.  It's just general information for

those that grow them.  I have been growing

them since 1995 and there is more I can add.

I will say this, one needs to find their own

path and experience these lovely ladies of

the night to understand what they are all 

about.  Pointers were few and far between

when I first started out with these.  I do

thank those that helped me along my path.

The key is education and knowledge in

what you grow.  Each garden is different, 

so each gardener is different. 

Brugmansia/Datura/Iochroma Update

I have had several folks ask me to

update this post due to the old one

was one of our earlier posts.  Alot 

has gone on since that post and 

folks have asked for my secrets
when growing them.

It has been a passion to learn about 

these lovely ladies of the night and 

if you don't have this passion it 

makes it hard to understand them.

With that stated, every gardener is
different and when you see what one
person does with them it can take
your breath away.

I hope get to this soon as we hit
the busy season it might be awhile.
I tend to disappear as I spend most 

of my day outside.

As some of you know I have joined 

a couple FB groups and ya know I 

just try to help the new folks as much 

as I can but it's getting to the point, 

I truly understand why folks don't
help others.   I swore when I started 

growing these lovely ladies of the 

night I would try to help others as 

it was a total pain to get information
that could be helpful.  I had a couple 

folks that stepped up and with their 

push I was able to make sense of their 

growing habits.  The key that one gave

me it to watch and learn.  The more you

watch them the more your will learn.  

You need to figure out what they are

telling you.  No on lives in the perfect 

environment that these live in naturally 

unless you live in that area.  So to have 

them adapt to the conditions you have and
to get them to bloom can be a challenge.

A lot has changed since when we started

and some of the rules have changed but 

there are some rules that were passed 

along that should be used first.  Don't 

grab the harsh chemicals to treat your Brugs
before trying some simple treatments 

first.  Pay attention and daily look 

them over. These plants are not the 

easiest to care for so know what you are
dealing with up front.  They carry a 

virus that you want to stay dormant 

or you will see them go down hill fast.  

So always clean your tools.   If you

don't the virus will spread like wildfire.  

Know what disease that these are 

acceptable to.  Keep some cousins at
distance as they say this will help 

keep the virus at bay.  Yes, this virus

can take out a collection and you won't

 be able to grow them at a later date.  

I have seen and heard of this happening.

These are trees and shrubs, so their growing

conditions should be in the ground or in pots.  

NO Hanging Baskets!!
Yes, you heard that right!  Nurseries will do 

just about anything to sell a plant.  But 

common sense is do you see them in the
wild in hanging baskets?  Do what is in 

the best interest of the species.  If you 

want a hanging basket find plants that
are suitable for the said hanging basket.   

I just shake my head when I see them 

and wonder what is wrong with this person.
But again why do folks try this stuff??   

Is the money that important or is the 

plant important?   It's also like growing 

several colors together in one pot, please

each color has a different growing condition 

so do you honestly think it's going to work?   

Do you know how much work it takes to 

make this work in one pot and what happens 

when one plant dies?  I'll tell you it's not a pretty
picture.   I did this to prove a point and it's 

more work than the average person can handle. 

The main key here is to keep the Brugmansia

 healthy!  Know the growing conditions, don't 

over feed them!!  I know you have heard that

you can't over feed them, wrong!!  You can 

push them to death!!  My general rule that 

I tell folks is fertilize them on Sunday, which is
easy for some to remember.   So many times 

I hear I have seen what you do but can't get 

ours to do it.   I have had years of experience
with them and these are new to you? 

Growing from seeds, is the best way to learn. 

That way you can see how they grow.  Slowly 

bump up the pots once the roots come out the
bottom.  Also we do not push new seedlings 

until they are a year old.  This makes for a 

better plant.  Also growing by seed, you can 

then name them!!  Warning, give them a 

number while you grow.  Record how they
grow and keep track of what you do.  Also 

keep track of the Hybridizer and what crosses

were made if you plan to register.  You are

the Brug Parent, some will ask you to test

the seeds and you have the information to

pass back to the hybridizer.  If you purchased 

the seeds their is few conditions that the hybridizer
can request of you. 

But so many folks want that instant 'Pretty' 

and then loose interest.  These need care to 

grow into gentle giants that you can stand 

up under and enjoy the blooms as you look 

upwards.  So many folks just toss them 

after the one growing season.  Which is so sad! 

You must be patient with plants, they grow 

when they are cared for.  Don't put them in 

huge pots until they are ready.  These ladies 

love to be root bound and save your backs.  

I have had some in 5 gallon pots for years.  

Yes you can shave off roots it they get to

root bound and they will love you for it, if 

done right.  We also keep our in pickle 

buckets for a reason, easy to put on a dolly
to move and easy to store. 

Again I have walked away from the groups,

just find I'm way to busy and need to spend 

time with the plants.  Just got to do what I 

enjoy more.