Winter like weather has arrived. Pull out your gardening sheets and blankets because if there are any annuals you are trying to keep around they will need to be covered this weekend. The low temperatures are suppose to dive into the 30's for the next couple of mornings and it looks as if they may be forecasting a chance of snow flurries on Saturday. Yikes! I don't even like to talk about snow this early. It makes for a very long winter.
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Added by Shelly Marsh on October 9, 2009 at 8:37am —
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Are the cicada's in your neighborhood getting any quieter? They are in ours do to the appetite of our Beagle, Sam Parker. He is crazy about eating cicadas. I know it sounds crazy but he will come into my office and give me that look, "Hey, I know you are busy and it is really not time for my walk but do you think we could go outside and look for some cicadas?" Seriously we may have to take Sam to cicadas anonymous....Pretty funny! He is especially fond of the ones right out of their shell. Eww..…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on September 2, 2009 at 11:39am —
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I think I have started to grow webbed feet! Boy is it wet. The grass is growing like crazy and I haven't had time to cut it. It looks like this weekend will be the time to be outside. Nice mild temperatures and no rain. I can hardly wait!
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Added by Shelly Marsh on August 19, 2009 at 5:01pm —
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Naked ladies are in full bloom all over Kansas City. I am not a huge fan. No offense, just not one of my favorite flowers. They seem a bit naked to me.....Ha! That bare stem just doesn't cut it. Anyway, they are every where so if you have never seen one they are pink and about 2 feet tall with a naked stem. You can't miss them!
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Added by Shelly Marsh on August 9, 2009 at 11:00am —
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While I was working outside this morning I was amazed at the number of bumble bees buzzing around my begonias. There were so many in fact that I stopped working just to watch them gather nectar for a bit. So fascinating! I was stung a couple of weeks ago but only because I swatted a poor bee against my neck. I could feel something buzzing around and sure enough the bee got a bit too close and whamo! I had to have Kevin pull the stinger out of my neck. I put some ice on my neck and felt better in…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on August 5, 2009 at 2:55pm —
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We just returned from vacation and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with laundry, mail etc... It was great to sleep in my own bed last night. It was even greater to be at home in my own bed and awakend by a loud thunderstorm this morning! It was as if Mother Nature was personally welcoming me home. While we were away, we kindly asked a young boy down the street from us to care for our potted plants. Everything seems to be in good shape so it appears that he did a great job. I would check in on the…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on August 4, 2009 at 10:05am —
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Not only is tomorrow Father's Day it is also the first day of summer! I must say this last week has certainly felt like summer. Temperatures in the 90's with the heat index near 100. Next week's forecast doesn't get any better. Hot and humid with temperatures in the mid to upper 90's. When you are outside gardening make sure you are clothed properly, have applied sunscreen and have something to drink to keep you hydrated. When the temperatures and the heat index hit the 100's it can be dangerous…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on June 20, 2009 at 7:30am —
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Just one word, gorgeous! The weather doesn't get any better than this! Two beautiful days in a row. Low 70's low humidity, life is good! I spent most of the day outside yesterday weeding and edging. My son Noah does the mowing which allows me pick up leaves, sticks, deadhead etc...
Another great day today. I will keep Sam Parker the family dog outside in the backyard to help keep the rabbits away. They are every where and they are shredding my coneflowers to bits. Waskily Wabbits.....I keep app…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on June 4, 2009 at 11:20am —
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I'm glad it is raining today. We needed it and it gives me a reason to get some things done inside. It sounds as if some areas might get as much as 3-4 inches which is way too much at once. That's the way it is around here. The sky opens up and rains as if we haven't seen any in months. 3-4 inches of rain will simply run off. Not the best kind of rain for gardens. Would it be too much to ask for a rainy day where the rain falls all day soft and slow?
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Added by Shelly Marsh on June 2, 2009 at 3:41pm —
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I apologize for falling off the blog. After two full weeks of preparing for my daughter's high school graduation I finally have time to sit down and interact again. I have been in the gardens for two weeks straight, planting, weeding, mulching and loving every minute of it. The weather has been perfect for doing all of the things that are needed to be done this time of the year.
I have pretty much completed planting perennials in the front garden. This is its third full year and everything is r…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on May 31, 2009 at 10:53am —
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Well I went and did it. Yep, against all better judgement I planted annuals this past weekend. I even potted a hibiscus and fretted about it all last night. I have always been a big believer that you shouldn't start planting annuals until after Mother's Day. The spring bug has bitten and we are hosting Morgan's graduation party in a couple of weeks and I just didn't feel like I could wait. I did my research and checked the long term forecast and noticed that the only semi scary cold morning was…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on April 28, 2009 at 4:02pm —
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Yes, believe it or not there is a sun and the temperatures will reflect it in the next couple of days. I can hardly contain myself. Everything is so green from days and days of rain. Or was it months? It seems like too many to remember. Just happy to be headed outside to get some work done. I have Sam Parker our trusty beagle outside guarding the gardens. Since the arrival of Easter the rabbits are multiplying as I type. YIKES!
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Added by Shelly Marsh on April 14, 2009 at 11:03am —
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That is the million dollar question. Just when you think we made it through March, April arrives and really throws us into a tail spin. It is going to get cold tonight and I am fearful that we are going to have some similar freeze damage that we experienced two years ago. The warmer spikes in temperatures have really made plants start to grow. I have many perennials that are busting throught the ground reaching for the sun. All of my Knock-Out roses are full of new growth. So what's a gardener t…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on April 6, 2009 at 12:04pm —
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I really wanted to work in the yard today but when I went outside with a light jacket on I thought twice. I am a whimp! It sure felt cold. I came in to check the temperature and sure enough the outside temperature was 39 with a wind chill of 32. Freezing!!!!
I have to say we were somewhat lucky that we didn't have more damage from the snow storm than we did. On our walk yesterday, Sam Parker and I stopped several times to assess our neighborhood damage. Unfortunately Bradford pears took a big h…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 31, 2009 at 5:14pm —
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Just when I thought we were going to get 10 inches of snow we are getting ice instead. Awful! We were lucky enough to dodge the bullet overnight but as I look outside now the rain is turning to sleet. Not good. I just looked outside my office window and the arborvitae are starting to droop. Ice and high winds are a bad combination. At this point all we can do is hope for the best. Tomorrow's low is suppose to be 18. Ouch, too cold for me and any plant in bloom.
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 28, 2009 at 10:53am —
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Yes, I know I am a bit late considering the first day of spring was March 21st but we were out of the country and I had no internet access. Can you imagine? We went on a Royal Caribbean cruise and visited some really beautiful places. Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel. The vegetation was so beautiful. The hibiscus in Belize were some of the biggest I had ever seen. Everything was green, deep tropical green. The temperature was in the 80's and the ocean was magnificent. We are home now and trying to…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 25, 2009 at 1:03pm —
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Mother Nature is making it difficult for blooming trees, bushes and bulbs. It is going to freeze tonight so if there is anything in bloom that you can cover, do it. I know you can't throw a sheet over a magnolia tree but if you have daffodils in bloom cover them or cut them and bring them in. If you use plastic as a cover make sure that it is not touching the plants. I am sure this will not be the last time we see this kind of weather. March is notorious for warm/cold days. If you are not alread…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 10, 2009 at 5:23pm —
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It looks as if we are riding the spring weather roller coaster. Warm days mixed with cold fronts equal unsettling weather. Saturday was a perfect example. Warm during the day and then later on in the evening thunderstorms rolled through our area bringing much needed rain, high winds and pea sized hail. The tornadic activity stayed west of us I am glad to say. Strap yourselves in. It looks as if this wild ride has just begun. Temperatures will fluctuate and tender perennials could be harmed so do…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 9, 2009 at 12:51pm —
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It is hard to believe that it is 72 degrees today. I am glad to see that the snow has melted away. Hopefully that is the last of it. I am headed outside to do some general pick up. There always seems to be sticks and leaves everywhere. It is probably not the best day to be raking but "oh well". At least I will be outside. I have been meaning to ask everyone, "What are your favorite nurseries or garden centers in the greater Kansas City-area?" Of course I tend to do business with people who help…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 5, 2009 at 1:14pm —
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How many of you get this magazine? I love it! It is so informative. April's issue contains so many wonderful ideas about plants and landscaping. They also list their top picks for 2009. I was blown away by a couple of new perennials. Mac'n' Cheese and Tomato Soup coneflowers. What a beautiful color combination. Who says that coneflowers have to be purple or pink? Since red is my favorite color I will certainly be planting some of these beauties in my garden this year. Here is their link, check i…
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Added by Shelly Marsh on March 4, 2009 at 2:00pm —
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Time to cover up
