Thursday, August 7, 2008

A Weary Madame

Everything looks to be moving along just fine.



When, from above, something drops down.



And all hell breaks loose.



It was a perfect bud. Perhaps too much sun and not enough rain in a very, very, well drained soil has caused Madame Stappers to look just a bit ragged as she reached her most fertile moments. Maybe it was just a case of separation anxiety. She hasn't completely settled in to her new surroundings. The next bud will open properly or maybe next year all will be well.



One slightly tattered plant on a hillside of growing successes can be tolerated. A little disappointment is inevitable.

The Iris are still green and look happy. The Dianthus have doubled in size and are reblooming. A store bought Belamcanda and Callirhoe were recently added.



Transplanted Rudbeckia, Echinacea and Lupine settled in and bloomed when I didn't expect it of them their first year. They joined Iberis transplanted from the resident gardeners gravel drive and store bought Juniper, Carex and Veronica on this section of the sunny utility hillside below the cabin. The store bought Poppies were planted and promptly proceeded to die.



The metal rake trim along all the front eaves went on with ease. The pieces for the peaks will take a little bending and a few cuts. The question was, do we want the top rake piece over or under the ridge cap? Let's put on the ridge caps and see how they work and find out.



Oh Crap! The ridge cap and its foam with screen spacer is not being easy or even looking like it wants to work on the 90 degree VENTED roof peak. It looks to me like a good sideways rain or snow would blow right under that thing and right through that foam with screen. Screech, crash, halt!

Breathe. This is just a problem to solve.



Wounded cantaloupes and aborted baby cantaloupes the size of oranges tell me something is not quite right. Will there be one good full sized cantaloupe this year?



Trays of sprouting seeds and small plants that must reach a size big enough to plant out before it is too late hang in there. Some critter has a liking for fresh sprouts. I think it is a mouse. On many mornings I come out to find the left over crumbs from a midnight buffet.



This is a day when I can be grateful for the first blooms of Ironweed's purple haze.

4 comments:

Frances, said...

Hi Christopher, bummer about the roof, I don't think ours is vented, the ridge cap just sits on top, and I don't think we have rake edges either. What is their purpose? Our dahlias have few petals, but it is the nasty grasshoppers that are ruining the show. They are eating many things here and are unstoppable. What eats grasshoppers, besides humans since that is not an option here?

Anonymous said...

Hi Christopher! I hope by now you have figured out the solution to the roof problem. Have you finalized flooring and kitchen counters yet? I tried dahlias last year and they are way too much work for me. The day after I visited "OutsideClyde" I went to visit a friend just south of us (over yet another mountain range) and she has the MOST incredible dahlia garden you ever want to see! Once I get the pictures loaded on the computer I will send you one. She spends countless hours on her dahlias and this year has had the most spectacular showing yet. Some blooms were the size of a dinner plate! All of your other plants are looking great!
BTW, your hummingbird photographs are spectacular. I think you could win a photo contest with them!!! :)

Christopher C. NC said...

I think we have figured out the roof. If we can find someone to bend the ridge cap a bit more that will be an added help. The flooring, counter tops and cabinets are finalized in theme. The specific products are to be found yet.

We have a lot of grasshoppers here, but they don't seem to eat too much that I notice.

Siria, a lot of folks in our valley grow nice Dahlias in their vegetables gardens.

chuck b. said...

Oh, poor Madame. Just give her some time. I'm sure she'll come around.