"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby." Langston Hughes
- JUST BLOOMED TODAY
- GARDEN UPDATE
- RAIN BARRELS
- GARDEN GIGGLE
- FAUNA
- GARDEN GAMES
- FEEDBACK
JUST BLOOMED TODAY
GARDEN UPDATE
Well! An alert reader noticed that my dahlia from yesterday may not be a dahlia after all, but a mum! Let's look at the differences in pictures...it's an easy mistake to make. I think the petals and leaves would be a good identifier.
Here's a dahlia:
Windy, overcast and lots of moisture in the air today. This storm is not supposed to be a cold one but may have thunderstorms, as well as light rain.
Plants are thriving, even with the cold. So, bring on the rain!
RAIN BARRELS
I hope you all are catching your rainwater in barrels or buckets. We use old trashcans and collect the water (going green!) and reuse it.We can all help the Earth with water conservation! I like to put rainwater in with the manure tea as a mineral bonus. It saves resources and reusing water helps the Earth. Plus, the plants get the added bonus of all the good stuff rainwater has in it. Did you know that a 55 gallon barrel connected to the downspout of a 1000 square foot roof will fill up during a one inch rain? It's hard to imagine how much water pours off your roof until you go out and look at it.
Also, rainwater is devoid of the usual chemicals that municipalities put in household water to purify it- such as chlorine, fluoride, etc. This rainwater is perfect for aquariums and koi ponds because of this.
Diverting and collecting rainwater lessens water pollution in streams, rivers and lakes. When rainwater travels over impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, roads and driveways, it collects pollutants which often end up in local bodies of water.
There are many commercial rain barrels available that have overflow valves to divert water away from your house's foundation.They also have a filter to stop mosquitoes.
You can make your own rain barrel from a 55 gallon barrel or trashcan. The technique is almost identical to the one we shared for the manure tea holder, with the exception that you want to make a round hole in your lid large enough to fit snugly around your flexible tubing. And you want to have mesh around the opening to keep out mosquitoes. Don't forget your spigot at the bottom!
A rain barrel can be connected to a gutter system without too much difficulty. First, remove a section of downspout and replace it with flexible tubing. When the rain barrel is in use, the tubing should run from the downspout to the barrel. When the rain barrel is not in use, the tubing should reconnect back to the downspout. Make sure you clean them each year and store them upside down during the dry seasons. They can be painted with wonderful designs...here's just a few.
It's an easy way to make a small difference in the world and your plants will adore you!
Well! An alert reader noticed that my dahlia from yesterday may not be a dahlia after all, but a mum! Let's look at the differences in pictures...it's an easy mistake to make. I think the petals and leaves would be a good identifier.
Here's a dahlia:
and here's a mum:
Pretty close! I guess it helps to have a tag on your plant. My three didn't come with any markings or tags. I think Carole is right, though and the subtle difference is the curling of the petals. So, I stand corrected, thank you, Carole for your eagle eye! ;)
RAIN BARRELS
I hope you all are catching your rainwater in barrels or buckets. We use old trashcans and collect the water (going green!) and reuse it.We can all help the Earth with water conservation! I like to put rainwater in with the manure tea as a mineral bonus. It saves resources and reusing water helps the Earth. Plus, the plants get the added bonus of all the good stuff rainwater has in it. Did you know that a 55 gallon barrel connected to the downspout of a 1000 square foot roof will fill up during a one inch rain? It's hard to imagine how much water pours off your roof until you go out and look at it.
Diverting and collecting rainwater lessens water pollution in streams, rivers and lakes. When rainwater travels over impervious surfaces, such as parking lots, roads and driveways, it collects pollutants which often end up in local bodies of water.
There are many commercial rain barrels available that have overflow valves to divert water away from your house's foundation.They also have a filter to stop mosquitoes.
You can make your own rain barrel from a 55 gallon barrel or trashcan. The technique is almost identical to the one we shared for the manure tea holder, with the exception that you want to make a round hole in your lid large enough to fit snugly around your flexible tubing. And you want to have mesh around the opening to keep out mosquitoes. Don't forget your spigot at the bottom!
GARDEN GIGGLE
What is a king's favorite kind of precipitation?
Hail!
What's the difference between a horse and the weather?
One is reined in and the other rains down.
What do you call it when it rains chickens and ducks?
Fowl weather
Where do lightening bolts go on a date?
Cloud 9
What did one raindrop say to the other raindrop?
My plop is bigger than your plop!
How do lightening bolts flirt?
they electro-cute each other
FAUNA
2 comments:
That was an amazing frog photo!
pretty clever, indeed!
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