No - not more sit-com reruns - it's spring and things are starting to pop up. Sort of.
Fern garden looks a litttle barren. There are a few nudging above ground - I watered again and we'll wait for tomorrow's sun to work it's magic before I give upon them. Might depend on the variety.
At least the rhubarb is growing well - looking forward to some crumble already.
OK - Plan A was to carefully dig up and separate the day-lilies, dig up all the ferns in the corner formerly known as shady, plant some of the day-lilies there, send the rest of the lilies out in the mail to the hords of eager readers, and then re-plant the ferns in the shade.
The lilies had been there quite a while and were a solid mat of roots. Plus I have plenty to spare already, and don't really like them that well anyways. Does this sound like excuses in advance for Plan B?
You're right. My daughter was over to chat and show me her new(er) tattoo, but that was the extent of her help. Not that I didn't enjoy the visit.
So last Sunday I girded my loins, rolled up my sleeves, and attacked. I just ripped off the leaves, dug up the roots with a sharp spade, chucked it all in a recycling bag, and left it by the curb for garbage day. Yes, I know that's shocking behaviour to some, who know's what might be next? My mother can't understand how I could throw anything away, but what's done is done.
The ferns were easier to move one by one then, and are happier now that they don't have to put on sun screen every day - it was clogging their spores. Next is to add some moss and ground cover, and then fungi from the woods.
Yes, it was a great show, but I'm really referring to the little temporary fern garden I've planted. I say temporary because I had carefully planned it to be in a corner shaded by an old 30' high Russian Olive. Then I decided that since the tree had huge bare spots, and dead bark peeling off all over, right to the bare wood, that it should go. Now of course the corner is only shady before 10:30 or after 2:30 Gets prime heat of the day, so all the ferns will shrivel, unless I put a big beach umbrella out there. They will be especially dry with my rather casual watering schedule.
Rather than just get free ferns from the woods, I went to the local garden centre and bought 6 different kinds - luckily that was all they had. This site lists over 30 varieties. I have a Royal fern, Tassel fern, Deer fern, Autumn fern, Soft Needle fern, and Japanese painted fern. All suffering in the sun.
But I do have another shaded, and even damper corner, where they can flourish. Along with the old stump and logs I'll move there - to rot and grow fungus. I'm not keen enough to actually go out and buy enough fungi to do a whole woodlot, but I figure I can find some in the woods and transplant them. Did I mention this other shaded corner is already full of day-lilies?? First job will be to move those somewhere. Want some? Send me a SASE.
And for those still looking for sit-com info, browse away.
Update: I've noticed a lot of the "hits" on my blog are coming here looking for the TV show - so I'll add a picture.
April 3/05 - I still get a number of hits that are really searching for the TV show, sorry, but that's what happens with search engines. Just a few innocent words and it's amazing who wanders here. I suppose that's a sneaky way to increase traffic. I could mention that I saw a naked bunny in a Mcintosh in amongst the ferns, but I might just get people really searching for here.
