water use

[Diane Amberg]

Ms Bear, Is your Ligustrum the kind with waxy leaves and the beautiful white flowers in the spring?  I think they are just lovely but we're a little too cold in January to grow them here reliably. Maybe with the warming trend though we'll try one some day.  Judy how about tumbleweed?

[Wilma]

Diane, we might try that and I know just where to go to find them.  Somewhere between here and Bucklin they are thicker than weeds.

[Judy Harder]

I thought of tumbleweed, but I hear it is hard to keep at home......kind of like a teenager..........LOL


As for the bee's Steve, I did not see very many this year..................and even the fly's and skeeters and other insects were not as many. did the heat do that, or lack of rain..I kind of think the lack of rain, kept the larve from growing.....but the bees are worrysome.
Need them to keep things growing.....

[srkruzich]

I thought of tumbleweed, but I hear it is hard to keep at home......kind of like a teenager..........LOL


As for the bee's Steve, I did not see very many this year..................and even the fly's and skeeters and other insects were not as many. did the heat do that, or lack of rain..I kind of think the lack of rain, kept the larve from growing.....but the bees are worrysome.
Need them to keep things growing.....

There was no nectar to go after.  They stayed in their hives.  Pollen wasn't plentiful either.   I am hoping and well all had better hope and pray for some rain right now and that the goldenrod and other weeds grow fast or the bee population will be in trouble.

[Ms Bear]

Yes, Diane.  They bloom for quite awhile here and you can smell all over the yard.  I have one right by the dining room that is at least 15 feet tall and shades the south windows and then there are a row of them along one side of the yard by the neighbors driveway that are getting really big.  My husband used to trim them like a hedge but they are too tall to do that to now.  I haven't noticed very many dead leaves on them but they are a lot younger than the one by the house, at least 15 years younger.  I have no idea how long they will live.

I have two Hope (Esperanza) plants that are finally getting big, they freeze back every year but come back from the root and get bigger every year.  One is about 6 years old and is about 8 feet tall with with lots of bright yellow flowers from about late May until November or December, the bees really like it and it seems to do very good with or without water.

It is actually a little cooler today and we have some wind, doubt if we will get rain but they are saying the wind has put us at higher fire risk.

I hadn't thought of tumbleweeds being like teenagers but is a perfect example.

[Wilma]

I have some fall blooming clematis just ready to bloom.  It should attract some insects for sure.  The sunflowers are just about through blooming and ready for harvest, what's left of them after the birds.  The finches and sparrows have sure enjoyed them.

[farmgal67357]

Lisa, could it be a Rose of Sharon?
All of those bushes are producing up a storm right now.
About the only thing that has! been doing what it is suppose to
this year.
One of the poorest growing season's I have had........of course, gives us all something
to shoot for next year.
I hope the rainfall picks up or we just might have to learn how to grow sagebrush or heaven forbid, cactus.

Nope, not Rose of Sharon. I wish I had some of those though! These flowers are about the size of a quarter and have frilly edges all around.  I do need to plant some kind of ground cover around the front of the house. What do you recommend?
Lisa

[Judy Harder]

I don't know your house or your grounds, nor what you like to do in yard. Are you a gardener, do you have a green or black thumb? And what kind of soil........permant, semi-permant.....annual or ??
Some day when I know where you live, would be glad to come advise.....I am a great sidewalk superintendent........but I would bet that Teresa or Joanna, for sure Joanne or even the kids who just moved out, know what would grow there.  Lets see how many different ideas. I would have to study on it for a bit.........unless you want mature stock, best decide over winter and plant next spring......bulbs will be ready later this month.

OH, we are getting RAIN! In fact it rained me out of the softball game.....and we had a nice gully-washer. cooler and oh sleeping will be great tonight. YIPEE!!!!

[Diane Amberg]

So glad to hear you finally got some rain!

[srkruzich]

Nope, not Rose of Sharon. I wish I had some of those though! These flowers are about the size of a quarter and have frilly edges all around.  I do need to plant some kind of ground cover around the front of the house. What do you recommend?
Lisa

Depends on what direction its facing. How much shade is there.  Phlox is good, if you want drought tolerant plants, i would use Festuca idahoensis, and festuca ovina glauca. IF its shady festuca rubra and festuca amethystina 'Superba.  plant these about 3' apart and then add maybe dianthus feurhexen, Hamelia patens, Callicarpa americana, Pityopsis graminifolia, maybe put up a trellis against the wall of the house and grow Lonicera sempervirens, and Tradescantia virginiana.  Muhlenbergia capillaris is a very pretty tall grass.
All of these are drought tolerant and handle wet fairly well too