This Old House of Ours

[LarsMac]

We are having to do some rather significant re-wiring of the electric system.
Turns out that the Power feed for the property is on a pole in the middle of the field behind the house and runs from there to the Barn, and from the center wall of the barn underground to the two houses on the property. That is all well and good, except the foundation of the barn is basically crumbling.
Now, the barn, itself is very well built. IT has moved about 6 inches off the foundation, and has stayed quite sound. It moves around like a big cardboard box, depending on which way the winds are blowing. This morning, I was looking at it and it has almost returned to the original foundation.
We stay clear of it when the winds are strong, and the grandkids are working on carefully removing their stuff from it and taking it to an offsite storage locker.

I expect one day, when the winds are severe, we will watch it roll away like a big-ass Tumbleweed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UiSMyyj-Ac

[beyelzu]

When I let Gizmo outside this morning, I was struck by how good our crazy wildflower garden patch was looking.



Closer view of the flowers or purple morning glory and orange Nasturtium Dwarf

And the view from the listing



We have long loved the beautiful gardens around Willow Glen. I felt the responsibility of maintaining the ecosystem at the place we rented, but I couldn’t just delete or add things.

I’m excited about making our place one of the pretty garden houses

[beyelzu]

In the back I’ve planted a morning glory mix, here you can see that a I’ve got purple and pinkish flowers.

I think there was a more blue variety, but I haven’t seen it yet.

I’ve really been enjoying gardening.

I putter in the garden every day

[beyelzu]

IMG_7533.jpegIMG_7534.jpeg IMG_7535.jpg

I’ve got so many different morning glory hues

[beyelzu]

IMG_7536.jpeg

The hummingbird visits the pink echeveria


IMG_7537.jpeg

I imagine he will visit this one, but I haven’t seen it yet.

[beyelzu]

IMG_7573.jpeg

I got a pic of the hummingbird feeding from the echeveria the other day

[beyelzu]

IMG_7600.jpeg

These are Lithops so called living rocks.

Lithops - Wikipedia

The other pics are my succulent hanging planters, including the first one that I made.

IMG_7599.jpeg

IMG_7598.jpeg



IMG_7597.jpeg


IMG_7596.jpeg

[beyelzu]

IMG_7879.jpeg

IMG_7878.jpeg

My lithops are looking good. I had to add lava rocks to discourage an asshole squirrel.
IMG_7876.jpeg

I’ve been getting frequent visits from this gorgeous hummingbird.
IMG_7870.jpg

In my front wildflower patch, the nasturtiums are now outcompeting the morning glories.

IMG_7843.jpg

I’ve got Hairy Dawg up for football games. I added an aeonium to the berm that was outgrowing a pot.

Yucca blooming for the second time this year, now with two flowering structures.

[Ensign Steve]

What about my Birds? Did my birds bloom yet?

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

What about my Birds? Did my birds bloom yet?

It's happening!

I took this pic yesterday of the first one starting to pop, and he was the rest of the way open this morning. I didn't bother with another pic because it was still dark out. Plus there are at least half a dozen more buds ready to burst, so I will have plenty of opportunities.

[Ensign Steve]

Double birds!

Conjoined twin birds of paradise! I've never seen that before.

[beyelzu]

IMG_8025.jpegIMG_8024.jpeg

Because squirrels kept fucking with the lithops in the fence planter, I decided to rehome these beauties.

IMG_8070.jpeg

This is a bird in our right bird of paradise which is about to pop


IMG_8076.jpeg

These are two new Ruby necklace plants that I’m let grow in this pot some before I transplant them into squirrel danger.




IMG_8078.jpeg

This is a ruby necklace plant that I bought from the same seller on Amazon (they are located not far away in Morgan Hill iirc) back in the spring.


I purchased a peppermint oil spray which is supposed to discourage rodents including squirrels.


Anyone got any squirrel advice? They chewed through my outdoor glass vid lights and are giving my backyard petunias hell.

[beyelzu]

IMG_8071.jpg

I it together these pots yesterday. Mostly they are comprised of new succulents, but I did incorporate a couple of plants that had outgrown tiny pots from the previous regime.

IMG_8080.jpeg

This morning. I figure long term these will be moved when they outgrow the current pots, but there is plenty of space for them to grow currently, and some varieties that my garden didn’t already have.

I’m a pretty big fan of succulent diversity though I’m not super into cacti.

[beyelzu]

I’ve been gardening for most of this year and really enjoying it.

Especially now, I’m choosing to focus on something I can control. I really enjoy the way it makes me feel connected to time and seeing how plant life can develop.

IMG_8215.jpg

I took some cuttings from the aeonium on the left, I divided my ruby necklaces.
IMG_8214.jpeg

One quarter back in the hanging basket.

IMG_8213.jpeg

One quarter and aeonium in a pot.


IMG_8211.jpg

Two quarters in a fence planter after removing flowers that were not thriving.

IMG_8185.jpeg

One half of the other ruby necklace in the fence planter that used to house the lithops
IMG_8188.jpeg

Other half growing in the hanging planter.

Also, the peppermint spray I started using seems to be helping discourage squirrel activity.
My mother-in-law got us some planters that I asked for. They are wood and about 16 inches deep that I’m going to plant red bougainvilleas in.

Cultivate your garden.

[beyelzu]

My mother-in-law got us these planters that I asked for.


IMG_8220.jpeg

I also got some trellises

IMG_8221.jpeg

Eventually, I hope to have red bougainvilleas on the side of the house.

[beyelzu]

Busy gardening day.


IMG_8219.jpg

Here is a before pic with Kirby. The pot in the back started to break down enough that the plant fell over. So I decided to replace both of them.

IMG_8236.jpg

These plants were in the shorter pot originally.

IMG_8237.jpeg

The taller pot and I added a crassula capitella (campfire)

While I did this part myself, Raul my gardener brought a load of dirt and did all the digging and most of the dirt hauling, though I did help.
IMG_8238.jpg
I bought two of these aeonium of unknown variety in Monterey a few weeks back. I got Raul to plant them in the berm.

IMG_8242.jpg

He also transplanted a jade plant that would have been in the way of the planter.
IMG_8240.jpeg

Both planters installed with trellis and bougainvilleas.
IMG_8239.jpeg

Individual planter

IMG_8235.jpeg

Close up of bougainvillea, the bright red things aren’t flowers. They are bracts which are modified leaves often asssiciated with reproduction. Inside the bract a small white flower forms.


I’m really excited about this project. In the future one day, hopefully, we will be able to open our blinds and look at gorgeous flowers.

[beyelzu]

IMG_8325.jpeg

The plant in the foreground is an aeonium arboreum zwartkop or black rose. I watered it pretty heavily this summer so it’s pretty green right now.

I collected some “cuttings” that had fallen off and previously and were starting to root. I planted them in my bougainvillea planters.

The bougainvilleas haven’t really taken off yet. I don’t imagine they will till the days start to lengthen.
IMG_8321.jpg

Aeoniums on the corners.

IMG_8305.jpg

The planter against my neighbors house. I planted some cuttings from a couple different plants and three aeonium arboreum Medusa which are very purple with green centers.

IMG_8310.jpeg

Closeup of Medusa

IMG_8324.jpeg

Our alley garden.
IMG_8311.jpeg

Another one. I’m really excited about what this space could look like next summer and in future years.

IMG_8308.jpg

This pot used to be next to our back steps. I’m now using it for a few different echeveria, a Graptopetalum Amethystinum (Lavender Pebbles), and a crassula capitella (campfire)
IMG_8304.jpg

Closeup of bougainvillea planter