Challenges and May Blooms

Thought I would share one of the frustrations I have in my garden. I find these all over the garden...often where once there was a plant. I have moles and voles. The moles are carnivorous creatures-- going after everything from earthworms to grubs. The voles are vegetarian and will eat bulbs, (though not Narcissus) perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees. To add to the subterranean wildlife we also have short-tailed shrews! One of the dogs heard/ smelled something in the garden and dug a hole in the Delosperma. Out popped a shrew!! These guys are about the size of a vole, but like moles they are carnivores. They tunnel though, therefore, more traffic lanes for the voles to travel!
See the two holes?

I do have lots in bloom this time of year, in spite of the voles. In the backyard in the L** Memorial Butt Garden, I have a couple roses. One is the parent of the swingset shrub rose, origins and name unknown. The other is the last of the rugosas. After floods and then heavy equipment putting in riprap, some of the rugosas died. This little beauty is Rosa rugosa 'Pink Grootendorst'.


Though not blooms, the hostas are all coming up and filling in. I like mixing different varieties of hostas. The Tradescantia mix adds more foliage interest. Some of the hosta are named, others not. There is Hosta 'Cadet Blue', H. 'Bressingham Blue', H. Frances Williams' and friends.... :-)



The right side of the house has a Honeysuckle mass that marks our property line. Though it is an invasive, it seems to stay put. You just can't beat the fragrance as the breeze carries the scent across the yard.


One the other side of the house is my Confederate Jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, a nice evergreen vine with a sweet little flower in the spring. It is trellised with flattened old tomato cages, now almost hidden. It is creeping over and through the fence.

This past fall I forgot to spread my poppy seeds... oops! Lucky for me some reseeded on their own. I had one bloom waiting for me when I got home.


Almost a groundcover now, is a Dwarf Cranesbill, a true Geranium.



The Spirea japonica 'Goldflame' is just about to bloom. Another color interest -- this plant gives and gives.

I can't believe all the typos I had this morning...I apologize to those who have a critical eye.... guess I needed more coffee!
To check out my "Iris" go to my music page.

Voles and the destruction of a garden

I didn't think I was going to write anything today until I took two of the dogs outside. Of course Skyler was chasing his ball while Newton just meandered about the yard. A couple of days ago I noticed my lilac bush leaning into the gardenia. I wiggled it a little and sure enough...the voles had struck. I had hoped a few floodings of the yard from storms (tidal) would have depleted the population, unfortunately I was wrong. Guess it is time to get the peanut butter on mouse traps and do my own depletion.

Anyway, Newton seemed to think that the pulled up remains of the lilac was his "stick". When he was a puppy he took out a few small shrubs, thinking they were good toys with which to play fetch. This is only taken with my phone, didn't have the camera with me. I should have kept track of all the plant loss due to voles, ROTTEN CREATURES!!