Suburban Wildlife Garden

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Off to Galveston and an Update

First an update on my cat, Mariah: She is much improved; having almost finished with her antibiotics and is eating on her own. I'm extremely relieved since it was a bit touch and go there for a while. She and Lily will stay at the vet clinic for boarding as we travel to Galveston.

We are renting the same beach house as last year. I'm sure we'll see a lot of differences in the island since Hurricane Ike hit, but we're told the portion of the beach we're staying on is now clean & safe. I'll share photos when I return.

Hope all of you are having a lovely summer.

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea." ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Mariah

I hope all of you are having a pleasant summer. I was planning on sharing some fun images from my & my son's birthdays as well as my mother & sister's visit and our trips to the gardens in the area.

Unfortunately, all my plans have been put on hold because I'm taking care of my cat, Mariah, who is extremely ill.

When we took her to Lakeline Animal Care for her yearly checkup on June 6th she was just fine. Then the vet recommended a steriod shot for some 'cat acne' and I was unwise enough to agree to it. Five days later Mariah looked as if she was on death's door. We were told that the shot lowered her defenses enough to allow "a virus she already had" to attack her. She's not eating well and has already lost two lbs. I've taken her in for subcutaneous fluids and nebulizer treatments almost every day for a week. Today the head doctor finally saw her and sent the nebulizer home with me for treatments 3x's per day. I'm now supposed to try to force-feed the poor kitty in addition to all the meds I'm attempting to get into her.

Here's the nebulizer at the vet's office with Mariah inside getting medicated treatments for her lungs (she doesn't like it)...

We're hoping she'll get better before our vacation at the end of the month. I'd feel very guilty to leave her at the vets' for a week while we’re at the beach. It breaks my heart to see my little friend feeling so badly.

“The cat, it is well to remember, remains the friend of man because it pleases him to do so and not because he must.” ~Carl Van Vechten

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Fantasy Islette or Guppies Gone Wild

My front garden is filling out nicely, but only one out of three of my red yuccas are blooming in the same bed. It's sort of odd since they all bloomed at once in the past couple of years. If anyone has an idea what might be going on, please let me know.

Inside, I finally had my kitchen project finished this week. Whoever built my house put in this tiny, 12"x 24" island in the middle of the not-so-large kitchen. Since the island was so small I dubbed it my 'islette'. And as something that was always in the way, it became one of the most infamous objects in my house as well as the source of great amusement to my friends and neighbors. I often threatened to give it away as a gag gift at parties, but I don't think anyone took me seriously. Believe me, if there hadn't been electricity running through it, I would have popped it out myself long ago...

Today the contractor who did Robin's (GetGrounded) beautiful kitchen brought in a couple guys to disconnect the electricity & remove the islette and then re-tile the floor once it was gone. I'm thrilled with the results! My next project will be granite counters, stainless appliances, cabinet handles/knobs and perhaps a farmer's sink with French faucet. As you can see, I'm rather giddy with my success.

Back outside, the one dozen guppies I'd put in my container water garden last fall have experienced a population explosion. I fear my goldfish are having an identity crisis at the very least; being overrun with these frenetic live-bearers. I am now planning to separate the guppies from the goldfish. I've never had live-bearers take over in a water garden so completely before, but this group is certainly robust. I only added them last year to keep mosquito larva down that the goldfish couldn't reach, unfortunately the guppies seem to be staging a coup at this point. So, anyone want to give a few guppies a good home? :-)

I hope all the mother's out there have a very Happy Mother's Day. My Mom and sister will be down during Mother's Day, which will be a treat. May all of us learn to be as relaxed as my cat Mariah...

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." Robert Heinlein

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Green The Grounds for Earth Day

Most gardeners I've met are fairly environmentally conscious. This follows our chosen hobby naturally since we deal so closely with plants, soil, weather patterns and the animals that interact with our gardens. Susan Harris at Garden Rant is one of those special gardeners who cares about the environment; managing to inspire other garden bloggers involvement as well by creating Green The Grounds.org. Thanks Susan!

Recently the First Family started an Organic Victory Garden at the White House. This was exciting news. I continue to hope that the media attention will influence others to learn more about gardening without herbicides and pesticides. A world where more people start their very own Organic Victory Gardens seems like a much better place to me.

Hopefully, the Obama's Organic Victory Garden at the White House is only the first step. Green The Grounds is "encouraging the First Families -- in the White House and governors' mansions -- to adopt more sustainable landscaping practices."

One fine example of public lands being use for the good of the community is the huge Organic Victory Garden in front of San Francisco's City Hall...

While Victory Gardens are cool and certainly have their place, I would also love to see more native plants added to the First Families' grounds. Native plants need less water, feeding and overall maintenance. It would be terrific if plants were included in these public gardens that would attract birds, butterflies and other animals. Adding permanent, naturalized water features would benefit native wildlife and be a pleasant focal point for visitors to the mansions as well. If I had my wish each governor's mansion garden would be a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. Well, I can dream, can't I?

Unfortunately, the Texas Governor's Mansion suffered a fire in June 8, 2008. At the present time they are focused on restoring the building to its former glory. Recently there was even a suggestion to make the Pease Mansion the new Texas Governor's Mansion. Hopefully once the mansion's problems have been resolved there will be more time and energy to concentrate on its gardens.

In the meantime we can all try to make our own gardens as green and environmentally friendly as possible. I try to limit my use of biocides on my property, though I admit I used Roundup on a tenacious section of poison ivy when we first moved here. But by using organic gardening methods and including food, water and cover for wildlife, almost any garden can make the most of its environmental potential. Mine is still a work in progress...

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs." –Joseph Addison

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Mirror is Up!

Someone finally helped me get my wooden mirror up on the dining room wall today. Thank goodness my cats approve. ;-) Actually, I don't usually allow Mariah and Lily on to the buffet -- nor tables, counters, or any other food-serving surface -- but I wanted to give a sense of proportion to the photo. Plus they pose really well.

I was planning on using Robin of Get Grounded's "go-to guy", (who remodeled her beautiful kitchen), to put up my mirror. However, I was surprised today when the first mirror company I'd contacted sent someone over to put it up in record time. I'm still going to hire Robin's carpenter for a tricky kitchen project. So thanks again, Robin, for recommending Mr. G, because I'm determined to use him.

Anyway, I am relieved my mirror is off the floor and on the wall where it belongs.

Though I have the uneasy feeling that I've now raised the decorating bar, so to speak, and will have to upgrade a few things here and there.

Ah well. Thank goodness for consignment stores.

"In another moment Alice was through the glass, and had jumped lightly down into the Looking-glass room. The very first thing she did was to look whether there was a fire in the fireplace, and she was quite pleased to find that there was a real one, blazing away as brightly as the one she had left behind." Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter Lilies and Eggs

I hope those of you who celebrate Easter had a very happy day. I'm enjoying the fragrance of the Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum) on our breakfast table this year. I was wondering if I could plant it in my garden, so I checked and saw the MSS at Zanthan Gardens has written a great deal of information about the lily here. Edit: MSS points out that her entry is actually about "LA hybrids, which are Longiflorum lilies (like the Easter lily) crossed with Asiatic lilies. This hybrid is more hardy in the garden. It does not, however (like the Asiatics) have a scent." Thanks MSS!

The day before Easter, my son and I dyed 8 hardboiled eggs using a PAAS kit. I read the PAAS site and learned that the company has been around for 125 years! PAAS is short for Passen, the Pennsylvania Dutch word for "Easter".

Our dyed eggs turned out pretty well; though a couple were a bit spotty...

Our friends in Scotland sent my son a lovely box of Easter treasures which I put in the basket on the right in the photo below. The rest of the bounty was from our local U.S. Easter Bunny...

My garden surprise this morning was a visit from a uniquely dark Texas Spiny Lizard. I'd never seen one this dark before. Not sure if it's his natural coloring or if he's darker when he's feeling cooler.

Happy Easter!

"I think of the garden after the rain; And hope to my heart comes singing,
'At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,
And the Easter bells be ringing!'" ~Edna Dean Procter, Easter Bells

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Mirror, Mirror on the...Floor

I was feeling rather pleased with myself, because I'd finally found a mirror to fit over my dining room buffet. Here it is sitting (heavily) on the dining room floor...

And here is my buffet over which I plan to hang said mirror:

I started worrying today when I saw that it took two delivery men to carry the mirror into my house. It's 52" in diameter, carved solid hardwood and very heavy. And let's just say it didn't look quite as imposing in the consignment warehouse as it does right now. Uh oh.

My blooming orchid

As feared, my dh took one look at the mirror and said there was no way he could hang it himself. I thought, "No problem, I'll just look up "Mirror Hangers". Ha! Several unsuccessful phone calls later, I'm not feeling so pleased with myself. It's a mystery how I'm going to get this thing up on my dining room wall.

My blooming Oxalis

If any of you know someone who can safely hang a zillion-pound framed mirror in NW Austin Texas so it actually stays on my wall and doesn't fall & kill man or beast, I'd be very appreciative to know their name & number.

Thanks!

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows," said
The Lady of Shalott. ~The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892).