Java. the end.

[Farmfresh]

As a matter of a fact those "sticks" usually do far better in the long run. A larger tree has it's roots damaged when they transplant them or pot them. The stick will grow a tap root and root system like nature intended.

 

[savingdogs]

I wish I had a photo of that yard. I had a bare lot to work with (tract home). I put in a large patio next to the front door, very wide and broad and looped it around the house (we used those individual pavers). Then I made a raised bed surrounding the patio and planted lilacs (sticks) on it all around. Along the border of the lot I ran the spirea van houti (sticks), and planted small flowers, St Johns wort and what not in front of the raised bed. No mowing!

It was stunning! People would stop and call me the "master gardener"....but it was just a lucky choice of plants and the hardscape complimented the house. In the spring I would plant annuals and in the fall I'd set out bulbs. I was there 10 years so by the time we moved there were zillions of daffodils. I'm not much at vegetable gardening but I have a knack for landscaping.

I long to put a patio in front of my current house like that again, but I have a giant tree there, probably 200 foot tall, so it spoils the effect.

 

[Javamama]

It sounds awesome SD!

Well we had tornado sirens go off at 4:30. We weren't in any danger, but because we live at the corner of 3 adjoining counties, when one county sets off, ours does too. And it's only a few hundred feet away so there's no sleeping through it. All the kids woke up and didn't want to go to school so that was a fight. Now my youngest is sick - seems like a chest cold with a fever so I'm treating her today. Son had it a couple weeks ago and I thought we were in the clear since nobody else got it right away. Guess I know why she's been so whiny lately :/

We got a ton more rain - some counties are under water but we are fine. Just very wet and now going back to cold temps. February is going out with a bang. Adios February. I won't miss you.

 

[savingdogs]

I've never lived where there are tornados....what do you have, a big pole with a box at the top as the siren? I've heard them in movies but is that still what they are like?

How do your animals react when something that loud goes off? I can't imagine how my dogs would deal with that.

 

[Javamama]

Yep, that's pretty much what it is. A big pole with a siren. The animals aren't as freaked out because they test the sirens every Wednesday at noon. But last night I noticed they were on alert because there was also thunder and lightning. They seem fine today.

 

[Denim Deb]

When I was a kid, I lived around the corner from the fire house. And, there were times I'd get woke up in the middle of the night by the siren blowing, so I know what's that's like. But occasionally, I would sleep thru it. Of course, they also blew the siren if we had a snow day, so it didn't bother me to hear it on a snowy morning.

 

[savingdogs]

Seem like we should have something like that here, but volcano-warning!

 

[Javamama]

Alas, my ducks have left me...for a giant puddle The middle of our property floods starting about 100 feet back from the house and it is bad right now. The way we have our animal fencing, the chickens can get to it but the ducks can only see it. I thought their little ducky hearts were going to explode yesterday - they were standing at the fence quacking their head off. so I let them back there. They took off at a run, sucking worms out of the ground as they ran, and haven't come back to the house since. The look of jubilation was enough to brighten this crappy weather week. (by the way we are expecting another 2-3 inches of rain on Saturday :/) So I let them stay out there last night even though it got very cold and they are still swimming and playing this morning. They never even came up to eat I'll have to get some photos today.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

tell Fran to swim like the wind! swim! be free!
;-)

 

[Javamama]

Guess I won't be getting the eggs today.

Good news on the milkstand - the alfalfa cubes have slowed the girls down so much that I am now standing around waiting on them to finish eating And I think the bag will last a long time, so it's well worth it.