tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52535520597779691572024-02-07T18:09:34.973-08:00Smug Creek HappeningsSmug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-24344698534043292322013-09-02T12:16:00.000-07:002013-09-02T21:34:47.559-07:00The Pot Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The gardening
visiting season is almost over for another year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohRfwWqUcCDg7C3R1X8vTU13CjfxSjNnsTyHv7J0Zn2fO29JOebV2uZ7BR6wLvKlzeuMd7TeHcw6Z9Ahq8uAY7rRUlV-P3-tZ5tNVdh8hWUNwQnLYR4nCPsW1T4qd1hBqkreN6UsZdom/s1600/IMG_9751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohRfwWqUcCDg7C3R1X8vTU13CjfxSjNnsTyHv7J0Zn2fO29JOebV2uZ7BR6wLvKlzeuMd7TeHcw6Z9Ahq8uAY7rRUlV-P3-tZ5tNVdh8hWUNwQnLYR4nCPsW1T4qd1hBqkreN6UsZdom/s1600/IMG_9751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohRfwWqUcCDg7C3R1X8vTU13CjfxSjNnsTyHv7J0Zn2fO29JOebV2uZ7BR6wLvKlzeuMd7TeHcw6Z9Ahq8uAY7rRUlV-P3-tZ5tNVdh8hWUNwQnLYR4nCPsW1T4qd1hBqkreN6UsZdom/s320/IMG_9751.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFohRfwWqUcCDg7C3R1X8vTU13CjfxSjNnsTyHv7J0Zn2fO29JOebV2uZ7BR6wLvKlzeuMd7TeHcw6Z9Ahq8uAY7rRUlV-P3-tZ5tNVdh8hWUNwQnLYR4nCPsW1T4qd1hBqkreN6UsZdom/s1600/IMG_9751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Opening the
garden is a wonderful experience because no one ever says that “your garden is
awful”, and it is so interesting to see the garden through the eyes of visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We give garden tourists a brief introduction
to Smugcreek and then explain that here we have created four gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIAuuq7iwQ68p9VHJ7DC1-U44xoJJJIW4YYCl-Xkfsk20vnlYxzkS0NUJF9IF1_LLWFbnfWG5jv99WZWjJ-U4NpPqVfkqnndB1ObTF_t82JY34zfqUzEOKixeLdlKq7DCL7EDHNDVq6oo/s1600/IMG_9746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIAuuq7iwQ68p9VHJ7DC1-U44xoJJJIW4YYCl-Xkfsk20vnlYxzkS0NUJF9IF1_LLWFbnfWG5jv99WZWjJ-U4NpPqVfkqnndB1ObTF_t82JY34zfqUzEOKixeLdlKq7DCL7EDHNDVq6oo/s320/IMG_9746.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUrBW32ebupc2tjq8M6POLzxRaUcTW-vM_9Vo2GjaCTdWVRbJ2vOYYvPEcX0dkxCdXTzdEJbK-lED_1IM02A7Joae-p6xFV96ydiRtVPtzK0eVV_jsuzn02MsOA8JYwJyFKBJNF8oL3y2/s1600/IMG_9789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUrBW32ebupc2tjq8M6POLzxRaUcTW-vM_9Vo2GjaCTdWVRbJ2vOYYvPEcX0dkxCdXTzdEJbK-lED_1IM02A7Joae-p6xFV96ydiRtVPtzK0eVV_jsuzn02MsOA8JYwJyFKBJNF8oL3y2/s320/IMG_9789.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A few weeks
ago one of our guests suggested that we actually have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">five</i> gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
suggested that our deck has so many pots and troughs on it that is could easily
be called The Deck Garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, that is
what it has become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Deck</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>
consists of eighty-nine potted hosta in large and small pots, plus nine planted
bowls and troughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>These containers
include a bowl planted with the original Blue Mouse Ears sport collection and
two large stone troughs that came all the way from the <st1:placetype w:st="on">island</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Bali</st1:placename> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Indonesia</st1:place></st1:country-region> (long story!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, there are several dozen really
small pots containing miniature hostas that Kathy has arranged on an ornamental
iron stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We try to
arrange the larger potted hostas for effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some pots are placed on tall plant stands, lower pots are placed around
them and even smaller pots and trays are arranged around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This arrangement is intended to showcase the
beauty of the foliage whilst hiding the pots as much as possible. On a good day
it can look really impressive.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3SlPznYcK27pwwtOeh1Luqd1GPG9mSIYCX0I63JnNKMmYkTqoej8Xay66VdehLXGxjlk4TkE2F1QhViNQbsKes05jtR-n7kVyXlKIqCIIC2nfFYr6SKyQfHHTPF_tSxo2Ikxiegcyuxd/s1600/IMG_9763-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3SlPznYcK27pwwtOeh1Luqd1GPG9mSIYCX0I63JnNKMmYkTqoej8Xay66VdehLXGxjlk4TkE2F1QhViNQbsKes05jtR-n7kVyXlKIqCIIC2nfFYr6SKyQfHHTPF_tSxo2Ikxiegcyuxd/s320/IMG_9763-001.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As people
look around the deck garden, the most often asked question is “What do you do
with all those pots in winter?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stock
reply is this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hostas are
perfectly hardy in our climate but the pot might not be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hostas need a cold winter in order to rest
and recharge their batteries for the next season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They go dormant and disappear
underground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes the storage of potted
hostas quite easy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGomVGgrhgB5af7LeFR-nzGKCeVJJatHC1EUTdmfNGM_IcvJ7LtMiPbq2o5AUx4f1Ps7OHDo1TBF8tegNbjiZBKQ813s1lf5OkOWJtxAeUkiMVMPNLSF7aOZxsLc8gBZCD9OlKXqR2KAa/s1600/IMG_3759-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGomVGgrhgB5af7LeFR-nzGKCeVJJatHC1EUTdmfNGM_IcvJ7LtMiPbq2o5AUx4f1Ps7OHDo1TBF8tegNbjiZBKQ813s1lf5OkOWJtxAeUkiMVMPNLSF7aOZxsLc8gBZCD9OlKXqR2KAa/s320/IMG_3759-001.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Although it
may <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">look</i> like many of our bigger
hostas are planted in ceramic or terracotta pots, they are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are usually in a plastic pot that is
simply dropped into a larger fancy pot so the plastic cannot be seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the hosta has gone dormant, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>these plastic pots are removed and placed in a
sheltered spot in the woods – pushed closely together to keep each other
company, and left until spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
outer ceramic pot, that may or may not be frost proof, is stored in a cold
garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All the
ceramic pots and trays that have hostas actually planted directly into them are
also stored in the garage on temporary shelves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The plants stay cold but the pots do not get frosted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the constant freezing and thawing during
the winter months that causes some pots to break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are tiny cracks on the surface of
these pots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damp collects in them and
then freezes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frozen water expands
slightly and makes the crack larger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
a slightly warmer day the ice thaws but the crack it has left is now
larger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time it freezes there is
more water in the crack that expands to make the crack larger still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Multiple freezing and thawing throughout the
winter and the cracks become big enough to break the pot into pieces. So,
although the garage is very cold, it is not damp, there is no moisture to
freeze and the posts do not crack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Those small
hostas displayed in very small pots and trays receive special attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friend John Walczak gave us a wonderful
idea for the storage of these little gems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Get a large plastic tote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
the hostas have gone dormant, line the bottom of your tote with small pots, add
a layer of cardboard, then another layer of pots and then more cardboard and
more pots until the tote is full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
the lid in on they are cold and protected from the frost and the vermin and
they have a self-contained environment.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfldLTNE1tKakbL31izZ9drwBJdzAnlqlOjsFf1ZgH-2JOB02qZqAh_i-58PXVOveJbwiCL9RNdZBVa6f6IvRa41qmjHfRQHMXYxr_MIytiarzuV_gq_bpDOwp5c4HuPBBGaEsbzm6QKE/s1600/IMG_7029-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfldLTNE1tKakbL31izZ9drwBJdzAnlqlOjsFf1ZgH-2JOB02qZqAh_i-58PXVOveJbwiCL9RNdZBVa6f6IvRa41qmjHfRQHMXYxr_MIytiarzuV_gq_bpDOwp5c4HuPBBGaEsbzm6QKE/s320/IMG_7029-001.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Elsewhere we
have a large number of hostas in smaller plastic pots (There is a philosophy
around here that if we manage to plant by fall all the plants we obtained
during the summer, we didn’t buy enough) that are over-wintered in our hosta
‘corrals’. (<i>The Book of Little Hostas</i>, page 47).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these hostas, we have still another
scenario;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>four wooden planks are used to
make a rectangle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small plastic
pots are placed within this rectangle as close together as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cedar wood mulch is used to fill the gaps
between them, mouse bait added, and then the whole lot covered with a few
inches of mulch and left for the snow to cover and protect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cedar mulch is used because it has been said
that the smell deters mice and voles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mouse bait is added just in case the cedar mulch information is wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When spring
comes and the days begin to get longer and warmer we just have to remember to
gently water the plants in the garage and gradually remove the mulch from the
pots outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But often, in
the flurry of activity in the fall, a pot is forgotten somewhere in the garden
– or two or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have come to learn
that more often than not, the hosta survives just fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-66912324179951115412013-02-24T06:21:00.001-08:002013-02-24T06:21:09.467-08:00Oh Deer! Deer Fencing at Smug Creek<br />
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<o:p></o:p> </h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Deer seem to
have ‘discovered’ our gardens last fall and this winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very annoying and whilst they cannot do
much damage at this time of year we do not want them to make a habit of
visiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO5smwyUDDIjXLLK6TX1BoCyrTytRv_Gwl8dHFErAEBJWU-ZOX31955GFsXU5xvfn-3cCtx3U88yfsp15VQY90vG3na3jlXNWtOpoV37zWBFLxFPDEIZmI1EnBmvG02Og0gJWURui5z6w/s1600/deer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfO5smwyUDDIjXLLK6TX1BoCyrTytRv_Gwl8dHFErAEBJWU-ZOX31955GFsXU5xvfn-3cCtx3U88yfsp15VQY90vG3na3jlXNWtOpoV37zWBFLxFPDEIZmI1EnBmvG02Og0gJWURui5z6w/s320/deer1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When we first
move here and contemplated gardens I suggested that the garden area should be
ringed with deer defenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kathy pointed
out that if we fenced the deer out we were fencing ourselves in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to be able to explore and enjoy the
rest of our property and I agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have never totally surrounded ourselves with deer fencing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The first
thing we did was to put the eight-foot high plastic mesh fence around an area
behind the garage where we intended storing the plants and shrubs waiting to go
into the as yet uncultivated gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
stapled and sometimes tied the netting to the trunks of available trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then used the same type of fencing along
the lot line fairly close to the back of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deer have never come through or over these
fences all the time they have been installed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They simply walk around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, they were very nervous that they are walking into a trap and did so
very infrequently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The problems
with this plastic netting are many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Branches fall on it and drag it down, snow collects on it and breaks it
and the cold makes it brittle. It can be fairly easily fixed but the real
problem for us is that it is so expensive and we could not afford to use it
everywhere we wanted a fence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Once we had
dug and planted the two top terraces we decided that we needed to keep the deer
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a heavily wooded area it is
fairly easy to make an effective deer fence by wrapping fishing line around the
tree trunks and running it from tree to tree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The method that worked for
me is to first mark the route of the fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tied colored tape around the trees that I want to form the ‘fence
posts’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees have to be big and
strong enough not to bend in the wind, but the trunks have to be thin enough to
enable your arms to go around them in a bear hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also need to be free of branches from
the ground to about eight feet high.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqTfntALC5TOzsPNYD6NN7iQd3MdwSuQzCVSOhSfktAKPXRMp7gG9QnqRXjZS0SHJTODKwS5JH1BcThRx-4efTgSxgGan11WHvGY-uuf9YA0-Ev0GgpXXmJ3iPHyFGEpK7pzOLX9zR7QH/s1600/DSCF2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqTfntALC5TOzsPNYD6NN7iQd3MdwSuQzCVSOhSfktAKPXRMp7gG9QnqRXjZS0SHJTODKwS5JH1BcThRx-4efTgSxgGan11WHvGY-uuf9YA0-Ev0GgpXXmJ3iPHyFGEpK7pzOLX9zR7QH/s400/DSCF2479.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If there is a
gap of more than about 15 feet between trees you will need to put a fence post
of some type in the middle of the gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tie the fishing line around a tree trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walk to the next tree, wrap it around the
trunk and walk to the next tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
while turn around and walk back with the line at a different height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My advice is
not to go more than three or four trees away before changing the height of the
line up or down and going back towards the first tree, wrapping the line around
each tree as you go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By zigzagging back
and forth at irregular heights you will eventually achieve four or five lines
of fishing line between each pair of trees the lowest as near to the ground as
you can get and the highest as high as you can reach and at least 7 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years I have added more and more
line to this defense and in places there are as many as twenty strands between
trees but it is still almost impossible to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I don’t think
deer have ever jumped over this fence but they have scrambled under it and
across it when a fallen branch has damaged it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XK0_poBIiWGN4ZEgxnwAQjINHJOO_DOfSOjcUUYbfEmTKHy7QXayMKHuaZaK22vCLB0LJbE6JwQ_LVWnRrDJEICVGKZnCsPndxbVIkczBoNtqZLUvEVSbWx6-gEMHPwwQL4PYSGU6G8_/s1600/IMG_7261-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XK0_poBIiWGN4ZEgxnwAQjINHJOO_DOfSOjcUUYbfEmTKHy7QXayMKHuaZaK22vCLB0LJbE6JwQ_LVWnRrDJEICVGKZnCsPndxbVIkczBoNtqZLUvEVSbWx6-gEMHPwwQL4PYSGU6G8_/s400/IMG_7261-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The sight of
deer in the garden this winter led us to agree that we needed more deer fencing
and I decided to build a fence similar to one that I had first seen in </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Elaine
Rappley’s Michigan garden several years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fence is made from fallen branches and is cleverly designed to keep
deer out without looking too siege-like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is based on the principle that, unlike horses that at speed jump low
and long, deer jump higher but almost vertically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not able to long jump great
distances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUN7yj6B8xM74BJZLhkVJASdem_Htm2JYWZd6l1qJt-q4Q6iO4SorN0Bd_54KhoW2mdy711ujca57b3lDfSTl2PjdAIchMoKgYV95N7Hl0U0fSdTVvm3XZKsLSjJaF3r-BsgbbdijIWeo3/s1600/IMG_7269-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUN7yj6B8xM74BJZLhkVJASdem_Htm2JYWZd6l1qJt-q4Q6iO4SorN0Bd_54KhoW2mdy711ujca57b3lDfSTl2PjdAIchMoKgYV95N7Hl0U0fSdTVvm3XZKsLSjJaF3r-BsgbbdijIWeo3/s200/IMG_7269-001.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGnwB09Vrue3ncICmc4VyOcLnuu_khkoxKZpF5FzN5rjGvIkuCeoZl0GpWclH_n0EhFpQU-QVuMFwGmJsirlaJFCYMVkUf-X8eQDVq0GLVXsPAq5N4vBmWPeAluTcEzqiWftvYij_g1l7/s1600/IMG_7283-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGnwB09Vrue3ncICmc4VyOcLnuu_khkoxKZpF5FzN5rjGvIkuCeoZl0GpWclH_n0EhFpQU-QVuMFwGmJsirlaJFCYMVkUf-X8eQDVq0GLVXsPAq5N4vBmWPeAluTcEzqiWftvYij_g1l7/s200/IMG_7283-001.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdtppLO3RKOpxQTLyyl3u3cnxNLqrrFArUmiiE7Twwxjyxe3KnENvFkPkpFzLJpmLCxCfSIYSHx8fof-r7JLP6OkILCopq04u9EWG4jBD7TzcGnPQZLUIZrNQbdWRL21I7r_e0Ac0LVoR/s1600/IMG_7263-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdtppLO3RKOpxQTLyyl3u3cnxNLqrrFArUmiiE7Twwxjyxe3KnENvFkPkpFzLJpmLCxCfSIYSHx8fof-r7JLP6OkILCopq04u9EWG4jBD7TzcGnPQZLUIZrNQbdWRL21I7r_e0Ac0LVoR/s200/IMG_7263-001.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB9NUImcLYvCka0dlp3v_I06d4_G7K9d_ExZQ3XkNfc7_2iQATm_M64AgZauXfhxRSZu9EYCXkW6501oCDy1FSnxnqgK_bG3w8vUc_ajf32uIRW_UwaDYZ7nkCKa7xuk22-1ascevtxMS/s1600/IMG_7274-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB9NUImcLYvCka0dlp3v_I06d4_G7K9d_ExZQ3XkNfc7_2iQATm_M64AgZauXfhxRSZu9EYCXkW6501oCDy1FSnxnqgK_bG3w8vUc_ajf32uIRW_UwaDYZ7nkCKa7xuk22-1ascevtxMS/s200/IMG_7274-001.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fence
consists of tripods made from three similar lengths of fallen branch tied
together at the apex and with the legs stretched apart far enough to make it
stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tripods are placed between
six and ten feet apart and other branches tied to the uprights at ankle and
waist height are used to link them. I tied the horizontal timbers to the
uprights with a variety of Boy Scout lashings, plastic cable ties and long
screws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A final substantial branch
connects the apex of each tripod to the apex of the next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The first
fence of this type I saw was about four feet high and three feet deep but I
decided that the deer in Michigan are wimps and that my fence would be much
bigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all you get an awful lot
of fallen timber in 13 acres of wood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also had plenty of fallen wood to back fill the fence both vertically and
horizontally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up with a fence
that was between five and seven feet high and three and for feet wide at the
base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks a little stark in the
winter but as soon as the trees and undergrowth leaf out in the spring it will
not be so noticeable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But does it
stop the deer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They walk straight through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Various snowfalls this winter have allowed me
to find the spots where they are able to penetrate and block them with more and
more bits of fallen branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My most
recent look around has revealed very little encroachment into the protected
area of our woods.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cs1M4JD-wqaAzttmKC_dXOTnquA6mLTXP0INlByMjCwZgebIVTPiYPfsTDgfaapkL2meH-0XGgARIyEbCkuGdLNYRV7nJeUXlWccMBbhYH3emWsEKk-haXWDZHyKXQ8ZYATHH2BZsT_4/s1600/IMG_7336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cs1M4JD-wqaAzttmKC_dXOTnquA6mLTXP0INlByMjCwZgebIVTPiYPfsTDgfaapkL2meH-0XGgARIyEbCkuGdLNYRV7nJeUXlWccMBbhYH3emWsEKk-haXWDZHyKXQ8ZYATHH2BZsT_4/s400/IMG_7336.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hopefully the
combination of the three types of deer fencing whilst not keeping the area
enclosed totally free from deer will deter them from making a habit of visiting
us and eating our precious plants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvo1OgEy5-AedBBnjHOncyR_NiVge3FVVRFMxLv6j3H1Ri1dpZOA33_0Vh4YPXgd8qkUxLxTDIBAYVzQZS37cQokBBy0_0DT9gTSsKUYPo_DOK26fDRUhKpi8-xkTm-EH9lkHWC-jI_XR/s1600/IMG_7270-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvo1OgEy5-AedBBnjHOncyR_NiVge3FVVRFMxLv6j3H1Ri1dpZOA33_0Vh4YPXgd8qkUxLxTDIBAYVzQZS37cQokBBy0_0DT9gTSsKUYPo_DOK26fDRUhKpi8-xkTm-EH9lkHWC-jI_XR/s640/IMG_7270-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-24764206332835880532012-06-20T05:02:00.000-07:002012-07-14T18:24:52.555-07:00The Small Hosta Garden<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFF_ZpAnc0pkCG3FyLJfxaxKLd9t3hRRRiipToQk-DNwlCgyY0_cZIP1N9waEKzc8maj86kMLHhZvYeolhvF-BgHHCmCubtdiAQ6xOgFBFWbrx3lnZgS9_hM16uv2u8Z6P47ECi0niMUK/s1600/IMG_5074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFF_ZpAnc0pkCG3FyLJfxaxKLd9t3hRRRiipToQk-DNwlCgyY0_cZIP1N9waEKzc8maj86kMLHhZvYeolhvF-BgHHCmCubtdiAQ6xOgFBFWbrx3lnZgS9_hM16uv2u8Z6P47ECi0niMUK/s400/IMG_5074.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our Small Hosta garden is looking very good this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little hostas planted three and four years ago have matured into very pleasing clumps and those planted more recently are growing well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But is was hard work this year because locally the weather played lots of tricks on us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The winter was a very mild one by <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Buffalo</place></city> standards and we got very little snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many weeks, between heavy snows, the ground was not snow covered and the blanket that it normally supplies to cover dormant plants was not available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We worried about the effect of this mild season on plants like hostas that need a cold dormant period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In March the thermometer rose to record highs and our little plants decided that winter was over for another year and it was time to wake up and start work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were tiny shoots everywhere and although that is always a thrill, it was a concern too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-k3QI4MnO_PllWc-AG45-TYvgvMbQnl-8cu2qdP8tgrNsL1OI7stv71-PMieTqzRRlAQMzINyZg9Kqo71BRkVOKmfGExHNXyaB7bpm0Fb7Kr5yHIuFAcoYJ8P__E-GwA8ra7e_axaxxP/s1600/IMG_4731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-k3QI4MnO_PllWc-AG45-TYvgvMbQnl-8cu2qdP8tgrNsL1OI7stv71-PMieTqzRRlAQMzINyZg9Kqo71BRkVOKmfGExHNXyaB7bpm0Fb7Kr5yHIuFAcoYJ8P__E-GwA8ra7e_axaxxP/s320/IMG_4731.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Then in April, just as a few of those shoots were beginning to unfurl, we had warnings of heavy frosts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tightly-bound cone of leaves in those little pips when they first emerge are fairly frost proof but as soon as the leaves unfurl the cold can destroy leaf cells and the damaged area will not recover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We needed to protect those growing tips as best we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution was to place an up-turned flowerpot over each emerging plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each day the pots were removed to give the plants some light and most nights they were re-placed as another frost threatened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As more and more little hostas emerged, more and more pots were added.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then it snowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSzhqoL7_i6wDotVvDpc3Hkr_cFRtaLWbJLFMdvhAgzQ95WiQT-13k1GgSlz51x5UOPvnJ365bbvHISFHn8ZQm260EwAS26UjcBPVBGIrNgn4KRwxLJ3_hXqB_Iy4YLfth7FOYLqKlUXS/s1600/IMG_4802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSzhqoL7_i6wDotVvDpc3Hkr_cFRtaLWbJLFMdvhAgzQ95WiQT-13k1GgSlz51x5UOPvnJ365bbvHISFHn8ZQm260EwAS26UjcBPVBGIrNgn4KRwxLJ3_hXqB_Iy4YLfth7FOYLqKlUXS/s320/IMG_4802.JPG" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Eventually the weather pattern calmed down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow left, the pots were removed and the little hostas began to emerge normally and vigorously. Today, in late May they are looking really good and the hard work has been worth it.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyr7FVRlQMnsW9jCE8dmYQWdMocmqeiJfg5tUJIDDPQsM5Q1u0Va-YyjVZman-nX1UtZe_xCzus2FRrGj9yVWGKYENde564DoiuiEFV82zP50kbHc61mwDSiZgZuEAEZR0PAItNNPpCPA/s1600/IMG_5050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyr7FVRlQMnsW9jCE8dmYQWdMocmqeiJfg5tUJIDDPQsM5Q1u0Va-YyjVZman-nX1UtZe_xCzus2FRrGj9yVWGKYENde564DoiuiEFV82zP50kbHc61mwDSiZgZuEAEZR0PAItNNPpCPA/s320/IMG_5050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike and Anita Sheehan visit the small hosta garden.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have two fairly large, slightly raised beds of little hostas and a shade rock garden where we grow hostas like alpine plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly all the hostas chosen are those that grow less than 12 inches tall and the plan is to keep the spread to less than 12 inches too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a couple of larger plants to the edge of the beds because we want a comparison to show that some of the miniatures are really tiny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are just a few small companion plants like violets and lily of the valley, two small Japanese maples and some moss covered stones, but mostly the garden is a sea of miniature hostas and, as Kathy says in her ‘Book of Little Hostas’, there are little hostas that mimic, in color and form, all of the bigger varieties so you can have it all and in a much smaller space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7usCT3q8wX9ENikQsN7uhbdWK2MVmUr29wJWWUOFCop4xrHoAuXHwYjJekxXfN5Kpvs00DTZ83zXEwZOHcE94_4AH6VFSyD_5LTqNdg7aGN0LI8n3Sv0mEU4sMoMsF222sFvackDijFfY/s1600/IMG_5078-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7usCT3q8wX9ENikQsN7uhbdWK2MVmUr29wJWWUOFCop4xrHoAuXHwYjJekxXfN5Kpvs00DTZ83zXEwZOHcE94_4AH6VFSyD_5LTqNdg7aGN0LI8n3Sv0mEU4sMoMsF222sFvackDijFfY/s320/IMG_5078-001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hosta rock garden</td></tr>
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Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-24435740781329142662012-05-05T05:29:00.000-07:002012-05-07T16:00:45.350-07:00The Creek Called Smug<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When Kathy and I found this amazing piece of property in 2002 the feature that really caught our eye was that there was a creek running right under the house. It is not a very big creek, although when the snow melts or after a really heavy rain it can be pretty impressive, but the fact that it disappeared behind the house and re-emerged under the deck at the front was a little unusual to say the least.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If that were not enough the house was built (in 1974) exactly where the topography of the creek changes completely. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The view from the back of our house shows a wide, very shallow creek coming toward us forming a staircase of low waterfalls as it tumbles over a series of steps formed by the underlying shale rocks. On both sides of the creek there are gentle wooded slopes inviting us to both wander and... later garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">To the front of the house the creek emerges into a steep, sometimes narrow ravine and the water is restricted to a much more confined path as it plunges out of sight down the hillside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Accessing the creek at the rear of the house is easy but to the front the steepness of the ravine make it almost impossible. Very early on Kathy and I agreed that we would only walk in the creek rarely so as not to hasten any erosion that nature might be steadily working upon. Having said that, I have on occasions found Kathy ‘sweeping the creek’ and sometimes we need to remove fallen branches and accumulating leaves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Luckily we are near the top of our hill and the drainage basin of the creek is fairly small. The overflow from a neighbor’s large pond and two roadside drainage ditches further up the hill are the three sources of our creek. In summer, water is often just a trickle and algae can be a problem but for most of the year the water flow is just perfect. We can see the light dancing on the waterfalls and we can hear the tinkle of the water and passes through our gardens. A few times each year the flow is an exciting torrent that washes and cleans, sending everything towards an ocean somewhere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The question we are asked most often by visitors is “Aren’t you worried that the house will wash away?” Well, for awhile we were, but then we realized that it had been here for thirty years and if it was to be swept down the hill it would have happened by now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A year or so after we moved we were able to get our dear friend, Ran Lydell of Eagle Bay Gardens. to bring in his small backhoe and shape the gentle slope at the back of the house and to the right of the creek so that we could later terrace it. We also took down four of five of the larger beech trees to give us light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I built stonewalls and we brought in topsoil and compost to mix with the underlying shale and clay. Kathy began to creatively plant and out gardens began to take shape. We were very content. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So content indeed that we began to privately call ourselves the Smugracks rather than the Shadracks. It was no huge step to refer to our little unnamed creek as Smug Creek and by osmosis the gardens we were building became <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Smug</placename> C<placename w:st="on">reek </placename><placetype w:st="on">Gardens</placetype></place>. </span></div>
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</div>Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-56990760985777695222011-05-15T04:29:00.000-07:002011-05-15T19:11:01.919-07:00Forget-Me-Not Time at Smug Creek<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr align="center" style="font-weight: bold;"><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwABylcPhuINdyQlsqN0gBUbr2JU3mmpz0zGfj8eLTj_stWUxkd1DDErFCN8Tqy4qylEMvnxTUd939A5H9sF0W8Rz3Rv0EjLD609DqayrgDPHFBrGXzlsSdV2Ska7YZiLXKk-CBPFcyWLr/s1600/FMN+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwABylcPhuINdyQlsqN0gBUbr2JU3mmpz0zGfj8eLTj_stWUxkd1DDErFCN8Tqy4qylEMvnxTUd939A5H9sF0W8Rz3Rv0EjLD609DqayrgDPHFBrGXzlsSdV2Ska7YZiLXKk-CBPFcyWLr/s320/FMN+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">forget-me-nots line the main path</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>At last</i> the rain has stopped and the sun has begun to shine. When spring arrives she arrives quickly in these parts and the garden has suddenly burst into life and color.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For a couple of weeks at this time of year we have a dense carpet of blue and white forget-me-nots across much of the terrace garden. Many garden visitors and friends alarm and remind us what thugs these plants can be and how willfully they spread. While this might be true, they are easy to pull as soon as they have finished flowering and the provision of so much color early in the season allows us to forgive their rampageous nature. From this sea of forget-me-nots rise volcanoes of iris, hosta, peony and lily foliage that promise much for the future... and islands of hellebore flowers of many hues that are very nearly past their prime.</span><br />
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<tr style="font-weight: bold;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl8U0xXpocd2WWWZR7sYSq9K-mWVAQiPCD3Ch4NTi-SPyQinafQjFYfzin0-4_8K9rfHQSWxw5OaRsvyyz-kMdeuyPa6jNo175UQSSqFJX5sh0_0_9v9lcNdH9QhK5wUHGsgISsrYxe8O/s1600/IMG_2098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl8U0xXpocd2WWWZR7sYSq9K-mWVAQiPCD3Ch4NTi-SPyQinafQjFYfzin0-4_8K9rfHQSWxw5OaRsvyyz-kMdeuyPa6jNo175UQSSqFJX5sh0_0_9v9lcNdH9QhK5wUHGsgISsrYxe8O/s200/IMG_2098.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">late daffodils<br />
continue to bloom</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Although the irises are late this year the hostas are beginning to unfurl and show their early season pristine beauty. The exposure of so many hosta leaves, although very striking, may yet cause us a problem. The tender new leaves are very susceptible to a late frost now that they have left the safety of the tight emerging shoot. There are too many of them now for us to have any hope of protecting them should a sudden drop in nighttime temperatures be forecast so we just have to keep our fingers crossed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over recent years Kathy has collected a large number of pretty and interesting small plants and our terraces have provided the ideal place to both grow and enjoy them. Many of these plants are spring ephemerals and often only bloom for a few days. Having them growing on the terrace walls brings them closer to the eye and gives us the ideal viewing point. Bloodroot, tiny trilliums, spidery epimediums, anemones, tight domes of saxifrage, small pastel hepatica, bright aubrieta, viola and various ranunculus are among those in flower at the moment and they are enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame. Soon the ferns, hosta, daylilies, hydrangeas and iris will grow too big for us to see these small companions properly but for now they very nearly have the place to themselves and they are a joy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwABylcPhuINdyQlsqN0gBUbr2JU3mmpz0zGfj8eLTj_stWUxkd1DDErFCN8Tqy4qylEMvnxTUd939A5H9sF0W8Rz3Rv0EjLD609DqayrgDPHFBrGXzlsSdV2Ska7YZiLXKk-CBPFcyWLr/s1600/FMN+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt_9eGbvtV78jktRh5vtXf1_dfTd8pNwbzDNCnb50tEB5dsjlBPJv0pI3BU9YoWfyBGjMoNC7aj9GmfyJ4NFmCgGjB3O02g694C73ArD5nnFKIVcSILrhtIH5P2hFFD_oX_t0LLdXvWIV/s1600/epimedium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt_9eGbvtV78jktRh5vtXf1_dfTd8pNwbzDNCnb50tEB5dsjlBPJv0pI3BU9YoWfyBGjMoNC7aj9GmfyJ4NFmCgGjB3O02g694C73ArD5nnFKIVcSILrhtIH5P2hFFD_oX_t0LLdXvWIV/s320/epimedium.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epimediums are small but fabulous<br />
and shine in the terraces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5253552059777969157.post-36249449018662287182011-04-25T10:34:00.000-07:002011-04-25T18:33:36.606-07:00Come on spring.....<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Spring is a long time coming to Smug Creek this year.<span style=""> </span>Although we are closer to <city st="on">Toronto</city>, <country-region st="on">Canada</country-region> than to <city st="on"><place st="on">New York City</place></city> and we get piles of winter snow, by late April our gardens are usually bursting to break their hibernation.<span style=""> </span>This year however nature seems very sleepy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5undv4yhZAWFKJV5kGug13d-JNENfTc1CrU7d9JkSTB4P2ucWrX5kIfvTZuFZ2s_43Ns0YnHu10bFJYdShJBV093CXEZlWPZeY5rOwt2OLmUDFz08Dy6xfM7MjHMyAl7Tvf91H5FqjPj/s1600/daffodils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5undv4yhZAWFKJV5kGug13d-JNENfTc1CrU7d9JkSTB4P2ucWrX5kIfvTZuFZ2s_43Ns0YnHu10bFJYdShJBV093CXEZlWPZeY5rOwt2OLmUDFz08Dy6xfM7MjHMyAl7Tvf91H5FqjPj/s200/daffodils.jpg" border="0" height="145" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">April is set to be the coldest for many years and at this rate it might also be the wettest.<span style=""> </span>Snowdrops have come and gone but the daffodils and narcissus are very reluctant to nod their heads.<span style=""> </span>During the last few years we have planted nearly 1,500 at the back of our orchard and usually by now the area is a sea of yellow and white.<span style=""> </span>This year only about six have dared to risk exposure.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Y8glfaQkkvvSw4rWsxSEXoLEkjnH2gU4VvgtSnHAaVQw-V4N3rV2G-laGXWIHZqg_K6EFDbSjDnDMm6MAcarSJScm5SQt5vbOPP3g7nW4ALSAwD1C4NyRR0Tt3xR-T0OecTHbx7PTBw/s1600/get-attachment%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4Y8glfaQkkvvSw4rWsxSEXoLEkjnH2gU4VvgtSnHAaVQw-V4N3rV2G-laGXWIHZqg_K6EFDbSjDnDMm6MAcarSJScm5SQt5vbOPP3g7nW4ALSAwD1C4NyRR0Tt3xR-T0OecTHbx7PTBw/s320/get-attachment%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial;">Hostas are only just beginning to show their pips above ground and the peonies, iris and daylilies have barely sprouted.<span style=""> </span>But the bonus has been the hellebores.<span style=""> </span>They don’t seem to mind the cold temperatures and dull days.<span style=""> </span>As soon as the last patches of snow left us they began to emerge and within a week there was color in the garden.<span style=""> </span>We seem to have a much brighter and bigger display than in past years and have wonderful erect stands of white, pink, chocolate and pale green blossoms dotted across the terraces.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">The weather has not been a total disaster.<span style=""> </span>The creek has often been full and exciting.<span style=""> </span>There have been days when we have been able to get out into the terraced gardens and begin to clear up.<span style=""> </span>There is some vole and chipmunk damage but nothing like as bad as we experienced last year.<span style=""> </span>The practice of planting vulnerable plants in a mixture of soil and sharp gravel, of covering the soil surface with a shallow layer of the same gravel and, on occasions, covering that with a sheet of plastic mesh seems to have deterred the critters.<span style=""> </span>We also wrapped the lower 12 inches of the trunks of our ornamental trees with aluminum foil to stop hungry creatures feasting on the bark worked as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJShxzP-xL-8ezx-5mEbp4VoYxF06loSKO-R1C-TLCY4WPKtnPHkTAuSCFsEM96V5eBQFYeBp8Yt3gaeM8q8duGfH3338DL8yekPwboOFv7UdxLnnD3bG6fyqTLxKOktL3eeWjFY8wJzvc/s1600/creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJShxzP-xL-8ezx-5mEbp4VoYxF06loSKO-R1C-TLCY4WPKtnPHkTAuSCFsEM96V5eBQFYeBp8Yt3gaeM8q8duGfH3338DL8yekPwboOFv7UdxLnnD3bG6fyqTLxKOktL3eeWjFY8wJzvc/s320/creek.jpg" border="0" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">But today the sun is shining.<span style=""> </span>The sky is blue and the creek is full.<span style=""> </span>Come on daffodils, come on forget-me-nots. We have waited a long time for spring.</span></div></div>Smug Creek Gardenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726481431091143006noreply@blogger.com