Tattered and totally beat up ... that's how a flood leaves you feeling.
Our asclepias tuberosa was a victim as was the garlic, many geraniums and stachys.
The good side ... we all survived and we will be back in bloom eventually.
 |
 |
Sometimes things don't go as planned.
Oh such a familiar theme lately.
Before the big flood of July 8th we had several weeks of persistent, sometimes quite heavy rain.
We were concerned about the garlic but we were watching it carefully.
Six varieties of gourmet garlic ... 220+ bulbs we had planted last November.
Only the bottom leaves of the plants were yellowed by July 7th ... we were watching and waiting.
Then came the flood.
The garlic beds were particularly hard hit and the ground stayed water logged.
In just six days the leaves had yellowed and the plants looked most unhappy.
Today is the first day we have had a chance to take a couple of hours and deal with the garlic.
We were not surprised to see what we dug up.
We threw out half a dozen bulbs from the Leningrad bed which had been affected by nematodes!
All of the other varieties had damage to some degree ... probably Fusarium basal rot.
We've washed them off lightly and they are drying outside now.
We'll inspect them more thoroughly tomorrow and decide what to do then.
As important as the garlic is to us, there are more pressing things to deal with in our basement.
All was not well in the garlic beds today.
Never mind, there will be another crop next year.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Chesnok Red |
 |
 |
|
Music |
 |
 |
|
Dan's Russian |
 |
 |
While you're sitting at your backdoor the whole day recording all your
flood damaged possessions as they leave your home,
it's beneficial to have something beautiful to look at.
Even when our journeys become tough
there is beauty all around
...
|
|
And so good to see the little green sweat bee here as well.
His basement must have been flooded too.
 |
I had lots of time today to observe the activity in the garden.
Especially the robins and northern flickers.
They spent their time foraging for food and relaxing in the warm sunshine.
Our back garden looked like a bird spa this afternoon!
They make a temporary home, have their babies, and then move on.
We build our shelter and then spend a lot of money and energy maintaining it.
It causes you to stop and think ... what is really important?
We're so thankful that no one was hurt and that we still have our shelter.
And we have adopted a new motto:
Less is better
But not in the garden of course : )
Frantic activity in the echinacea bed today with dozens of busy green sweat bees.
How do they survive a torrential downpour? ... they live underground.
But here they are, out in large numbers, there's a happy hum in the air.
First year we've noticed them.
We're glad they have chosen to live with us.
They are great pollinators.
One independent fellow decided he preferred the autumn sage.
Busy but calm.
No time to waste out there.
In our home either.
Furniture out, baseboards out, power washing and disinfectant applications.
There will eventually be calm in here too.
 |
