FinishingTouches

My Faerie and gnome realm
😁

I am compelled to touch the prickly centers of these pollinator faves.

What happens to my Monarch Caterpillars? Leaf damage evident, spied a few, then gone....I should know the answer. Even researched if the plethora of Ants were harming eggs?

Hey guys! 8th full day of summer and my 1st post of the season.
Early yesterday morning I witnessed a 'Goose Bumps' and 'Tears' miracle.
It's a long story made longer yet I am compelled to share. My hope is to show proof of never giving up.

Walking thru my parking area I spotted what I thought was a brown leaf, not flat but on edge as if snagged on a stone. When I approached for a closer look, what were wings opened slightly. A baby bat? A Large moth?
At my touch she spread her wings exposing
a span of about 4"; brown ombre fading to ' 'dusty mauve' & interesting markings. Fuzzy body aprox 2"
Did I get THAT close? Yes.

Each attempt to escape resulted in a distance of an inch, more of a hop than flight. She clearly needed help. Could not leave her on the hot surface, She protested as I gently carried her to a shaded grassy area aprox 3' away. Not content with the new location she struggled with her hopping and was back on the tar. In an attempt for another relocation I spotted a bird circling as the winged one simultaneously spotted the grounded moth. Bird was ready to pounce as soon as it landed. Our girl made every attempt to escape with height and distance less than a foot.

I understand, 'Survival of the Fittest', 'Circle of Life' yet not THIS way on MY watch. Frozen all I could do was pray and ask the universe for her safety! I couldn't look and I could not turn away.. Then she did it!!!... Caught her wind and with each 'flap' she gained height and distance. Bird gave up as
our winged beauty soared and faded into the horizon. With a duration of less than 30 minutes seemed like hours, I will embrace these moments for the rest of my time 💜
This AM a search of the Audubon & UMaine Cooperative Extension sites, it's likely a female Promethea Moth.

Dianthus 'Fire Witch's is also complimenting my FAVE Sedum ground cover, Cauticola 'Lidakense'!

Happy Ice Plant 'Fire Spinner' playing well with neighbors!

It may be snowing, but the calendar says SPRING! 🌹💐🌷🌸🌺☘️ Get in the mood by attending the class at Skillin's Greenhouse Falmouth location. 2 pm is Gardening 101. A refresher for the experienced or the foundation for beginners. Hope to see you there 😁

It feels as if we missed summer! 😲 Rain, heat but alas, this the perfect time of year for a consultation and or a 'How to' Coaching session. Fall is the time to prepare your gardens for beautiful blooms, color & texture next spring thru fall.
Don't forget to plant bulbs 😁

Hey fellow gardeners; do you belong to a club, group, social gathering, or any gathering of people that enjoy gardening? Need a speaker? Or perhaps want any excuse to learn about gardening? No boring how to videos or emotionless how to's. Gardening is fun, gardening is life. I love to share my knowledge. Best of all, I 💜 to have fellow gardeners share with me. PM if interested. Subjects are as varied as flowers...

You would think I'd be able to take a decent Selfie.
Julia looking a little dead tonight.

Time to watch the end of 'Shark Week'. I do admit, the programming I watched reminded me of their roots. Of course tee were middle of the night and early AM programs

I'm proud of you! You're here, you've made it to this moment. Hold on to what gets you through, for me it's my garden. 💛

This little guy is no bigger than an inch worm. I have another one but it's illusive, already preparing for life as a butterfly.

Worth repeating! Your new plantings prefer a slow deep watering, aprox 2 inches twice a week. Yes, it rains; a heavy rain will just run off especially if OVER MULCHED or soil too compacted.
While tending a client's garden someone asked, " Why water, it rained last night and more is expected." I simply pushed aside less than 1/2 inch of soil. It may have rained hard yet no filtration. Think of the roots and 'the drip line'. I refer to the drip line, especially with newly installed shrubs and trees several inches away from the base. In other words, not AT the stem or trunk.

Water in the soil is absorbed by the roots and travels through the stems to the leaves. Superficial watering makes for frail growth. To survive our Maine winters deep roots are needed.
My go to rule for all we plant; feed and water the SOIL and the soil will feed your plants.
Now go have fun and stay cool!

Water, water, water....
An installation done last September sadly did not completely make it thru the winter. The biggest mistakes in gardening...
#1 wrong plant/ wrong place
#2 not watering properly*
#3 not preparing the hole correctly😞

*Fall is a great time to divide, transplant and plant new. Just remember to water up to frost. It's important to fortify root systems with healthy hydration, so they have adequate water to deal with the high winds, cold temperatures, and drying sun of winter.
Slow and deep is the key; you want roots to search down and out for the water. Superficial watering =roots stay close to top.
Heavy downpours = run off. If soil is dry and compact water will roll off, especially if over-mulched!

Watering in the fall - why it’s good for your plants One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “when do I stop watering in the fall?” This question and the answer is more complicated than expected.

My talented neighbor snapped this today! So glad I had my feeders ready.

OK gardening peeps
when facilitating classes this time of year I had to warn the attendees
"Do not go grocery shopping on an empty stomach"......
Think about it😉

We 'Boomers' remember a time when toys took up minimal shelf space 11 month of the of the year. Shortly before Thanksgiving the shelves were filled with
all our faves from commercials played during our Saturday AM cartoons. I do
The excitement, the fluttering heart and totally over whelmed?
That was me today when I saw cart upon cart upon cart of plants recently transported from a large Maine Greenhouse. 5 hrs later and I still feel the rush.

Another life is good post (especially if you garden) after 6 yrs of MIA, it's back, the SOIL SCOOP.
2 years ago I left one at a site....I loose lot of tools thus hot pink duct tape!

I have a gardening reason to celebrate today. Perfect timing as restaurants seem to be celebrating. What is my reason? 1st time in, 8 years plus, I spied an Earthworm at my fave bakery garden.
He was camera shy so no pix.
Of course the various restaurants and bars are not celebrating a worm. Unless found at the bottom of the tequila bottle!

This post is more about having an excuse to post one of my fave gardening motos, 'For a $5 plant plant in a $50 hole!!!'
It does not matter how much you paid (It DOES matter WHERE it was purchased)
Give your plants, trees and/or shrubs, the hole it deserves.

Planting Service Do you want to spend more time enjoying your garden and less time dealing with it? Take the hassles out of planting trees, shrubs and more with our Planting Service.

White can help calm down an overly excited garden, one with too many colors happening all at once.

Acting as a unifying element, white gives the eye a place to rest before the next bright color jumps into the picture.

My fave reason for white? At dusk and with moonlight who he glows. Add a few solar lights and you've created magic💜

Are you looking for a different type of snow? 😄 Supertunia Vista Snowdrift will produce drifts of white all summer long...in containers, hanging baskets and the landscape too! No shovel required!

Be on the lookout for all of our Supertunia Vistas at your local garden center, they are available in these six colors... pwwin.rs/VISTAS

Every once in a while it is ok to promote yourself!
Here goes...
https://www.pressherald.com/2015/05/03/maine-gardener-garden-coach-who-knew-helps-grow-confidence/

Book your appointment soon....weekend slots going fast!

Garden coach (who knew?) helps grow confidence Maine garden professionals coach newbies on knowing their taproots from their trowels, their humus from their hybrids.

We are not the Midwest, but the Zone is the same!

If you are in the Midwest, zones 4-5, many of you are wondering if winter is ever going to leave! But we know that spring is truly around the corner, so get ready to garden with this list of recommended plants we've developed with your heat and humidity in mind. pwwin.rs/MidWest

Have you heavily pruned your roses yet?

In Maine good rule of thumb is to wait until the forsythias are blooming (in very early spring) to prune roses to reduce size, encourage spring growth, and rejuvenate the shrub.

Not bad for a day's work! Tomorrow...
This bed gets much needed compost! Then one to the other front beds.

We are so lucky to have many excellent family owned/operated Garden Centers. Before any Big Box Store knew Maine existed these fantastic flora families were hard at work.
2 years ago, entry and hours open were limited. This is the year to make-up for list time!