Everything's Cool!

[bojojoti]

Welcome to my shade garden, the Dark Side.  This area is beneath the sycamore, and once it leafs out, the entire area there--and most of our neighbor's yard is in shade.

Last fall, Mr. Bojo hired someone--unbeknownst to me--to clean out the bed.  He was trying to be helpful, but that kind of help takes a lot of work to overcome.  The gaping hole at the right is where a lovely bleeding heart and a plethora of columbine used to dwell.  New columbine has been purchased, and, next year, I'll replace the bleeding heart.  And I don't want any more "help" in my gardens unless I'm there to oversee it.  Not everything that is green is a weed, y'all.

Mr. Bojo:  Did you notice that there's been a lot of wild onion popping up in your beds?
Me:  That's not wild onion.  That's allium, and they make beautiful purple flowers.
Mr. Bojo:  Oh.
Me:  Have you been pulling them?
Mr. Bojo (sheepish look):  No?

In front of the hellebore is a statue an aunt slipped into our car as we were saying our goodbyes after a visit.  I didn't know the Dark Side needed a Greek goddess, but she seems happy there.  She was too white and shiny, but she is chipping, losing her glaze, and beginning to feel more a part of things.  As often as I say that I don't really want "stuff" in the garden, it seems to finds its way there.  Mr.  Bojo triumphantly told me that he'd been watching a landscaping show, and they said it was imperative to have stuff in the garden for interest.  I have lots of interest going in the garden!  By the way, hellebores are great plants--low maintenance, healthy, and one of the first plants to bloom (often in the snow).  The coleus on the other side of GG is an annual that I couldn't pass up for a bit of color in the Dark Side.

I had to replant the hosta.  I doubt the hired gardener destroyed the old one.  It was probably just too hot and dry last year.

We had a tree surgeon clean up the crabapple after a windstorm damaged the trees.  I was concerned the robins, who always nest there, would abandon the tree after it was trimmed so severely.  Happily, Mama Robin made her nest right at the end of a severed limb, where several branches made a natural enclosure.

This little guy must have gotten blown out of his nest prematurely.

I shooed him away from the fence and into the roses.  Hopefully, his parents watched over him until he could fly.  I haven't seen him, so I hope all is well.  Thankfully, we've not had any cat visitors for awhile.  (And this baby didn't come from the crabapple tree.  Those baby birds still have their little mohawks.  I don't know where his parents nest.)  I love my robins.  They follow me around when I garden, especially if I grab a shovel!

Speaking of baby birds flying on their own--Bojoette called to tell me that she'd taken the storm spotting course.  I still expect her to seek shelter in case of a tornado!

Here's why everything is cool once more!  Our new high-efficiency air conditioner has been installed. It's been quite the project.  Our old furnace needed to be replaced, too.  Our humidifier was leaking into the old furnace and rusting it out, so we're replacing the humidifier, too--all resulting in more duct work.  The HVAC man told me they needed to cut another register into our kitchen, and we agreed it would go against the wall by the refrigerator.  I left to go the the doctor, and when I returned, our new floor (Is it two years old?  Still feels new to me.) had a gaping hole between the kitchen and the family room.  *major sigh*  It's not where I'd rather have it, considering that's where I set my basket when doing laundry.  I will cope, but, gee, one should never leave home when contractors are present.  The HVAC people will be here again today.  That will make three days of work with a crew, but that won't be expensive, will it?  Will I stay home to make certain they don't run unseemly pipes through our living room and cut holes into every wall like Swiss cheese?  Nope!  Today our River Festival starts.  Let the revelry begin!

Comments

[lorelei-n.livejournal.com]

Love the baby bird pics. We had a baby grackle, however I am sure he didn't make it as we have lots of cats in the neighborhood. :(

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

We used to have a calico in the area who would terrorize my birds. Once I was at the computer, and some sparrows kept flying at my patio door. They were trying to get my attention! I saw the calico had climbed up to the top of the deck where their birdhouse was and she was trying to fish the babies out! I grabbed the water hose, gave her a dousing, and chased her off. She later returned and finished the job--probably after I went to bed. I was so upset that the sparrows had counted on me to save their babies and I failed. I shot that cat with water every time she got near our yard, and she finally quit coming. I now have a birdhouse on top of some thorny roses. It would be a challenge for any cat to bother those birds!

[bluiidmommy.livejournal.com]

That's a shame your garden was meddled with, though it looks like you're making it beautiful again. And I agree, the little goddess is starting to fit in. Another couple winters and she'll fit in perfectly. :)

I love the little bird! He's so cute and rumpled looking.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

When I started gardening, I have a five-year plan to have it all done, but I've realized that it's never going to be done!

Baby birds are so cute and grumpy looking!

[bluiidmommy.livejournal.com]

I've always imagined it's a forever-project. Your gardens are always beautiful, and the love you have for your flowers is very apparent. How do you remember all their names, though?

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

They're my children! Wouldn't forget a child's name!

[bluiidmommy.livejournal.com]

That's true. I hadn't thought about that. :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Alliums are very pretty - I hope some of them survived Mr Bojo not pulling them up!

And your robins are cute - but I still find it weird that you call them robins when, to my eye, they so clearly aren't!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I have quite a few alliums that survived the weeding!

I have to admit that English robins are prettier, but my American ones are so sweet and have pleasing personalities. They are so bright. They are interested in what I'm doing, and if I grab a shovel, they follow my progress, hoping I'll dig up some fresh earth for them to search for worms. Robins are some of my favorite birds in the yard. Maybe it's my roses, but we have lots of bird inhabitants. Robins always nest in the crabapple and sparrows in the birdhouses. I saw cardinals checking out one of my rosebushes, so I hope they'll move in.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

What is that lovely white and green-leafed plant in the first picture?
I hope baby Robin survived!
I have no place for a shade garden...it's ll too sunny!
I could dig around the base of our huge olive tree but nothing much grows under and olive tree unless it's in containers.

I hope Bojoette only spots storms and doesn't chase them!

ARGH about all the duct work and misplaced registers!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

That's polemonium, variety Brise D'Anjou. I love variegated foliage. I hope it likes it here. It probably wants more moisture than it is going to get, so we'll see.

I hope so, too. Robins are my favorites in the yard. Cardinals are pretty, but robins are sweet.

I've told my daughter exactly that!

I don't like remodeling surprises. It appears now that the crew discovered some reason why the vent couldn't be placed in the spot we had agreed upon and called the head contractor, and he gave them the go-ahead. I know that I would have agreed if it had been explained to me, so the outcome is the same, but it would have been nice to be asked.

[snofox.livejournal.com]

How hard is it to complete some work as specified??? That is frightfully scary. I feel your pain. I remember when Danny put our kitchen in and had the help of a 'handyman' because he didn't have the confidence in himself (honestly, I KNOW he could have done a better job!) and when Danny was at work and the handyman doing stuff I was in tears because I was seeing what he was doing and so thankful I was there to stop him and rectify things and help him THINK... and I'm thinking the whole time "how is it that me with no training in this area understands things he doesn't appear to?" it was SCARY!!! I am bummed for you that you are forever inconvenienced now because of this. I know it's not the end of the world, but seriously... it should not be that hard :/

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

After I complained to my husband, he talked to the contractor and was told they couldn't put the vent where I wanted and the workmen had called their head guy and gotten his approval. If it had been explained to me, I would have agreed with what was done, so it's the same in the end. Except, I had a nasty surprise!

I won't be complaining about the hole in my new floor next week when we have 100° weather!

[keepsmiling74.livejournal.com]

Lovely plant photos - I love lots of green!! Looks like a nice area!!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I love green, too, especially after a gray/brown winter.

[embrace-2012.livejournal.com]

Nice to be cool again. Yuck that you have to have the furnace system redone.

I love all the little statues you have in your flower gardens!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Spending money on furnaces and air conditioning seems a shame until it's hot or cold!

My gardens are filled with stuff!

[brendamom.livejournal.com]

Love your photos. And love your gardens.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's a source of beauty and serenity to me.

[jennifleur.livejournal.com]

lol... your robin looks grumpy!
I like your little shade garden but DH's help sounds not so helpful. Oh my. Maybe ask him if you could help with some electrical, just start splicing wires together and see what he says, then maybe he'll get it? ;^)
Good luck with the new furnace and AC!

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Baby robin was a little peeved that I shooed him away from the fence, but I didn't want him to meet up with the dogs who live there!

I do not want to volunteer to wire! Been there; done that! I can fish wires and cut in outlets. If Mr. Bojo's major fault is trying to hard to help, I'm good with that! Especially if he doesn't mind the expense to replace plants, and he never complains about that.

Thanks! Feels cooler already!

[jazzyglo.livejournal.com]

Your little birdie doesn't look very happy. He should just feel lucky that he didn't find himself in MY yard. Maggie has been a very naughty girl lately. I've caught her twice gnawing on baby birds. I just hope she found them dead and that she isn't a baby bird killer!! I'm so ashamed. *sigh*

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Baby robin was unhappy I shooed him away from the fence, but he wouldn't have liked the dogs who live there!

Oh, Maggie! She's just doing what a dog does.

I had a cat who would capture birds but wouldn't hurt them. She would allow us to take the bird out of her mouth unharmed. She was murder on crickets, though!