Frost Warnings in Ohio - Protect Your Garden

 I mean I've only lived in Ohio for a gazillion years so I'm aware we have frost warnings late in April and sometimes in May. But I planted a new succulent garden anyway.

The last two nights I've been covering the garden with a sheet, so they don't freeze. You can see from a previous post that my garden is on the small side, so it doesn't take a lot. One sheet covers it.

But still. I mean I had to remove my decor so the sheet wouldn't ruin them plus I needed the sheet to lay on the succulents.

The good news is, as of this morning they look fine. The bad news is there are two more frost warnings this week.

Whatever!

New Succulent Rock Garden

 

I am upgrading my rock garden this year but put that off temporarily when I decided to add a succulent rock garden just outside my picture window.

You can't see it but I have some chairs out front and sometimes sit out there and watch the traffic. I was also having some issues with butterfly bushes growing in my backyard so last year I did a rock garden in the front yard and am expanding it this year.

I started growing succulents a couple years ago and they are so easy. My grandson brought me over some to plant in the rock garden and I decided they needed their own space.

I loosened the dirt and then picked up a couple bags of raised garden soil and poured it. Succulents like to be planted in loose and well-draining soil. 

I'll take some new pictures later when they are growing and give you an update.

California Poppy in Ohio?

 Yep. My grandson was messing around last year with his indoor greenhouse. He planted lots of different seeds just to see what he could grow.

My wife was from California and one of her favorite flowers was the California Poppy. 

Of course.

We never tried to grow any because we just didn't think we could in this weather. Turns out we were wrong. Unfortunately, she didn't live to see it, but I plan to attempt to grow some this summer, now that we know I can.

I put it in this pot and had it outside in front of my new butterfly garden. The plan this year is to extend the garden and have a number of the poppy's in it.

Beautiful Old Japanese Maple

 This Japanese Maple is forty-five plus years old. My sister-in-law was here one year and tore out my old shrubs. I wasn't happy about it at the time and my wife knew it. But after tearing out the shrubs she planted a tiny Japanese Maple.

It didn't do a lot for some time, as this variety was slow growing, but eventually it became a centerpiece in our front yard. We both swore every year in the spring that it was dead, but it would always come back. The last day I saw my wife alive I was pushing her in her wheelchair to the car to take her to the airport so she could visit her family in California. She looked at the tree and told me it was definitely dead.

Unfortunately, she never saw it bloom again. And it has kept on blooming and growing year after year. 

My neighbor has a yard that could definitely go on Better Homes and Gardens. She is shocked by the way it grows. She asked what I did to to it. Nothing. Seriously. I have never pruned it or fertilized it or anything. I pull the weeds around it and mulch every few years.

That's it.

My grandson and I just bought 2 different varieties for out back. One is by our largest pond and one I currently have growing in a pot by the deck pond. I have a picture in another post.

The new ones are doing pretty good after 2 years. In about a month, we'll be planting and cleaning up if this Ohio weather cooperates. I'll get some new pictures when things bloom again.

Secret to Crystal Clear Koi Pond Water

 I can't even start to tell you how hard it has been to keep my koi pond crystal clear. I used lots of chemicals and monthly water changes. I honestly didn't know if it was possible for me to achieve crystal clear water without redoing the pond and adding an underground filter. 

Last summer my grandson and I were at the pond and he said a nice waterfall would be cool. I had my pump sending water to a medium size filter box and running down a short stream. It looked really nice but didn't do much for the water clarity.

I checked on Walmart and found this large waterfall box on Walmart. The price was reasonable, so I added it to my cart. This is a big box so plan on adding lots of rock around it to get a nice waterfall look. Then, and I think this was the real key, I bought some bio balls and added them to the order. 

I already had an extra pump which pumped about 2000 gph, so I used it. I also had a 1" flexible hose.

The product came on a day I was busy, so we quickly hooked everything up and just set it where the stream was, replacing the smaller box. I started the water running and went back to what I was doing.

The next day I walked out to the pond and looked in and I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped, and my eyes popped out. I could see the bottom of the pond! The fish looked tremendous. I called my grandson and told him to come over so we could build the waterfall.

His reaction when he saw the water was like mine. We tore into building the waterfall and put the smaller box back for the stream. I had plenty of bio balls, so I added them to that box as well.

It seemed every day the pond looked clearer. At first I cleaned the filters about every two days but, once things really cleared up, I went to once a week and by the end of the summer, it was about once every three weeks.

We were both happy campers! For the winter I pulled the boxes and just left the pumps run so the water wouldn't completely freeze in our Ohio winter. 

Just opened the ponds yesterday and returned the boxes. You can see from the picture that I have work to do around the pump, since the weather is finally breaking. But you get the gist. I'll clean the filters more often to start and once the water gets back to crystal clear again in a week or two, spend far less time than I ever have working on the water.

If you have a decent size pond, I urge you to get the waterfall box and particularly the bio balls. You can thank me later.

How to Attract Hummingbirds

I'm in the process of getting the hummingbird and oriole feeders set up. The little guys will be here in no time. I have my hummingbird feeder hanging on my deck so I can see it from the sliding glass door in my dining room when I'm working on the computer. 

Every year I seem to be attracting more and more. The fact that I have two ponds in the backyard with running water is one of the keys.

Once you see them feeding, stay alert. They feed five to eight times per hour, so keep that hummingbird feeder full. They consume one half their weight in sugar daily. 

I have hummingbird vines growing in my side yard and onto the deck. They like to feed there as well as other plants I have growing, but they definitely like the feeder.

I'll mix two cups of water and one-half cup sugar in a pan and bring it close to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove it and let it cool before filling the feeder. The ratio of the mix is one part sugar to four parts water. Do not use food coloring!

Something I didn't know is that hummingbirds can be aggressive towards other birds. One kept dive bombing a blue jay who made the mistake of landing on the feeder. It was entertaining.

Get some flowers out in your yard and, if possible, running water. Fill the feeders and wait for the little guys.

One thing I did find out is to try to keep your feeders out of the direct sunlight if possible. The sugar will not ferment too quick and will last longer.

When you buy your feeder, try to get one that you can easily clean. You'll need to clean it to keep it fresh. Here's a picture of one of mine. It's easy to clean, easy to fill, and doesn't cost much.

If spring is near when you read this, get them feeders out. And once the birds arrive, make sure you keep their feeders full or they'll mosey on over to the neighbor's yard.

Hummingbird picture is by marvinbla at Pixabay.

How to Attract Orioles

 We have a Oriole who stops by our house every year in early spring. Personally, I love it when it stops by my feeder.

They are attracted by the color orange. Feed them grape jelly or oranges. They also like a hummingbird mixture. There are hummingbird type feeders for Orioles that are orange and larger to allow the Oriole to feed in comfort.

If you have a pond or a bubbler in a nearby feeder, your chance of attracting them go up. I have two ponds I built in the backyard with a big waterfall and pumps, so it's perfect for them.

Don't hid your feeder. It needs to be out in the open so they can easily see it.

I can't stress enough the importance of putting your feeder out early. Once they pass by your area, if they don't find a place to stay, you'll miss your chance. I had one stop by the first year and it tried sipping from my hummingbird feeder. It's a big bird it was tough going. I ran out and got a Oriole feeder but it was too late. It was two years before I saw one again. 

Fortunately, I had my feeder out and it hung around and has been back three years running. 

This Oriole feeder certainly fits the bill and looks great hanging outside on your deck or a nearby tree.

It's made by the Amish. Just take it from the box, add some jelly and/or an orange slice, and it's ready to bring in the Orioles. I recommend doing it at the beginning of the spring.