It’s a good thing I stopped to check the first Monarch chrysalis of 2015 before I left for work! I noticed that the chrysalis had turned colour, so I thought I’d better take it to work; that way I’d at least know the poor thing wasn’t ready to fly and eat, but trapped inside. I dusted off the container (it was in the garage, and I didn’t bother to dust it when I first put the chrysalis in there), and readied it to head off to work. I was already running late, and that made me a little more so. I finished getting ready for work, gathered up my stuff, went out the door and stopped to lock it…at which time, I looked down, and there was a brand new butterfly! Obviously, I couldn’t take it to work, so I had to stop and get her (I think) out of there, walk through the wet grass in my work sandals and long skirt, and carefully place her in a butterfly bush so she’d have something close by when she was ready to eat. I told B and C that I was sure that would’ve been an excuse for lateness that even they had never heard before!

My new steps! D was out mowing his front lawn, so I went over to ask whether he’d sell a couple of pieces of that big old osage-orange that had fallen last March. P had asked him months ago, and he said that he’d given the wood to someone who has a wood stove, but he’d been mowing around them long enough that I thought maybe he wouldn’t mind selling enough for me to make my bird feeder steps. Not only did he not mind, but he absolutely refused money, and even rolled them across the street for me! Anyway, now I have cool new steps that aren’t ugly concrete blocks, and though they are wood, they’re big chunks of osage-orange, which will be going strong long after I’m dead and gone.

Yesterday was change MLB feeders day, but I also did some watering, since hot and dry is all we’re getting in the near future. While I was filling the water garden, it occurred to me that I needed to check on my Spicebush Doot-doots. The biggest had somehow escaped, presumably to find a good place to pupate, so I moved the other two. I’m considering bringing them both inside so I’ll actually get to see a butterfly. Anyway, they’re cute, and no bird poop at all, now.

Great blue lobelia looks lovely; it’s not as striking as its red relative, but it’s beautiful nonetheless, and doing well.

Several of the pods on the flowering okra were dry enough to harvest the seeds. They look a lot like mallow seeds, and I didn’t want to forget what they are by next spring, so…

I was busy watering and forgot to take a photo until after dark, but I got 0.8 tons of rock delivered this afternoon. This had better be enough to finish!

Even my drought tolerant plants were looking sad, so with nothing but hot and dry in the forecast for the next week or two, I decided to water a bit. I’ve been very careful to keep the lobelia cardinalis wet enough in the swamp bed, and it’s doing fine. Imagine my surprise at finding two (albeit a bit scruffy) of them in the Honeysuckle Horseshoe that I never water! I forget whether I planted the seeds last year or this year, but a couple of them grew! I doubt they’ll spread because that’s a pretty dry bed, but at least they exist!

My first New England aster. Only one plant, and not in a great spot for its height, but hopefully it’ll spread.

The pale, sad-looking scarlet pumpernickel that suffered in the pot seems happier here. It’s at least green, and has a few buds. I won’t use that pot for scarlet salvia again; the other ones planted later are great in the bigger pot, but the one that held this is just too small.

The first went well, the second still needs sealing. 🙂

The little rain showers we got last night perked up the moss on the rocks, and also on the ground. I wanted more moss on the rocks, so I used a plastic putty knife to lift some from the ground. I placed it, wet it and pressed it down against the rocks. I’d read about buttermilk and moss in a blender, but a moss guy said it’s bullshit, and just makes a mouldy, stinky mess. No thanks. Moss grows in that area naturally, so hopefully it’ll get the hint that I want it to grow on the rocks.

Moss Dude said just harvest it, don’t let it dry out, press it firmly in place, and keep it moist. Moss has been around a few years; it knows what to do. I have to go back to work on Tuesday, but I’ll do my best to keep it damp.

I couldn’t wait any longer to test the waterfall, so I cut a piece off an old garden hose and attached it to the waterfall hose, then ran the garden hose over. I have more sealing to do, that’s for sure, but if the pump has enough power, I think it’s going to work pretty well. If I were a bird, I’d want to bathe here. Given the leaves I’ll have to scoop out of this thing because I put it under trees where wet birds would feel safer and would have perches nearby to dry off and preen, I certainly hope they’ll like it!

This is just Sarah-Flah’s backstop. Scarlet runner bean and cardinal climber…GROWING WILD AND UNTAMED! Muahaha!

I started at 0700h this morning, determined to get the liner installed.

Got the underlayment in place. A bit awkward in the case of the big sheet, but not too bad.

Smoothed it out, making folds where necessary to fit it.

There. Underlayment installed, and I managed it myself. Now for the liners!

The smaller liner for the waterfall was pretty easy and we got it in place in no time. The big one is 15′ x 20′ and weighs 90 pounds. That was a lot more work, but we did it.

My assistant, wiping the sweat from his brow. There may be some exaggeration involved.

Taping the seam between the waterfall and the main pool. I dunno about this tape; it’s supposed to be awesome and super-sticky, and I cleaned the seam areas with mineral spirits, and I used a double row, but I’m still nervous about it. Hopefully that’s just because I’m always a bit nervous where seams and water are involved.

Starting to build the waterfall pool. This is the birdbath part, so it needs to be shallow. I brought the hose up and around the back to the south side of the pool, then built the rock up a few inches around the hose. I used a piece of sandstone edging as a base for the water hose; the edges were kind of sharp, so I got out my trusty angle grinder and rounded them off. I put landscape foam under the rocks at the edge so that the water will dam up and spill over the rocks and down to the next level. In theory, at least; have to test it before hooking up the pump and firing it up. For the record, use less landscape foam than you think you need. I thought it was like Great Stuff, just black, but it keeps expanding long after GS would’ve stopped. I let it cure, then trimmed it. It’s very sticky; one pair of disposable gloves per time spraying it because once you get it on the gloves, you can’t touch anything else.

Trimmed the edges of the liner and underlayment. Looks a bit better.

Grace came over to check out what I was doing. There’s been a lot of trash panda supervision for this project.

Just looks like a pile of rocks, but I promise there’s a plan here. I put trapp between the rocks; I hope I won’t regret that. Looks better, though, and I did use scraps of underlayment where I had room.

It was getting too dark to see, so P set up a halogen double work light, and I was able to see well enough to finish placing the rock that I had. I still need more, and I think I’ll just get another ton and do it right. If there’s any left over, I’m sure I’ll find a use for it!

I earned the right to make this stupid pose; I’ve moved two tons of rock in as many days! Sorted it on Friday, placed it on Saturday.

EDIT: Taken Sunday morning from the north side. It’s a little easier to see some depth; I promise this isn’t just a random pile of rocks. Also, the birds have already started using the pond. It rained last night and left little puddles around the edges of the liner, and there was a finch, and later, a cardinal, drinking from them when I came out to admire our handiwork this morning. The rain freshened up the moss on the rocks, too. Grow, moss, grow!

Non-pond stuff…

These little bastards have to go! They’ve destroyed the milkweed that hitched a ride from 544 with the Grey Stick.

This little guy has to be moved; he found a nice spot out of the hot sun and rain, but Boo loves bugs…to death, and the Decorative Welcome Straw is right on the patio by the house. (Very attractive.)

I’ll stop taking pictures of hibiscus when it stops being beautiful, which is never. Double shot of Midnight Marvel.

Plum Crazy!

I took a vacation day…and used half of it to sort a literal ton of rock by size and suitability for pond use. I also cleared out and levelled the bottom where I’d been stomping around when it was full of water and soft mud.

MAH rox.

Before I sorted them, I’d experimented a little with placement. I didn’t like this much, which is why I started sorting them.

I falsely accused one of my downy grandkids.

I looked more closely, and discovered he was actually helping me by trying to eat mud dauber larvae.

Midnight Marvel is giving it another go. God, hibiscus is beautiful!

I was checking the soaker hose when I found this little dude, hiding under a leaf on…Kopper King, I think. Might be Plum Crazy…they’re pretty close together.

Random picture of Boo.

Bulkadoo

The botanists answered my request about the plant I thought might be ironweed. It’s not: it’s something better!

B saw this baby five-lined skink running across the shop floor this afternoon, and C helped me catch him. Work isn’t a good place for a very small lizard, so I brought him home in a box and released him by the creek. Very cute, very fast.

This guy was a J when I got home. He looked dull and dirty, like his skin was ready to split.

I did the MLB feeders, and some yard work, then saw him again. His skin was ready to split…and it did.

Blurry, but great blue lobelia is pretty no matter what.

Found this when I was pulling weeds and dead bachelor’s button. I hope it’s ironweed!

The biggest of the Spicebush Doot-doots is starting to turn green. All three are still alive; the smallest still looks like poop, the middle guy looks like faded poop, and this one is starting to look like a snake.

EDIT: Not a great shot because it was getting dark, but I watered and fertilized everything tonight, and found someone new in the potted oak leaf morning glory.

Also found some milkweed that was even more unruly than usual. There’s a reason this is planted where we can mow all the way around!

Well, potential flutter friends. I did some deadheading and tidying up in the Bistro tonight. I also chopped the old lady’s lilac short because it was starting to look worse than it had in the original spot, but I didn’t take a picture. Anyway…

It was a rough year for the Heliopsis  (C said hers, too…probably all the drowning rain and then none at all), but a few little dudes didn’t mind that the leaves aren’t in awesome shape. I think they’re Silvery Checkerspot. Cute.

It didn’t click for a second, until I realised it was on a catalpa leaf. The Catalpa Sphinx moth isn’t much to look at, but the ‘pillars sure are pretty! Good fishing bait, too, I’m told.

I was short a Monarch at head count. I found him…he just looks different. I brought him in the house.

Not a flutter friend, but hopefully some of my friends like Great Blue Lobelia. I’m told MLBs like it even if it’s not red. I certainly do!