Frosting, part 2

We've had several days and nights now of icy fog, with temperatures cold enough that the frost hasn't melted off. I just couldn't help myself--I had to take a few more pictures.

Incidentally, I don't know that I've ever said that in January.

 

(neighbor's yard)

raspberry patch

blueberry bush

grassy slope

aspen tree, looking toward the house from the back slope

the biggest aspen

grass and chain link

blackberry vine against the chain link

tree across the street

hardy hydrangea

spirea

my back yard

Battle On

I grew up with 10 brothers, no sisters.

Life was good.

Granted, I didn't have very many willing participants for playing "house."

Instead, we played games like "Battle On."

We would roll socks into balls and take up positions in our upstairs hallway and bedrooms.

The object was, of course, to hit everyone else with your balls, while simultaneously dodging their missiles.

 

The rules were simple:

1. You had to wait until everyone was ready to begin.

2. To signal that you were ready, you would say, "Battle on," loud enough for everyone to hear. 

3. Once the mayhem began, if you got hit 3 times, you were out.

 

* * * * * *

 

When we moved to this home 2 1/2 years ago, we noticed 3 aspens growing on the back slope.

We didn't think much about them.

If anything, we had positive thoughts.

 

[This was taken in April, last year.]

 

Small, round leaves that twist in the wind.

White, smooth bark.

They are pretty trees.

 

However.

 

You plant one aspen and you will end up with a grove.

They send up suckers from their roots, which can and will grow into full-size trees.

Aspen, thy name is legion!

 

Up until this point, our aspen control policy was of the "live and let live" variety.

Oh, we had our excuses reasons: we were busy building garden terraces and a shed; I had a spring baby last year; and what was more, the saplings were small and seemed far apart.

 

My first hint that it was time for more aggresive action was last fall when I was clearing out the garden beds. I pulled long roots out of every bed.

 

This spring I have noticed an abundance of aspen suckers.

Not just one or two.

Not just high up on the slope where I don't care about them, or notice them.

 

Many. A multitude.

Surrounding my apple trees, popping up next to my berry bushes, creeping down toward my shade bed.

 

 Look closely! There are 15-20 suckers in this picture.

They look like skinny brown sticks standing upright. 

The photo quality is not great.

You may have to take my word for it.

 

Many of these have been cut down before, and are growing back from stumps of old shoots.

Keep in mind that this is one small section of the slope.

 

Here's another angle.

Aspens, aspens, everywhere!

 

Enough is enough!

No longer will our policy be tolerance and forgiveness.

Aspen suckers will be cut down on sight.

Again and again, if need be.

 

I'm saying it loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

"Battle on."



Snow Falling

Just a few days after our snowflake party, down came even more snow!

I've decided that I like snow best as it's falling.

Those feathery flakes floating down make their own kind of magic.

If they're whirling down in a blizzard, I feel all the more cozy in my own little home.

They sure look lovely all piled up on the structures in the garden. 

 

Birdfeeder wears a hat, as does each garden block.

 

The aspens are quite lovely in outline.

 Raspberries against the side fence.

Feathery oregano and the remains of the basil. 

 

Red twig dogwood's winter debut.

I can't wait until this grows bigger! 

 

Back flowerbed.

There's always that strip along the house of uncovered ground.

While my usual flowerbed philosophy is "tough love" (I only love 'em if they're tough enough to take the current conditions), I just have a hard time leaving well enough alone sometimes. 

 

So I gave them a little extra winter cover.

We'll see how long it lasts.

Maybe those newly planted bulbs will get a little extra moisture, at least.

 

Just can't get enough of this snow-covered aspen.

 



Fall Beauty

So much beauty surrounds me right now.

Every day I want to just keep looking, all the time. 

 Front flowerbed

I didn't know that the daylily foliage would change colors in the fall. What a pleasant surprise!

Another reason to love these dianthus: check out the deep purple color of their stems and leaves!

Baby aspens on the back slope.

These should all come out, but they are so pretty right now, that I can't bring myself to do it. Maybe once all their leaves fall off... 

Aspen closeup, with clover heads.

Looking toward the neighbors, from the garden. 

Remains of the tomatoes. 

Basil and oregano (above and below)

Looking up the street.

Directly across the street. 

  

By the front porch.

 How many different pinecones do you see?

I counted at least 4.

  The dark evergreen really makes that orange pop.

Apple tree, looking toward the garden.

This really a beautiful little tree, even without fruit on it.



Flowerbed and slope tour

Let's start with the back flowerbed.

After about 2.5 hours of weeding yesterday, I got about half of it done. I even started on the neglected half, digging up some positively huge dandelions.

 As you can see, even with a decent-sized portion hacked off this spring for transplanting, the geraniums have grown bigger and bushier than ever. New plans are to put in an A/C condenser unit right about there, so I probably need to find a new home for all of that bushiness. Looks healthy.

Incidentally, the transplanted ones on the slope are getting a bit of competition from dandelions, but seem to be holding their own ok.

 Some of the pansies and violas I planted right before baby came.

They are right next to the hoses. I need to be watering the back ones more, since they don't get any of the rain that comes along.

 These beauties are back.

 Irises growing tall. Also, please note, nicely weeded. (At leat this end!)

Slope

Crocuses just blooming behind the shed, so they're almost 2 weeks behind.

 Still not sure which ones these are--maybe the wood hyacinths?

Also behind the shed.

 More of the same (as above).

 Asiatic daylilies coming up.

Daffodils just blooming next to the garden/aspens.

 Alliums, lupine, blueberry bush in front with no leaves yet.

 Looking at shed through aspen.

I just liked the way these lacy leaves framed the view.

Apple tree leaves coming out.

Our new birdfeeder.

Fall colors

 The golden leaves of this aspen in our backyard thrill me every time I look at them.  Especially side-by-side with the almost lime green and rust orange of these trees (below), plus the deep green of the pine tree here.

It has been a long time since we've had beautiful trees on our property.  

And a bonus that our neighbors have such beauty peeking over the fence on all sides.