If this plague doesn’t end soon, I’ll end up with numerous living walls indoors. I’m now addicted to trailing Spanish moss, another air plant.
It’s so easy to drape it over shelves. It’s also so tactile, I can’t keep my hands off it!
Hubs barely notices new plants, but has suddenly started complaining about what he calls the jungle wall.
My little succulent pots are delightful by candlelight and the succulents seem happy enough.
I re-planted my living stones after the dratted mouse dug them all up. Happily they have survived and continue to open and produce new leaves.
Talking of the dratted mouse I was amazed to find it had actually got in the kitchen drawers and eaten/chewed up endless boxes of paracetamol, aspirin and nurofen. Surely that would have killed it….rather painlessly?
NO! It’s still abroad, either that or there is more than one of the blighters!
Maybe I should leave paracetamol out for them and let them poison themselves??? It would be painless…..sighs. I have found a hole in one of the cupboards where a plug comes in, so maybe I’ve blocked them out, I doubt it though.
Loving this polyanthus.
Talking of poison, there have been dozens of cases of local dogs dying recently due to eating deliberately poisoned bread. I was terrified a few days ago as Sam was really poorly and wouldn’t eat. Given he’s such a foodie this was really worrying. Fortunately it only lasted a day. I’m really nervous letting the dogs off the lead now as they are always eating something they shouldn’t be.
Rising peony
Spring has definitely arrived now. Birdsong is loud and birds are busy. Everywhere they be flitting in and out of bushes and trees, nesting. Chick season will hit the rescue before we can blink.
Jolly little tete-a-tete.
And Finally…
Daughter bought me a lovely unnamed bottlebrush [?] plant and an adorable yellow shrub rose for mother’s day. I’m thinking they would look good together somewhere. Lucky colours too.
Until next time, stay safe guys. xxx
Mice, mice, mice, mice. Not nice, those mice. We are still battling mice and voles in the greenhouse–although we seem to be making progress. So, I heartily sympathize with your medication-munching mouse problem. Good luck.
I have always been paranoid about cranks putting out poison to kill dogs. Who knew we would have to worry about dognapping, too?
Oh mice are an utter nuisance! Sorry to hear you have rodents in the greenhouse, at least I don’t have them there. Yes, dognapping has become a real problem during this pandemic and the weirdos poisoning food are a real worry. Thanks Brenda.xxx
What with dog poisoning and dog kidnapping, what is the world coming to!!!
Love the colour of your bottle-brush plant.
I am so pleased that it is now officially Spring, gardens are coming into such wonderful colour.
Take care
All the best Jan
I know, some people are simply monstrous! Thanks Jan. xxx
I see we both share some new ideas… evolving our gardening to the cultivation of succulent plants 🙂
See at this link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMroHPYhsi8xxXcHGQZzgGraxL-ZrNdvOfBnLU0/
Since I’m still inside, doing home-office-work 🙂 which isn’t the best idea, my regular working shedule is 8:30 h but I now I work 9:30 to 10 hours daily.
The Governement yesterday decided to keep the strict rules and restrictions, since we entered the 3dt. covid-wave.
It doesn’t look good. Each day I get news from people I know getting infected… it’s scarry, but we keep going.
Good idea about the Spanish moss… but just wondering, is it safe to have it beside the warmthsource? I always tought this plant needs humidity.
Lot of love and kisses, wish you all to be and stay safe!
🙂 claudine
Yes, succulents sure seem the way to go, I just love them! I hope work eases up soon, I’m surprised you’re back after being so ill. Please look after yourself. We are coming out of our third wave now and are beginning to open up a little in a few weeks. Hopefully you will have some immunity now. Fingers crossed that your numbers come down soon.
The Spanish moss is above a fire that we rarely use, we just turn the flames on for a fire effect. It’s in the kitchen which is quite steamy when cooking. So far it seems happy enough. Love and hugs to you all, look after yourselves. Thanks Claudine.xxx
Great post and images. Hope things are improving in the north. NZ and Aussie could be opening up their borders mid April.
Thanks Peter, good to know the borders are opening. Here’s to a little normality.xxx
A mouse dug up some 0f my newly planted garlic in the greenhouse. We have to cover everything that is potential mouse fodder in there. We’ve also spotted rats in the garden and I worry about them on the allotment especially where salad crops are concerned. They ate lots of our sweet corn last year .
I’m so glad Sam is OK. There’s enough naturally potential poisons out there without some low life adding to them. I do worry about dog theft too. It’s at epidemic proportions.
.
Sorry to hear the mice have invaded your greenhouse. They can be so destructive. Rats seem to gravitate to the bird feeders, they don’t miss a trick. Shame you have them on the allotment. Yes, dog theft is a real problem right now. Thanks Sue.xxx
Is it surprising what alternative interests we develop to keep motivated and sane during times like these restricted ones… nay.
Lots of sprouting going on indoors and outdoors. Sorry to hear you still have the dratted mouse. Mice, breeding as they do, may well have found a good niche C/o you. I can’t imagine that your tablet stash hasn’t had some affect on the rodent/s, but what?
xxx
I know, I imagine people are taking up all sorts of new hobbies during these lockdowns! I think I’m going to have to buy a considerable amount of new humane traps and put them literally everywhere in the kitchen. Eating the painkillers must have bumped at least one of them off! Thanks Menhir.xxxx
In the American South, there are whole trees draped in Spanish moss, a wonderful sight!
Oh I can just imagine the trees draped in Spanish moss! Thanks Jason.xxx
I love your Bottlebrush, it will look good with your yellow shrub rose, what a great Mother’s Day gift. Sorry to read dogs are being poisoned nearby…why would you do that to random dogs? Such an awful thing to do….. glad it hasn’t affected your dogs.
There is a serious mouse plague happening in Western New South Wales, with masses of them crossing the highway…what ever next!! Let’s get over the pandemic first!
I’ve not seen bottlebrushes before, I do really like it. Some people are monsters, there are lots of dog thefts too all across the UK. I was relieved seeing Sam recover! I read about the mouse plague in Western New South Wales, goodness me! What a weird year it’s been!! Thanks Gerrie.xxx
I had to smile at your Spanish moss. Where do you get it? I could ship you cartons-full, were it not for shipping costs and tariffs and border restrictions and such. I had a great aunt in Louisiana who would fill mattresses and pillows with the stuff for us kids. We slept with them on a sleeping porch, and it was wonderful. You have to be careful when you’re pulling it off trees, though. Any of it that’s touched the ground can have ants, chiggers, and such. The general practice around here is to microwave any that’s brought in from outside to mulch houseplants or whatever. I’m sure you don’t need to worry about that, however. Yours probably is ‘processed’ somehow.
I noticed a rat at my bird feeders recently. I’m going to have to clean up very well, and then start bringing the feeders in at night — at least, for a while. It’s a pain, and the possum isn’t going to be happy about it, but I can’t keep everyone happy!
I’ve bought all the plants online, oh I can’t get over you have tons of it and even filling mattresses and pillows with it!!! Rats and mice are a pain, I’ve had to stop feeding the birds while we have a mouse problem, I don’t want them hanging around under the feeders. Your poor possum! Thanks Linda.xxx
Oh, Sam, Sam, precious boy! I am so relieved he’s OK and a pox on the poisoning menace; I hope they catch the person causing such sorrow very quickly.
I LOVE your plant wall and all the blooms and colors popping everywhere. Our birds are having a field day as well: such delightful cacophonies and energy after winter’s silence and stillness.
Ohhhh, that mouse or those mice! Not at all a pleasant guest. Hope your plugging the hole works. How on earth did it/they survive the drugs? How bizarre. Maybe the experience taught them a lesson and drove them out to seek other fare. I hope so.
Please keep us posted on your burgeoning jungle! It’s gorgeous!
Stay safe and well. And hooray for living stones! xoxoxoxo
Thanks Kitty, it was a relief to know Sam wasn’t poisoned. It is lovely hearing the birds again, I do miss their song during winter. I’ve never had a mouse situation like this before, normally they are pretty easy to catch, but not this time. I am enjoying all the new plants, it’s good to have them to look at during this lockdown. You two take care. Love and hygs to all.xxxx
I have invested in some new house plants but not as many as you!
The mouse sounds a pain, if we ever get them in Holly is like a homing beacon for where they are. She is rubbish at catching them but shows the way.
Lovely to have so many signs of spring. 🙂
Stay safe. x
I do wish we had a cat! Good that Holly can sniff the mice out. Yes, wonderful seeing spring springing. Thanks Steph.xxx
I am tempted to have a jungle wall in my studio…..
I must say I am finding the antics of the mouse very amusing….from now on he/she will be Mighty Mouse to me:}
Today was really lovely here….cool but in the sun delightfully warm. Yes Spring is officially with us as of tomorrow…Whoop dee dooooooo:)XXX
I think a jungle wall would look lovely in your studio! I am utterly daunted by Mighty Mouse! There have been some bright days here too although still chilly but doesn’t it make a difference? Thanks Janet.xxx
Agree with Flighty. Totally despicable.
Your “jungle wall” though… I think my mom would enjoy it very much. She has the Spanish moss on her fruit trees in the (shady) backyard. Glad your lithops have survived getting dug up by the mouse. I’ve seen some really amazingly colored ones.
As always, so lovely to see spring creeping into your garden with new growth and sweet blooms and loud birds! There are some new dwarf bottlebrush (I’d been eyeing ‘Little John’) at our local nurseries, too. Hope yours thrives!
Yes, utterly despicable! I imagine the Spanish moss looks lovely hanging on your mum’s fruit trees. I could easily start collecting lithops too, especially the bright ones, they are so fascinating. It’s astonishing seeing everything suddenly burst into life, although spring seems late this year. Thanks Anne.xxx
The living walls looks rather interesting, I now wonder what next.
There’s never just one mouse. As for the poisoned bread that is totally despicable.
Thanks, and you too. xx
Thanks Flighty, I agree, there’s never just one mouse. Yes, why on earth would anyone want to poison dogs? xxx
There are some malicious people out there. The problem we’re having locally is dog kidnapping and our neighbourhood network group has been alerting dog owners in our street about it especially when taking their dogs to the local woods for a run around. Love your air plants and moss. I’m wondering whether they like warmth or colder conditions to do well? We have indoor plants everywhere in our rooms and lots of seedlings on every window sill available. Enjoy your Mother’s Day plants.
Yes, there are some awful people around. Dog theft is rife hear too, everyone is terrified to let the dogs off lead. The plants like humidity which the kitchen delivers during cooking. The fire is rarely used, it’s mainly for the fake flames. It’s definitely seedling season! Thanks Linda.xxx
What a terrible world we live in when we hear of people doing such things. I’m glad that Sam was okay, Archie’s been sick a couple of times just lately but nothing seems to put him off his food, haha. I do like your air plants, the Spanish moss looks good.
I know, some people are monsters! Poor Archie. Sam’s the same usually, nothing puts him off his food. Thanks Jo.xxx
What sort of person leaves deliberately poisoned bread?!! I’m glad that Sam was okay, you must be very relieved. I love your jungle wall. I hadn’t heard of Spanish moss air plants – do they not mind your stove? I’m laughing at your medicated mouse (mice?!); I would have thought that the analgesic combo would have been fatal too. Your Mother’s Day presents are lovely; have fun planting them out. xx
You do wonder about the mentality of some people! I can’t get my head around anyone wanting to poison a dog. Everyone local is terrified to let their dogs off the lead given so many dogs are being stolen at the moment too. Yes, thank goodness Sam is OK. That stove is electric and we very rarely put the heat on, just the flames for a glow which is steam. That damn mouse is still around! I give up! Thanks Veggiemummy.xxx