5/28/2009 Update

Okay, the castor oil thing doesn't seem to be working as far as I can tell. There are still little vole holes everywhere and new ones everyday. I think I will reapply when I get around to it since I already bought it.

Also, yesterday I found two small Oakleaf Hydrangeas growing near the area where I walk Woody in the woods. I probably never noticed them before because they just started blooming - very beautiful w/ large, cone shaped flower clusters and gorgeous oversized oak shaped leaves.

I'm thinking of digging one of them up and planting it in the yard. =:0 I know this is a no-no. But I can give it a good home where it will be loved and appreciated!! Who is going to appreciate it planted there in a dumping grounds where it very will may get plowed over. I'm actually saving it - like stray dog!

They are native plants I believe, but I've never seen them growing in the wild before. It's in an area where people dump stuff - so maybe someone dumped it or maybe it's just a volunteer. They supposedly can take more sun than the other hygrangeas (macrophylla) and can also tolerate a lot less moisture w/o wilting - which my other one does all summer long during the heat. Will be interesting to see if it lives if I take it. They like well drained soil, so that could be a problem. Maybe I can add some sand into the soil along w/ some rocks to keep the voles out.

I still have more plants to get into the ground from PDN and more mulching to do. I've been sick - so that hasn't exactly helped. Haven't started on the wall either!

There was something else I was going to post about, but I seem to keep having senior moments. It really is all downhill after 35 isn't it? Sux.

5/18/2009 For the record...

I worked a bit more today on clearing debris off the rear hill in the backyard where the azaleas are. I also dragged out the backpack sprayer and sprayed RoundUp on the back hill, the location of the patio to be, the verdant kidney bean, along the side of the house that's a total mess, along the shade bed, as well as the driveway area. Trying hard to keep the weeds to a minimum this year. We'll see how that goes!

Need to find some cardboard and get to mulching under the areas where I will someday put more shrubs in the front yard (as if I didn't already have enough areas ready to go in the backyard I suppose). Maybe I should start back in there in the Fall w/ more shrubs? Probably best to finish the wall and patio first and then plant. Wonder how many years that will take??

5/17/2009 - Castor Oil Application / New Plants

Yesterday I spent the afternoon putting in a bunch of new shade plants I bought at the Plant Delights Open House - some more ferns, pulmonaria, a new Farfugium (sp?), brunnera macrophylla, a new aspidistra, and others. I planted everything using my hopefully vole-proof planting methods - rocks in the bottom of the hole, chicken wire cages around the inside of the hole, etc. It takes a couple years for most of these shade perennials to look nice, so I decided to step up my plant acquisitions this year so I can enjoy all the plants sooner. I also estimate that I lose maybe 1 out of 3 plants I buy to voles and in the past dog urine. I'm resolved to be more dedicated to my vole-proof cages - even though I do believe I've had some of my cages infiltrated by voles in the past. Some of my ferns that are NOT in cages are absolutely gorgeous now and I'll be so sad if they are killed by voles.

Anyhow, I finally applied some castor oil to the perimeter of my planting area and I drenched the vole holes per the instructions on the bottle. I sure hope it works! When I have a chance to get back out there (it rained today) I will try covering all the many, many vole holes w/ compost and then see if any of them reappear as a means of monitoring vole activity. Strange thing about voles is that you never really see them - so I'm blindly assuming that's what I have. I could try the apple shingle trick and see if the apple gets eaten - that's supposed to be the definitive vole test. We shall see!

Still haven't finished my mulch application! Hurry up! The weeds are a comin!