We had one heck of a thunderstorm at midnight last night (right on the stroke of midnight...it was like it was timed). Got a lot of much needed rain and at least we had clear skies today, unlike yesterday which was one of those truly ugly days: heavy overcast, high temperatures, high humidity, sluggish breeze, and everything dried out and tired. Today, everything's got a new lease on life.
Got up early and did a "deer patrol" armed with a metal salad bowl and wooden spoon. My aim is to see the deer, whack on the bowl with the spoon and scare the living be-jesus out of it. And of course confirm to the neighbors that they do, indeed, live next door to a crazy lady. Fortunately, no deer. Also no further damage. Maybe the storm scared her away and she's gone to live with her kin in the hollow.
It is so very very hot and humid that I'm trying to limit my outdoor work to very early morning. This morning I got the climbing rose tied up and pruned, pruned and tidied up two of my clematis, and then dug up and cleaned out (*yuck*) a clump of iris. A couple of scattered clumps are badly infested with borers. I cleaned up one clump last week, I did this one today, and I've got several more scheduled for the next few days. This is absolutely disgusting work; there are few things on Earth more disgusting than an iris borer...fleshy pink with a brown head, all *shudder* fat and squirmy.... Fortunately both the resident catbirds and the hens find them delicacies.
I've got to figure out what to do with two beds. Here's the deal: you walk thru an archway toward the Pond. On either side of the brick walk are two beds shaped like blunt wedges. The pond is a perfect circle, with a perfect circle path around it and flanked by three equal crescent shaped beds. Everything is very symmetric. originally, there was a cherry tree in one of the two wedge shaped beds and an apple tree in the other (which was a bad idea to begin with, but there you go). Now the cherry tree is gone and I have this solitary apple tree in the other bed and it leans badly. I really just don't know what to do. My logical self says "cut down the apple tree, clean out the beds (there's only weeds and grape hyacinths in them) and start fresh with something identical in both beds." But it is hard to cut down a healthy tree... and I really do not have a good idea for what to put in the beds. I would REALLY like something "topiary like"...like a tree form rose or a shrub pruned to a lollipop shape. but just can't seem to make up my mind.... Any suggestions would be welcome.
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