Nature, can't beat it!
DaveHo
Posts: 3,580
Comments
-
Kewl! I snapped this one last year.
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
This guy really stands out. He's going to get the ladies for sure!
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Crape Myrtles are looking great this year.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Tony, if you will indulge my thoughts here....you have a beautiful property and it is obvious that you take great care of it. My hat is off to you, sir.
My personal favorite part is the American flag, followed by the garden out back (not pictured here).
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Thank you.
After having my neck get better after a fall, yeah, a fall HELPED, I concentrated on my cottage first. Oh, I had retired years before and worked on my house. Painting inside and out, and our back room flooring replacement was VERY tough. I replaced a neighbor's bathroom (big master's) flooring at the same time, too. The luan over the neighbor's subfloor had to be replaced, too. That was VERY hard to remove. But I kept doing what I could to get the blood pumping. I've always tried to move and do things knowing it's good for our health.
Then, after that, I liked working in the yard. It keeps the blood flowing, too.
Work some, rest some. Repeat. This yard was BEAUTIFUL when I bought it in *86*. Like it is now.
But stupid me thought the more fertilizer the better. 
I burnt the h**I out of it and it was years before it recovered because I didn't feed or water it. Also, the damn GRUBS were attacking it every year. Those 3 things will make for poor soil conditions.
I buy flags from Harbor Freight for about $5.00 each when they're on sale. Nylon with stitched stars. They're pretty well made for being China( ) made. They last pretty long in our brutal heat. I seem to replace them on Memorial Day or July 4th. I have 6 more waiting in the back of the cottage. They were on sale recently, so I bought 3 more. 
The last flag lasted a long time but developed a tear right before the 4th. Good timing. It was looking washed out, and I wanted to refresh it for the 4th of July.
Every few years, the yard gets people to stop, knock on our door, and ask who does the yard maintenance.
Over the years, I've seen 2 people stop their cars and take pictures.
The secret to a nice lawn is to feed it and water it. Then there is the mowing of what grows. Mow it with a semi-sharp blade, rotate the directions you cut, and keep THATCH to a minimum.
Feeding it involves TOP-DRESSING with organic compost every 2 years. I use Black-Kow. I sprinkle the yard with it using a shovel. About 25 bags or more. I like the convenience of the bagged compost over the delivery of topsoil by a delivery company. Keeps the blood flowing...
Black-Kow every 2 years and MILORGANITE FERTILIZER every 30 to 45 days have produced a dark top-soil here that's maybe 8 inches deep now.
I just remembered...GRUBS...those unseen underground Piranhas will damage a healthy lawn in a few years. Somewhere years ago, I saw how to kill these white grubs that I saw whenever I was digging in the lawn for whatever reason. I learned they were VERY BAD for my lawn. I looked at a lot of websites and found out GRUB-eX is the BEST for killing them. GRUB-eX kills the larvae that will chew on next year's lawn roots.
After my yearly application of GRUB-eX, the lawn has pretty much stayed healthy and thick. Grubs are JUNE BUG larvae. When the adults come out around JUNE, they are mating and will then go back into the ground to lay their eggs for next spring's mating ritual.
Nothing kills adult grubs that are eating lawn roots. They're ALIEN beings!
GRUB-eX does something to the eggs and newborn larvae that the JUNE BUGS lay.
My little piece of ground is just another HOBBY.
What I don't like is when rain is forecasted and it doesn't rain. I don't have a well, so watering is $$ extra on our city water bill. It's been ok...this year for rain so far.
Seeing the Lawn thicken up as the Crape Myrtles bloom makes me happy. My wife likes it too.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Grubs are also Japanese Beatles.
Tony nice place BUT for gods sake quit supporting China for the American flag. How more Un-American can you be.😉🙃 -
Those Japanese beetle traps work really well. Just need to change the bag often enough more so if it's hot out or they start to smell bad. I put one in our backyard within 30 secs the dumba$$ beetles were there. Then we added one in the front yard.
-
Grubs are also Japanese Beatles.
Tony nice place BUT for gods sake quit supporting China for the American flag. How more Un-American can you be.😉🙃
I looked at some American made companies prices and yes, they were a lot higher. I (now) can afford to pay 10Xs the price but it was the reviews I read that made me ok with the 5.00 flags.
It does tighten my gut thinking about it though.
https://www.americanflags.com/patriarch-polyester-american-flag.html
36.00 w/10% off code. 6-month warranty.
11.00 shipping.
47.00 total... Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Nevermind 🤦🏼♂️
-
Tony, if you will indulge my thoughts here....you have a beautiful property and it is obvious that you take great care of it. My hat is off to you, sir.
My personal favorite part is the American flag, followed by the garden out back (not pictured here).
Tom
Hey Tom, the garden out back you refer to was a tilling and removal of crabgrass and or Bahia grass.
A couple of years ago, I rototilled and removed all the highway grass and planted Centipede seeds. I watered it till it was a nice carpet.
Then some Rabbits made a home under my cottage and were eating in the new lawn back there. Some weeds sprouted, and I let them be till I couldn't anymore. I sprayed the weeds and killed most of them. Some bare spots happened, and then the weeds came back again. YELLOW NUTSEDGE.
I'm about to spray the weeds again since the Rabbits seem to be eating elsewhere now. We give the Rabbits food pellets and water by the cottage every day. I think I'll mix a gallon of SEDGE ENDER after a while and spray the weeds tonight if the rain forecast allows.
I have to regain control of that garden ( really, it is just a medium-sized replacement patch of grasses) area.
I dug up the crabgrass from in front of the fence last summer/fall and did nothing else. Pityful
The backside...
Most of the so-called grass behind the white fence is yellow nutsedge patches. I planted some more Centipede seed this late spring, and it started to come up, but I think one heat wave killed it. Sucks.
The grass by the white fence was great, and by the barn shed was sickly after a year because of a lack of water. Well, this year, I watered it and it's doing great in the back now.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Grubs are also Japanese Beatles.
Tony nice place BUT for gods sake quit supporting China for the American flag. How more Un-American can you be.😉🙃
You're right. I knew that but forgot to write It for some reason. Old age, maybe. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
That yellow nutsedge is horrible to get rid of. Good luck. I now just pull it as it pops up.
-
I've used Sedgehammer in the past. It's costly, it works. But once you have nutsedge, it tends to recur in following years and you need to reapply. It takes time to get it all. Good luck.
https://www.gowanco.com/sedgehammer
-
I'm currently trying to eliminate an invasive plant that may have came in some bagged mulch.
It's common name is Japanese Hops. It is a very fast growing vine. It's easy to pull out, but the leaves and vines have tiny barbs that easily irritate any bare skin. I'd spray it, but it's all entwined in my irises.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humulus_japonicus -
aprazer402 wrote: »I'm currently trying to eliminate an invasive plant that may have came in some bagged mulch.
It's common name is Japanese Hops. It is a very fast growing vine. It's easy to pull out, but the leaves and vines have tiny barbs that easily irritate any bare skin. I'd spray it, but it's all entwined in my irises.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humulus_japonicus
WOW! What an invasive plant. An ALIEN invader!
I read this...
This means it can no longer be imported in the European Union.[3] Additionally, it has become illegal to plant it, breed it, transport it, or bring it into the wild in all Member States
^^^^^^^That's a SERIOUS label placed on that p.o.s. weed.^^^^^^^^
Looks like marijuana. Too bad we can't smoke it for health benefits. 
It looks like these Vietnamese vines we have here in NC. They grow out of what looks like potatoes just under the topsoil. I dug up a wheelbarrow full many years ago when I had my spurts of energy. The root balls can be as big as a pumpkin, but they're just a big ball of orange-sized pods melded together. The stalks grow VERY FAST, too.
These plants, which have feelers and appear to have sensors that detect what to grab onto, make me believe they have some sort of brain.
And they grow HUGE and choke out the canopy of a host tree, too. These vines have thorns, too. Big thorns. Something to combat humans, I suppose.
Good luck fighting your alien vines.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
I'm friends with a fellow that worked for Trugreen and he supplied me with everything I needed for a nice lawn. Super fertilizer that meant I'm mowing twice a week, clover killer which isn't kind to the bees and 50lb bags of grass seed for overseeding. The lawn was watered during dry spells and it really looked good except it was a lot of work.
My neighbor across the street has some sort of grass similar to Florida grass. He's never once watered, fertilized or used grub killer. His lawn is always the best looking one in the neighborhood without a weed, ground moles or a bare spot. Just a thick carpet of grass that is nothing short of awesome. He offered me years ago to take a runner home as the stuff will eventually take over the entire lawn. This year I finally gave in and took home a runner. Now the waiting begins for it to take over and give me freedom from the constant lawn upkeep that also plays second fiddle to his no maintenance ultra green lawn. -
We and our neighbors don't cut the clover patches. The honey bees come and go all day long. We know the importance of their existence.
We also grow a big patch of miniature sunflowers we call Winter Daisies. The honey bees and Bumble bees last flowering nectar providers. The bees LOVE them!
They're a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way up now. They'll get to 6' tall. 
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
We and our neighbors don't cut the clover patches. The honey bees come and go all day long. We know the importance of their existence.
Clover is a weed and it's an indication that the ground is rich. I have lots of it so I'm unable to let it go. But I no longer treat it with clover killer which is why it's taking over. I also try to be good to the bee's. -
Our side neighbor has small patches and we have one small patch. Splotches is a good word for what we have. Now my neighbor across the street has a somewhat shady yard and his clover patches extend to the road. His clover blooms are twice the size of ours. He also loves seeing the bees.
We have always waited till the blooms are all dead before mowing. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
This year, our bats left around the time we had our Oak tree cut down. Maybe the noise scared them. We had about 50 in the spring. None now, but we do see some flying overhead at sunset. The mosquitoes are $%$#*^ bad lately without having bats in our boxes.
Also, Bluebird sightings are VERY scarce now if at all.
We had some checking out our boxes, and the neighbor across the street, who also has clover, put 2 boxes up and saw Bluebirds checking his boxes also.
But the birds went elsewhere to have babies.
4 Bluebird boxes between us and no mating pairs. We don't even see them anymore. Weird.
Come to think of it, no Robins anymore either. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
Wrens stuff my Bluebird houses full of sticks so nothing can use them. I clean them out daily yet they spend the day filling them back up!
I'd like to know which Clover you guys are referring to. The big purple flower clover used as hay or the little White clover (Trifolium repens)? If it is the latter, the only thing good (other than feed bees) is it fixes nitrogen into the soil BUT chokes out your grass. Once it chokes out the grass then you're left with mud when it rains. When you have a dog the mud season is not your friend SO you need the grass even if it goes dormant it is still there and your dog is MUCH less muddy My brother let it take over his yard and come fall badly regretted it Next year he weed-B-gon it and planted new grass and didn't spend 30 minutes cleaning off his German Shepard every 2 hours. -
I have the little white clovers and yes I can see it's choking the grass. No dogs but the neighbor's chickens do come over and add a little more nitrogen to the lawn.
Hopefully I live long enough to see the grass runner I brought home take hold. It took many years for my neighbor's runner to completely take over but now there's no stopping it. -
I haven't seen mud in over 20 years since I stopped traveling the southeast. We have sand and loamy soil unless enough vegetative debris piles up to make a topsoil.
I hated the red clay all around us. Georgia and the Hickory, NC areas were really bad. Virginia sucks, too!
We have the little white clover. My neighbor next to me and our little patch isn't even a worry for me. In the picture below you can see some green areas. That's where the clover was.
We also have Spyder Wart with little blue blooms that sprout like Nutsedge. Spyder Wart will make a lawn look like it has cancer spots. If not controlled, it can get ugly. My wife wanted to leave it in our front lawn for some reason. Then it started to spout here and there and here and there...
She actually went out one day and dug them ALL up. It looked like a dog was digging for bones all over our lawn after she was done. The spots healed up pretty fast. We still got about 5 Spyder Wart weeds this spring, but I sprayed them. 
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
--Mark Twain.
“If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright -
That Georgia red clay is terrible! I raced BMX down there back in the 80's, I never was able to get that stuff out of my racing pants and shirt. That stuff was permanent in everything we wore that day.
-
Love the yard pics/plant pics!
