Too little time

Oh Boy, not only is the temperature getting hotter, the office is getting busier! Today, workers ripped up the tile floor in the big meeting room and are now ready to put down new tile! I'm hoping that this floor lasts longer than the last Only 10 years). The doors are gone and are going to be moved to where the windows are. No one will know where to enter! (Someone will have to boost the signage!)

Plants this week are looking for some water! Spotty showers are not enough to slake the thirst of the not-so-native plants in the garden. Slow and steady will be the best way to water. Most natives and established plants will be OK with the occasional thunder shower.

I still have not found the time to install the three rain barrels that I purchased back in June! I have too many irons to juggle. (Sorry about the mixed metaphor!) I won't have any time after hours because I have to CLEAN THE HOUSE. The parents are coming to drop off a piece of furniture, and I WILL NOT BE EMBARRASSED by the way my house looks! I've enlisted the help of friends to help sort the quilt cave and (I hope) all my clothes. Is that asking too much of friendship?

Slime in the garden

You will never believe what came in the office this week! Turf grass with SLIME MOLD. This realtive of the fungi actually does little damage to the plants it grows on. They feed on the exudates ($20 college word) or the watery dew that the blades shed in the mornings. Proteins and sugars feed the slime mold. Many years the molds dry up by this time. But with the frequent rains, floods and thunder showers, the molds have lasted longer into the summer than usual.
There are no chemicals to apply. They will disappear when the dry weather hits! Don't spray them with water, it will spread the spores and allow them to germinate on other surfaces.
Other slimy creatures that you can tell have visited the garden are the snails and slugs. UGH! Check your paths and sidewalks for clear, glistening trails of slime. Then, check your plants. If your plants have irregular holes in leaves or stems, you might want to set a few traps. Small dishes of beer or brewers yeast set flush with the soil will attract the slimy ones to feast and drown.
I guess there is room for all the creatures in the garden, but watch out: once they cross the threashhold of the house, all bets are off.

Wow! how much rain did Louisville finally end up with? Here in E'town, we only have 1-2 inches of rain! Hope everyone is Ok.
The plants sure did need the rain. I was thinking that I needed to have the 3 rainbarrels I bought at the end of the FY attached to the downspouts. You know hindsight is 20/20. I should also have set up the weather station that the Ag Agent purchased over 18 months ago!
The Echinaceas are looking great! All are now blooming. I hope to post picts soon!
It's too quiet in the office today. I need a background noise to block out to work really well.