And then there are windy days. This particularly ugly mess happened on a day with no high wind warnings. At random times, when the wind is just right, the male cones from the towering fir trees behind us rain down with a audible sort of "theck" (as opposed to "thick").
Whatever the sound I am sick of cleaning up the mess.
They fall throughout the summer.
And even if I didn't mind the look of them each one has just a bit of sticky pitch at the base.
Which means they stick to your feet, and your dog.
And end up being tracked into the house.
But of course I do mind the look of them, and end up sweeping and sweeping. Which wouldn't even be so bad.
But picking them out of the potted plants...
...that gets really tedious.
This particular day I filled an extra large (19 gallon) tubtrug with the little uglies.
I find a wooden skewer is handy for flicking them out of the center of Agaves.
And I finally broke down and bought a little hand vac (this one) for getting them out of hard to deal with spots.
Plus I've learned a valuable lesson.
In my next garden I will look up. Never again will I put a patio and dozens of potted plants under a conifer that drops as much trash as these trees do.
Never.
Weather Diary, June 21: Hi 75, Low 51 / Precip 0
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
You probably don't wan to hear that visually these bits aren't too ugly...
ReplyDeleteThe chore of removing them gets old quickly. I hope the vacuum works out.
Remind me the name of that stripped agave in picture 9. Its remarkable.
I think you'd feel differently if you saw them in person...
DeleteIt's A. victoriae-reginae, a fav!
UCK. The stickiness is the worst. I'm in awe of how on top of things you are. I'm still finding leaves from last fall in various corners :-).
ReplyDeleteWell...there are people paying to tour it this summer, and photographers will be here.
DeleteI feel your pain. We have the same problem with next doors cherry dropping stuff at various points. I'm like you and would have to clean them all up. I have been looking at those little vacs as well.
ReplyDeleteI've had many people recommend blowers, but where exactly will I blow them too?
Deletethere are blowers that are dual purpose. They blow and they vacuum and shred into a bag. This is for easier and quicker composting.
DeleteYuck! Glad you got a vacuum to help out with the plant clean up! Love the concrete(?) pot on your patio table in pictures two and three. Other than the tree litter, your garden is looking fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I do too, got it at a half off sale at Cornell Farms last fall, I'm currently using it as a vase.
Deleteit is a glorious tree. hand vac is genius. we have maple samaras and the damn box elder bugs that go with them. wanna trade?
ReplyDeleteNo thank you!
DeleteBlech. Although I think I have almost every "messy" big plant/tree possible and have learned to live with the "natural" look of this litter, I don't have anything with pitch on it. Maybe my contorted pine will start dropping these eventually, but I hope not!
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that once dome technology advances enough -- like when moon and mars colonies get established -- we'd be able to easily and cheaply dome over our gardens. :)
There are times I would love to dome it!
Deletekeeping a garden tidy is a losing battle...but you are a medal-worthy warrior, I must say
ReplyDeleteTidy is a good goal, I'd be happy with just not trashed.
DeleteYikes! It's not a short-term event? I'm on OCD overload just looking at those photos. I was going to complain about the silver maple weed tree samaras, but that is a short-term event. My condolences!!
ReplyDeleteSome years are worse than others, this looks to be a bad one. It usually doesn't get started until June, and isn't really bad until July, but yikes. Several doozies all ready. August 2015 was one of the most mind boggling windstorms I've seen in the summer. The place was trashed.
DeleteI'm being rained on by rose petals currently, this high heat is wilting the flowers and the petals fall into my potted cacti and the patio. It's a losing battle!
ReplyDeleteI bet everyone who doesn't have to clean the mess likes to tell you how pretty it is.
DeleteA blower will change your life, promise. We have similar problems here in Florida with leaf litter. I'd only add, that these bits would make a fabulous mulch or top covering for any area or even potted plants. We use pine needles on all our beds, but I'd imagine pine buds would work just as well. Its a thought. Also just wanted to share another blog with you I thought you might enjoy. Especially this current post using Nettles and I know how you love sharp and prickly plants :D Please don't post this its not intended as anything but a private message to you, unless of course you want to post it. (just didn't want you to think Im promoting someone else's blog on yours) https://gathervictoria.com/2017/06/22/nettle-seed-dandelion-blossom-energy-bars-wild-superfood-goodness/
ReplyDeleteI've joked about mulching with them, rather than gravel, but they're not the best answer for my potted succulents. And no worries about promoting another blog, I love it when people share the good ones!
DeleteAmazing how many gardens and patios are placed without looking skyward. We're guilty in our garden and pay for it with all manner of falling debris.
ReplyDeleteI fought a developer, who was building behind us, to save those trees. I looked up a lot. I just didn't realize what a mess they made. The lawn hid it so well....
DeleteWe all have our garden demons. Mine was my elderly and incredibly gorgeous female Aspen towering above my rock gardens. 2-3 months of crawling around picking up sticky seed covers and then the aspen worms. The beauty that followed = 9-10 months of balance. Easy for me to say now!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the neighbor's now-gone 80 ft Eucalyptus. Seeing it being cut down was one of the happiest garden days ever. Sure don't miss it, either.
ReplyDeleteYou have my sympathies. I hope such a dangerously large tree in a residential neighborhood is health-checked regularly.
With so many of those falling with sticky resin on them, I will not complain on our Feb-May winds again. Until next Feb-May. For now, I'll be jealous of your temperatures.
ReplyDeleteI was probably in the air when this post hit so I didn't see it. Yes, this is exactly the situation I'm dealing with! I can't use the Leaf Hog vacuum on most plants without damaging them and, because the pink fuzz actually sticks to things, even a blower does little good - time-consuming hand-pinking the nasty flowers is the only real solution.
ReplyDelete