Repotting

Repotting
Originally uploaded by meggypeggy

Ah, yes. Nothing like a little gardening help from the cats. (SMILE)

Thankfully, my cats are not quite this "helpful. "

Drip irrigation line is...well...dripping

On Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM, Bette wrote:

Hi! I saw your UTube video on repairs for drip lines...it was fantastic..thank you! I have another question, though..I hope this site is still active and that you can get back to me. I have a drip line leak at the site where the emitter line is plugged into the 1/2' drip line. The water is coming out pretty good around the site - but yet the feed tube line is not easy to pull out so I'm guessing that the hole isn't overly big???. I'm not sure what to do about this. There is always enough water to puddle up so it's a significant leak. Thanks for any help. bette

Thanks for writing. In my experience, this happens when the emitter is not quite seated all the way into the 1/2" tube. The little barb edge on the emitter has to go all the way into the tube in order to make a seal. I typically push the emitter in and then tug on it to make sure the barb has gone through the wall of the larger tube, basically wiggling it around to make it seal against the side of the tube.

It could be, too, that the whole is just a bit misshapen. If adjusting the emitter doesn't work, it might be easier to simply plug that existing hole and punch a new one nearby. The make little plugs to do that, although is the hole is the issue then even the plug might not work well.

I hope this helps. Give it a try and let me know.



Here is the YouTube video mentioned in this email...

Bird Nest with paint chips

Bird Nest with paint chip,
originally uploaded by dewelch.

One small sign of how our actions can effect the world around us.

It looks like someone in the neighborhood was scraping and re-painting their house and this bird made it part of their nesting materials.

I believe this was a hummingbird nest judging by its size and design. I noticed it today as I was typing up some vines on one of our arbors.

A slow Saturday

It was a High-Tech/High-Touch day today. (See this Career Tip for a further explanation) I walked to do some errands and grab lunch and then came home to do some more work both at the computer and in the garden. After that I found myself alternating between the computer and the garden. I think this helps me keep fresh and productive. Too much of any one thing can burn you out.

I had walked up to get some new address numbers for the house at the local hardware chain. That was a simple task and then it back to the computer for a while. Then, looking out my office window, I saw a bird feeder that had been broken for months. I had noticed how I could fix it, but never got around to it. So, off to the garage for the drill and a screwdriver. It didn't take long so I took the time to clean the feeder and re-stock all the feeders before returning to the computer.

A short time later, I wanted to turn on the soaker hoses in the front garden, so I grabbed my wiggle hoe and spent some time getting the grass out of the walkways in the front garden. This is always such a chore and this year it seems even worse. We haven't had much rain, but I think my wife has been running the sprinklers (which spray paths and beds alike) more often. This helps with the shrubs but leaves us with a lot of grass, too. After a few painful minutes hoeing the paths I had had enough. I cleaned the few weeds out of the new lavender bed and then headed back inside for dinner.

One concept that has been rattling around in my mind lately is that of slowing down. Too often, in the garden, I find myself rushing to complete the task instead of engaging in it. Slowing down means I might not finish a task completely, like pulling all the grass, but I do a better job and enjoy it more. I tried to apply that a little today. While I didn't do it all, I certainly got something done and no one says you have to complete the task in one sitting. As long as it gets completed, what does it really matter.

I am going to try and do a bit more tomorrow in the same fashion -- a little here and a little there -- and see what happens. Wish me luck!

Keep digging!

Our garden clothesline - a video post to The Greenhouse

I recorded this in response to a comment on a video I posted to The Greenhouse, the online home for Gardenfork,tv.


Find more videos like this on The Green House


iPod Ready Movie

Dream garden

Snow Bowl - Flagstaff, Arizona,
originally uploaded by dewelch.

If I had a piece of alpine real estate I would love it to look just like this. The silver bark of the aspens against the dark green of the ferns, with dappled sunlight over all.

Thank goodness I can at least visit this little piece of Eden as I did on our August trip to Arizona. This spot is about a mile in on the Kachina Trail at Snow Bowl, above Flagstaff, Arizona. The elevation was about 9500 feet.

Heaven.

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Daylily in Van Nuys

Daylily
Originally uploaded by dewelch

I found this flower, and several like it, along my daily walk today.

Tomato Giants

My goodness! It is like the Tomato that Ate New York City!?!?!

I am lucky to see a good crop from my grape tomatoes this year, let alone a behemoth like this.

Of course, the biggest question is what did it taste like?

... or did it turn you into a zombie when you ate it? (SMILE)

Tomato Giants

By Kira Hamman

Check out this picture my brother sent me of a tomato he grew in his garden in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Wow, right?

How do you grow whopping tomatoes like this?

Continue reading at Tomato Casual