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cwillie ,

My elderly neighbor has a small handheld leaf vacuum . I saw him using it to suck up the fuzzy seeds too.
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That's brilliant Way!!
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Yesterday morning, I went outside, was watching a hummingbird in the feeder. I whisper, good morning to him . He came up to me in front of my face, with an arms length, and fluttered looked at me in the eye, and flew away. I felt like it was a bit of a thank you, it was just so sweet. 💞💞
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I love working in my garden , but the back and knees doesn’t love it . Good for the spirit though . Catch 22. Just took Motrin and on the heating pad . 🙄
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My garden is my haven, my heaven. It is full now of electric kool aid acid kit cineraria, some chest height, purples and electric pink and blues with white and lavendar. There are sage plants everywhere and hummingbirds farming especially the Mexican sage. The California poppies a masses here and there and everywhere and the orange trumpets of the brugmansia tree smell incredible, especially in the evening and night. Tons of bumble bees; not sure where their hive is. Bird bath always full with robins; why are they constantly bathing? The fig tree has figs already and the meyer lemon has both blossoms and all sizes of green fruit starting. There's Jasmine and Iris that are so big in leaf I am uncertain whether they will bloom or not. Up the street by an old school the tulip tree is dripping sweet nectar and the artichokes are growing wild. Each year I wonder how many more years I will see all these secret gardens; which year will be the last. Happens when you are an old bat. Enjoy the blooming, everyone.
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cw -R used to do that with a bucket with a small amount of water in it so the seeds didn't fly away

way - awesome - small leaf vac sound so useful. Yeah so good for the spirit but...

daisy - that's lovely!!!

alva - your garden sounds amazing - a riot of colour! Sounds kike you are doind OK with radiation therapy.

Here finally we have some rain which the farmers need, My treat are the large flowering trees on the property - we have three if them just to the right and the left. Just below us is a small mountain ash which will be nice when it grows a bit bigger.and blooms. The field will soon turn green, R has a couple of flowering trees at the farm too. I want to plant some perennials there -delphiniums for one, and some shrub roses.
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Golden, Garden keeps me semi sane during radiation. I am getting there. 2/3 done and it ends at the end of next week. Will update all after that on that whole thing. Frieda the dog loves it. She gets to take a walk on the waterfront at Oyster Point and look at the geese and goslings while I go under the xray machine.

I didn't put in foxgloves this year and only about two volunteers. I will miss them. I just don't do much on my knees digging anymore. Just control the lush growth that comes all on it's own. As I LOVE control, it works for me! Sorry to hear about the loss of your neighbor, so young.
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Alva, happy to hear you’re on the downward side of the treatments! Hang in there, the end is in sight and hopefully you can be left in peace in your garden. Interesting about foxgloves, it’s too hot where I live to grow them unfortunately, as they are beautiful, but I have a soft spot for them anyway as they are the source for Digoxin, a heart med (I’m sure you’re familiar) My son was on it for years to give his malformed heart a boost with every beat. Hope you’re planting some next spring!
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Gardening is my respite from the 24/7 care that I am giving to my MIL for the last 4 months. She is a sweetie and easy to get along with, but I get in head and think dang, I have literally given up my life for this lady (though deserving) I quit my job and devote my time to her, it’s still a lot for someone to do. She is 98, a retired school teacher of 50 years so she has served her time. I can’t leave the house for too long but stepping out into my backyard is my sanctuary my little peace of heaven.
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Just keeping up with the weeds is enough to make my yard look good.
The Cape Honeysuckle and Bouganvilla are thriving.
That is all we can do for now.
Grateful.
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My neighbour had the weed man in yesterday, meanwhile I'm hoping the clover I sprinkled before the rain will germinate and overtake some of the creeping charlie that's in my grass LOL. I spent yesterday doing a little bit of mindless tidying, I broke down some of the twigs that have accumulated into mulch and I rearranged and swept my garden shed - maybe some day I'll be able to figure out a way to fit everything in there without it being a dysfunctional mess.
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cwillie, I am conducting a groundcover "experiment" in a very shady part of my yard where I can't get grass to grow and the quality of the soil is bad, and lots of mature tree roots to compete with for nutrients. I sowed Micro clover seed last year on one section (which it is separated by a stone path) and I transplanted creeping charlie on the other side (where it doesn't touch my neighbor's yard). May the best weed win. This season it's sort of like watching Godzilla vs. King Kong -- not sure if I'm rooting for either one in particular (ok, I think I want the micro clover to win but I don't think it will).
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When moving here I planted Jasmine, and it thrived.
My neighbor was against the Jasmine, saying she could not stand the smell.

The neighbor factor has frequently interfered with my garden plans.
Then, they move and the new owner's requirements are different.

Keep in mind that these are quirky neighbors who won't listen to reason.
Spending extra time, money and effort for a pathway made of pavers surrounded by gravel may be what I would like.

There is something like a liquid glue that settles and secures the pebbles so they don't get kicked around.

Has anyone had success with that, comes in a spray?
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You've taught me something new Send, I'd never heard of the "glue" for landscape stones. I did a little reading and I'm not sure one that just sprays on would be very long lasting, I think the big jugs that saturate the area would work better (but are no doubt more expensive). If this is in an area you walk on I'd also want to check reviews to see how slippery this might get when wet.
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So many names for this glue, try looking at Lockdown Rock Glue Max;
Easihold; mulch glue, etc. all available at Lowes and Home Depot stores.
I googled "Easihold".

You are right Cwillie, some prices are prohibitive. Especially from the rock quarry specialty stores. Think: $32.00 to $300 + ouch.

A little part glued down may be all that is needed, if you have a row of pebbles next to the driveway, and don't want the pebbles to spread onto the driveway.

Still looking.
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I am going to plant more Jasmine, we already have the portable steel/decorative fencing (40 ft.) so it can climb on that.

So many kinds of Jasmine. One plant that has survived is an Australian Jasmine.

I think the Jasmine smell can help make you sleepy.
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I had a very productive day in the garden 🌱🌿🍃 One of my first projects here was creating a dry stream bed and that had become overwhelmed by random plants so I cleaned it out; a massive blue angel hosta was crowding out my ribes odoratum (scented currant) so I moved it; then I dug up several European ginger plants that were spreading beyond control. That's the problem with tough plants, give them a foothold and they'll take over everything...
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Cwillie, nice, not much gardening going on in my life this year. Not much of anything is getting done. I haven't never in my life seen so much rain. The farmers can't even plant corn in some areas. Sence November, we have not had one weekend without some form of perception. According to the weather people. We we do get a day without rain, we get smoke. I don't know what's going on, bugs!! Bugs, everywhere. Another friend got diagnosed with anaplasmosis. They just, decided to go to the doctors, unlike some Lol
The weather is really not getting to me at all, but I'm sure some are really getting depressed. Water in people cellar, that never get water.
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Well done, cw. It sounds lovely. I am particular to hostas.

Daisy - oh I am so happy to be away from the Fort Mc bugs! Rain I like but not cellar flooding. I had lots of that up north. It's the pits! That's too bad about your friend but good they went to the doctor,

R broke out in rashes on his hands, wrists and forearms and ears and neck. The wildfire smoke was bad today. He used to get a rash on his neck up north when ever he visited a certain one of the plants. But, of course I was thinking of ticks as he first had what appeared to be one bite that wa painful yesterday..However today it spread to both hands and more

I think we have it figured out as air pollution as it only affects the exposed skin. He wears long sleeves rolled up to his forearms. This was the worst it has ever been.

I gave him an antihistamine and cortisone cream which seemed to help and found some respirator masks as he has a bit of a cough. Being outside most days for hours he has lots of exposure too much I think.As you get older your body doesn't deal as well with such things.
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Golden seems we are both dealing with nature's wrath, in different ways and have had to adjust and change some of are way of life. Bug spray has become are best friend. They make a repellent you only spray on your clothes, and wash them ever 3 or 4 wears then spray again. Hunters say this is the best, prevention. I was worried about hubs , getting back out there and not caring, 😆 but the opposite has happened, he goes to his farm , gets freaked out and comes home.

It looks like the 4 brothers are selling it to my step daughter, for a very good price, if it works out! I'm happy for everyone, she has had her share of emotional issues, but seems to have worked through them. 🤞
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We certainly are, Daisy. R's rash is worse and he had a tough night. I know my limitations and am asking him to see a doctor. If cortisone and an antihistamine don't work I don't know what will. Hopefully he will make an appointment if only b/c it torments him so much.

Bug spray is good. I'm glad hubs is being cautious. I told R about how sick he got. Also glad the deal with the step daughter is working out.
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Golden, also be careful if the doctor mentions steroids for his rash. I'm sure we all know about the dangers of steroids now.

I just found out, a friend of mine brother is in Albany med, in ICU, they are checking for all bug diseases, right now they got him in isolation.
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Daisy I'll be interested to hear what the dr says. He's there now. Being confined to the exposed skin sounds so much like a reaction to the environment to me, but I hope they do blood tests.
Scary about your friend's bro
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Golden, I'm glad he went to doctors, doesn't sound like he is the type to act like he knows more than the doctor either. I hope he gets some relief soon, that's gotta be miserable
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Staying inside today because mosquitos got my forearm and elbow, very swollen,
feeling ill x 3 days. Going to try Claritin for allergies, after trying everything each of you mentioned.
dH is outside, watering our newest plants and our oldest Bouganvilla. It took a neighbor to come to our door and telling him to water our plants, so he listened. Mosquitos do not attack him.

In the last few days, he had placed a plastic cutting board in the microwave to use as a lid. He must be under stress, watching the L.A. riots full time and not listening to me about moving away from the computer.

Ok then, my day is done here. God Bless every caregiver on this forum!
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Send, I have found that low potassium makes me mosquito bait. Eating more potassium rich foods or using the low sodium salt replacement helps keep me free from being eaten alive. Peppermint oil on exposed skin keeps bugs away too.

Hope you feel better, allergic reaction to mosquitos can be tough.

Golden, I hope your hubby is okay with a simple solution to whatever is going on.
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Thank you ITRR!
Guarding against that, will give it extra attention.
Thank you!
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Well. the doctor basically said (in long words) it was photosensitivity, (with which we disagree) and gave R what I had given him only stronger - double the antihistamines and stronger cortisone cream. We believe it is a reaction to the air pollution as that is when it has flared up. Anyway, I'm glad its not a tick bite.

A nurse suggested baking soda paste to stop the itching and it helped. He looks like he has been beaten up!

Send, that would probably work for the mosquito bites. We used to use it years ago for bee, wasp and hornet stings. I don't have any preventative ideas except don't wear dark clothing. Mosquitoes are attracted to it. Wear light colours when you go outside.

The air quality is a bit better today but who knows what we are looking at for the rest of the summer.
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Golden ,

Try oatmeal bath . The kind you buy at the pharmacy . I’ve used it for bad sunburns or other contact/exposure rashes .

Pollution exposure can be made worse by sun exposure . BTDT.
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Golden, I Google " can poor air quality, from wild fires, cause rashes"" came back yes! There is quite a bit of good info on it, when you get time , I don't know how to send links here.
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