I can definitely say that this has been one of my most challenging years in the gardens! The Spring started out cold and wet and lasted "forever" Then the summer arrives instantly with extreme heat and dry :(
It wasn't long before the weeds took over everywhere and I just couldn't handle the heat to try and keep them under control.
We finally have some decent weather now and I've been playing catch up with the weeding and pulling out plants that didn't survive the "heat dome" :(
One flower bed is completely weeded now and I've started adding the shredded paper I hoard for undermulch. I'll add compost on top of the paper and mulch heavily with woodchips. Hopefully The weeds will never get that bad again!!!!
We're also suffering from another form of destruction in our gardens this summer.
Everywhere I turn there is broken pottery...
...destroyed garden art....
...missing and torn flags...
....more destruction and holes dug in unwanted places....
....tumbled pots and uprooted plants...
...and here is the cause of all of this destruction! To make matters worse he isn't even our dog! He belongs to the neighbors across the street and they let him run loose :(
He comes to play with our dogs ... who loves his visits... but who has started misbehaving right along with the MONSTER!
He's just a "puppy" and really is a sweet dog but I'm ready to start shooting him with the
BB gun! This morning he was running across the yard ....dragging one of my giant sunflowers he had broken off behind him.
I guess it's time to pay a visit to the neighbors and register a complaint. Of course these are the least friendly neighbors on the road so it just may turn into a confrontation :(
So keep your fingers crossed that all goes well and I don't have to start target practicing on the mutt.
We have trouble with a loose dog as well, Carol. Ours poops in our yard! Guess it smells good to it! We don't know who owns it. That's our problem. Yours seems wildly out of control! People shouldn't let their dogs loose! Hope it goes well when you talk to them, but if they're not too friendly, it's a problem! I will keep my fingers crossed for you!
ReplyDeleteHad my talk with the neighbors and it went well. They will keep the dog chained up or in their fenced in backyard until they get their electric fence installed. Lets see if they really do.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the dog, hopefully the neighbors will follow through with the fencing. I think I would take a herd of bunnies over one big dog in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you on the dog front. Our neighbor 2 houses down has a black lab that gets out all the time. It chases you, growls, and barks his men bark. I'm scared to death of him and my mailbox is right in front of their house. He seems to be able to jump on the gate and pop it open. I've complained to the Village Chief of police, but he doesn't do anything. It is his job to collect up the animals, but he says they usually don't come when he calls them. He doesn't like to get out of his car. So, hope you have better luck than I have.
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