No Rain, No Prediction of Rain. The Skies Opened Up a Powerful Thunderstorm

I was watering the drying hostas, coconut daisies, Poke, and Joe Pye. The phone rang and I had an enjoyable conversation with a member. That lasted about an hour, so it was time to turn off the sprinkler. I looked out - "What broke? Where is this coming from?" The rain came rushing down in a cloudburst that stayed in place. To turn off the spigot, a few feet from the back door, I had to get soaked, but that was a great feeling of relief. 

Tons of water were coming down, slackening a bit, then pouring down even harder on wilted plants, dry grass. Even the weeds look pitiful, but they were coming to life and greening up.

I got on dry clothes, then looked out the front. Was the rain-barrel filling up? My brain said, "Of course!" but I had to check. Getting wet again, with a little roof coverage, I found the rain-barrel filled and overflowing. All my barrels and buckets in the back were lined up - but had to be filled up in the rain. Why rush in hot humid weather when rain was not expected for another week? Put not your trust in meteorologists! They do not make little mistakes but shock us with their enormous mistakes, severe weather warnings instead of another sultry day, 95 degrees.

Here is the funny part about a line of full rain-barrels and buckets. They are not needed for some time, maybe not until the next rain. When each container is absent water and has only a bug or spider at the bottom, rain is on everyone's mind. Each day our clay soil gets whiter, and we ask each other, "What is your info on the next storm?"

Surprise! We had 50 mph winds, some reports of hail. Ranger Bob came back later because an enormous fallen tree was across a country road. Now I have brimming buckets and barrels with no compelling need to water anything. 

As Luther wrote, when we have an abundance of God's blessings, which come from the Gospel, we begin to take those blessings for granted, as if everything will remain the same, no matter how much we neglect the Scriptures and teaching faith in Jesus Christ as access to God's grace and forgiveness, KJV Romans 5:2 - the verse they dare not quote.

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Although God patiently waits for us to turn away from apostasy, the tools of Gospel learning are largely scattered and unused, replaced by alarming Scripture frauds (NIV, ESV, RSV) and Management by Objective phonies, recycling the gaseous wastes of Peter Drucker. 

Four Days of Rain - Ingratitude Wells Up

We had serious drought less than a week ago. Digging in bulbs was a chore, even after soaking the ground for two hours the day before.

The backyard soil became white and even the weeds struggled. But when the rain came, it was a long steady rain, sometimes only mist, at other times buckets.

Only - the rain was so copious that everyone became tired of it. The rain barrels were full and overflowing. The backyard became a giant puddle. I noticed today that the Morning Glories used the time and rain to occupy the fence again and start blooming.

So I now have all the rainwater I wanted during the drought. Gratitude diminishes when there is an abundance. That is what we have seen in America, going from traditional congregations supposedly scandalized by a lack of institutional unity. Now they are united in social activism and decline, not the least from the influence of Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, and other toxic waste dumps. 

Roses or Galatians? - Why Not Both!

Today I have new roses to tend and Galatians to write. These are some of the books published by the Lutheran Librarian, Alec Satin.

One member told me he looked for the morning post, and he lives on the Left Coast - more pressure to post early.

One reader is getting tips about gardening from this blog - more pressure from the gardeners.

It might rain today - more indecision!

Yesterday was sunny and dry. The Veterans Honor roses were opening as fast as popcorn in hot coconut oil. Ranger Bob came by for coffee, settling various accounts (books, parts, mowing payday loans - all interest free). He was pointing all the new roses - having just taken the Sunday crop to honor his step-father's grave. That was a 48 hour blooming time.

Later I went around to the new plants that seemed to be struggling and a bit weak. The new Joe Pyes were getting slug holes and the Red Daisies were not strong yet. I took buckets of rain water around to pour on each emergency case. One Veterans Honor rose was especially  weak, so I included that plant, an early donor.

One member kids me about using up the rainbarrels before each rain. That serves a double purpose. The mosquitoes lose their chance to reproduce and the weak plants get hydration and nitrogen just before a rainfall (if it happens). Storms often roar through Springdale to water areas east of us. As neighbor John likes to say, "It rained, just not here."

Mulch adds to this protection, keeping moisture down and harsh sun away from the base of the plant. Plants are like people (the name of a classic book) - they do not like being roasted in the sun.

Organic mulch will always feed the soil, and wood mulch is especially good in the long run. For instan soil improvement and moisture retention, I like Peat Humus (Stinky Peat), which is tamed manure mixed with peat moss.

Congregations are failing because they are seen with materialistic eyes and therefore provide no nurture. Wuhan Flu proved that churches could continue online (not a secret for Bethany) because the chief functions are based on the Gospel, not the budget.

If the pastors would drop all committees and use the time to visit people with the Word, and to see sick and shut-ins all the time, the congregations would be healthy instead of sick and dying.

But alas, the synod officials - trusted with millions of dollars - are anxious to mine the fools-gold by playing up to family trees. If a pastor has a drunken close encounter with a utility pole - boom - he is suddenly a world missionary who travels the globe for free.

"Do us a favor - send him back - soon."

Make It Rain on the New Plants

 Crepe Myrtles are easily shaped by pruning.
The robins have roosted in our large one.

I read that "make it rain" is something drill instructors suggest to new recruits when getting them to work hard.

How do I accomplish that in the garden? I store rainwater in barrels and buckets. I learned early that a doting on a Crepe Myrtle will definitely increase its growth and vigor. After a rain, the barrels and buckets are full.

 Poke flowers attract beneficial insects.

Once the soil has dried out a bit, after two days or so. I pour stored rainwater on the plants needing the most TLC. This morning i did this with the Crepe Myrtles in the backyard. Yesterday, I poured extra rainwater on the bushes we use to shade the bedroom office - two Crepe Myrtles and a Pokeberry.

 Poke berries feed 63 bird species.
I have eaten one berry at a time - they are tasteless.

The three bushes will grow to 10 feet or more, which creates a wonderful combination of natural shade, bird perches and bird feeders. They enjoy insects resting or hiding in the bushes, Poke berries on that supposed weed. I switched to thistle seed to discourage the squirrels, who reached the Bella Vista level of obnoxiousness. To be BV certified, the squirrels have to fight daily, knock apart the Jackson EZ Bird Swing, and push the feeder to the ground to empty it. They passed that test with distinction, so now they must get sunflower seeds from the "squirrel proof" (pause for laughter) feeder.

Another part of TLC is providing extra mulch for favored plants:

• Used coffee grounds 
• Newspaper
• Cardboard
• Wood mulch
• Egg shells for those who think it helps - it does not.

Finally, a rose collar shows genuine love for the plant, because it prevents:

1. Weed-eater disasters
2. Rabbit munching, especially from small ones munching on new plants
3. Loss of mulch
4. Loss of extra rainwater or stored water.

 They snap together easily, unsnap, and store flat.
I took them off the roses and added them to the new Crepe Myrtles and baby Joe Pye Weed.

Save Time with a Butterfly Nozzle. More Ideas about Watering and Mulch

Retailers offer an abundance of garden hose nozzles, but few are butterfly nozzles. Above is the one from Amazon (Radius). If you google butterfly nozzle you may find some others.

The dial-a-spray feature is handy on the common types, but all too often I have to water an area. In the back I have two soaker-hoses running around the perimeter. In the front I have two soaker hoses underneath the mulch. In both cases a regular hose is the third connection for special watering.

The last thing a gardener wants to do is take off one attachment and put on a different one, if it can even be found. Discovering where tools were left is a common headache, unless I happen to step on them. Then I am sorry I found them.

The butterfly nozzle was one featured tool that Mrs. I. bought for me last year. Nothing equals the ease of spot watering, spreading the stabilizer fins, and watering a large area. The Maple Tree Rose Garden needs that kind of treatment, so I bought a second one - $20.

At the moment it is watering the Maple Tree Rose Garden while the soaker-hoses are managing the rest.

Watering Common Sense
Here are some guidelines for watering:

• Water for a long time rather than sprinkling. That encourages the roots to grow deeper for water. The soil is often dryer than we imagine.
• Watering in the morning is better so the plants are not stressed during the heat of the day.
• Ignore that fantasy about water drops "burning" plants in the sun. Soak yourself and leave drops all over your body (in the backyard, please). Email me about the number of burns you receive.
• Stored water (24 hour wait) is better than fresh chlorinated tap water.
• Rainwater is best of all.
• Collect rainwater and use it, especially on the weaker and the newer plants.
• Watch out for pools of water that turn into mosquito breeding grounds. Dump and clean.
• Use larger birdbaths near special plants. They become manured, algae-filled collections fast - ideal for dumping on plants like Butterfly Bush. Algae is good food for the soil, initiated by sunlight fallen on the dirty water. If you think birdbaths are not used by birds and other creatures,  clean one every other day.

More Ruffled Collars for New Plants

Herman Amberg Preus models the ruffled collar,
which some likened to John the Baptist's head on a plate.

When I get tiny plants in the mail - often as a bonus, I need a collar around them to protect their well watered zones from weeds taking over. The cardboard or newspaper bib also marks the spot to decrease trampling by anyone in the garden.

Several plants have taken root well, so gently pulled some weeds away and opened up several cardboard food boxes from grocery stores. They are rather then, so they work well. I tear out a notch so I can fit it around a growing plant. Then I sprinkle some mulch on it to keep it in place. Nothing attracts insect eaters like a watered, mulched plant.

I mulched the Elephant Ears with tree bark, cardboard, and shredded cyprus. One new leaf burst from its cardboard covered to grow in the sun, so I widened the growing zone. Meanwhile, Bermuda grass shows up wherever it can. I normally mulch weeds with their own departed - as a warning, but I always throw away Bermuda grass.


Many builders there have been
Since the world began;
Palace, cottage, mansion, inn,
They have built for man.
Some were small and some were tall:
Long or wide or low.
But the best one of them all
Jack built long ago.
’Twas built in bygone days,
Yet millions sing its praise.

Just a love nest
Cozy with charm,
Like a dove nest
Down on a farm.
A veranda with some sort of clinging vine,
Then a kitchen where some rambler roses twine.
Then a small room,
Tea set of blue;
Best of all, room—
Dream room for two.
Better than a palace with a gilded dome,
Is a love nest
You can call home.

Building houses still goes on
Now as well as then.
Ancient Jack and Jill are gone,
Yet return again.
Ever comes the question old:
Shall we build for pride,
Or shall brick and mortar hold
Warmth and love inside?
The answer you may know:
Jack solved it long ago.
(Famous as the theme for the George Burns Gracie Allen Show)

By Norma Boeckler

The result of tree bark mulch is to draw Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal there to look for food for their nestlings. I tried to feed them at the base of their love nest - the Crepe Myrtle, but it instantly drew squirrels from across the street.

Yesterday I was looking out the kitchen window when a blueberry stalk seemed to drop down and snap up again. Startled, I wondered if my eye appointment should be moved up immediately. I continued to stare, wondering what happened with no wind stirring up the plants. It happened again. The stalk went down and sprang up again. What sorcery is this? On my tiptoes I saw the bushy tail of a squirrel move away from the plant.

Mrs. Ichabod thought it was hilarious. "Harvested for you? You still need to buy them at Walmart."

Gardens Continue To Work When in the Oppressive Heat

We had almost an inch of rain, followed by intense sunshine and an absence of additional, cooling rain. The result was 100 degrees of Real Feel or - Phoenix during the Inferno season. All the plants and trees were processing the abundance of rain and turning it into humidity.

The chiro and his wife asked how the roses were doing in this heat. I pointed out that roses enjoy cool, wet weather. They tolerate cold quite well. In this heat they bloom fast and the flowers are done quickly. That is when I prune most often, because the spent flowers are eager to turn into hips, seed pods that mark the end of bloom production.

The genius of one Dow Chemical CEO was to store up cash during boom cycles, spending it on rival companies or new facilities during recessions. Everything is relatively cheap during a recession, but many companies spend their cash expanding during boom cycles.

The garden is similar. Rain brings on the boom times in plant and bug production. Everything loves a drenching rain, liquid fertilizer, a pleasant and refreshing bath. I position my empty rain-barrels to catch as much as possible. They are emptied before a rain to give special plants an extra boost, filled during the rain, then emptied again during the dry cycle.

I have White Profusion blooming,
not as plump as these flowers.

The flowers are sweet like candy, attracting bees,
butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Current Targets for Stored Rainwater:

1. The Elephant Ears are above ground, mulched, and ready to grow. They need plenty of sunshine and rain.
2. Some roses need an extra boost. The $2 Rugosa roses have budded and need water to establish their roots.
3. The replacement bare-root roses will need a long soak before planting and some extra afterwards. They should arrive today.The thunderstorm is tomorrow - maybe.
4. Favorite plants get extra attention, like the new Mountain Mints and a Bee Balm that just bloomed.

Rose Fever - More Addicting Than Scarlet Fever. The Benefits of Rainwater

Chrysler Imperial was developed by
Dr. Walter Lammerts, Creationist.

"This timeless classic is a perfect example of what a hybrid tea should be - high centered, velvety, strongly scented and with a great repeat. The large, shapely, dark red blooms are held on long stems clothed with dark matte-green leaves. While happiest in hot temperatures, it doesn't disappoint wherever it calls home. A proven performer with fragrance to die for. 1953" Edmunds Roses

Wikipedia:

This variety was bred and publicly debuted by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts of Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA in 1952. Its stock parents 'Charlotte Armstrong' (cerise pink) and 'Mirandy' (dark oxblood red) are both 'All American Rose Selections'-roses (awarded in 1940 and 1945).

The elegantly tapered buds open into high-centered blossoms with a diameter of about 11 – 13 cm (5 inches) and can have up to 45-50 petals (which is a high number for a hybrid tea rose) with a rich, deep, velvety red color. The cultivar flushes in a chronological blooming pattern throughout its local season, starting in late spring until fall. The long-stemmed rose flowers are long lasting and showy and make excellent cut flowers.

The rose bush reaches 75 to 200 cm (30 to 72 inches) height, and a diameter of 60 to 120 cm (24 to 48 inches). The shrub has an upright form with very thorny canes and semi-glossy dark green foliage. It is not a cold hardy rose (USDA zone 6b through 9b) and needs good sun exposure. Without good air circulation it is susceptible to mildew and blackspot, particularly in cool climates.^[1][2]

Dave's Garden:

Shade-tolerant

Resistant to black spot

Resistant to mildew

Avoid chemical sprays

Stems are very thorny

Scarlet Fever is the nickname for clergy who are always running for bishop, District President, or Synod President. One ALC Lutheran moved to another district so he could be elected bishop - and he was, so pompous he seemed to come from a Hollywood satire movie.

Rose Fever is that healthy disorder that drives people to raise roses. I was enjoying the benefits today. I had eight transplants and two new roses that needed some attention, plus some pruning work to be done.

One fallacy is the idea of stirring stuff into the soil when the earthworm does that for us - with the help of many other creatures. I put mushroom compost or cow compost on top of the soil, around the new roses, so the creatures can pull it down and mix it with clay, the most productive soil of all. For several roses I also added newspapers on the bare soil and compost, plus shredded wood on top.

When all the new roses are done - some are arriving - they will all have Jackson Mulch - newspapers plus shredded wood. The tomato garden will have cardboard plus shredded wood.

We have had drying winds, which are deterred by Jackson Mulch and the added layer of autumn leaves. But I wanted to make sure the bushes were well watered and bathed. The main roses were watered and showered first. 

In the backyard I poured rainwater from the barrel on each rose bush. The task was pleasant, dipping out the water and pouring it on each bush.

Absence of Salt and Chemicals

The municipal water supply is treated with chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride in an attempt to control bacterial contamination. These chemicals are harmful to plants. Homeowners who have water softener systems are adding additional salts to their irrigation water. Rainwater is free of these chemicals.

Adding Nitrogen

Rainwater that falls during thunderstorms provides additional nitrogen to the soil, which helps high-nitrogen-consuming plants such as corn grow more rapidly. When lightning discharges during a storm, it converts nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that is usable by plants.

Click here for -->The Magical Properties of Rainwater

Absent Stored Rainwater:

Water stored in a barrel will give up chlorine gas and other elements, make the water much friendlier to the plants. I would give stored tapwater several days to age before using it.

Queen Elizabeth, by Lammerts

Tomorrow, favorite plants will also get rainwater (backyard). Ultimately I will collect rainwater and keep it where it is closest to plants, backyard and front. And yes, I will dump out the rainwater before the mosquitoes turn it into a breeding ground.


Pruning Is No Chore
I enjoy pruning because it gives me the chance to look at each plant and search for dead wood and broken branches. Some get a little frost-bitten at this time of year. Water and nutrients do not pass through diseased and dead wood, so pruning cures that and wakes up the plant to grow more.

Cutting roses for neighbors, friends, and doctors is enjoyable, because everyone loves to have them. They also enjoy the fragrant varieties, which fill the home or office with perfume:

• Mr. Lincoln
• Double Delight
• Chrysler Imperial
• Falling in Love
• Veterans Honor

Ways To Prune
Cutting flowers is good for the roses, because the bush wants to set seed and become dormant. Creating bouquets keeps the plants healthy.

1. Pruning shapes the roses so that crowded canes are trimmed out.
2. Fading flowers do not beautify the plant, so pruning them brings on new growth.
3. KnockOut roses need to be pruned severely several times a season to take advantage of their abundant blooms and healthy growth.

Veterans Honor.