that have delighted the resident deer population...Dinner is Served!
Sum and Substance is a large leafed Hosta...
those bite marks are huge!
This Hosta had it's flower stalks bitten down and most of the leaves removed.
I planted it this Spring...may be moving it next Fall to the fenced back yard.
Yum Yum someone had a tasty treat.
Another Hosta that was planted this Spring...
munch munch munch.
The deer have left this Giant Rudbeckia alone...
The grasses are untouched but the Orange Crocosmia flowers have been all eaten.
They love eating roses...the tender new foliage and the flowers.
David Austin Rose William Shakespeare has not been a target yet...
perhaps because it is surrounded by Hostas
which I have decided are the snack of choice for the deer.
This is the same size as the deer that I saw walking along our side walk out front of The Humble Bungalow. I think he must need a lot of greenery to keep him feel full...don't you?
(picture from the archives)
Plump Rose Hips are forming on our neighbours rose bushes.
They are really quite beautiful...
Indulged in a wee bit of pampering...
a relaxing spa pedicure with a bright red polish.
OPI
Give me a Lido Kiss
from
We had the family around to celebrate Mr. HB's birthday.
I cooked up a big batch of macaroni and cheese, made a couple of salads, baked a salmon, and served cupcakes with coloured sprinkles.
Mother and Aunty Jennifer got to meet Mira Louise and we had plenty of cuddles and hugs from the children...
it was a lovely evening.
Seriously The Best!
The house feels so quiet now...
I can hear
the dishwasher swishing and the linens are in the washer spinning.
Yet
I can still hear the enthusiastic voices of the little ones...
singing Happy Birthday to Grampa.
They will sustain and keep me happy until I see them again....
Life with Grand Children...
is as Good as it Gets!
14 comments:
Happy birthday to Mr HB! That's wonderful that you had your grandchildren there to help celebrate. After almost two months in E, I'm missing my red-haired Isla and my two blond beauties too. They're over at mine in Van at the moment where it's still lovely and warm. The deer here don't come to the cottage...too shy...but I did bring them the windfall apples and left them in the meadow the other day. Wonder if they ate them.
That was a big buck. BTW, the deer love apples. I used to live next to an apple orchard that was happy hunting grounds.
Mira is a lovely name!
We have huge numbers of deer on our property; but for some reason they haven't destroyed my plants. Maybe the apple trees are more to their taste?
Aw - its always a bit sad when the family leave, but gives plenty of time to recover for the next "onslaught"!
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Not sure why, but we haven't seen the deer much this summer, although there were quite a few around in the spring and I did see one on my last two morning runs. I'm guessing they would want the juiciest plants right now for the moisture. There's only one pond on our little island and it's rapidly drying. None of these deer (nor any of their ancestors for many, many generations) will have gone through such a long drought.
Happy Birthday to your husband -- sounds like a lovely celebration, especially introducing your new granddaughter.
Sounds like a lovely family party. Both of my daughters live "away", so I envy your ability to enjoy each other's company regularly. The deer LOVE to dine in my yard, too. I alternate between feeling sanguine about it and wanting to unleash my inner "Annie Oakley" on them!
Congratulations on the birth of your grandaughter, she has a pretty name. What a lovely celebration you had. Oh dear, I'm sorry to see the mess the deers have made of your plants. I love hostas but rarely get them to grow to any great height because the slugs just decimate them.
Possums are eating the plants in my newly planted garden here in Australia. I am thinking of protecting some of the plants with upside down (empty!) wire hanging pot plant containers...if that makes sense. At least until the plants get going a bit. My 3 daughters all live "away" and my 3 grandchildren live "away" in another continent across the Pacific Ocean. Our family get togethers are a bit quiet just now. Loved to hear about your family party and the cuddles with the new baby.
Before I retired, I used to think that spending a great deal of time with grandchildren might be a little dull. That was before grandchildren and before I retired. I now find that time precious and know that they will not be small and adoring forever. They buoy my spirits and make me laugh. And they are still at the age that they think I am a magical adult who knows "everything." I have many activities in my retirement, but none as wonderful as being with the little ones. Some are here and some are away, so we spend time in video chats when we can't visit. Congratulations, Leslie on your newest grandchild.
Happy birthday Mr. HB! And welcome little Mira to the HB family:). I guess I should be glad we have raccoons and skunks in place of deer, they ate my water hyacinth but since I filled in the pond, they've decided we're no longer the restaurant of choice. Good luck moving your hostas - they are beautiful plants.
Hostess, have you tried any of the deer repellent sprays offered for sale at the nurseries? I used one this spring diligently every two weeks on the geraniums at my front gate. It seems to have worked, haven't sprayed for two months now. The one I used contained no animal blood, and the smell only lingered for an few hours. For me, it was well worth it. No nibbling in my garden for over two months, and I have quite a banquet to offer!
Hosta seems to also be the dinner of choice for the bunnies. I had to move a couple of potted ones from my entrance to my fenced patio. Funny, however, the bunny would eat the stalk and leave the leaf on the ground. I've since trained him to eat from my hand the treats I found for bunnies at Target. They also love to eat purslane, which I love to grow on my hot patio in summer. In a couple of weeks, I'm going to put one of the purslane pots out front and let him (I've named him Peter) chow down for a treat before colder weather. Glad the deer haven't attacked your roses yet. :-)
This is by far the sweetest blogpost I have ever read, beautifully capturing what really matters in life, family and living in the moment. Cheers, Luciana from Edmonton.
Living in the city, we don't have much problem with deer (although I think they're wonderful in spite of their appetites), but the bunnies do like to feast on the hostas. I remember when my children were small and visited my mom, she would put all the toys away except one - just to keep the visit alive a little while longer. Thought it was so sweet, and when I became a grandmother, it seemed like such a natural thing to do....don't we love the wee ones!
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