Saturday

[ksmith]

Outdoor work today. Planted the rhododendron, finally. I wound up taking the stones leftover from last year's planter construction and using them to trim the area. The stones weigh over 20 pounds each, so the wheelbarrow got a workout. So did my shoulders.

I also planted an hibiscus, a lovely tree-like thing with vermilion blooms. I fear it may not last the winter, but we'll see. I have it in a sheltered place.

Hummingbirds have also been spotted, so I put out some nectar feeders.

Yesterday, I spread the organic lawn fertilizer in the backyard. It's a corn gluten product that is used in some animal feeds, so it's, well, safe to use around the dogs. A strong smell, like Ovaltine. It rained last night, so it's almost all dissolved/absorbed. It will be interesting to see how this stuff works.

Comments

Pet / plant safe de-icers

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

The de-icer is called Ice Melt Plus. It's a blend of nitrogen and something else -- potassium? It comes as a mix of black and gray crystals. The gray stuff melts the ice, and the black stuff provides traction, then can be swept into the lawn/garden at the end of the season to fertilize. In heavy storms, you're supposed to shovel away the slush, and reapply, which also distributes it to the lawn.

The other one I use is Safe Paw. That's pet safe, and works at really low temps, so it's what I use when I absolutely don't want anyone slipping (like when it's snowing and I've got dinner guests coming, one of whom is in a highly advanced stage of a difficult pregnancy). But I don't think that's as plant-safe as Ice Melt. Plus, it's wicked expensive.

Re: Pet / plant safe de-icers

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Re: Pet / plant safe de-icers

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

Oops. I double-checked the exact brand name on my de-icer bucket in the garage. Ice Melt is one of the similar products, but the specific one I have is called Anti Skid.

Re: Pet / plant safe de-icers

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Thanks for checking!