Sedums

Judy here, again channeling my "Inner Bunny," the nickname of a college friend who could not hear a song without shouting "that's my favorite song!"  So, here's my new "favorite plant!"  from the family of sedums...

  Sedum rupestre

 Sedum grisebachii

"Sedum passalong":  passed from my childhood neighbors to my mom to me!

Sedums are very forgiving of hot, dry conditions and are thriving tucked into the rock wall around my pond.  They are also the easiest of plants to transplant and divide, just pluck off part of the plant, stick it into the soil and water.  They provide color, flowers and some, like the one in the top photo, Sedum rupestre turn orange in the fall and winter!  Sedums, however, do not respond well to foot traffic, so put them out of the way.  If you want to figure out what sedums you have, there are sedum identification guides online [for example: http://www.sedumphotos.net/main.php], but it is a big task.  

Happy gardening!

Oops! Be careful out there!

OK, maybe this is a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of post,  but a moment's inattention can have harmful consequences!  I read somewhere that most accidents happen in the home, and I am guessing that more than half of these happen in the yard and garden.  So far, I have been pretty lucky.  Just a few injuries to date:  I fell out of my apple tree while pruning it (luckily, I did not have the pruning saw in my hand at the time); I've banged my head numerous times on low tree limbs, mostly just getting small bruise, once a small cut; I "pruned" off the tip of a finger while deadheading some daffodils...and so forth.  This last one was a doozy:  I tripped and fell...onto a rock wall, breaking my fall with my chin and left hand.  Here are some of the factors in my fall:

Exhibit #1:  Tunnel-Digging BobTheDog

Exhibit #2: Tunnel-Digging Fluff (with the evidence on her paws and chin!)

Exhibit #3: Ill-Fitting Faux Crocs

Exhibit #4: Rock wall with Some SHARP rocks

And lastly, exhibit #5:  a beautiful, warm day after a dreary, cold, long winter, and the pent-up desire to garden!

Luckily, no broken bones, just bruises, a swollen left hand and 7 stitches on my chin. (Thanks to the PA who stitched me up- she did an excellent job!)

Be careful out there!