What did you do in the garden today?

[Smokerbill]

Sorry - excessively long post!

I haven't been in the garden much this last week, so not a lot to report.
I lost my friend this morning. She was the only resident at my place of work who was actually my friend. I will miss her greatly. But her suffering is over and I know that she is with the Lord God. I will see her again.

For months, I have been dealing with water issues. My bill has steadily increased, the water company insisting I must have a leaky toilet. I did, but not THAT leaky. It was fixed, the bill kept going up. They said, well it must be because it wasn't fixed until a week after the meter was read. On and On.

Yesterday I got a whopper. What used to be a 22.50 a month water bill, had at first gone up to 35 in Feb., 45 in Mar, 55 in April, and I was hit with 130 dollars yesterday. Said I'd used 25 thousand gallons this month. Um.... no. I should still be at 22 bucks.

They said, good luck finding that old water leak. Bye! So I contact my landlord contact, and turns out he is on his deathbed and I end up talking to his wife, who knows nothing, I'm then passed to her sister (the actual owner of the place I rent) who is beside herself with barking orders at hospital staff while I am trying to apologize for bothering them at this awful time (which I had no idea of until I called.)

Then the husband of the owner calls me and wants to know what I want to do about it... I said I have no idea what to do, except the woman at the water company suggested I talk to another family member. So... I'm grateful for Nathan, a 45-year-old man who lives across the street and ended up with the task of figuring out and repairing the leak.

All of this while the meter is spinning. Nathan left me a tool to turn it off until he could get there. I'm off all night and all this morning at my jobs. I went to turn it off and the entire water meter hole was full of water and pumping more out into the creek.

Anyway, Nathan thinks he found the leak and is off getting supplies. Thinks I'll have water again this evening. And all of this while his yard maintenance customers go without. I know this is setting him back. On top of it all, he thinks he has a few big round bales of old hay I can use for mulch when he can get to it in a few days. I'm to remind him if he forgets.

These really are wonderful neighbors and landlords, but this was a perfect storm of a series of unfortunate events. Call me Lemony Snicket.

Happily, I have four days off. Here is the project I just completed for my yard swing. I'm really happy with it. It cost more than I wanted, but it will give me so much joy from use.
View attachment 3527769

I also decided to open the gate from the chicken run for the first time and let the flock free range. I'd not been gone 90 seconds and when I walked back, a hawk was screaming, flying across the pond, and landing in the tree about 20 feet away from the chickens. I'm going, "HERE, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK!!!!!" and throwing food into the pen in a desperate attempt to get them back in before all heck breaks loose. I was successful, but seriously!!! That was the fastest arrival of a chicken hawk I'd ever seen! So much for free-ranging! I need a chicken tunnel to roll across 5 acres. Like I need something else to do.

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If the leak is on the incoming side of the meter then you're not liable for the excess usage, the water company is. If it's on the plumbing going out of the meter and to your property, then I'd say the landlord is responsible for all those excess water use charges, not you. He/she is responsible for maintaining the utility hookups.

But it would be tough for you to make an issue of it now, with the family going through their problems. I wish you luck.

If the leak IS on the water company's side of the meter, I wouldn't let your neighbor fix it. The water company should come out and do an emergency repair. Take lots of pictures, too.

 

[Acre4Me]

Shout out to Lee Valley and their customer service..

I am absolutely amazed at the customer service I just experienced. A couple weeks ago I ordered items from Lee Valley (https://www.leevalley.com). One of the items was a brass Y shut off valve for the outdoor faucet. I'd gotten another shut off valve from Lee Valley a few months ago and was impressed with the quality. Well, the valves on this one leak even when turned off. I emailed them this morning, and less than 30 minutes later I got a response. They're sending me another valve, and I don't have to return the defective one.

Wow. Impressive.

I highly recommend this company. I bought a hose with a lifetime guarantee, we'll see how it does.

I recommend them too! Good quality!

 

[WthrLady]

If she's being billed for it, it must be on her side of the meter, or the flow wouldn't be read and billed.

 

[Acre4Me]

Very hot!! Sprinklers are on.

But, we have a few tiny cells of rain moving through. Not enough to stop the sprinklers.

Peach tree (only 1 of the two growing) is having a problem on leaves. Anyone know what this is?

Interesting “wasp” -not sure what it is, but beneficial or not?

Why are all the flowers on some potato plants falling off completely?

 

[pennyJo1960]

When the plants die off the potato time to harvest here.

 

[WthrLady]

I have now baited the rain clouds with fresh laundry on the line (not clothes due to allergies, but by weaving sheeting)

 

[Smokerbill]

If she's being billed for it, it must be on her side of the meter, or the flow wouldn't be read and billed.

Wow, I missed that piece of logic. LOL. You're right.

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

Very hot!! Sprinklers are on.

But, we have a few tiny cells of rain moving through. Not enough to stop the sprinklers.

Peach tree (only 1 of the two growing) is having a problem on leaves. Anyone know what this is?
View attachment 3527800View attachment 3527801


Interesting “wasp” -not sure what it is, but beneficial or not?
View attachment 3527802View attachment 3527803


Why are all the flowers on some potato plants falling off completely?
View attachment 3527804

Does this article sound like what is happening to your peach leaves?
I hope not.

https://dengarden.com/gardening/How...d-Prevent-Peach-Leaf-Curl-on-Your-Peach-Trees

 

[jerryse]

Very hot!! Sprinklers are on.

But, we have a few tiny cells of rain moving through. Not enough to stop the sprinklers.

Peach tree (only 1 of the two growing) is having a problem on leaves. Anyone know what this is?
View attachment 3527800View attachment 3527801


Interesting “wasp” -not sure what it is, but beneficial or not?
View attachment 3527802View attachment 3527803


Why are all the flowers on some potato plants falling off completely?
View attachment 3527804

Peach leaf curl. Google it.

 

[Swiss]

!Lots of pictures ahead!

Herbs, sweet peppers, and lettuce bed (Egyptian walking onions in the lower right corner. Thanks @Sally PB):

One of the corn babies saying hello:

Rhubarb:

Strawberry, asparagus, and yarrow (which grows wild everywhere here):

Tomato bed (the happy San Marzanos are easy to see):

Slippery silk bean babies:

Bean trellis:

Cucumber, cabbage, and leeks bed:

Carrots, dill, eggplant, and summer squash bed:

Potato bed 1 of 2:

Potato bed 2 of 2:

Watermelon (not sprouted, yet), and echinacea bed:

Hot peppers, calendula, chamomile (not yet sprouted), purslane, and borage (not yet sprouted) bed:

Hubbard squash bed:

Jaune Gros De Paris Pumpkin bed:

One of the marigolds: