Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Susan Scare-the-Birds

You may remember meeting my little friend,
Susan Scare-the-birds, earlier.

She's been wanting to be outdoors all summer, and it's my fault that she's been held hostage indoors. However, she's finally happily standing guard in the raised beds. It's so dry out there, however, that I had to dig a hole to sink her post. Consequently, I will have to water the ground to settle it so she doesn't fall over in the event that we should receive rain before long. ;-)

Doesn't she look happy? My most serious threat is whatever has attacked my Kopper King hibiscus. Click on the photo. If you look very closely, KK is at Susan's right... just past one tall, sad-looking (wanting for rain) purple phlox. Ooooooh, isn't that a painful sight? I hope Susan's middle name includes "Scare-the-pests!" :-)


P.S. My neighbor has trimmed bushes and cut a couple of trees, so the raised beds are getting just a bit more sunlight! Yea!!

Still Shady, but enjoying the sunlight, too.

8/21/08 - we are receiving rain today! Yea!!

6 comments:

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Susan looks great, even if she doesn't do a good job. I wonder if your KK is getting attacked by Japanese Beetles? My Rose Sharon is a JB magnet, it's so disgusting. They attack the flowers even before they open.

Gail said...

Susan is too cute to be scary but maybe cute will scare the pests away!

Not a flower or bud in sight on my Kopper King! Very sad day in the Kingdom...he will be moving to a palace in the sunnier part of his Kingdom this fall!

We don't have JBeetles in abundance and I think I would have seen evidence of them....so sorry your KK is not blooming! I am going to enjoys IVG's!

gail

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey Shady,
I too hope she scares off the bugs! I hate to say it, but your KK does look pathetic and miserable, through no fault of your own, of course. I also thought grasshoppers might be the culprit as well, because I saw more than a few of those nasty munchers when I was weeding last weekend. When they go after Zinnias, they can really decimate a poor plant.

I have to chuckle at your constructed garden friends (they make me smile in a good way) ... have to say the only one we put out during the year is our Punkinhead Dude who goes out before Halloween. We put light sticks in his head at night so he glows, and the kids love it when they trick or treat. :-)

Anonymous said...

I agree that "scary susan" is too cute to be scary!! I was going to suggest grasshoppers too (about your KK) because they are doing some serious damage to my plants right now. I hope you get some rain, that will help everything.

encantadora said...

Every garden needs a scarecrow! Susan makes a great addition and will find her own usefulness, even if it's not scaring anything away. ; )

Shady Gardener said...

Encantadora, Thanks for your visit. I agree... every garden should have a scare-the-crows! ;-)