My Brilliant Idea and a Gopher Update

Well, gopher first.  The little bastard has briefly outsmarted me.  It set dummy holes along the back planter, which were about three feet above the holes I pictured Monday.  I set my trap, only to get squat.  Removing the trap, I put my hand in the tunnel and realized it was filled two inches further down.  The best I can figure is the little bastard comes straight up, then the hole fills over the evening.  Looking at new mounds revealed no tunnels.  I decided to smooth everything out and wait for tomorrow to see if there are any new mounds.  You have won this minor skirmish, my adversary, but I will win the war!!  Woo-ha-ha-ha.......

Now, to my brilliant idea.  I have spoke before about our wisteria.  Well, my wife and I (not the kids, they couldn't care less) realized that the post I set up for the wisteria to grow up was going to create a problem.

Yes, there as a 2x2 post in there.  We realized once the wisteria grew, that it would be impossible to get the post out, since the wisteria had wrapped itself around it like a stripper in a Las Vegas club.  Not that I would know anything about that.

We decided it would be best to pull the post out (too many visuals regarding Vegas) and tie the wisteria to it, rather then allow it to wrap itself around it.  That way as the trunk thickens (this just keeps getting better) we can remove the post and the plant should stand on its own, as it did before we tried to kill it.  So, after the obligatory pints (Killian's Irish Red, if you must know), I decided to attack the stripper plant.

Surprisingly, the post slipped out easily.  Stop it.  I mean it.  Stop.  This is the now limp plant next to the hard rod.  I used a couple pieces of that green stretchy garden stuff that I'm sure has a name, but I'll refer to as the rubber.  Tied the plant off in a couple of places and propped it back up.

Erecting the limp plant on the post put it right back where it was, and was obviously most happy.  But, then who wouldn't be.

In the winter the wisteria will go dormant (at least it does here, and I'm hoping that's normal), and we'll cut it back to one or two trunks.  In the meantime, off to the showers.

Flowery Viney Things

'Scarlet Pimpernel' Dipladenia.  A really little one.  The flowers look pink, but they are much more red and actually turns a deep scarlet as the plant matures.  This is another that we had in our house in Huntington Beach.  Don't worry, I've think we've run out of plants to duplicate here.  It wasn't a very big house.

This one we are going to train to go up a pyramid trellis, which you can't see in this picture.  That's because it's still sitting at the nursery waiting for us to come purchase it.  But fear not, loyal reader, for we will be happy to share once we get it.  These, I think, grow fairly quickly, so that purchase had better be made soon.

P.S.  I failed to mention, due to my refusal to relive it, that our beloved Tottenham Hotspur fell to relegated Burnley last Sunday.  No matter, as Arsenal won, so there was no possibility of third.  We still finished fourth and qualified for Champion's League, which Spurs have never done before.  Congratulations to the lads from the west side of the big land mass west of the pond.