blahThis has effectively sucked my will to care about the outdoor plants since the portulacas were my one big splurge and took 2.5 weeks to germinate. (The seed packet said 7-10 days, but it's been chillier than expected for nighttime temps. I don't have anyplace to start seeds inside out of the midget's reach.) I can completely ignore the daylilies out front, the indeterminate bulbs out back (the landlord mowed them down after they bloomed last year) and the clematis that still needs to be planted outside.
I'm still cranky about the loss of my one splurge. There's no point in starting more from seed if they're just going to be accidentally killed because I can't be sure they're out of her reach 24/7. Himself offered to replace them with potted ones, but I doubt Lowe's will carry them (their primary outdoor potted plants lately are pansies, shrubbery and small trees) and I can't think of any nurseries that might have them closer than Raleigh. It's not worth three hours of her screaming in the car for flowers, especially annuals.
On a satisfying note, one of the many stupid dogs in the neighborhood (stupid owners, really; leash law means nothing to them) found the plastic bag of grass seed and fertilizer waiting on the deck for me to reseed a car-sized patch in the yard and tore into it. I'd like to hope it doesn't make the dog sick, but if it does I hope it reduces the number of dogs in my yard.
I'm cranky to a lesser extent about the dogs; one forced its way under the house last week and banged around under there for a good half hour, scrapping my sleep block for the day. Luckily it forced its way in at the one short section of skirting, so there's only 2.5-3' that may need replacing... I can't complain to the landlord about it though since the dog was probably going after a cat that lives under there. We like the cat since we know the house had a mouse problem before I moved in, but the landlord considers them an infestation. Funny that mice, fireants and cockroaches aren't a problem but one feral cat that pretty much avoids people is.
