Just read this article in Garden Gate magazine and wanted to save it because I love metal, especially rusted metal in the garden.

metal ornaments in the garden

If you like the look of rusted metal ornaments in your garden, you’re in luck. Left unprotected, anything made of iron or steel will rust naturally when exposed to air and water. Copper, zinc and aluminum will corrode when exposed to the elements but things made from galvanized metal or stainless steel won’t rust at all.

Want to speed the process? Carefully spray a mixture of 1 cup each of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, plus a teaspoon of salt, onto a steel or iron surface. Hose it off after an hour or so. You can also create a faux-rust on any paintable surface. Craft stores have a number of paints and solutions that’ll give your garden ornaments a rusty look.

Sometimes rust forms where you’d rather not have it, such as on chairs or handrails. In that case, remove it and apply a good protective paint, like Rust-Oleum^®, to keep the surface clean. Light rust can be removed by applying a runny paste of lemon juice and table salt and letting it set for five to 10 minutes. Scrub with sandpaper to remove.

And although rust in the soil won’t hurt your plants, some of the chemicals mentioned here may. So protect your plants and yourself when you use them.

It has been a little hot around the old homestead this week. Today it topped a hundred degrees. I got through weed whacking about half the back yard before I melted and retreated to the air conditioned house. The pool is an interesting mix of green algae and chemicals. The native plants are doing great, the more traditional landscaping is hating life. Another month of this, with the mandatory water rationing, and I'll be looking like this guy.

This is God's rototiller. I've covered the back yard with 3" of wood chips, and these pocket gophers have successfully integrated the chips into the topsoil. They also manage to feed the local egrets and provide a snack for Digger and Scooby. This handout on the little tillers has provided little help in managing their population. My motto, and key to a normal blood pressure is to plant enough for them too.

Spring has definitely sprung around here. The wildlife preserve is filled with lupines and these yellow flowers that were hydroseeded after the Army Corps of Engineers finished their project.

The dogs love sniffing around out there (but Scooby especially). I think she looks like a lioness as she prowls through the savannah.

The Forest Pansy was the first tree to show the signs of the new season, but the pomegranate is poised to erupt into blooms soon.

Clearly, my favorite is the Monkey Flower, which blooms earliest of all, and draws in the hummingbirds like crazy. Unfortunately, all these blooms remind me of all the things I wanted to get done this winter, but never got around to it. I think I'll nap in the swing and ponder that for a while.

Well, it has been a month without a post, so an update is overdue. Rain. Lots of it. We've also been immersed in basketball practice and games. None of this should be news, so I really shouldn't be bothered by the lack of progress, but I can't help but feel a little guilty/lazy.

The native plants are loving all this rain. This Monkey Flower has exploded with blossoms, and has nearly doubled in size.

The Manzanita too is blooming. Some people think the blossoms look like Asian paper lanterns, but they remind me of Victorian dresses. That is Scooby in the background. Every time I stoop for a photo, she rushes over to see if I found something to eat.

Anyone know any secrets on weeding around the Chaparral Yucca and Blue Agave? I need welder's gloves and full face shield to get in there. Last year I tried flaming the grass out with a torch, but ALL the plants got burned. I'd love to hear ideas (other than a good mulch next year).

As I was walking up the driveway tonight after putting the trash cans out, it struck me that, while a little late for the period, our home really is an atomic-ranch.

Being the attention hound that she is, I'm sure Scooby was a little put off by not having a photo on the blog like Digger. Of course, she never sat still long enough for a portrait, but here she is in an action shot as I was spreading the new mulch between the Coast Sunflowers and the manzanita.

I found that the large green waste can makes a terrific transport vehicle for the wood chips that are going to the back yard. I can fit at least two wheelbarrow's worth inside and it is much easier to navigate too. I managed to get at least eight cans full moved into the back, but I broke the rake handle, so I need a trip to Lowe's. Damn.