Checking In on the Magic Bean Stalks

Ha roo, pupper-oohs! It's me - Zim! I thought it was time for another p-update on my bean stalks! You know, the ones I'm growing from the magic beans my aunt sent! Yeah, those ones!

Mom and I went into the back yard, and I stopped to check out the pots under the Purple Ash tree. Mom had poppies in there, but had to replace them with portulaca when the you-know-whats ate them. I think Am filled us in on those. Anyroo... I checked those first.

Hey, Mom! Looks like something's been eating the portulaca!

We walked a little further, so I could go check on other stuff. When I turned around, this is what I saw:

Hey, Zim! Wait for me!

Oh, NO! Not only are they getting bold ... but what about my magic bean stalks!?!? We raced right over! I was so worried about them!

Whew! They look OK. I guess drowning them in Bunny-Be-Gone every week is working. This one made me smile.

Glad you're OK, magic bean stalk!

Here's the line up of all three pots. They're looking good, aren't they?

Mom hit them with more Bunny-Be-Gone this morning. Even still, I'm going to have to keep close watch over them!

Before I close, it's our buddy Echo's birthday today! Surf on over to the Daily Echo and wish him a happy day!

Play bows,
Zim

Magic Beans!

Ha roo, everypup! Zim here!

I realize we haven't posted any (p)updates on our exploration into the Land of the Giant lately. Truth is ... we've been concerned about an escape route. Back in September, I posted about the really cool Beanstalk I grew one year from Magic Beans that our Aunt Janet sent. They are something called annuals, so you have to plant them every year. Only I didn't save any Magic Beans to grow more. What's a Sibe to do? Obvious - send a mind-meld message to my aunt for more Magic Beans, please!

So guess what came in the mail on Saturday!?!?! A package from Aunt Janet! Ha roooo! And even better - what's in it? MAGIC BEANS! For all kinds of stuff! But ... any Magic Beans for the Beanstalk?

Hmm... Daylilies.... French Hollyhocks...

Poppies ... Columbine ... Whoa! BINGO! Here it is - the Beanstalk!!!

Stormy told me I should go on-line and research the Magic Beans a little. The plants they grow are called Hyacinth Bean Vines - and their Latin name is Lablab Purpureus. "Lab-lab"? And one link is to a place called "Dave's Garden"? Ha roo roo roo. Toss in his purple collar, and it's just way too funny. But anyroo....... there you go with some cool links for more info on the Magic Beans!

Apparently we have to wait until it gets a little warmer to plant our Magic Beans - but as soon as the time is right, Mom said she's found a special spot for them out in the back yard. Ha roooo! I can't wait. Then - once we have our escape route - we'll get back to tracking down the Giant!

Play bows, everypup - and a special thanks to Aunt Janet for the Magic Beans!
Zim

Magic Beans...talk

Ha roo, pups! Zim here! I thought we should talk a little bit about my Magic Beanstalks today. Amber helped me with the title of today's post ... can you tell? Ha roo roo roo!

As you may remember, Aunt Janet sent us some magic beans back in April. Mom and I planted them so the rest of the Ao4 and I could have an escape route, should we need a quick get-away from the Giant! We've posted a few p-updates, so you could follow our magic beanstalks as they grow. We've had a few challenges, with the heat, drought, BUNNIES and bugs ... but they're really coming along. Everysibe has been helping keep an eye on them, which is really nice.

I went out to do my own inspection the other day and thought I'd show you how exciting and cool the magic bean vines are getting! Here I am by the one at the base of the stairs to the lower deck.

Hey! I see little flowers! They're starting to bloom!

I checked the leaves over real well to see if there were any bugs on them, then couldn't resist tasting some of those pretty buds!

Mmmmm, tasty!

I have no idea why, but Mom started that funny "nononoZimmieno!" thing. Whose magic beanstalks does she think they are!?!? I mean ... really! Here's a shot of it from this morning, after we watered:

And here is another one of the pots:

Aren't they looking GREAT?!?! Here are a couple close-ups of the blooms:

We saw a hummingbird on them yesterday, but couldn't get a picture. It was really cool - those are some FAST birdies!

Before we know it, they'll be full of big purple BEANS! I wonder if Mom will cook some for us this year? I love beans!

That's all the magic beans....talk for today! Have a good one, everypup!

Play bows,
Zim

Magic Bean P-Update!

Ha roo, pups! It's me, Zim! A big THANK ROO to everypup for sticking up for me yesterday after all those false accusations! It's good to have friends!

Hey, remember a few months ago when I got the package of Magic Beans from my Aunt Janet?!?! I thought I'd give you a p-update on how everything is doing!

I helped Mom plant some oriental poppies in the pots under the Purple Ash tree in the backyard. Unfortunately, while Mom was trying to sprinkle the tiny seeds in one of the pots, a big gust of Kansas wind blew in - and the whole packet went into the pot. Oh well ... we figured we could thin them out later. They came in really good - there were tons of little seedlings in there! So... the other day, I went over to check out how they were doing.

Hey... where did all the little poppies go?

That's funny ... there were so many in there ... and now they're almost all gone! I had to sit down and think this through. We've been watering and everything ... where could they have gone?

Hey! Hey! What's up there?

Tell your Aunt Janet they were deeeee-licious!

Oh, PUP! I'm sure glad Mom sprayed Bunny-Be-Gone on my Magic Beans to grow my Beanstalk! I better go check those out!

Whew! This one looks OK!

We put three pots in, so I think we have a chance of getting a good escape route if the Giant ever comes after us! I should give them a little encouragement!

C'mon, little bean-ling! You can do it!

That's our p-update for now! I'll keep you posted.

Play bows,
Zim

We've Got Beans!

Ha roo, everypup! It's me - Zim! I thought it was time for a Magic Bean Update! It's been a really hot, dry Summer, so that - combined with a late hard freeze back around Easter - has really taken a toll on all of our plants. Not to mention the bunnies and the bugs ... though I guess I just mentioned them! Mom said she's just happy most of our stuff is alive!

I went out through the screened-in deck and noticed something funny. Hey! What's this?

I don't remember having a rose bush here! And what are these little guys!!?!?

Mom said Aunt Janet sent us the rose bush and some butterfly weeds! Cool! Thanks, Aunt Janet! On to check out my beanstalks!

I wanted to be sure we were watering it well enough, so I stuck my snooter in there to investigate.

Oh, yeah. Nice and moist. And HEY! What's THIS!?!?!

Beans!

How exciting! We've got purple beans! This is so exciting! Our beanstalks didn't get real lush and plush and huge like they did the first time we grew them, but we had all those challenges I told you about before. Now that we have beans, Aunt Janet said we can leave them on the vine until they dry out, then save them to plant next year! How COOL! She's a Master Gardener, so she knows these things.

Here's what the line up of Magic Beanstalks looks like now:

Pretty cool, huh? See the ornamental grass in the sort of upper right hand side of the picture? That's one of the Purple Fountain Grasses that was on the lower deck. Stormy told you about those a while ago. Mom removed a special kind of Euonymus Pauli bush, called a Dead Euonymus Pauli. It gets too wet there, so Mom pulled out the special plant, dug in a deep saucer, then set the potted Purple Fountain Grass on it. It's stable, and is elevated enough that the water problem there won't effect it like it did the Dead Euonymus Pauli. I'm pretty sure Stormy told her to do that!

Here's a shot of the Magic Beanstalks, the fountain grass (can you tell the wind was kicking up?), and hey - right smack in the middle! See where that white tag is? That's the rose bush! The two plants to the left of the grass are Euonymus Pauli that are actually alive.

We really don't think the Magic Beanstalks will get much bigger, but we're really happy to have seeds for next year!

Here's where we put the Butterfly Weed plants in.

They're just beyond the Becky Daisies and (in this shot) in front of the Blue Fescue and the Dead Blue Fescue Grasses. They'll add a great splash of color down there, according to Dave!

That's my garden P-update for today! Isn't it exciting about the BEANS?!?!?!?

Play bows, all!
Zim

Ao4 Headquarters Flag!

Tail wags, pups! It's me, Stormy, with some incredibly exciting news! You've heard Zim mention our Aunt Janet before - she's the Master Gardener who sent Zim the Magic Beans to grow the Magic Bean Stalk, remember? Yeah, that's her!

Well... Mom and Dad got a Christmas package from her a while ago! Mom let her know they got it, and Aunt Janet was all excited and asked Mom, "Isn't it the 25th today?" Dave thought that maybe they use a different calendar in Virginia ... but I think Aunt Janet was dropping hints to OPEN THE PACKAGE! The next time Mom spoke to her, Aunt Janet once again implied that it was already the 25th ... but Mom waited. Finally, she couldn't take it any more and decided to open it! There was a cute little sock monkey Santa tied to the package - Zim really liked it.

Come on, Sock Monkey Santa ... let's take a nap!

Mom let him snuggle with it for a little while, then he traded it in for a cookie.

Then Mom unwrapped the big gift and started making all kinds of those noises bipeds make when they're happy and excited! She "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed and "Ican'tbelieveitlookathowgorgeousthisis"-ed!!! We didn't pay her much mind ... until she unfurled it for all of us to see! Check this out!!!

It's our very own flag for Ao4 Headquarters!!! Is it the most incredible thing you've ever seen!?!?!? Our very own flag!!! Mom got us to pose by it - a challenge for her, to be sure, but we were semi-cooperative!

How cool is this? The flag, going CLOCKWISE, starting in the upper left corner, is Amber, Dave, Zim then me. Then our set-up, going COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, starting in the lower right corner, is Amber, Dave, Zim then me. Kind of a diagonal mirror image thing. Does this mess with anypup's head? I thought it was cool and had to point it out.

We've tasked Mom to go buy a pole, so Dad doesn't have to hold it up all the time like he is in the photo. We will hang it outside once we have a bit more of a thaw. (The biped weather forecasters are calling for SNOW tomorrow; I'll see what Am has to say later!) We're so excited! All the world will know THIS is Ao4 Headquarters! Ha roooooo!

Thank you, Aunt Janet! And kudos to the craftswoman who made this! It's GORGEOUS! We love it! Oh - and Mom and Dad do, too!

Tail wags,
Storm

Zimmie and the Beanstalk

Let's call this one Zimmie and the Beanstalk!Remember a couple days ago? Dave posted about him and Storms finding the Giant's straws! Roo! Buster had this great idea about making sure we have an escape route if the Giant catches us -- like a BEANSTALK or something! I grew one a few years ago from some magic beans mom's sister sent her. She's a Master Gardener, so these beans worked really good! Here I am, by my bean stalk. Cool, huh?

I'm going to see what I can do to have her send more magic beans. We need to grow another bean stalk... just in case!

Oh... those are pix of me from only a few months after I adopted the family. That's why I look a little different! It was before DAVE even got here!

Off to try to email my aunt. Wish me luck!

Play bows,

Zim

New Family Member?

Hi everypuppy! It's me - Amber! I think all of us have told you about our bunny problem, haven't we? Dave posted about a stare-down in the back yard about a week ago ... Zim has been so worried about his Magic Bean Stalks ... Stormy saw one way before we did, but thought it might be the Easter Bunny ... and I've seen a bunny in the back yard AND a bunny out front! I guess what I'm trying to say is they're all over the place around here!!!

There is one little bunny who started out as a wee little baby who spends a lot of time in our front yard. For a while there, he'd come running when he saw us! I don't understand this, but Mom would yell, "No, no, no, little bunny!" and pull our leashes really hard and make us run into the house. The bunny was chasing us and Mom made us run away!!! Who's side is she on?

Anyroo.... we're starting to accept that these guys are around - and the little bun out front is now living right under our Mugho pine at the end of the driveway. We have to walk past this bush to get just about anywhere ... and I look for the bunny EVERY time I go outside now. I'll have to see if Mom can get a picture of me checking for ...Oswald.

Yes, that's right. We're calling him Oswald. He's really made himself right at home here and I'm not sure I like that ... but check this out! We in the family all get our pictures taken by our Support Our Troops sign ... like this picture of Zimmie and me!

Well .... guess who's posing by our sign now!?!?!

Oooh, what a lovely sign! Would you like me to pose by it?

I support our troops, too!

This doesn't mean Oswald is a member of the family, does it? I think things are getting a little bit out of control around here! I'm more than willing to ... ummm... "relocate" Oswald, but Mom doesn't seem to approve of how I'd do it. Hrumph. Oswald. Hrumph.

Love,
Amber

Search Engine!

Hey pups! It's me - Zim! Our friends at the MaPaw Siberian Husky Rescue have come up with a great way we can all help raise money for homeless Siberians! Just by using this search engine:

they will receive money for their rescue group! That's right! Every time you click there and use the search engine, they will receive a penny. On the surface, it might not seem like a huge amount, but those pennies add up over time! And how many internet searches do you do every week? Here at Ao4 Headquarters, we do oodles! Why not let those searches help out a great cause?!!?

We're going to try to upload the cool graphic and link to our sidebar, but I'm not having good fortune in that area right now. I have a few things to do, then I'll give it another go at it.

Is that cappuccino?

OK... now I'm ready to go help Mom do the watering out back and check on my magic bean vines!

It's exhausting work, but somepuppy has to do it.

A little more on the Dwarf Fountain Grasses!

Have a great day, everypup - and remember to do some searching to raise money for MaPaw!

Play bows,
Zim