Photos of Our Outdoor Russian Tortoise Enclosure and Garden

Oxalis

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I am looking forward to another season of photos and prose of Steve in his garden. Thank you for taking the time to share.
Thanks for the kind note! I looked outside this morning and decided that it's a great day to stay in! Hurray for Michigan ice storms in April!! :confused:

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Pearly

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Loving your thread! Been off the forum for a while a missed a big chunk of your garden growth. Looked AWESOME last summer! Can’t wait to see your updates as things wake back up to life now. Steve is a lucky tort[emoji217]
 

Jay Bagley

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Thanks for the kind note! I looked outside this morning and decided that it's a great day to stay in! Hurray for Michigan ice storms in April!! :confused:

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You sure weren't kidding about that ice storm. I'm here in Ottawa County Michigan, we were coming home from a wedding last night there were cars spinning out all over the highway last night. Your outdoor enclosure is very beautiful looking.
 

Oxalis

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Loving your thread! Been off the forum for a while a missed a big chunk of your garden growth. Looked AWESOME last summer! Can’t wait to see your updates as things wake back up to life now. Steve is a lucky tort[emoji217]
Many thanks, @Pearly! You're awesome!
You sure weren't kidding about that ice storm. I'm here in Ottawa County Michigan, we were coming home from a wedding last night there were cars spinning out all over the highway last night. Your outdoor enclosure is very beautiful looking.
Isn't living in Michigan great? I think Steve keeps wondering why he can't go outside yet... o_O
 

Jay Bagley

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LOL I know Sheldon hates it as well. Half inch of snow out there right now, I think they're calling for 50 by Thursday I believe and 60 by Friday or Saturday. So so looking forward to that
 

Oxalis

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Steve has finally been able to go outside! Nothing stops the dandelions, so he's had plenty of those greens to eat as well as a few asters, evening primrose, and a geranium. He also found a new favorite area to burrow!

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Oxalis

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Plants in the enclosure are still coming back to life after a cold winter. He has a new tall bellflower (Campanula spp.) and some yellow hawkweed I pulled from Steve's grandparents' yard. Hopefully these grow!

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Mmmm, dandelion flower!

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Oxalis

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We just had a lot of rain but the sun finally returned. So the plants are all very happy! Stevie only got 3 new ones from WIldtype Nursery this spring: Monarda fistulosa (bee balm); Monarda punctata (horsemint); and Mimulus ringens (monkey flower). Clearly his garden is short on space. :rolleyes:

There are sprouts everywhere! I'm pretty sure I threw some seeds down, so I'm waiting to see what plants come up before I start yanking them out. I've already removed some dandelions to make space for other plants. His coreopsis plants are all doing well (he has at least 3 varieties), but I'm not sure the coneflower is growing back.

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Some of the plants are doing better than others since we had a late frost after the plants had started growing for the spring. :( The mulberry bush only has one branch growing leaves at the moment, so I'm hopeful it recovers. (The mulberry is in the top left corner.) I'm doubtful his cactus made it through the winter though. The native asters reseeded very well, and a phlox is coming back with a vengeance.

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The native geranium has already flowered. I love it!

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Steve enjoyed dandelion flowers, as usual, and then played some hide-and-seek. He was having a shy day.

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Oxalis

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The geranium and hawkweed are blooming now.

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The native Hibiscus moscheutos has really taken off! In the back right is my leafless dwarf mulberry bush (Morus rubra), which may have been damaged by our late frost. :'(

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Steve enjoyed some time outside before the rains came. We're currently experiencing our annual June "snow" of cottonwood seeds.

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There were no dandelion survivors. :p

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MrMarg&me

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Just love your tort garden. Cute, cute pic of Steve snagging a dandelion flower. I am always happy when I find a new post of yours in my inbox. I read a lot of garden blogs. You have a tort garden! My favorite!:)
 

Oxalis

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Just love your tort garden. Cute, cute pic of Steve snagging a dandelion flower. I am always happy when I find a new post of yours in my inbox. I read a lot of garden blogs. You have a tort garden! My favorite!:)
Thanks so much! I never thought I'd enjoy gardening so much, until I found I could garden for my tortoise. :<3::<3::<3:
 

Millerlite

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Neat enclosure, and awesome progress of the seasons. Your lucky you only have one hungry fella. My group keeps my grass and weeds down to dirt, I have to rotate sides to give them a chance to grow. haha. Your little russian seems like a happy little guy!

Kyle
 

Oxalis

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Looking great! Keep the updates coming. .....but i read that you were pulling up/out dandelions ? Say it aint so.
Yup, only because the dandies had to be troublesome and grow in almost the same spot as some other plants. :mad: But I promise Steve has plenty! There's always some plant that tries to take over the garden. :rolleyes:
 
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