Showing posts with label Yard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yard. Show all posts
The Garden in July - Big News!
Well, it's big news to me, at least. I doubled the size of the garden this year, from 6 beds (12' x 4') to 12. And the yard also got fenced - finally! The dogs are LOVING it - especially Katy, who figured out really quickly that she can squeeze under the fence at the low spots - grrrr.
One of the benefits of installing the fence was being able to put perennial plants along it - aka I finally have fruit!! (Well, the potential to have fruit in 2-5 years). But because I am cheap frugal, I waited until later in the season to take advantage of end-of-season sales that most large garden centres start in July. Of course, July isn't the best time to plant things, and added to the hot, dry year we are having....
Oh well. The sales, combined with a $50 gift certificate for a big box home renovation store that also has a garden centre (thanks, Air Miles), allowed me to get 5 currants (2 red, 1 white currant and 2 black) 3 blueberries (all different varieties, since that increases fertilization), 2 rhubarb and one more Concord grape to join the two other grapes (one Concord, one white whose variety I've forgotten!) that I bought last fall and over-wintered in the pots - all hail a mild winter! Yes, Concord grapes - the bane of our local wine industry. Trust me, and anyone else who drank Niagara red wine prior to the 90s - Concords do NOT make good wine! But they are the BEST variety for grape juice and especially jelly.
None of the plants are looking fantastic, and I think I'm going to lose one of the rhubarbs, in spite of daily, deep watering, but 13 (or 12, depending on the fate of the rhubarb) fruit plants for under $55... not bad! If I bought at regular prices, and didn't have the gift certificate, I would have spent well over $130.
I still need to move the asparagus from one of the garden beds into it's own bed, and find a space for raspberries and strawberries. The herb garden and mints are also going to be moved, giving me all 12 beds for my veggie garden. But I'm going to wait a few more weeks to start that - the plants will have a better chance at surviving the transplanting if it's cooler.
Despite the past few days being full of clouds and thunderstorms, we've had no significant rain. In fact, the sprinkles we've gotten over the past two days came in well under 1/4" - nowhere near enough. So, if you are looking for me, I'll be out watering...
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| New garden beds! |
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| New fence! Hello neighbour dog! |
Oh well. The sales, combined with a $50 gift certificate for a big box home renovation store that also has a garden centre (thanks, Air Miles), allowed me to get 5 currants (2 red, 1 white currant and 2 black) 3 blueberries (all different varieties, since that increases fertilization), 2 rhubarb and one more Concord grape to join the two other grapes (one Concord, one white whose variety I've forgotten!) that I bought last fall and over-wintered in the pots - all hail a mild winter! Yes, Concord grapes - the bane of our local wine industry. Trust me, and anyone else who drank Niagara red wine prior to the 90s - Concords do NOT make good wine! But they are the BEST variety for grape juice and especially jelly.
None of the plants are looking fantastic, and I think I'm going to lose one of the rhubarbs, in spite of daily, deep watering, but 13 (or 12, depending on the fate of the rhubarb) fruit plants for under $55... not bad! If I bought at regular prices, and didn't have the gift certificate, I would have spent well over $130.
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| Grape! One benefit of chain link fences - no additional fencing needed to support the vines. |
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| Rhubarb - I cannot wait for next spring! |
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| The row of currants and blueberries. |
Despite the past few days being full of clouds and thunderstorms, we've had no significant rain. In fact, the sprinkles we've gotten over the past two days came in well under 1/4" - nowhere near enough. So, if you are looking for me, I'll be out watering...
July Garden Update
a.k.a. "Does anyone want to pay my water bill"?
Like most of the rest of the North American continent, we are dry, dry, dry here. And hot.
July is normally hot and dry - but it's been hot and dry since May. And that is not normal. According to the Ag Canada drought watch, this area has received less than 60% of normal precipitation for the growing season.
Do you know what happens when it's that dry? Your grass goes dormant in May, instead of in August. You get cracks in your lawn that are large enough to swallow a small dog. And that's in the low-lying area that floods in wet years!
That is a bare spot, but the cracks are all over. And they are DEEP. And this is an area right next to the vegetable garden, which has been getting water - hence the green grass.
But even with watering, I've had many crop failures: the spinach bolted almost before it grew, and the Swiss chard simply didn't get large enough to pick. Most of the brassicas bolted, except the kale, collards and cabbages. However, the heat lovers, like tomatoes and peppers, are loving the conditions. I've already picked almost a dozen tomatoes (the first one on July 12!) and a couple of hot peppers. Everything else seems to be holding on, but only because it's a small enough garden that I can water it.
The local farmers are looking at more crop failures if it doesn't rain a lot, and soon. And this comes after the projected 80-100% loss of the local fruit crops, thanks to an insanely warm March followed by a cold, frosty April.
Which makes me glad I have a garden, even if I do have to water it. Because food prices are going to go up, and it's going to be a scary year, I think.
Since this post is getting long enough, I do more specific updates in separate posts. Stay tuned!
Like most of the rest of the North American continent, we are dry, dry, dry here. And hot.
July is normally hot and dry - but it's been hot and dry since May. And that is not normal. According to the Ag Canada drought watch, this area has received less than 60% of normal precipitation for the growing season.
Do you know what happens when it's that dry? Your grass goes dormant in May, instead of in August. You get cracks in your lawn that are large enough to swallow a small dog. And that's in the low-lying area that floods in wet years!
That is a bare spot, but the cracks are all over. And they are DEEP. And this is an area right next to the vegetable garden, which has been getting water - hence the green grass.
But even with watering, I've had many crop failures: the spinach bolted almost before it grew, and the Swiss chard simply didn't get large enough to pick. Most of the brassicas bolted, except the kale, collards and cabbages. However, the heat lovers, like tomatoes and peppers, are loving the conditions. I've already picked almost a dozen tomatoes (the first one on July 12!) and a couple of hot peppers. Everything else seems to be holding on, but only because it's a small enough garden that I can water it.
The local farmers are looking at more crop failures if it doesn't rain a lot, and soon. And this comes after the projected 80-100% loss of the local fruit crops, thanks to an insanely warm March followed by a cold, frosty April.
Which makes me glad I have a garden, even if I do have to water it. Because food prices are going to go up, and it's going to be a scary year, I think.
Since this post is getting long enough, I do more specific updates in separate posts. Stay tuned!
She is going to be the death of me...
This is what I found when I went to let the dogs in after a potty run at 5:30 am this morning.
Fortunately, after 30 minutes of driving around looking for
Really, I don't NEED this much excitement in my life.
Next up: the installation of the new fence.
I heart Freecycle!
It doesn't look like much, but this is actually
There are 2 more large gardens the homeowners want to get rid of (complete with edging bricks), so those will be up for grabs as well, eventually. Hell, given the wife has two small children and is expecting the third, soon, I might just offer to dig them out for her - once this heat breaks! It took more than 45 minutes to load the car (really - these suckers are HEAVY, and I had to cart them from their backyard to my car, parked on the road), and I was literally DRENCHED with sweat when I was done. It. Is. Hot.
But back to Freecycle. You all know about Freecycle, right? The site where people post unwanted items, for free, or post wanted items, to see if anyone has it to give away. Did you note that this is all free? As in no cost? Gratis? Free?
But the "free" isn't the best part of Freecycle. The best part? Keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill, and giving them to people who can actually use them. Getting rid of your junk, and knowing someone else is finding it treasure.
Really - go sign up for your local one now. They are all on yahoo groups (I think) - just google "Freecycle" plus the name of your city, and it should pop up. I'll wait. Go. GO NOW! Really. Just do it.
Are you back? Did you sign up? Good!
In all seriousness, Freecycle has to be one of the BEST things on the web. I joined the four local ones here about 2 years ago, and I admit - 99.9999% of the stuff posted is either stuff I'm not interested in, or stuff that is taken by the time I read about it (I get the daily digest, instead of individual posts, which means fewer e-mails, but more time lapsed between posts and my reading them, which means many things are already given away, but that's okay).
To date, I've given away a lot of the extra flooring that was stored here when I bought the house (and no, I didn't want to keep it and try to re-use it - none of it was enough to do any one area, and I don't want either laminate or parquet anyhow), and I've received an "antique" dining room table plus six chairs - all solid wood, and while it needs to be refinished, it was free. (And I'm thinking of getting it painted a glossy black, which I think will go really well with the almost-lime-green colour I'm painting the kitchen and dining room, but I haven't told anyone that yet, because people will think I'm nuts. Maybe. Still deciding on the black. Pretty set on the green though. Maybe.)
Anyhow...
The bricks. I'm telling you, these are heavy-duty bricks. While I'm not the strongest person I know, I'm also not a 98-pound weakling, and I could only tote four of these at a time (partly because of the weight, partly because bricks are somewhat awkward to carry). The lovely neighbour came out to help, once she saw what I was doing, and brought over a dolly to help.
We broke the dolly. Sorry, lovely neighbour :(
So now, I have 98 bricks to use around the place. Stay tuned for future projects.....
Wordless Wednesdays - July 6, 2011
Iris, bought at the "year end" sales last summer, and plopped in the vegetable garden for now. And did you really think I could publish a picture without dogs? :)
Happy summer solstice eve!!!
I thought it would be a good time to post an update on those lilacs I planted a while back.
Don't they look great??
What?
Really? You don't believe me?
Okay, fine. Yes, all the little free ones died. Since they didn't have much of a root system, I'm not too surprised. A bit disappointed, but not surprised. It was still worth the attempt though. So, today, I went to the garden centre, and bought four new ones to replace them. While costing significantly more, the silver lining here is that I got four different varieties, and so will have a nice show of flowers (hopefully) in the years to come.
From front to back:
Syringa pubescens microphylla 'Superba': littleleaf lilac with rosy pink flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'Aucubaefolia': double blue flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'President Poincare': magenta red flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation': purple and white flowers
What?
Really? You don't believe me?
Okay, fine. Yes, all the little free ones died. Since they didn't have much of a root system, I'm not too surprised. A bit disappointed, but not surprised. It was still worth the attempt though. So, today, I went to the garden centre, and bought four new ones to replace them. While costing significantly more, the silver lining here is that I got four different varieties, and so will have a nice show of flowers (hopefully) in the years to come.
From front to back:
Syringa pubescens microphylla 'Superba': littleleaf lilac with rosy pink flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'Aucubaefolia': double blue flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'President Poincare': magenta red flowers
Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation': purple and white flowers
Every good deed has a silver lining.
The price tag for good deeds is very steep these day. And so begins the Great Lawnmower Saga of 2011...
You see, the neighbours went away a couple of weeks ago. Being a nice person (I can hear you laughing, you know), I decided to mow their lawn for them just before they came home, figuring that's the last thing I'd want to do right after a vacation!
However, I didn't realize there was a metal pipe of some sort poking up though the lawn. A pipe, capped with a flat metal piece held on by two bolts.
Well, one bolt now, since I sheared off the other one with my mower. And killed my mower in the process. Although I'm not that mechanically inclined, I figured it was dead when I turned it over, and all the innards fell out. I'm intuitive like that.
Of course, the two hostas planted in the middle of the neighbour's front yard now make much more sense - too bad I didn't realize they are there to mark the location of the pipe!
Now, my mower was a very cheap, very basic electric mower, that has served me well since I bought it two years ago, and if it was still in working order, I'd still be using it. But, as I've put more gardens in the yard, it has gotten more and more frustrating to drag a 100' power cord behind me, trying to make sure it's not dragging over something I want to keep alive. Mowing has gone from something I really enjoy, to just another chore to be gotten through.
I thought long and hard when it came time to pick another mower. I really do like the idea of electric mowers, and I like reel ones even better, but the reality is I'm getting older every year, and my yard is not getting any smaller or easier to mow. I also wanted a bagger, which would allow me to bag up that wonderful nitrogen (in the form of grass clipping and fallen leaves) and use it for mulch or add it to the compost.
So I caved.
I went gas powered. Yep, a horribly polluting, expensive, gas powered lawn mower. Oddly enough, the first one I have ever used (growing up, our yards were always large enough we had riding mowers). Of course, buying a lawn mower, like usual for me, was easier said than done.
I tried Walmart: No, we don't have that model, it's in the warehouse, I mean on a truck, I mean it's been ordered, no I can't tell you when it will get here, no I can't hold it for you, no no no no no. But feel free to go out of your way every day to stop in (oh, I guess you could phone) and see if we have it yet.
No thanks.
I tried (and I really should know better) Home Depot: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Go to customer disservice, ask for help. Seasonal paged to the lawnmower section. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Guy walks by on his way home, realizes I'm waiting, pages seasonal to lawnmowers again. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Clerk approaches... and veers off to help someone with a patio set (all the while looking at me, so she knows I'm waiting for help). Customer leaves, clerk heads in my direction.... only to answer the phone, and spend five minutes talking to someone looking for a part. That's when I lost it, and went back to customer disservice. A bit of a rant later, I got a very nice lady (Liz from Liverpool) to help - she answers my questions, and brings the mower I selected up to cash.
It's the wrong mower.
Wait, wait, wait, wait wait. She brings another mower up to cash. It rings up $50 less than it should have, but I just thought it was on sale (I really, really, really, really, really should know better). We struggle to get it into the car - the only way it will fit is to take it out of the box and tip it into the back seat. We realize this after scratching the back bumper trying to get it into the trunk. Grrrrrr....
Get it home, get it out of the back seat...
It's the wrong mower.
I had figured I would have trouble starting a mower with a pull cord thingy, so I splurged for the key-start feature. No key start on this mower. The one thing I really wanted...
Now, I was in Home Depot for AN HOUR AND A HALF, trying to buy a damn lawn mower. Some of that time was spent looking at all the different options, but the major part was spent trying to get help to buy the damn thing. So, the last thing I wanted to do was struggle to put the damn thing back in the car, drive back to Home Depot, and repeat the whole business. Besides, the grass was getting to the schnauzer-eating stage again, and I was afraid I'd loose a dog if it wasn't mowed soon...
I got the mower assembled, and started, no problem. Mowed half the lawn (oddly enough, the self-propelled feature didn't seem to make that much of a difference, but what do I know about gas mowers?). I had to stop the mower a half dozen times to move things, and it started up again fine each time.
Until it didn't. I tried everything. I even read the manual. Would. Not. Start.
The last thing I want is to be frustrated on a regular basis while trying to mow the lawn. The whole thing with Home Depot frustrated me to no end, and the fact that I got the wrong mower, and one that didn't even work properly (and it was NOT cheap), made the whole thing so much worse.
Of course, a mower filled with gas and oil won't go back in my car without spilling fluids all over the place...
I know stores have return policies, and I even give Home Depot credit for having a great one.
But they can't return my wasted time, and the time Dad wasted coming to my house, putting the mower in the back of the truck, driving to the store, returning the mower, and driving to Canadian Tire to get another one.
So, after way too much grief and wasted time, I now have a new lawn mower. One that starts with a key, every time. (Well, one that starts after Dad made another trip over here this morning to teach me that it helps when you have the spark plug connected. Ooops!). One that really is self-propelled, and has a speed control to boot (I'm glad it does, because I'd look damn funny trying to mow the lawn while running to keep up!) And one that allows me to mow the lawn in about HALF the time it took with the electric mower.
Yes, it pollutes much more than my old mower (but less than the old 2-stroke engines). But the time saved will be put to good use. And I can collect clippings to help the garden. And it has turned mowing back into something enjoyable again.
And it's red :)
Now she just needs a name...
Oh, and I vow, once again, to NEVER shop at Home Depot EVER again.
You see, the neighbours went away a couple of weeks ago. Being a nice person (I can hear you laughing, you know), I decided to mow their lawn for them just before they came home, figuring that's the last thing I'd want to do right after a vacation!
However, I didn't realize there was a metal pipe of some sort poking up though the lawn. A pipe, capped with a flat metal piece held on by two bolts.
Well, one bolt now, since I sheared off the other one with my mower. And killed my mower in the process. Although I'm not that mechanically inclined, I figured it was dead when I turned it over, and all the innards fell out. I'm intuitive like that.
Of course, the two hostas planted in the middle of the neighbour's front yard now make much more sense - too bad I didn't realize they are there to mark the location of the pipe!
Now, my mower was a very cheap, very basic electric mower, that has served me well since I bought it two years ago, and if it was still in working order, I'd still be using it. But, as I've put more gardens in the yard, it has gotten more and more frustrating to drag a 100' power cord behind me, trying to make sure it's not dragging over something I want to keep alive. Mowing has gone from something I really enjoy, to just another chore to be gotten through.
I thought long and hard when it came time to pick another mower. I really do like the idea of electric mowers, and I like reel ones even better, but the reality is I'm getting older every year, and my yard is not getting any smaller or easier to mow. I also wanted a bagger, which would allow me to bag up that wonderful nitrogen (in the form of grass clipping and fallen leaves) and use it for mulch or add it to the compost.
So I caved.
I went gas powered. Yep, a horribly polluting, expensive, gas powered lawn mower. Oddly enough, the first one I have ever used (growing up, our yards were always large enough we had riding mowers). Of course, buying a lawn mower, like usual for me, was easier said than done.
I tried Walmart: No, we don't have that model, it's in the warehouse, I mean on a truck, I mean it's been ordered, no I can't tell you when it will get here, no I can't hold it for you, no no no no no. But feel free to go out of your way every day to stop in (oh, I guess you could phone) and see if we have it yet.
No thanks.
I tried (and I really should know better) Home Depot: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Go to customer disservice, ask for help. Seasonal paged to the lawnmower section. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Guy walks by on his way home, realizes I'm waiting, pages seasonal to lawnmowers again. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Clerk approaches... and veers off to help someone with a patio set (all the while looking at me, so she knows I'm waiting for help). Customer leaves, clerk heads in my direction.... only to answer the phone, and spend five minutes talking to someone looking for a part. That's when I lost it, and went back to customer disservice. A bit of a rant later, I got a very nice lady (Liz from Liverpool) to help - she answers my questions, and brings the mower I selected up to cash.
It's the wrong mower.
Wait, wait, wait, wait wait. She brings another mower up to cash. It rings up $50 less than it should have, but I just thought it was on sale (I really, really, really, really, really should know better). We struggle to get it into the car - the only way it will fit is to take it out of the box and tip it into the back seat. We realize this after scratching the back bumper trying to get it into the trunk. Grrrrrr....
Get it home, get it out of the back seat...
It's the wrong mower.
I had figured I would have trouble starting a mower with a pull cord thingy, so I splurged for the key-start feature. No key start on this mower. The one thing I really wanted...
Now, I was in Home Depot for AN HOUR AND A HALF, trying to buy a damn lawn mower. Some of that time was spent looking at all the different options, but the major part was spent trying to get help to buy the damn thing. So, the last thing I wanted to do was struggle to put the damn thing back in the car, drive back to Home Depot, and repeat the whole business. Besides, the grass was getting to the schnauzer-eating stage again, and I was afraid I'd loose a dog if it wasn't mowed soon...
I got the mower assembled, and started, no problem. Mowed half the lawn (oddly enough, the self-propelled feature didn't seem to make that much of a difference, but what do I know about gas mowers?). I had to stop the mower a half dozen times to move things, and it started up again fine each time.
Until it didn't. I tried everything. I even read the manual. Would. Not. Start.
The last thing I want is to be frustrated on a regular basis while trying to mow the lawn. The whole thing with Home Depot frustrated me to no end, and the fact that I got the wrong mower, and one that didn't even work properly (and it was NOT cheap), made the whole thing so much worse.
Of course, a mower filled with gas and oil won't go back in my car without spilling fluids all over the place...
I know stores have return policies, and I even give Home Depot credit for having a great one.
But they can't return my wasted time, and the time Dad wasted coming to my house, putting the mower in the back of the truck, driving to the store, returning the mower, and driving to Canadian Tire to get another one.
So, after way too much grief and wasted time, I now have a new lawn mower. One that starts with a key, every time. (Well, one that starts after Dad made another trip over here this morning to teach me that it helps when you have the spark plug connected. Ooops!). One that really is self-propelled, and has a speed control to boot (I'm glad it does, because I'd look damn funny trying to mow the lawn while running to keep up!) And one that allows me to mow the lawn in about HALF the time it took with the electric mower.
Yes, it pollutes much more than my old mower (but less than the old 2-stroke engines). But the time saved will be put to good use. And I can collect clippings to help the garden. And it has turned mowing back into something enjoyable again.
And it's red :)
Oh, and I vow, once again, to NEVER shop at Home Depot EVER again.
Planting a free shrub in a $20 hole.
After putting in an extra shift at work on Saturday, Sunday was a busy, busy, busy day!
I did 6 loads of laundry and finally got to use the line to dry everything - the never-ending rain has resulted in using the dryer more than I like, since I LOVE line-dried clothes, especially sheets.
I then ran some errands, including buying 85 pounds of chicken for the dogs (Sunday was the last day of a really good sale, and I have a freezer :) ), then came home, and cut up and bagged the chicken. A lot of work, but added to some beef I'll buy this week, it's food for the next 4 months for them, so it is worth it!
Then came the "fun" part of the weekend. While I plan to fence the back yard, I don't want the fence to go into the front yard, but I want something to mark the boundary line, and flowering shrubs, to form an eventual hedge, are a great alternative. My sister's lilac sends up shoots every year, so this year, she dug out 12 of them and gave them to me. By the time Sunday rolled around, they had been sitting in a bucket of water for over 24 hours, and HAD to get planted.
I marked 30" out from the property line, and ran a line to mark the edge.
I started digging out the sod along the line - and WOW, was it thick sod!
I then ran the line back at 42" from the property line, and dug out the rest of the sod, resulting in a 12" wide trench.
12", by 22 FEET long. Twenty-two feet long, through thick sod, all by hand. Fortunately, I had ice water with mint from the garden to keep me refreshed!
I filled the trench with topsoil, and spaced the lilacs ~22" apart. One down, 11 more to go...
And done! There was a range of sizes, and I realized after I got them all planted that I probably should have put the smaller ones in between the larger ones, to make it more even, but I am NOT digging them out and re-planting.
I'll be surprised if all of them live, and actually won't be surprised if none of them live - they were in water a long time. But the total cost of the project was $20 in topsoil - $20 for a row of lilacs that, if I had to buy them from a garden centre, would cost me at least ten times as much, and I still would have had to buy the topsoil! I've been watering them well, and I'll eventually mulch the area, but wow!
$20, three hours of work - and, after almost three years, the beginnings of my flower gardens!! Thanks sis!!
I did 6 loads of laundry and finally got to use the line to dry everything - the never-ending rain has resulted in using the dryer more than I like, since I LOVE line-dried clothes, especially sheets.
I then ran some errands, including buying 85 pounds of chicken for the dogs (Sunday was the last day of a really good sale, and I have a freezer :) ), then came home, and cut up and bagged the chicken. A lot of work, but added to some beef I'll buy this week, it's food for the next 4 months for them, so it is worth it!
Then came the "fun" part of the weekend. While I plan to fence the back yard, I don't want the fence to go into the front yard, but I want something to mark the boundary line, and flowering shrubs, to form an eventual hedge, are a great alternative. My sister's lilac sends up shoots every year, so this year, she dug out 12 of them and gave them to me. By the time Sunday rolled around, they had been sitting in a bucket of water for over 24 hours, and HAD to get planted.
I marked 30" out from the property line, and ran a line to mark the edge.
I started digging out the sod along the line - and WOW, was it thick sod!
I then ran the line back at 42" from the property line, and dug out the rest of the sod, resulting in a 12" wide trench.
12", by 22 FEET long. Twenty-two feet long, through thick sod, all by hand. Fortunately, I had ice water with mint from the garden to keep me refreshed!
I filled the trench with topsoil, and spaced the lilacs ~22" apart. One down, 11 more to go...
And done! There was a range of sizes, and I realized after I got them all planted that I probably should have put the smaller ones in between the larger ones, to make it more even, but I am NOT digging them out and re-planting.
I'll be surprised if all of them live, and actually won't be surprised if none of them live - they were in water a long time. But the total cost of the project was $20 in topsoil - $20 for a row of lilacs that, if I had to buy them from a garden centre, would cost me at least ten times as much, and I still would have had to buy the topsoil! I've been watering them well, and I'll eventually mulch the area, but wow!
$20, three hours of work - and, after almost three years, the beginnings of my flower gardens!! Thanks sis!!
Sometimes, things just work out right.
I needed a load of dirt to top up the vegetable garden beds, so Dad brought over a load this morning, and I spent a few hours moving the straw mulch, adding dirt, then replacing the mulch. I had planted a couple of beds last weekend (finally!!), so only 3 beds got filled, but it's good for now.
Last year, in a fit of impatience, I bought a couple of discount potentillas, and plopped them in front of the shed on either side of the door. Ever since then, I've looked at the beds and though "hey, those really need to be edged and mulched, and some other things added... maybe some trellises and morning glory, or clematis..."
Today, after working in the vegetable garden, I looked at the beds as I was putting the tools away in the shed, and thought, once again, "hey, those really need to be edged and mulched, and some other things added... maybe some trellises and morning glory, or clematis...". And so, at 3 pm, I went looking for edging material at the local hardware store.
Now, a quick rant on edging. I hate, despise, cannot stand, that black plastic edging. And most other stuff sold as edging is just as bad.
So I, although I knew what I didn't want for edging, I didn't quite know what I did want. All I knew was it had to be not plastic and not pricey. Easy, right?
Actually, it was easy! I ended up grabbing some "cobblestones", generally used for patios and walkways. On edge, they make a great edging, and at less than 67 cents each (including tax), definitely within budget. I also bought a couple of bags of cedar bark mulch (which ended up costing almost twice as much as the stones!), came home, grabbed the shovel, and less than an hour later, had two edged and mulched beds.
Sometimes, things just work out right!
And a Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there!
To do, or not to do.
What I've done since last I blogged:
Had out-of-town company for the weekend.
Started the insulation.
Fenced in the garden. Damn rabbits.
Bought some pretty* plants, even though I said I wouldn't this year.
Mowed the lawn in between rain storms. Yes it's still raining. I think I might need to plant gopher wood next.
What I haven't done:
Groomed the two scruffy beasts who were once schnauzers.
Planted more lettuce, radish, etc. Between working later, rain and company, I didn't get this week's planting done. No lettuce for you!
Planted the pretty plants. In the flower beds that don't exist yet.
Figured out where I want flower beds so I can plant the pretty plants.
Called for quotes for fencing. Need to get this done ASAP. Damn rabbits.
Called for roofing quotes. Have I mentioned the roof now leaks? Damn rain.
Planned out the one wall of the main bedroom, so Dad know where to put outlets. Decisions, decisions.
Finalized the shower, toilet and sink models for the new bathroom, so Dad know where to put outlets and plumbing. Decisions, decisions.
Figured out who's sleeping where once we get the drywall up in the new main bedroom, closet and bathroom. Decisions, decisions (yeah, I know there is only the two of us, but still).
A million and one other things, like laundry, and dishes, and cooking, and grocery shopping, and cleaning, and and and and and and and and.....
It all gets done, eventually. But it seems like days are flying by, and there are so many things to do!
__________________________________
* Pretty = non-food plants
Had out-of-town company for the weekend.
Started the insulation.
Fenced in the garden. Damn rabbits.
Bought some pretty* plants, even though I said I wouldn't this year.
Mowed the lawn in between rain storms. Yes it's still raining. I think I might need to plant gopher wood next.
What I haven't done:
Groomed the two scruffy beasts who were once schnauzers.
Planted more lettuce, radish, etc. Between working later, rain and company, I didn't get this week's planting done. No lettuce for you!
Planted the pretty plants. In the flower beds that don't exist yet.
Figured out where I want flower beds so I can plant the pretty plants.
Called for quotes for fencing. Need to get this done ASAP. Damn rabbits.
Called for roofing quotes. Have I mentioned the roof now leaks? Damn rain.
Planned out the one wall of the main bedroom, so Dad know where to put outlets. Decisions, decisions.
Finalized the shower, toilet and sink models for the new bathroom, so Dad know where to put outlets and plumbing. Decisions, decisions.
Figured out who's sleeping where once we get the drywall up in the new main bedroom, closet and bathroom. Decisions, decisions (yeah, I know there is only the two of us, but still).
Posted real posts, about what I saw last weekend (hint: it involved red coats and gun fire), about the renos, about the garden.
Posted about why I will never, never, never shop at Home Depot again. Ever.
A million and one other things, like laundry, and dishes, and cooking, and grocery shopping, and cleaning, and and and and and and and and.....
It all gets done, eventually. But it seems like days are flying by, and there are so many things to do!
__________________________________
* Pretty = non-food plants
I should have planted rice.
In other news...
We have walls!!
Now, if we could only get some sun...
Look! Green things!
Radish seedlings!!
More seedlings!! (Kale?? Can't remember)
Asparagus!!!!
Garlic!
Most seedlings are up now, with the exception of most of the herbs and the peas & beans (got them in LATE!). I also made a trip up to Lee Valley after work on Friday, and picked up a few things - all necessities, I promise ;)
The markers in place in the herb bed.
... and got it put together just in time to light it and grill some steak and zucchini!! Sorry, no pictures of that - I was too hungry :)
Babies!!
We've got babies! There are at least two in there, and possibly three - I didn't want to get too close and disturb them too much. I'll take pictures every few days, and post them, so we can all see them grow up :)
On a completely unrelated note, can anyone tell me how this is comfortable?
She sleeps like this all the time, and glares at me if I move her. Silly Katydid!
What do you mean, the weekend's over! Didn't it just start??
Doesn't look like much, does it?
What was my plan again for this long weekend?
1. Plant what I can in the garden. Almost done. Since the weather turned HOT, I did plant out the tomatoes and peppers, and planted the brassicas, herbs, mints and "salad" bed (lettuce, beets, spinach, chard, carrots and green onions - all the plants that don't really go in any other bed, which are all grouped by plant family. 'Cause that's how I roll) . Hopefully, tomorrow after work, I'll get the squash/cucumber bed and the peas and beans planted.
2. Get the rain barrels set up. Let's just ignore this one, k? Well, I did get some cinder blocks from Mom & Dad's house. Okay, fine, Dad delivered some cinder blocks. And moving on...
3. Go to the local Garden Club plant sale tomorrow morning, and not buy any plants. I didn't do too bad! I didn't buy any tools, but I SCORED in the plant department - a Jerusalem artichoke and Egyptian onion for the
4. Clean. The. House. House? What house? What is this "clean" you speak of?
5. And hopefully celebrate a good friend's ATCH on one of her dogs. Go Kyra!! Total, 100% success! WAY TO GO, KYRA AND G.!!!
You found a WHAT in the yard?
Chelydra serpentina
AKA Common Snapping Turtle.I have NO idea what it was doing in the yard, even though I am close to both the lake and a catchment pond. Close, but not that close! Dad did his good deed for the day, and carried it down to the catchment pond and
Official turtle carrier.
Apparently, the word in the neighbourhood is that this is a pretty good yard to hang out in. I have my yard toad* (who is back this year!!), and some new neighbours:
Red-Winged Blackbird eggs
Remember that small tree in the front yard that the tree guys cut down? It was surrounded by a bed of daylilies, which are still there. And is now a nesting site! The nest is only a couple of feet off the ground, so I hope the eggs don't get eaten by a ground predator :( 
Mama bird on the roof (behind the shrub - she's shy)
Annoyed Papa bird
Mama and Papa aren't too thrilled when anyone is in the front yard, but hey, we were here first :)_______________________
*Not sure if I've blogged about the yard toad before. I have a toad in the yard, that I run into (but not literally!!) every time I mow the grass. He's cute, and this year, he has a friend :)
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