As I mentioned in my last blog, I finished my patio. Here are some pictures of my house before and after.
2008-05-28
2008-05-26
The black thumb is BACK!!!
So when I cleaned out what was going to be my cutting garden, until all the trees grew in and blocked EVERY bit of light from the area, I decided to put in some nice flowers and a little patio. I envisioned some really nice little metal chairs and a table for that area and enough flowers that when you sit in there you feel like you are amidst a beautiful flowery garden. I went out and bought a popcorn verburnum, amongst other things....... Well the verburnum is dying...... all droopy and sad looking. So now I have to find a place to transplant it to before it completes it's decline. I am starting to wonder if I will EVER get good at this gardening thing. One of my columbine plants is looking meek too. The other two are thriving quite nicely next to that one..... in that instance, I am thinking I received a BAD plant...... is there such a thing???
Anyway, my patio looks GREAT, at least to me. I reused some red bricks from my father in law's neighbor, so they were free to me. I made a very organic looking patio as none of the lines match up, no bricks are similar, and the steps to reach the patio are made from bricks that are mortared together and surrounded by moss. I plan on attempting to grow something stepable all over the whole patio. I am hoping to find some chairs for my patio on the big 100 mile yardsale. I also have to find some pretty flowers to replace my verburnum AND I have to find a place for the verburnum!!!
Anyway, my patio looks GREAT, at least to me. I reused some red bricks from my father in law's neighbor, so they were free to me. I made a very organic looking patio as none of the lines match up, no bricks are similar, and the steps to reach the patio are made from bricks that are mortared together and surrounded by moss. I plan on attempting to grow something stepable all over the whole patio. I am hoping to find some chairs for my patio on the big 100 mile yardsale. I also have to find some pretty flowers to replace my verburnum AND I have to find a place for the verburnum!!!
2008-05-18
40 days and 40 nights
It seems to have been raining here for straight 40 days and nights. And of course, the weather is very cold for this time of year, in my opinion. So as it currently stands, I have a load of manure sitting in my front lawn, a pile of bricks stacked along my new planting bed, a half turned new planting bed and rows of unplanted plants on the front porch. My house currently looks as if a bomb went off....... hopefully the rain holds off enough this week, that I can get the rest done. Maybe if I am lucky, the temperature will be warm, warm, warm. Ahhhh how I would love to move south in times like now!!!
2008-05-14
That's ALOT of maters!!!
Today I successfully planted 48 of the 74 tomato plants I had left from seed. I gave my neighbor a few about 2 weeks ago and today gave another neighbor 5 more. Leaving me around 20 to either give away or plant in the ground. I could just destroy them, but seriously I feel like they are my babies AND honestly this is about me trying to keep plants alive, not kill them..... SOOOOOO I am sure I'll be canning my heart out here sooner than later.
To fully appreciate my day today, I need to regress to a few weeks ago..... the afforementioned neighbor who received tomato plants a few weeks ago has become my "gardening buddy" here in the neighborhood. She is probably somewhere in the range of 75-80 years old, deaf in one ear and mostly deaf in the other ear. She weighs in the ball park of 90-100 pound soaking wet and looks like a dear old grandma. So last night when I was working feverishly to get my new flowers in before dark, I turned around and almost had a heart attack. She was standing there quiet as can be. After my heart calmed down a bit I smiled and she asked what I was doing here. I told her and she asked me why I hadn't asked for her help. Not wanting to state the obvious, I just told her it was a last minute plan, etc, etc. She insisted that "tomorrow" she would come help. I said, "really it is OK". That wasn't the plan in her mind.
This morning I got up, got the kids fed and dressed and we went out. The weather here is OK, maybe 60 degrees or more. Chilly if you are standing still but when moving about I was OK with a t shirt and short pants. (this is important later in the story). Oliver got his wheel barrow and I got some shovels. We went to the front yard to collect mushroom manure to wheel around to the back for my tomatoes. After one trip, my garden buddy shows up and says, "wow you got it all in the ground last night". I reply, "yeah, I just wanted to bang it out". She says, "what are you working on now". I say, " getting all those tomato plants in the ground". " Well I'll help" she says. After realizing she wouldn't take NO for an answer, I reluctantly allowed her to walk around back with me and the kids. Not that I didn't want the help, but I just feel bad that this old woman is helping dumb ole me with planting.
We get around back and in my garden plot I have two heads of spinach, a head of rainbow chard and a head of arugula. I had also gotten a bit giddy when my friend Jess mentioned that peas would grow in the cold weather, so I should plant some (a few weeks ago). So I went out, got the pea seeds and planted them. Only about 5 to see what would happen..... remember I am new at this. So we get to the plot and neighbor says, "you gotta turn this ground". I already had but it has been a few weeks. So I take her in and show her my pea pods. I soon find out she didn't hear me. So she agrees with me where to start planting the maters. I start by digging a hole. Oliver is laughing while he fills up the hole with manure. She says "plant the tomato deep in the hole so it can support itself." So I do. But one plant I don't plant deep enough. All frusterated and quite loudly she yells "YOU HAVE TO PLANT THEM DEEPLY!!!". I felt like I was 5 again. At the same time she is short with Oliver for not scooping the manure right. I felt very badly for him, but hey we were in the same boat. Oliver then begins to bring me plants while stepping on my chard, spinach and arugula. She is now becoming more and more frusterated. Gaby starts crying. I am digging and planting at lightning speed because if I don't I am going to get my fingers smacked by the nun. She says " maybe you need to do this when they are sleeping." Oliver goes to play with his car. He gets stuck in the driveway. She pushes him out. And for a moment, I think OK Hitler is gone..... but NO she comes back and starts digging up my dirt totally ignoring the fact that she just dug up my 5 pea plants. When I tell her, "that is one of my pea plants" while pointing to a tiny green plant, roots all showing, lying on top of the dirt..... she picks it up, throws it across the yard and says, "not anymore! Besides if you want peas you have to plant many many plants to get enough for dinner. Also you need more than two spinach. This cooks down and you will have hardly anything left". After digging up the rest of the dirt and handing me plants, she says "I am gonna go now" and like that Hitler is gone. A few moments passed, and I laughed like an idiot that this little old lady, wearing a tossel cap, a big wintery coat and gloves just beat the hell out of us (remember it is like 60 some degrees out). What a day!!!!
To fully appreciate my day today, I need to regress to a few weeks ago..... the afforementioned neighbor who received tomato plants a few weeks ago has become my "gardening buddy" here in the neighborhood. She is probably somewhere in the range of 75-80 years old, deaf in one ear and mostly deaf in the other ear. She weighs in the ball park of 90-100 pound soaking wet and looks like a dear old grandma. So last night when I was working feverishly to get my new flowers in before dark, I turned around and almost had a heart attack. She was standing there quiet as can be. After my heart calmed down a bit I smiled and she asked what I was doing here. I told her and she asked me why I hadn't asked for her help. Not wanting to state the obvious, I just told her it was a last minute plan, etc, etc. She insisted that "tomorrow" she would come help. I said, "really it is OK". That wasn't the plan in her mind.
This morning I got up, got the kids fed and dressed and we went out. The weather here is OK, maybe 60 degrees or more. Chilly if you are standing still but when moving about I was OK with a t shirt and short pants. (this is important later in the story). Oliver got his wheel barrow and I got some shovels. We went to the front yard to collect mushroom manure to wheel around to the back for my tomatoes. After one trip, my garden buddy shows up and says, "wow you got it all in the ground last night". I reply, "yeah, I just wanted to bang it out". She says, "what are you working on now". I say, " getting all those tomato plants in the ground". " Well I'll help" she says. After realizing she wouldn't take NO for an answer, I reluctantly allowed her to walk around back with me and the kids. Not that I didn't want the help, but I just feel bad that this old woman is helping dumb ole me with planting.
We get around back and in my garden plot I have two heads of spinach, a head of rainbow chard and a head of arugula. I had also gotten a bit giddy when my friend Jess mentioned that peas would grow in the cold weather, so I should plant some (a few weeks ago). So I went out, got the pea seeds and planted them. Only about 5 to see what would happen..... remember I am new at this. So we get to the plot and neighbor says, "you gotta turn this ground". I already had but it has been a few weeks. So I take her in and show her my pea pods. I soon find out she didn't hear me. So she agrees with me where to start planting the maters. I start by digging a hole. Oliver is laughing while he fills up the hole with manure. She says "plant the tomato deep in the hole so it can support itself." So I do. But one plant I don't plant deep enough. All frusterated and quite loudly she yells "YOU HAVE TO PLANT THEM DEEPLY!!!". I felt like I was 5 again. At the same time she is short with Oliver for not scooping the manure right. I felt very badly for him, but hey we were in the same boat. Oliver then begins to bring me plants while stepping on my chard, spinach and arugula. She is now becoming more and more frusterated. Gaby starts crying. I am digging and planting at lightning speed because if I don't I am going to get my fingers smacked by the nun. She says " maybe you need to do this when they are sleeping." Oliver goes to play with his car. He gets stuck in the driveway. She pushes him out. And for a moment, I think OK Hitler is gone..... but NO she comes back and starts digging up my dirt totally ignoring the fact that she just dug up my 5 pea plants. When I tell her, "that is one of my pea plants" while pointing to a tiny green plant, roots all showing, lying on top of the dirt..... she picks it up, throws it across the yard and says, "not anymore! Besides if you want peas you have to plant many many plants to get enough for dinner. Also you need more than two spinach. This cooks down and you will have hardly anything left". After digging up the rest of the dirt and handing me plants, she says "I am gonna go now" and like that Hitler is gone. A few moments passed, and I laughed like an idiot that this little old lady, wearing a tossel cap, a big wintery coat and gloves just beat the hell out of us (remember it is like 60 some degrees out). What a day!!!!
Ivy- Schmivy
Yesterday I decided to have my mushroom manure and top soil delivered for my "cutting garden" in the front of the house. Since I ordered it yesterday morning, the delivery truck could only bring it in the afternoon...... no problem but I just got a late start to my gardening day. It was OK though because I had time to run the the nursery. AHHHH the Nursery. So much to take in, and EVERYTHING I wanted, was for HOT sun areas..... not my partial to mostly shade area. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, my "cutting garden" has turned into a shade garden. I guess the cutting garden will just have to be moved somewhere else.
For my space that was 12 ft by 15 ft, I purchased a popcorn viburnum, a few columbine, some colorful hostas, Astilbe and some mini pansies. I moved my dwarf lilac from the back to the front and completed the look. I filled in with some bulbs of Gladiolas and Dahalia's but am thinking I will have to dig them up and transplant them. I don't think this area will get enough sunlight to support them, but we'll see!!! I am also planning something else for the bare section in the middle of the space, but cannot talk about it yet. If matt reads this, which I am SURE he does not, but if he does, he'll get all up in arms...... so it is best left a surprise all around!!!
I spent the first part of the afternoon pulling out the remainder of the crappy ivy. I know every thing has it's place, however a beautiful plot along the front of my cottage style house is NOT the place for ivy. I think the neighbors think I am a trucker as all of the explatives I could think of flew from my mouth as I pulled each and every root of the stinking ivy out!!!! Then there were the tree roots with which to contend. ARGH, Charlie Brown did that suck!!! But I think I got most of them out and I will have to wrestle the rest out as they rear their ugly heads.... hopefully not too many are left...... However the plot next to the one I just pulled up still has that crap. I hope like hell that I can keep it at bay!!!
My bones are hurting today but I am living up to my Native American name that my Aunt gave to me, "li'l buzzing green thumb" and heading out to sow up a tomato garden like you've never seen before....... especially since I have 25,000 plants!!!! I am going to use the "square foot" method and hopefully minimize my digging and hauling of manure. I promise to post pictures soon.
For my space that was 12 ft by 15 ft, I purchased a popcorn viburnum, a few columbine, some colorful hostas, Astilbe and some mini pansies. I moved my dwarf lilac from the back to the front and completed the look. I filled in with some bulbs of Gladiolas and Dahalia's but am thinking I will have to dig them up and transplant them. I don't think this area will get enough sunlight to support them, but we'll see!!! I am also planning something else for the bare section in the middle of the space, but cannot talk about it yet. If matt reads this, which I am SURE he does not, but if he does, he'll get all up in arms...... so it is best left a surprise all around!!!
I spent the first part of the afternoon pulling out the remainder of the crappy ivy. I know every thing has it's place, however a beautiful plot along the front of my cottage style house is NOT the place for ivy. I think the neighbors think I am a trucker as all of the explatives I could think of flew from my mouth as I pulled each and every root of the stinking ivy out!!!! Then there were the tree roots with which to contend. ARGH, Charlie Brown did that suck!!! But I think I got most of them out and I will have to wrestle the rest out as they rear their ugly heads.... hopefully not too many are left...... However the plot next to the one I just pulled up still has that crap. I hope like hell that I can keep it at bay!!!
My bones are hurting today but I am living up to my Native American name that my Aunt gave to me, "li'l buzzing green thumb" and heading out to sow up a tomato garden like you've never seen before....... especially since I have 25,000 plants!!!! I am going to use the "square foot" method and hopefully minimize my digging and hauling of manure. I promise to post pictures soon.
2008-05-12
PUT A HOLE IN THE BUCKET, DEAR LIZA
So from the beginning of my gardening days, I knew I needed holes in the bottom of my planters. However, I failed to use this knowledge when I decided to sprout my own tomato plants. I sprouted them in one of those "sprouters" for lack of a better word. It has about 72+ compartments to start your seeds. I then carefully separated my plants and put them into plastic and foam drinking cups, of which I had a TON of thanks to Sams Club and parties. Thinking they wouldn't be in these cups long, I never put the holes in the bottom of them...... BAD MOVE!! With all of the rain we've had, if I am not ON TOP of them, I find myself dumping out the cups. Hopefully tomorrow the rain holds off enough for me to get them into the ground!!!
2008-05-09
A Polygamist Colony of Dandelions PART DEUX
Here is a website ( http://www.plantea.com/dandelions.htm ) on how to get rid of these suckers........ Corn Meal Gluten is what Aunt Lou suggested. This website also says to spray them with vinegar to kill them and then work to improve your soil as weeds like bad soil....... I wonder if these tricks will kill off the clover too..... HMMMMMM leave that for another day another post.
A Polygamist Colony of Dandelions
So all through my yard are dandelions....... and not the cute yellow kind either..... Most have puffed and then blown their seeds all over God's creation leaving the ugly sticks with bald heads. I thought, no problem, I'll mow the lawn and mow the suckers over. (in the eeyore voice ) Didn't really work..... so I kept running over them with the mower..... back and forth like a sweeper. It worked on some, but others required me to strategically hold the mower handle in while I bent over to yank them out of the ground. Of course not the plant, just the ugly sticks with the bald heads. I think once we get rain again, I am going to look out onto the lawn and discover the colony will have set up shop again!!!! My friend's Aunt Lou mentioned some corn something or other that you put on your lawn in the fall. It is organic and will not allow the "pee to beds" as the Girty clan calls them, to re-grow. As soon as I know the name I'll post it..... until next year, I guess I'll be mowing these stupid things over and over!!!!
2008-05-04
Composting and Painting and Rocks, OH MY!
This weekend has proven to be the one that will KILL ME!!! Matt took off on Friday to help me get stuff done before my big Back Yard Tea Party next week.... (I am hoping in the next few years to call it a Garden Tea Party!). Thursday the FedEx man showed up with a package and it happened to be a three bin composter. Matt bought it for me for Mother's Day and I wasn't supposed to know about it, but the box read in big letters "COMPOST BIN" so no surprise for me...... So Friday morning Matt put the sucker together and we've started collecting kitchen scraps. It is so EXCITING to think that garbage can actually turn into dirt!!! OH WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!!! I am wondering, Den, if I need to leave the green in the garden or should I add it to my composter???
Friday morning I also got my feet wet using a drill..... I know this may not seem like a big accomplishment, but learning power tools give me a "woman power" that, as Oliver says, "I CAN DO IT!" I drilled holes into pots that I found at the local Thrift Stores..... reuse, recycle at it's best!!! I plan to use them in my garden as accent pieces. I also started to dig out the two rododendrons in front of my sun room. They are relatively small and I am transplanting them to the edge of my drive way. (Currently on the right side of the driveway is a mish mosh of small trees, bushes, weeds and tons of old leaves mixed with the HUGE trees that have been there for 90+ years. ) Well to get to the Rododendrons, I needed to rip out some troublesome ivy. Matt loves the stuff, I don't care for it. It doesn't say, "country cottage" like our house does..... He was pretty mad that I pulled out a "live, viable plant". I left half of the area with the ivy for now but have visions of a beautiful cutting garden there with two chairs, a table and lots of butterflies, humming birds and flowers!!!! He just can't see my vision...... and truly I am hoping I can provide that vision!!!
Friday, we also had a few ton of rocks delivered to add to our driveway. Matt would LOVE to pave it, but the cost is prohibitive and I am glad it is. Using the rock allows for drainage rather than runoff which is contributing to pollution in our water systems. I am also considering a water garden and a rain barrel (but we'll chat about these later)! Our original estimate was not correct and so we needed to add a few more ton...... This order came yesterday. Our driveway looks much better!!!
The rest of this weekend was rainy and crappy which was good for us as we painted our living room, sun room and the wall up the steps. We used SO MUCH paint that we didn't expect, AND we haven't even started on the trim!!! YIKES! That will have to transpire later in the season when I am kidless as Oliver stands over me and says, "mommy..... I help...... paintant" and Gaby just takes toy buckets and runs them over freshly painted walls or puts her hand on the wet paint and leans like she is James Dean. OY VEY!!
Matt and I awoke today to find holes in our paint...... so we need to add another f-ing coat. We literally painted until I fell face first into the paint tray last night...... and here we go again. I have a baby shower today so we gotta get it done before I need to leave...... Remind me NEVER to take on this task again!!!!
Friday morning I also got my feet wet using a drill..... I know this may not seem like a big accomplishment, but learning power tools give me a "woman power" that, as Oliver says, "I CAN DO IT!" I drilled holes into pots that I found at the local Thrift Stores..... reuse, recycle at it's best!!! I plan to use them in my garden as accent pieces. I also started to dig out the two rododendrons in front of my sun room. They are relatively small and I am transplanting them to the edge of my drive way. (Currently on the right side of the driveway is a mish mosh of small trees, bushes, weeds and tons of old leaves mixed with the HUGE trees that have been there for 90+ years. ) Well to get to the Rododendrons, I needed to rip out some troublesome ivy. Matt loves the stuff, I don't care for it. It doesn't say, "country cottage" like our house does..... He was pretty mad that I pulled out a "live, viable plant". I left half of the area with the ivy for now but have visions of a beautiful cutting garden there with two chairs, a table and lots of butterflies, humming birds and flowers!!!! He just can't see my vision...... and truly I am hoping I can provide that vision!!!
Friday, we also had a few ton of rocks delivered to add to our driveway. Matt would LOVE to pave it, but the cost is prohibitive and I am glad it is. Using the rock allows for drainage rather than runoff which is contributing to pollution in our water systems. I am also considering a water garden and a rain barrel (but we'll chat about these later)! Our original estimate was not correct and so we needed to add a few more ton...... This order came yesterday. Our driveway looks much better!!!
The rest of this weekend was rainy and crappy which was good for us as we painted our living room, sun room and the wall up the steps. We used SO MUCH paint that we didn't expect, AND we haven't even started on the trim!!! YIKES! That will have to transpire later in the season when I am kidless as Oliver stands over me and says, "mommy..... I help...... paintant" and Gaby just takes toy buckets and runs them over freshly painted walls or puts her hand on the wet paint and leans like she is James Dean. OY VEY!!
Matt and I awoke today to find holes in our paint...... so we need to add another f-ing coat. We literally painted until I fell face first into the paint tray last night...... and here we go again. I have a baby shower today so we gotta get it done before I need to leave...... Remind me NEVER to take on this task again!!!!
2008-05-02
Spring has Sprung
So this blog is about me trying to become a gardener....... and since I am SO very bad at this, I thought I would blog my progress or lack thereof. This is both for my own knowledge so I can look back, hopefully someday, and laugh AND for family and friends of whom are out of town but want to keep up with my growing growing ability ;)
So here goes......
So here goes......
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