I'm glad you finally got some sun. I hope it sticks around for awhile.
I did a second kettle of boiling water for the weeds. And then I added 90 gallons of wet weeds to the compost pile. Another bunch the same size and my first compost pile is finished. And there are enough leaves to provide that much which is way cool.
I also pulled out the broken decomposing picnic table out of the woodland area. There is a pallet, some old pieces of metal junk and old wire fencing back there that needs to be dealt with too. I'll need to gather up some money to hire someone to help me with that. I can't begin to move it. And I don't think it would fit in my vehicle to haul it to the dump.
Whew if I mention that I'm tired would you all believe me? Sweaty too.
HELLO TAMARA, My little granddaughter came in from California and is with me today. WE supported the Larkspurs with a stake and string and planted some pink and white cosmos in the open spots between the Larkspurs. My big cat follows me around and plops on my flowers to see what is going on.So quite a few flowers snapped off. She watered all my barrels with veggies and also the berry bushes, and potatoe bins. I am trying to dig up some Woolly thyme to send out later today. We had one big bumble-bee buzzing around and she tries to be very brave. Truth is, she is afraid of anything that flies,and crawls around here. .
Well I went out and snapped the pictures of everything so that the camera is ready to go in for processing. I don't what to know what that is going to cost but that's the way it goes.
there are piles and piles of junk metal and wood. This isn't going to be fun. Plus beer cans and bottles. Grrrrrrrh
But I did get all the stepping stones lifted out of the pathway so I can start raking up all the gravel. Once that is done I'll have to wait until payday to buy the sand.
I'll come help you if you want to come and help me. And remember my yard is all weeds and rocks lol.
Soooooooo, much to do. Even thinking about it makes me tire. Or maybe it was moving the buckets of rocks that made me tired. Or trying to install the door bell, or.....well it was something. lol
Hey I like picking rocks, used to do that when I worked for the dairy farm. They'd till up acres of fields and we'd pick rocks out of them. I'll pick your rocks, you can weed my gardens
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I pulled another bucket of weeds last night, and I'm off to get some epsom salts to use on the brugs
Helping the world one seed at a time
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. Mary Ann LaPensee
Today, my granddaughter Adriana Saskia helped again. We pulled weeds out of two beds. Now she wants her own bag with garden tools and plastic gloves. The bumble-bee came back and dove into all my larkspurs. It is now not so scary anymore for her.The whole back garden has been soaked, flowers are happy. Larkspur
Tamara, I remember the black-flies in Labrador. Once by baby was outside Hudsons Bay store in his pram and one of those flies had bitten him on his eyelid it looked like he was attacked!!!
brugs are brugmansias...beautiful but poisonous tropical trees with fragrant flowers that hang down
Helping the world one seed at a time
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. Mary Ann LaPensee
A load of kitchen scrapes went into the compost. That will have to do because I'm not going after more leaves today. It's too warm now for me to be outside.
Well, got my ugly veggie garden weeded. Between the rain and the cut worms...it's pretty scarse looking. I have to go to the local little store to see if they have more bean seeds left...need to replant. Also got one flower bed re-edged and re-mulched. It seems to take me forever to get anything done.
Yes Larkspur the black flies, mosquitoes, sand flies and deer flies are out in full force. The deer flies are the worst, they honestly take a chunk out of your skin. I look like I have chicken pox
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
we have had overcast skies all day so I am baby sitting hoses now. I'm about half way done with ALL the beds and garden! It's so nice when I can water everything in one day. I've been hearing that thunder, but I"m not fooled. although our 30 percent chance of rain we've had for a month now will surely come in tonight since everything is watered at the same time. I've also pulled a few weeds. guess i'll get back out and move the sprinklers and play in the compost some. I might even mow a bit later, although the grass has stopped growing since it's been so dry. *cricket having a good day and grinning*
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
Dull, boring work, but it will pay off, methinks - took a knife to the edges of the island I'm working on (a cloverleaf kinda' thing in the driveway) and got it ready for edging.
Jeff cleaned out the section where the landlords finally cut up all the limbs that had fallen in the winter storms.
He didn't save the bits of wood they wanted for the fireplace (ridiculous!). He bagged 'em all!
Then he took the mower to the area - it's all cleaned up again.
Way to go. The only way I'm going to get to mulch is if someone has one of those machines that turns branches into mulch. Otherwise it just isn't in the budget.
I've cut about 100 sq ft of my 8000 sq ft lawn lol. Oh my heavens that's going to be a problem.
Well I did the lawn in front as far as the extension cords would reach. I need more extension cords. But I still have the sides and back to go before I've finished what I can reach. And it will be 8 days before I get paid and can get to the store for more extension cords.
As soon as my arms get rested up I'll clean the weed eater and roll up the cords and put them away. Then reconnect the drip hose now that I've cut that area. I didn't want to cut it accidently so I disconnected it and layed it inside the flower beds. That works real well and will until I can bury that hose. They are suppose to last 5 years so that will work for the time being.
Then it's back to the gravel in the walk way and getting the leaves into the compost pile, sidewalk flower bed, tree and flower bed. And I still have to empty the water out of that plastic tub I found. This honey do list is for the birds lol.
My mulch was free Tammy (a transport lost a load on the highway and was giving away free bags~ B-I-L gave me 5), it's red and I'd rather brown but it'll due. I need to buy a bag of brown for the front though.
Just got in, re-edged another bed...I'm on a roll.
I hate electric lawn mowers and weed eaters(my lawn is too big anyway for them), do you have a full acre Tammy?
Well, I am off to mulch and re-edge some more.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I have 1.403 acres. Isn't that a kick lol. But most of it is wooded and I plan to keep it that way. The rest is going to be mostly flower beds but right now it is a cross between lawn and weed garden. lol. The person who lived here before tried to grow a garden but had a very difficult time of it. I can just imagine why. Not soil amendments and no getting rid of the weeds and the lawn never had a chance. I bet he didn't water either.
I can understand not wanting electric but I can't pull the rip cords on the other kind so electric it is. I'll just have to be very careful. That is when I can raise my arms again. Talk about achey. They aren't used to that kind of work out.
Hey, have you seen the rechargable ones? I wonder how long they are good for?
I have an acre and a quarter cleared for my lawn, a few years ago I got heat stroke with the push mower so DH bought a ride-on...I gave him quite a scare. I love it, I still have alot of push mowing to do because of the flower beds but the sitting is hard to beat
It'll take you awhile to accomplish all what you want, but it's a fun process when you get a good start.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
O.k. back on track.....I got every flower bed re-edged and all mulched except the one that needs brown mulch(got none). Everything is weeded and looking pretty.
I've noticed I have little perennial seedlings coming up in my crushed rock, even bleeding hearts. How cool is that? I'll wait and move them this fall.
Got two cherry tree stumps out and filled in with soil. Only thing left to do is work on my rock garden some more....still in need of someone to lift the rocks for me though.
I got lots of pics, I'll post them in the morning.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I look forward to seeing them. Your right I enjoy working in the garden and seeing the growth is really awesome. I'm going to move some of the dirt from the future pond area and put it out my the tree/flower bed. then I can direct sow the Hollyhocks. There going to go closest to the tree and then the zinnia will go in front of those. That is if I get that far today. Not sure I'll be able to. I had planned to try and do more mowing yesterday evening but no way my arms are barely talking to me this morning.
Well, I did everything yesterday I could. Hoping to get my bean seeds planted today, if it would stop raining.
Oh I love zinnias. I'm hoping to get a few to fill up my flower pots. I bought a pack of 4 last month. If I would of had more money....I would of bought them all
I finished two old patio chairs last night, they were rusty and all tore up. Amazing what a lick of paint and a $2 tablecloth can do.
I have two more chairs to do....I just need to find two more cheap flannel back tablecloths.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
Tamara, what a great idea to use vynil tablecloths for covers. I am learnning so much just to read the posts.
TK with your large property and wooded area could you not section off different areas and seed Wildflower mixes? They come back each season and if you are lucky you can have some beautiful combinations that will blend in your natural landscape. Larkspur
tamara, My DD did jsut that---now they were slow to start--and as a matter of fact her DH thought to tell her she needed top weed the beds---BUt they are beautiful now---and so colorful too!!!
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
holy cow! I have a very comfortable outside chair I've been trying to figure out how to cover. great idea, tamara! did you have to hand sew, or did you do it on the machine?
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
I used a sewing machine for most but had to handstitch the bottom where it closed. I need to use a clear rubber cement over the stitching to make it water proof.
Larkspur, we are a frugal bunch. DD calls me cheap but I like the word frugal better
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I have a packet of wildflowers comming that I will plant by the butterflies favorite bush.
And your right divisions are the way to go. The area infront of the house to the street will have four flower beds. One full sun and one dapple shade, and two bulb beds. The rest of the area in the front along the drive will be fruit trees and cherry bushes. On the other side of the drive where the well head is will be the veggie garden. The back yard I have reserved for a knot garden that you can look at from the deck and a zen garden.
But it's going to take time just to get rid of the weeds, amend the soil, get rid of the vole/mole, and buy the sand and boxwoods that I want. Right now I'm working on getting the sidewalk level. That's the first priority along with keeping the weeds and grass cut.
Well I've gotten 10 gallons of gravel off of the sidewalk. Still have a bunch to go but it was time to come in and cool off. We had another sever storm last night so it's nice and damp out this morning. Make working out there much nicer. I just wish I could do more before I had to come in and rest. Hopefully it will get better.
It's little dribs and drabs everytime I go out. The second outting got the front side yard cut. Now it is on to the back. Then I have to wait until payday and get 3 more 50 foot extension cords so that I can finish off the front yard by the street.
I'm hoping my arms will recover and I can get the rest of the back done either this morning or this evening. I want to get on to doing other things like planting seeds here and there and everywhere lol.
Well ladies I could of sworn I posted this, but lst night I set up the landscaping in front of the new dog pen---now I need to buy new pavers to extend the 'walkway' and teh replace teh 4 I 'borrowed' to make a walkway to teh new pen. then I will have to buy more rock to repeat teh process on the left side of the walkway.---'They' say a cool front is coming our way for next week--I sure hope 'they' are right.--it was fairly nice out last night & I still came in wringing wet.--helped get rid of a large part of my cold though.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I got three rainstorms through here yesterday so the ground should have gotten a pretty good soaking. Or at least I hope so. The first rain hit the ground and immediately turned to steam. But the seond rain was a little longer and puddled on the ground. The third I think was a soaking rain. I hope so. The plants would definitely like that. And the white bleeding heart wasn't looking so good in the am so I've got my fingers crossed.
My yard has ticks. UGH!!! does anyone know how to get rid of them please?
So far this moring I've been working on some seed trades. And getting planting times for the list of seeds that I am hoping to plant this year.
Ok, I Just got back from shopping. I bought potting soil for the seeds I want to start that I want to keep an eye on so I won't sow direct.
And then I got the 100 ft extension cord so I should be able to get clear across my yard now. [Fingers crossed.] And I got the rest of the spikes I need so that when I get the landscaping timbers out of the ground and at the level they need to be I can stake them in place good and solid.
I also got the D batteries so I can install the rest of my Door chime. It would be nice to be able to hear people when they are at the door.
Now I'm just waiting for it to cool down and I'll get started again. That is if I take a nap now. I'm tired.
I bought and planted some herbs. I hadn't planned on it but it was one of those things the vehicle saw the nursery and pulled in before I could do a thing about it.
I planted lemon verbena, pineapple sage, peppermint and sweet marjoram all in a big clay bowl that has a good depth. The peppermint though, is confined to a small pot and is planted pot and all just under the soil. It really looks nice. I also planted a gorgeous fuchsia (half price !) called "Bonanza".
OMG!!! The Market Basket-(nursery-landscaping place)_ is having a 50% off sale on all the green plants--ALL--and out of nowhere came fanfare and oranges & lemons gaillardias and the most beautiful primroses.--however I am adding on to my landscaping/patio area and so no more flowers for carol this year.
Today I bought patio Blocks to extend my walk-way, and some for stepping stones in new extended landscaped area. They are in place. Now all I need to do is lay the lanscaping paper down & then go buy enough rock to full in the area.--Luckily when I moved out/extended the edging rocks--I had enough to accomodate the edging.--I say luckily because I had already tried to buy some more like it and the guy I bought it from said he had no more.--I have no idea where these actually came from unfortunately.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
My Checkbook is having a war between saving, the house and the garden. The garden wins of course but I may regret that if something happens to the car or the house.
It's light out so I'll probably start some seeds here shortly.
Ok I didn't start seeds. Instead I thinned my zinnias that have developed their second set of leaves. I got the mixed colors and the tall fushias done. There are still several types to go and the the mini chocolate bell peppers. Then maybe I'll start the other seeds. Or maybe I'll just put them on hold until next summer. I seem to run out of time awfully fast.
And I get tired so fast. This isn't at all good. I guess it is time for a nap.
I have been out watering this morning I started at 9 and didn't get finished til 11 and that's just watering, not leaving the hose, just moving from plant to plant. I'm wore out now from dragging the hose.
I've got several plants that need to be moved, but they'll have to wait now, I'm planning on being gone a few days for the 4th and if I move now they'll need watered and watched every day. So they'll hold til I get back
I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once. -Jennifer Unlimited- Yard Update -April 2012
Worked in my green house all morning. Tomatoes need tying up, they're in full bloom already. Then I fertilized all the other plants. It's a cool and cloudy day here today, what a relief from yesterdays 32 degrees C.
Kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Oh, and I emptied a tea pot full of soil - had a buncha' experiments in it - the soil was perfectly good, so I mixed some grass seed in and sprinkled over my bald patches.
Well the seedlings and the houseplants are watered. I've dug out another 15 gallons of gravel from the front drive. It's hard to believe how much gravel was in there. But that's ok. Every little bit helps me get one step closer to finishing that walkway.
I also sprayed ammonia on the weeds and grass in the walkway that boiling didn't stop. So hopefully they will die and I can get them up out of there.
I haven't put the shovel and rake away yet I hope to get one more session out there before I change to the weed eater. It's dry today so I can do at least one more section today. I got an extra 100 foot extension cord so hopefully I'll beable to finish the front yard with that. If not tomorrow is pay day and I'll get another extension cord.
Today I weeded my herb bed and began to weed my asperagus bed.---then I adjusted the outline for my landscaping extension.
After that I fed the 2 trees in the front of the house their doses of super thrive.--they are on a summer long regiem.---so they recover from what ails them.--The tree in the back that is ill has a mommy robin in it--and I have to wait until she is off getting a snack before I can water that tree--she and her 2 litle ones are down low in the tree & I do not want to disbturb them.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Thanks to whoever sent the sun. I mowed and weed wacked every piece of my yard. Weeded the flower beds also. I'm on a roll, I would have weeded the veggie bed but the flies won...I'll tackle that tomorrow.
My yard looks pretty good this year.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
someone sent tamara sun and someone else sent me some rain! thanks guys. if anyone needs any heat just let me know. I watered just the garden today. first time in about two weeks thanks to the rain we've been getting. but the peppers were a dropping! I cut the top off one of my cherry tomato plants. it was a foot and a half over the stake! I've never done anything so drastic. don't know if i'll kill the plant or not? planted the top in the garden. I know it should go in shade till it roots, but I was just in one of those moods today! live or die, lil' 'mater plant! I figured I have 25 or so tomato plants so.....why not experiment! I cut some chives to put in with the chicken I'm baking. and added some garlic to the compost since it was getting overtaken by ants. Oh, and I also walked around most of the flower beds and made a mental note that one day I must do some weeding!
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
I de-limbed some hanging branches and set off to weed the veggie garden, but I got sidetracked again(I do that alot lately) and ended up picking wild strawberries in the field instead. Oh well, at least I was outside.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
We got a nasty wind/rain storm last night. Lasted for 10 minutes than cleared up like nothing. I am so glad I never planted fragile flowers. My neighbours flowerpots are a mess, broken all up.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
Take it easy Carol...don't make me come down there and tie you to a chair
I finally got my veggie garden weeded today, poor thing isn't growing very well anyway. The rain and grubs took it's toll.
I've noticed today that my front foundation flower bed is getting really crowded. Have to put that on my list. It needs to be expanded out this fall and moved around a bit.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
Tamara:---Plese do not come down & tie me to a chair---I have lots to do to get my house back in shape.--And then there is the outside---the new patio is just about done.---I am 3 bags of rock and 6 or 7 patio blocks short of its completion.---next week is my completion target date for it.--Then I have to re-seal my deck.---it has been 2 years---and I like to at least seal the floor of the deck every year.--Then there is weeding and such----
Lots to get done---7 weeks to get it done in.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I have so much to do I shouldn't even sit down at the computer. But I can't resist talking to you all. It isn't light out yet today so nothing has gotten done outside yet. But I have hopes.
Today I'm gardening on paper....making a plan for what needs to be moved around in the fall. My gardens are so over crowded, things really filled in this year. I have enough extra plants to make a new flower bed
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
That is fantastic. Have you posted pictures anywhere?
I'm setting up a spread sheet with plant heights, spacing, bloom times and colors, plus optimum conditions so that I can keep track of where everything is to go. I keep on getting confused.
Nope, I took pics yesterday but photobucket was giving me trouble. I'll try upload them today sometime.
Funny how you think everything looks so sparce so you keep adding plants then one day....Boom...everything looks like a jungle My problem is my back bed was a lot of clearanced 'no tag' plants. By the time I found out what they were, I realized I had too much planted there.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
I understand aobut the putting too much in a flower bed, tamara:--
I keep looking at my new flower bed thinking it looks awfully sparce---I keep wanting to buy more plants--& then I have to stop myself---many of the plants I have in are going to spread--- -- I will wait unitl next year---then perhaps I will add one or 2 a year.---at least until I get it how I like it. :wink:
NOTE: I did finally get the extension done to my back yard "patio" area.--Pictures will follow after it rains, the rocks need the white film washed off before any photos are taken.
Other than that all I did was water things.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I moved a few things around today. trying to work with the plants instead of having them grow well where I want them to grow. I have several new plants this year and a new bed. So, i'm still figuring out where diff plants will be the happiest.
Cricket
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker
I treated my potted lemon/orange tree and my potted lilac bush with a soap solution yesterday, and today I washed them off. Then I gave my 3 sick maple trees their super thirve. Last but not least, I gave my mock orange bush some plant food. oops--I forgot to clean out my new succulent/hen & chicks area.---I think I need to run back ouitside & do that.--catch you all later.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
For me I dug up another 10 gallon bucket of gravel. It's never ending I think it multiplies at night when I'm not looking.
I took the dead weeds to the compost pile. I put away the gardening tools that had been sitting out for a few days.
It's funny I had company for a couple of days and it took me two days to recover. And I really didn't do that much while they were here. I have to get some energy back I really do. The weeds are way ahead of me. And I need to get a handle on them.
note: in the first pic please ignore the buckets. They are to catch rain so I can water with it later---and then the 2 flower pots belong to Valarie----one has her geraniums in it and the other has a silver mound I dug up to give to her.
the old "patio" stopped at the end of the first 6 patio blocks of the "main walk way"-(seen in first & second view)- and went from the left end of the smaller dog pen toward the deck to the end of the small concrete pad at the bottom of the stairs.--Please ignore the long grass--the rain has not been co-operating.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
Tamara--thanks: I love the edging as well. I would say they are bricks, at any rate--each one is the size of a large brick. Thye are smooth on their tops & the sides.--flat & unfinished on the bottoms. Did you notice I altenated the 5 colors ???
as to their actual beginnings I have no idea. I got them from the son of the real estate agent we went with for buying this house.--he had it in the front of his yard---palets & palets of it.----I tried to buy more last year and he said he was paving his 1/4 mile driveway with the rest of it. It was so fortunate that when I extended the area all I had to add was a few extra bricks I had from the area along the flower bed area by the deck.---(*there are now solid bricks in that area from my dad & moms weekend place.*)
Last edited by JunieGirl; Jul 14th, 2008 at 05:56 AM.
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Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
well yesterday hubby and I cleaned behind the car shed (and I get a new flower bed out of it) but we killed a cottonmouth back there, now it gives me the willies to go in the car shed. Took both of us to kill a little snake, boy we are getting old. When it drys some more from our rain we got here this week end, gonna put out more snakeaway. Then we saw a really big one go under the house...
I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once. -Jennifer Unlimited- Yard Update -April 2012
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but we killed a cottonmouth back there, now it gives me the willies to go in the car shed. 
Took both of us to kill a little snake, boy we are getting old. When it drys some more from our rain we got here this week end, gonna put out more snakeaway. Then we saw a really big one go under the house... 
