A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Gardener's Chat Whay did you do in the garden today?2008 Part3...

The sun is shining......I'll be doing lots

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.

Well, I weeded a small flower bed so far...slowly getting things done.

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.
.

tk, if it is metal, you can probably get someone to come get it without charge. they do that here so they can sell the metal for scrap.

Maybe I'll freecycle it then. I guess I better get a good look at it first so I know what it is.

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.

Well, I got the lawn mowed late last night....and I have the fly bites to prove it

Someone wanna come help me weed?

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

I pulled another bucket of weeds last night, and I'm off to get some epsom salts to use on the brugs

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

Kennyso, what are brugs??

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

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

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*

Today?

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.

We had a wonderful sunny day - 25 celsius!

It was a break from the rain, rain, rain we've been having.

I went out * bought my landscaping paper & rock so I can expand my "patio" to in front of the new dog pen---(now I have 2)

note: The girls & Rod call it my 'patio'--it is really just a walkway

and then I put superthrive on my maple tree in the back yard.

Got another flower bed re-edged and mulched last night.....hoping to get more done today.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Very good!

Great use of old tablecloths, and a perfect gardening motif!

Carly, they were new tablecloths. Just those vinyl front/flannel back ones but they were thick.

Good Job, tamara----and they are perfect for outside as well

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!!!

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?

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

beautiful tam.

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.

Great work tammy...you sure sound busy.

It rained here all day yesterday, it's raining again now. So nothing got done.