Follow Us!
† Requires Javascript
Copyright © 1997-2009 Demand Media. All rights reserved.
|
(I hope this post goes through ok...with all the weird stuff going on with the site today...)
The last few days we have had a good steady rain. Great for our drought situation! Of course, I have gotten used to doing something in the yard most every afternoon. So, instead...I had some nice cups of coffee on the front porch and watched the rain :)
One morning, when I woke up...I noticed an owl perched on the fence by the creek. We hear owls a lot around here...and my husbad has named the one we hear, Norbert. Maybe this was Norbert showing himself :) . A little later, I also saw some sort of giant bird walking across the creek (might have been a white herron?) I couldn't catch a picture of him though. Here is a little shot of the owl:
It dried up enough today for my hubby to go get some loads of compost for the newly built veggie beds! Hooray!!!
And, in case there was any question as to the necessity of the chicken wire surrounds:
HAH! needless to say...the doggies had a fun day in the garden too!
While my husband was picking up the loads I also took advantage of the wet ground and did my first (of many, I am sure) spring weeding sessions! It felt good to get that done. We got most of the beds full and just need to finish up one bed. Yeah! Gotta love progress!
I ended up having the day off today....so my little girl and I spent a while playing in the garden this morning (once it warmed up a bit).
I noticed some more signs of spring (just when I was beginning to wonder if some of the things I had planted and moved survived).
The globe allium blubls are emerging!!!!!! That is SO exciting. I got them on sale, but even then they weren't so cheap. Also, the autumn joy sedums that I divided last spring seem to be coming back nicely. And, the iris that I divided in the fall is starting to show itself again. So fun when things work out the way you hoped!
Of course, things don't always work out...one of the coreopsis that i got during a summer sale and looked great until frost is not showing any signs of regrowth and the other ones are. I will give it a bit more time before I give up on it completely.
My hubby worked so hard for me this weekend and construction of my veggie beds is complete! Hooray! We went from 2 to 5 total. Next year we will add 3 more for a grand total of 8 :)
As you can see: He had a little help too:
Milo approves:
Now, we just have to fill them all with compost and then hubby will build the wire fence panels to keep out the wildlife. I am super excited to implement my companion garden plan that I worked up:
While he was busy working away for me...I tackled a couple of projects of my own.
First, I bermed up some compost around the porch where I plan to sew flower seeds this season. I can't put anything permanent there....b/c we hope to rebuild the deck in the near future. So, I purchased Sweet Pea Flower Seeds, Moon Flower Seeds, Sunflowers, Bells of Ireland and Sweet Alyssum. I got the compost nice and spread and then put up a temporary fence so the seeds can germinate in peace and free of doggie paws. Once they get growing well, I will take up the fence.
Then, I saw an episode of curb appeal that inspired me to try a paint technique on my front walk. I was going to extend this even onto the driveway...but our driveway is REALLY beat up and I think it might have accentuated the flaws instead of hiding them. So, for now...the walkway only got the special treatment.
BEFORE:
And After:
I just got a gallon of porch paint and applied it with a wet sponge. Its subtle, but that was the idea. It just gives it a little somethin'. The biggest difference is the bottom step going up to the door. It had been added by a previous owner and the brick did not match the house, so I did some sponging on it to make it blend better.
I have pretty much gotten all of my to do list done and now it is a matter of waiting for spring to sew seeds and plant plants. Once the weather is forcasted into the 70's for a couple of days...I will spray some weedy spots too.
I am very excited that our little cold front was a small one and we were back into the 60's today. Yay! When the little one went down for her nap, I began work on my to-do list. It actually didn't take me much time at all :) I did some various small pruning tasks and then set out to try my new pole pruner. It was a bit tricky...but after a good lesson from my hubby, it seemed to do the trick. We just took off some lower branches from a large tree in the backyard...to keep things opened up. My husband was kind enough to pick up a load of compost on his way home from work, so I also got that spread. I spread it around the back porch where I plan grow a flower garden from seed this spring. It looks great and the small bit of leftover compost is sitting in water tonight for a good batch of compost tea that I will use to water the azaleas with. Tomorrow is my hubby's day off, so we will hopefully get the veggie beds finished up :)
Here are some fun shots I took around my front yard today in between chores:
The daffodils are emerging under the redbud tree:
>
Crocus bulbs emerging: ( I always forget that their foliage has that great variagation on it until I see it each spring)
>
Clematis Armandi forming its buds:
I am just loving the anticipation of spring!
Well, we just finished the first stage of the veggie beds. We are adding 3 more and the goal this weekend was to get all the posts in the ground (which really is the hardest part). Normally, we would be at church on a sunday morning, but the wee one has a runny nose and they don't take to kindly to that at the childcare...so, we stayed home and finished up. Yesterday, I dug all the post holes (that was a lot harder than I thought it would be) and while I did that my hubby cut and measured everything...which is definately beyond my capabilities!
Then, this morning, while I drug more brush to the curb...he finished cementing everything in:
Next weekend, we will get the sides and tops on and finish them up. HOORAY! Happy Valentine's Day to me!
Also, here are some shots of the backyard this morning:
p>
This afternoon, I will finish getting all the creek brush to the curb. I know the yard pickup people will be so relieved! They must be very tired of my huge piles!
So, since my hubby and I began construction today of 3 more raised veggie beds...I thought it a good excuse to order some more things on my plant "shopping list" . I recently received a catalog from Gurney's, who I have never ordered from but have heard good things about. They also had a $25 off coupons...so I couldn't resist! Here is a list of my goodies to come in the mail soon:
BEAN BUSH EARLY CONTENDER (Seeds)
BEAN BUSH IMPROVED GOLDEN WAX(Seeds)
BEET CHIOGGIA GUARDSMARK (seeds)
BEAUTYBERRY PURPLE (plant)- this will go in the front of the new mixed border where we took out the maple in the back
FESTUCA GLAUCA (order of 3 plants) - will go in the berm in the front yard.
COSMOS BRIGHT LIGHTS MIXED (seeds)- these are a big part of the new companion planting scheme...
RADISH MIXTURE PKT/G (seeds)
CARROT TENDERSWEET (seeds)
BEAN POLE PURPLE POD (seeds)
ASPARAGUS PURPLE PASSION 2 Year starts
I am super excited! I will probably get all of the seeds soon and the plants will arrive in early March hopefully. I was so excited to find purple asparagus! (purple is my favorite color)
When we bought our home, almost 5 yrs ago, we had to install a fence before we moved in...we have dogs and a fence was a must. The only thing we could afford, especially with our size property, was chain link. Certainly not my first choice, but it was necessary. Since then, I have been trying to think of ways to cover it. Well, we love our dogs and will always have dogs and I have come to learn really how practical chain link is for doggies. Its extremely durable, doesn't rot, can't be scratched through, or dug under. The list goes on. Also, the dogs love being able to see through it...their little window to the world. But, it is just SO ugly! Over the last couple of seasons, I have been training evergreen vines to cover it up in the sunny spots and that is working out nicely. Well, I have finally gotten the creek cleaned out and I keep looking at it thinking "if only i didn't have to have that chain link in front of it". So, I decided to try a paint treatment. I mean, it IS what it IS and that IS that...but, silver chain does reflect a lot of light and draws the eye to it. So, I thought I would try a flat black and at least that way, the eye would see the plants first and not the glowing silver of the metal. Suprisingly...it actually turned out really well! And, I am super excited!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I also planted a new carolina jasmine on the above fence section to grow over that nicely. Once the vines cover in the sunny spots and I have nice full plants in the foreground of the shady spots...I think I might not even notice the chain link...at least, that is the master plan.
Of course, once that was done, I also drug more brush to the curb. Almost done with that! Tomorrow, hubby is building me 3 more raised veggies beds (my valentine's day pressie:)
I have been slowly working away at getting all of my ornamental grasses cut back and ready for spring. Its quite a chore when you have a decent number of them. Well, today I finished cutting all of them back and mulching them. I have 11 or so Variagated Miscanthus, and 2 Zebra Grasses. It feels great to have this chore done - and it looks so nice and tidy. My little girl also helped me with some more clean up....
We Dug up 2 cast Iron Plants that were planted in the azalea bed but were somewhat hidden and not doing too well, so I divided them and moved them to the Hydrangea/ Hosta Bed:
Once I had them in the ground, I top dressed each one with a shovel full of compost. Hopefully that will help green them up a bit.
Also pruned back the artemesia, transplanted a mahonia that was in a bad spot, cut back the clematis jackmanii, cut back the liriope seeds, and deadheaded the camellia. Once the little one went down for her nap, I worked on getting more brush to the curb. I also noticed that a lot of things are starting to come out of dormancy and get ready for spring!
The daffodils in the front are starting to emerge, a couple of the things I bought on clearance in the late summer are showing signs of coming back (the butterfly weed and some hydrangeas most noteabley) The creeping phlox and veronica are also starting to bloom :) The roses I purchased from the Antique Rose Website are showing new growth, all the trees and shrubs have their buds, EVEN the weeds are coming out of dormancy! HAH! So fun watching it all unfold!
Here is what the front of the house looks like today:
My view from the front porch today:
I really am enjoying getting the yard all tidy and ready for spring...very gratifiying!
I slowed down my pace a bit today in the garden...just did some routine housekeeping...
Edged the beds with the weedeater, trimmed back the wild onions and vinca with the weedeater, raked and started to cut back all the grasses. This is always such a messy job and I don't know that I have figured out the most efficient way of doing it. I figure this year, I will just do a bit at a time through the next couple of weeks and then it won't seem so bad. The yard is looking so tidy and is just ready for spring to burst through. I also took some time to play with the camera and capture some wonderful winter moments in the garden:
Dried Annabelle Hydrangea Bloom:
Exfoliating Bark of the Oakleaf Hydrangea:
Wax Mahonia Bloom/Berries:
Nice contrast of the Variegated Ivy against the bark of the tree trunk:
Lilac getting ready for spring:
Twisty Twigs of the Contorted Filbert:
Brilliant Color of the Nandina Fire Power:
And Finally...the beautiful bark of the Natchez Crepe Myrtle (the reason I chose this variety):
All of these picts were taken in my back yard. It was really nice to look closely at all the winter details. I see my garden different through the lense and its always a fun perspective!
Well, the steps survived! It wasn't a torrential down pour, but it was more than a drizzle....the great thing is that the rain helped clean up the creek even more and the steps look more settled in.
I spent the afternoon dragging more brush to the curb. I also pruned my crepe myrtles and autumn ferns.
But, most notably, I did a lot of garden planning. I have been reading a book on companion planting lately and I really want to use this system in my spring/summer vegetable beds. But, its a lot to think about and my usual method of buying what sounds fun and throwing it in the ground was just making my head hurt...so I needed to plan.
First, I made my wish list of things to plant, then I jotted down their appropriate companions according to my book, then I made my shopping list. And, finally, I got it all down on paper!
Shopping List:
Seeds
:
Spinach
Radish
Carrots
Beets
Cosmos
Onions
Calendula
Plants: (Due to the drought...I plan on starting a lot less from seed this go around)
Cherry Tomatoes
An Heirloom Tomato
Big Boy Tomato
Eggplant
Bell Pepper
Brussel Sprouts
Bush Beans
Pole Beans
Spaghetti Squash
Strawberries
Corn
asparagus
Basil
Parsley
Asters
Dill
Chives
Bee Balm
Black Eyed Susan
Marigolds
I have 2 existing raised beds in the back (about 8 feet by 8 feet) The plan is to add 3 more by spring time... Here is the plan I came up with:
I know its a bit hard to see on the computer...but it will be so helpful to me. I will print it out before I go shopping and have it as a reference while I plant. Now I can get all that confusion out of my brain and onto paper....so, on to the next task!
† Requires Javascript
Copyright © 1997-2009 Demand Media. All rights reserved.
