soaphouse's Blog

Creek Progress and More...
Jan 24, 2008 | 2:41 PM PST
Tags: creek , clean , vines , privet , arbor , green giant , weeping willow

Its been a great couple of days in the garden! Yesterday, I spent the entire afternoon after I got off of work, working on the creek. It was very satisfying as I was finally able to venture to the other side of the creek! I thought that would never happen. Especially when you look at where all this started:

In case you are wondering where the creek is in that shot...its to the left of the fence, under all the brush! Its very encouraging to look back at this to see how far I have come. Sometimes it seems like I will never finish this, but when I look at how far I have come, I know I will! Here are some current shots of the creek:

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This afternoon I worked on getting the brush to the curb. The hardest part of this was that all of the brush had to travel over the creek and then over the fence then through the gate, then all the way to the curb! I was very thankful for my galoshes. Needless to say, Privet is now a very bad word in my world! I was online the other day browsing nurseries and one had gallon privet for sale for $19.95!!! I could make a fortune, just sell what I am ripping out :) Why can't something amazing be invasive...like peonies or something! But, I digress...

I did place another plant order for the "bones" of this project:

• 
  3 Green Giant Arborvities (for a fast growing evergreen screen on the other side of the creek at our property line.)
  
• 2 Weeping Willows (one for each bank side to help with erosion)
• 1 Colorado Blue Spruce (which is actually for the area in the back where we took out the maple)

I also found a lot of volunteer wax mahonias back there that I will transplant so that they can thrive and be enjoyed. Also, one nandina that I will dig up for a container in the front yard. And, some nice woodland ferns that I uncovered and will hopefully do better now that they are not crowded by privet! Gotta love free plant suprises :)

Its just so exciting to see this all coming together!

On another note, my arbor came in the mail last night and I got it all assembled and installed:

On the left side, I planted a honeysuckle vine of some sort that was passed down from my mother. I am not sure of the variety. It is desiduous and had really neat seed pods in the fall that hang down. On the right side of this arbor, I plan to put out miniature gourd vine seeds. I think if this works...it will be really cool to see the gourds hanging down through the arbor!

YEAH!

Snow Slowdown...
Jan 20, 2008 | 2:36 PM PST
Tags: to do list , azalea , arbor , knock out , veggies , vines , hosta , conifer , cypress , creek , weeping willow

Well, yesterday we had snow all day...with accumulation, which is very unusual for us here! Of course b/c of snow...I am sure you can all imagine that it was quite cold! This means my plans for more creek clean up were put to a rest for this weekend at least. But, it did give me a good chance to get some things done inside the house. I worked on painting the nursery for the little one to come and I spent some time tootling around on various gardening websites. But, most exciting of all is that I got all of my past blog entries printed out and put in a 3 ring binder. I had NO idea how much I had written! I have enjoyed and found it very helpful in the past to look over my old entries. Now that they are all on paper...I have a great essay of the garden for most of last season and I can write notes in the margins and highlight and it will be just a great resource for future garden planning. It ended up being over 300 pages of blog entries! Now, I will try to maintain the discipline of printing out my blog on a monthly basis so that I always have it up to date.

One thing that I have found most helpful with it right now is looking back on the creek project and the progress. I am really starting to plan what to plant in that area as it is almost cleared out....but, since everything is dormant right now, looking back at old entries has really helped me notice where I still need to clean out and areas of sun and shade.

I have also been making a lot of mental to do lists for future garden projects. I think I ought to get them down on "paper":

• 
  Work on Hosta/Hydrangea Bed

• -I already transplanted the Hydrangeas to better locations, now I need to top dress with compost in the spring, then divide and transplant any hostas that need help. I also hope to add some new varieties of hostas. I am thinking I would also like to add some fatsia japonicas in the back to help hide the chain link fence.

• I also have many plants that I would like to divide and move around the garden:

• 
  -Ajuga
• -Daylilie
  s
• -Lambs Ear
• -Creeping Flox
• -Hardy Begonia
• -Vinca Minor and Vinca Major

• I also have a list of plants I would like to add to the garden this year (don't we all!):

• 
  - New sunny bed where we took out the maple: 3 or 5 false threaded cypress, Some fun varieties of conifers, possibly the tree peonie that I just ordered and maybe the hardy fuchsias as well.

• -New Porch Bed that I just created and got ready for planting: Sweet Pea VInes, Sunflowers, Bells of Ireland and something low growing for the front.

• -For the New Arbor that I am awaiting in the mail: It will go in the side yard on the right side of the house and I will plant a deciduous honeysuckle vine on the left side and I will put miniature ornamental gourd seeds on the other side. I am thinking the gourds will look so cools hanging there in the winter!

• -For
  the Never Ending Creek Project: Great Gunnera on bank side. 3 Green Giant Arborvities on property line to hide neighbors, Weeping willow tree on bank to prevent erosion problem. Lots of woodland fern varieties...and next fall I will add some bulbs to it as well! I would also like to add an arbor at the gate entrance and grow a Joseph's Coat Rose on it.
  

• -Veggie
  Garden: I am going to plant mostly plants this year from the local nursery so that if we are still in a level 4 drought, I will have a better chance at success...I plan to do: cherry tomatoes, pole beans and sugar snaps, Sweet Potatoes (purchased the starts already from Burpee), Spinach, Purple Brussle Sprouts, Asparagus and Artichokes (that I will purchase from Territorial Seed Company), and whatever else looks fun from the nursery. I will be doing a lot of companion planting as well so that means lots of: asters, dill, coriander, cosmos, basil, garlic, dill, basil and radishes...oh and onions too! I hope to have a couple more raised beds built so I will have lots of room for all this!

• -I also would like to beef up the shade bed where the azalea bed is. I haven't really ever done much with this for many reasons: Its in the back yard, so it is just now starting to get the attention it deserves, azaleas really are not my favorite things, but they are in good shape and they were here when we moved in, because they are not what I would have chosen, I think I have a hard time envisioning what else to do there. Also, it is one of the only deeply shaded spots in my yard, so I haven't learned a lot yet about shade gardening. I did plant a lot of daffodils there this fall , so I know that will be nice in early spring. I want to make it super pretty b/c it is my view out the kitchen window and I see it very regularly when I do the dishes.

• - I want to get some more knock out roses to plant at the base of my new sculpture in the front window seat bed.

• - And finally, I would like to add more flowering evergreen vines to my chain link fence in the ongoing effort to cover it up. The carolina jessamine and honeysuckles have done particularlily well, so I think I will get some of those.

• -I am sure that, in reality, only about half of this will get done, but I will end up doing a million other things that weren't even on my list. Thats always how it goes...but thats the fun of it! There is always something unexpected and tempting at the nursery that must be taken home :)

Whew....now that I got that out of my system!

It will be great to look back on this and see what ends up getting done! LOL

New Picts!
Jun 21, 2007 | 3:48 PM PST
Tags: pictures , arbor , backyard , artemesia
Woo Hoo! Hubby came home so while he played with the bambino I got some picts taken. Only of the backyard...will wait to take picts of the front yard when cars aren't in the driveway...looks so much prettier that way. Anyway, the backyard has been a major work in progress. We have been in this house for 4 years. We basically started with nothing but a n island of trees surrounded in monkey grass. So, little by little I have been adding things as I get inspiration and $. My Everest is trying to hide the chain link. UGH! My favorite part this year is how the artemesia has taken off. I love the blue foliage next to the grass and the vibernum. Also loving my new veggie beds and can't wait to add more. The arbor pictured was built by my husband while we were engaged and we were married under it in my parent's backyard. I plan to order some roses to grow on it. Always dreaming and thinking of new projects. Will take picts of my front yard soon. Enjoy