SpringChicken's Blog

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Mar 12, 2008 | 7:12 AM PST

03/12/08

Hey ya'll! I am going to make this short and sweet so as not to lose this blog entry like I did my first one.

Short History: We lost our last home (a rental) to a house fire on the night of December 31, 2005. We awoke at 2:00 in the morning to our German Shepherd, Princess, barking like crazy. An old electric wire heater had caught fire from poor wiring within the wall. Thankfully, we all got out alright. We suffered a total loss because what the fire didn't get, the smoke and water damage did. We did not have renter's insurance as we never saw a need for it. Boy was that a big lesson learned!!! We were able to quickly get back to our feet with help from family, friends, coworkers, church members, and even complete strangers. We stayed in a rental A-frame log cabin on the lake for a while thanks to a generous church member. God truly watched over us and blessed us immensely during this trial and we came out better than we were before!

Eventually we had to start looking for a place of our own. We always dreamed of owning our own home and land. After months of searching for an affordable piece of property, my husband stumbled on 2 1/2 acres on the side of a mountain within our area. I wasn't too keen on the property because A.) it was literally on the side of a mountain, B.) completely undeveloped, C.) forest land, D.) very rocky, and E.) very rural. This place was his dream land as he is an obsessed deer hunter and outdoorsman. He took one look at this property and saw gold. I took one look at it and saw a disaster. We finally came to an agreement that I would purchase the land if he would promise me a flat, level, lush, green yard that I could fix up to my likings. Of course, by this time he would have agreed to anything! LOL!

Present Day: Well here I am a year and a half later and still living with a big mud pit (Alabama red clay mud mind you) surrounded by a vast woodland. After our home was finished we didn't have the finances for a while to start on the landscaping end and we are just now able to do so. Therefore, as I start this exciting journey fixing up the ol' mud pit, I will be blogging each step of the way. I have never done anything like this before so please stick with me and forgive my mess ups.

I have lots of creative juices a flowin and am anxious to get started. Last year my gardening was very meek and simple consisting of only some container plantings and a few starts from plants my mother has in her yard. (By the way, my mother has a big ol' fat green thumb and her yard looks like a picture out of Better Homes and Gardens!) She shared some day lillies, cannas, an Easter lillie, and hosta with me. My sister gave me all of her elephant ears which did wonderfully last year. I had one that was so big it took up the whole front corner of my house as it was right under the water hose spicket. I did manage to make one small rock flower bed around my mailbox containing red sage and white impatiens.

In years past at my old home I grew everything from seed. I would just plant the seed right in the ground and cross my fingers. A few things I have always had good luck with this method are zinnias, sunflowers, and asters. I also use to do really well with my gladiola bulbs (one of my favorites.) This year I have begun sewing indoors. I am still on a tight budget because we just purchased a new car and will be going on vacation next week. I have to be creative so I am utilizing old 2-liter and 3-liter bottles that I have cut the bottoms out of for starting my seedlings. I started yesterday with cleome (Rose Queen) and sweet williams. I realize that both of these can self-sew but I want flowers fast!

I have several new things that I want to try such as hypertufa and my most exciting project, COMPOSTING! I am particularly interested in composting to save money for fertilizer. I have already started begging family and friends to save me compost materials. I am going to go to my mother's house tonight and get me a big ol' helpin' of cow poop from the cow field behind her house. Yeeeee-haw!! I'm teaching my kids what to throw away and what to save for the compost pile. I stll don't know what kind of container/bin I will be using and would appreciate any ideas for how to do this on the cheap.

I am bursting with excitement awaiting all of the new "goodies" that I have ordered from seed companies!!! I would appreciate any seeds or cuttings that anyone can donate for my collection. Over the next several months I will be picking everyone's brains for tips and ideas. A couple of big hurdles for me right now are a BIG hill directly behind my home that washes red clay mud into the front and side yards and also the fact that I have minimal areas of full sun. Needless to say, I will be needing a lot of groundcovers for erosion problems and shade loving plants for under/around the trees.

Well, maybe I didn't make this so short and sweet after all. ; ) I've been stopping and saving every few sentences so as to not lose this post. GTG! Ya'll com back now, ya hear?!

15 Member Comments

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garden98011	Mar 12, 2008 \| 8:07 AM PST Welcome again, it sounds like you have a slice of heaven. Wish I could assist you with growing plants from seed, but others on GG are very experienced-there's a forum to read/post under for advice. There is another forum for composting, I would say the bigger the better and with that piece of land you may have a large enough space to deem "compost area". Keep up posted!Andrea (beautiful children by the way!) Last edited by garden98011 on March 12th at 8:08 AM.
rockybane	Mar 12, 2008 \| 8:59 AM PST Good gardening, sounds like you're going to have lots of fun planting around your new home! You are in the right place here at GG to learn lots of "green thumb" kinds of things! There are some super gardeners here. Now me, I have more of a brownish green thumb, but I'm learning!
bugnut	Mar 12, 2008 \| 9:30 AM PST I am so glad you able to overcome a tragic event in you and your families life. You sound like one who will have your place in showcase condition in no time. Just keep on keeping on. John
justme	Mar 12, 2008 \| 9:47 AM PST What a terrible thing to have happen and on New Years Eve at that. So glad you were able to overcome it. Sounds like you have your hands full with your new place, and it will be fun following your blog.
bsmitch	Mar 12, 2008 \| 9:47 AM PST I see you have your work cut out for you, but it's all very satisfying work. And always remember, a garden is never finished. It's a work in process or progress which ever way you want to take it. The largest and fanciest gardens you see at the State capitol and other official places have bunches of gardeners on the payroll working continuously to keep those gardens looking the way they do. Just have fun, it will be beautiful. Your friend, The real Hillbilly Last edited by bsmitch on March 12th at 9:50 AM.
yardgranny6	Mar 12, 2008 \| 10:10 AM PST Sounds like paradise to some of us gardeners. Raw land, lots of dreams and ready to do the hard work to make the gardens. LInda B
SpringChicken	Mar 12, 2008 \| 10:26 AM PST It's raw land alright! Hubbie tried to lay some grass seed last year and the first good rain washed it all down the slope so that we now have little spotty grass patches in places but none where he laid it! LoL! Thanks to all for your nice comments and for reading my long blog. I'll try to either make it shorter or break it up into several blogs next time. I just have so much to tell ya'll!
gardenbug8	Mar 12, 2008 \| 1:33 PM PST There is a reason for everything happening to us. That one tragic loss seems to me a blessing in disguise. Now you will have a garden of your dreams. Take it one day at a time and soon your garden will be beautiful, a real work of art from your hard work. Show us some pictures when you are apt to it. Good luck and happy gardening.
SpringChicken	Mar 12, 2008 \| 2:20 PM PST I believe you might be right gardenbug8. It is just such a huge task that it seems so daunting. Hopefully, once I can get down and dirty my spirits will lift and I will find my gardening groove again. ; )
Debstr	Mar 12, 2008 \| 5:48 PM PST Remarkable! What energy you have & what a challenge & definitely what fun lies ahead of you! I am sure it IS overwhelming & at times things won't work out like they are suppose to .. hopefully, we can all help & flowers will be bloomin' in no time! Welcome & it's a pleasure to meet you! Debbie in IL :-)
kerryh	Mar 12, 2008 \| 8:59 PM PST The wonderful thing about gardeners is ...we are a hopeful clan!!!. How wonderful to have a plot of unturned earth.Those grass seeds that washed away are growing somewhere.LOL. Last edited by kerryh on March 12th at 9:00 PM.
chattycarnation	Mar 13, 2008 \| 1:23 AM PST Well, springchikcen it sounds like you and your family have been thru a lot! Looking to the future your garden will be exactly what you want it to be. Is there any way you can reroute the mud that comes down the mountain so that it wont impact your landscaping and your home? I think that might be a big project, but cannot tell from your comments, if the mud comes down to the house or just the yard? Once you have that kind of in control you will be ready to make your space, get your soil ready and get the plans out! You will be glad to have that compost when its ready! Nothing like it! Are you going with an English garden look or more formal. Do you have some sun and some shade or mostly shade? It is so much fun to plan when you have a blank canvas! Keep us informed on how it is coming along!
soaphouse	Mar 13, 2008 \| 6:41 AM PST sounds like God is definately taking care of you! You will make your place into a paradise in no time. I would love to see some picts of what you have to work with :)
meska	Mar 14, 2008 \| 9:22 PM PST Wow, Chick! That's some story!! So glad your family made it out fine. Wish I could help with your various questions, but I'm not much of a gadener yet. Your little mountain hideaway sounds soooo cute and promising. I know you'll keep us posted! :-) Darling children you have there!
thequiltedgardener	Mar 15, 2008 \| 8:02 AM PST Is quite a story chick, keep posting and when you get a chance, post some before pictures so we can see. Wish I share plants, but alas I am across the country!

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