29 posts tagged “yard”

Solar Pest Repellers

Jul 24, 2009
2 comments

Neil bought four of these for my yard - they arrived yesterday. I put two of them out in the yard this morning. I guess we'll see if they work. They emit a sound and vibrate at intervals which supposedly annoys yard pests (specifically moles, gophers, etc.) and sends them packing to quieter living areas...presumably outside your yard. It is reported that these also work for snakes.

I am unclear as to whether they work on snakes because they too do not like the noise and vibrations or if it is because it scares away their food source. In any case, anything is worth trying. I have also removed the old cat house that was right outside the back door...there was about 2" of crawl space under it that made a good hidey area for critters. And as soon as I can find some, I will toss some mothballs under the grill to keep any from hiding under there (I will also put some in the garage).

I put the first two repellers out on either side of the patio along the house. I figure that will cover enough area to help keep the dog potty areas free of too much trouble. The other two I think I will put out along the top of the hill between my house and Tommy's to try to deter them from coming up into the yards there. I don't really care if they are out in the farthest back part of my yard...I rarely go out there and if I do, I will just take extra precautions.

I still think it was a fluke that I saw the snake the other night, but better safe than sorry since the closest 24 hour emergency vet is nearly an hour from here.

Yard Photos

Jun 1, 2009
Post a comment

I took some quick photos of the yard this morning...everything is so darn green since the rain we've had (I know, such a tough problem to have) that some of them are hard to get much definition in them, but they give a general idea of what's been happening around here:

Front Yard

The hardest part of the yard was laying the pavers to extend the patio for the grill so that it was no longer sitting in front of my living room window (for the past two years my view has consisted of the back side of a covered gas grill):

Patio

The last big yard project now is to get the lawn to be an actual lawn. That will take awhile yet, but a good start is underway - most of the weeds have been killed (the Japanese clover is being stubborn) and we tossed down some seed in the bare areas. This fall the lawn service will properly seed the whole yard (lime, aerate, fertilize and then seed). Until then, though, some of the seed we put down is actually growing!

New Grass!

There are other shots on Flickr of the back yard with the bird area and the new side-yard beds and some close-ups of the front walkway areas. Enjoy!

Happy grass...

May 26, 2009
Post a comment

an update on my mom's visit and the holiday weekend.

My mom's visit was fantastic. She loves yard work....adores it. Personally, I don't share quite the same level of enthusiasm, but I do enjoy it. Out first project - extending the patio with a 4' by 5' pad made of concrete pavers so that I could get my grill off of the patio (and more specifically, so that it was no longer sitting directly in front of my living room window). We dug out the grass first. Not as easy as it sounds like it should be...with the drought over the past several years, the grass and weeds that did get established had some serious root systems to contend with! Once that was done the smoothing and leveling began one paver at a time. It took 2 days to get the pad completed (really only about a day total - 4 hours each day with a total of 12 eighteen inch pavers). I have one that settled more than the rest with all the rain we've had, so as soon as the weather gets a little nicer I will pull it up and put some more sand under it to bring it back up to the same level as the rest. With the grill moved, I also relocated the patio furniture so that now there is plenty of room for folks to sit outside and still have room to walk around the patio without ending up in the grass.

Next project - planting beds and bird feeders! A trip to Lowe's got us many bags of lava rock to finish the front bed, a concrete bird bath, bird seed, and the thought that we should later bite the bullet and go get pine needles to create the rest of the planting areas. Since it was sweltering that day, we did the easy stuff first - put up bird feeders and got the bath put out and leveled (smart mom - we used left over sand from leveling the pavers to make a little spot to put the bath that could be adjusted to keep it upright). We then dumped and spread the bags of rock and realized we were going to need more. But, before that, we decided to tackle the edging that I had purchased last year. The stuff is cool - it is the inexpensive black PVC stuff, but instead of the kind that you have to dig a trench to install, this has tabs along it that you just pound stakes through as needed. SO much easier to get in straight and even. Exactly two lengths of it completed the front bed! A little digging was needed here and there to get the ground under the edge level, but all in all, it was as easy as advertised! Someday I will replace it with larger stones to edge all of the beds, but for now this helps keep the rock where it belongs and give the bed a nice finished look.

Off to get pine needles. I learned that my truck holds exactly 12 bales (we ended up needing 14 - good thing the materials place is close to the house!). We bedded along the entire garage end of the house and also extended a couple areas around trees and finished around the holly bushes since the lawn guys never did. It looks amazing! While we were outside, a random neighbor from up the road stopped by to offer us two azaleas that she didn't want and was going to throw away...cool! So we planted those too. When we went back to Lowe's for the remaining red rock, we also ended up getting a couple bags of grass seed and some starter fertilizer/mulch to throw down on the bare areas in the front yards and one more bird feeder - I needed a new mesh one for the thistle seed.

Last but not least for the week - we installed the solar lights that I have had since I moved out here and also the copper tiki torches that I had purchased last year. The lights went in all along the house where we made the beds and also out under the trees and shrubs in the side and back yards. They don't give off a ton of light (they have amber LEDs in them) but they do make for nice delineation of the yard at night and offer enough light to see the shrubs and trees that they are near. The torches went around the patio and will be filled with citronella oil to help keep the flying, biting, creepy-crawlies away while we are outside.

This weekend it ended up raining about half the weekend (Sunday and Monday and more today), which was OK. I got a little housework done, watched the entire first season of Dollhouse, and mostly just vegged out with the dogs. The best part was that I haven't had to water the front lawns where we seeded. The rest of the established grass also seems to be very happy with the warmer weather and the water. It is already looking like it needs another trim and will be very ready by Thursday when the guys come.

If and when the weather clears up a little, I will get out and take some photos of the yard and house and get them posted. I am thrilled with how 'finished' it all finally looks! This fall will really be the icing on the cake when the lawn guys do a proper seeding of the entire lawn - it should really grow in well.

Weekends...

Mar 29, 2009
1 comment

of course they are never long enough, especially when it rains over half of it. Bah.

I did, however, get some yardwork done. I got all the bushes fertilized with stakes. I weeded the front beds, trimmed the bushes, and moved the spirea that was in front of my bedroom window over to the corner of the house (same side). Later this afternoon I will spread the rest of the bags of red rock that are cluttering up my garage.

Moo's issues are definiely environmental. Allergies, poor pup. Her left ear and eye are itchy and her left eye is goopy. I will get her to the vet this week for more antihistamines and to see what, if anything, I need to do about her eye. I feel her pain - this time of year is murder on my sinuses.

Time for some lunch and then back out to the yard.

Death & Taxes

Jan 20, 2009
Post a comment

That whole - 'the only two things certain in life' and all.

I got my taxes filed yesterday. Thankfully I work for a company that is very proactive in getting tax documents sent out and I have super easy filing. I shall have my return at the end of the month and my state return shortly after that.

The return is my budget this year for house projects. I will pay off one credit card with it and the remainder will go mostly to yard supplies. Rock, to be specific. River rock and red rock. I will for sure get the front and side yards bedded and rocked this year. If there is enough left I will also get the paving stones to extend the back patio. For now I will be using inexpensive black PVC edging for the beds and someday (maybe next year) I will replace that with some sort of edging stone.

A couple indoor projects will also finally get tackled. First, to get the electrical circuit for the bonus room fixed so I can start using the treadmill again. Depending on how much that ends up costing me (if it is just the breaker, it will be relatively inexpensive - if it is a wiring problem, it will cost much more) I also plan to get a quote on what it will take to have someone come in and drywall the garage. That will help immensely with controlling temps and humidity in the garage. It is just two walls, the ceiling and back wall are already done, so I am hoping it won't be too much. My plan there is to do the insulating myself using the rolled insulation that can be stapled up. I will also be purchasing two, much needed, coat-rack/bench things to put by the front and back doors.

All that ought to keep me plenty busy this year...add to it the projects already in progress: painting and lawn work (fertilizing and reseeding). Next year (assuming I get most of these projects finished this year), I will tackle additional bedding/rocking in the back yard and hopefully tiling projects in the bathrooms and kitchen (new countertops, back-splashes in all rooms, and floors in the bathrooms).

So much to do and there never seems to be enough time or money to get it all done! I am excited about the yard projects though...getting those beds done will help tons in getting my house looking like a real home.

Well...

Oct 10, 2008
Post a comment

it looks like Wells Fargo has won the first battle. Pending final Federal approval, we will be purchasing Wachovia in its entirety. I am SO thrilled about this, I can't even begin to express it.

Now it looks as though we will be fighting a second battle with Citi in court. It will be interesting to see how that all turns out, but I can almost guarantee that we won't be paying what Citi is asking for. Heh.

This week has been insane, between an already packed work schedule and then dealing with everyone freaking out about the housing market, stock market, and this buy-out deal...I am exhausted. Next week is not really looking any better - I leave Monday and won't be home until Thursday. Bah.

At least the following week I have an admin week at home. Tons of work to do, but I can do it all in my PJs!

This weekend I am going to attempt to get some yard work done...I have decided to break down and do the pine straw to get my planting beds designed. I simply cannot afford the amount of red rock I would need right now. This way the beds will be done and then I can replace the straw one section at a time with rock as my budget allows. I AM going to have to splurge though for some rock for the gully in the back. My goal is to get it all weed-wacked this winter and then get rock down in the creek area and also in a few places that the water runs off my yard and then straw and plant the rest of it.

To-Do's

Aug 22, 2008
Post a comment

HOUSE: (the first four are just never-ending)

- vacuum

- dust

- scrub bathrooms

- laundry

- organize office

- pack up Rock Band game (it is Neil's - being sold)

- replace air-filters

- paint kitchen

- paint living room/touch-up entry way

- paint master bath

- re-paint dining room

- re-paint guest bath

YARD:

- finish putting bags of rock out in front window bed

- start edging planting beds

- weed'n'feed front yard

- move last 5 bushes from front window bed

- plant purple leaf plum in side yard

- plant camellias in front window bed

- grass-seed front yard

- install walk-way lights

- weed (again - never-ending project)

Yard update...

May 10, 2008
Post a comment

Feel free to skip this if you are getting sick of hearing about plants and such.

I finally got the last small holly bush moved up by the mail box. I replanted the large holly bush that I had dug up the other day over by the storm drain between my house and Tommy's house. I weeded the majority of the planting area by the mail box. I went out and found a new clematis and some portulaca and got them all planted in the front walkway bed. I also found a new card reader while I was out. I did some weeding around some of the other bushes. And I have done two loads of laundry. All before 10:00am on a Saturday.

This evening I am hoping to start getting the edging installed around the planting bed areas. Right now, it is already getting too warm out to do much more real work outside. I just hope that it doesn't rain until later in the day tomorrow so that I can get out to get more gas and then get the lawn mowed. We'll see.

I think I am going to wait until fall now to move the five larger holly bushes that are in front of the windows. Or at least until I get the red rock ordered and spread. I also want to be sure to get the patio done before I mess much more with moving and adding any more plants.

It is getting there...it is actually starting to look like a real yard. Once the rock is down it will really help make it look more "finished". Then this fall I will focus on the lawn.

There will be photos coming one of these days.

And away we go!

May 8, 2008
4 comments

This afternoon I will finish planting the three spirea (Bridal Wreath Spirea - they grow in a fabulous arch off of a vase shaped base and get to be 6-7 feet tall and wide when fully grown) that I bought this past weekend. Luckily, for now, I will only need to dig up one little shrub in front of my bedroom window to make way for the spirea that will be going there instead. Eventually, all the shrubs there will be moved, but for now, I absolutely HAVE to get the new plants into the ground.

I did get the vitex planted...it is mounded up a bit higher than the natural ground level so I will need to go get some more soil and mulch this evening and put it down to help hold water and protect the roots until it gets established in its new place.

I am excited...already the plants that I put in the ground earlier this spring are leafing out and looking lovely. If I could just get around to finally edging out the bedding areas and getting some rock ordered and spread, the yard would look really great (despite the lack of lawn). And of course there is also the still looming patio extension project that needs to be gotten to.

Plants first...and then some weeding. Ick.

Oh yeah...any suggestions on how to smother out grass? I would really rather not have to try digging it all up in the bedding areas, an currently we do not have the newspaper so I don't have any to lay down under the mulch (oooo though I do have plain newsprint left over from my move out here). Anyway, other non-chemical suggestions would be greatly welcomed!

Monday - May 5th

May 5, 2008
2 comments

Trivia for anyone who cares...Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's independence day. It is instead, the celebration of Mexico's first victory over the French. Their independence day is actually September 16.

However, I am never one to pass up a good opportunity (excuse) to drink beer and each Mexican food...so viva la Mexico!

Another unproductive yard-work weekend. Though I did purchase more work for myself. Ha! I finally found a vitex (Chaste Tree). Up until Saturday, every nursery I went to looking for one looked at me like I was crazy -they had NO idea what I was talking about. I also picked up three Bridal Wreath spirea. I have finally made the decision to dig up the bed in front of the windows and replant those hollies along the side of the house where they can get big and not be so overbearing. The smaller bushes will go up by the road around the mailbox. One of the spirea will go in front of my bedroom window...and a Japanese maple will go in front of (to the left side) the dining room window...close to the walk way. What is going in between? I have no idea.

The other two spirea will go at the corners of the house along the garage side. And the vitex is going off of the corner of the patio where it can get big and show off its gorgeous blue flowers.

I also need to get the lawn mowed today or tomorrow. Blech. Of course, I can't do it this morning because I am out of gas for the mower and have no inclination to drive into town just for that. Besides, I have two con calls today that I have to be on.

I guess I will tackle the inside cleaning today instead.