23 posts tagged “yard”
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.
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!
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.
The weekend wasn't all bad, but I get very little of the MUCH needed yard work accomplished and that frustrates me to no end. I feel like there is never time to get everything done these days and that something important always has to give. Some folks may not consider housework or yard work important, but I take pride in my home and I want to keep it nice (which is tough enough to do with two dogs and three cats...let alone adding a job that always has me away).
We did hit up two farmer's markets on Saturday. The first was the Charlotte Tailgate which was very small, but nice. It was also their first weekend of the season, so I expect it will be larger as things get going. While we were there, there was also an art festival happening that we didn't know about, so we perused those booths too. There was some very lovely stuff, unfortunately, out of my budget right now.
After that we headed over to the Charlotte Farmer's Market. This is a permanent state run market that is open from March until October (I think)...all day Tuesday through Saturday. And I think they are also open Sundays during the peak season. I had NO idea this place was here! It was fabulous...and also very obvious that regardless of the hours, if you are going there to buy produce, go early! There was also a crafts building that we didn't go check out, and a greenery building that we did go check out. Lots of great plants (indoor, outdoor, and edible) for sale.
We picked up some numy stuff and will go back again next week when I can get some more things for myself since I will be home the following week to enjoy them! Now that I am doing this, I am going to have to work out some sort of weekly dinner plan so that I know on Saturdays what I need to grab. Mostly, I want to be sure to plan so that I don't just get stuff that looks great and then have it go bad because I wasn't around to actually eat it.
Then we took the dogs to the dog park with their new pooch pass. What a great place! Completely fenced in, poop bags stations very conveniently located throughout. Water. And at least a couple acres for them to romp in...partially shaded with trees. We will definitely be frequenting this park since it is clean and convenient.
Then I got roped into hanging out with Neil and Beth...I should have gone home and started the yard work. But, I didn't. And we had a lovely evening!
Today I got the necessary yard stuff done. Mowing and edging and some sweeping off the patio and the garage. But of course that took forever so I didn't get anything else done out there that I needed to do. Maybe next weekend.
This week I am traveling....I will be in a small PA town for a couple days. It sucks, because this is a review I could do in a day and a half if it were local, but I have to add on two more days just for traveling. Stupid.
The city has let up slightly on the water restrictions. For the time being I am now allowed to water my lawn on Thursdays (even number homes Thurs...odd are some other day of the week) and I can wash my car on Fridays.
Unfortunately, the lawn watering on Thursdays is highly inconvenient since I am usually out of town or traveling and arriving home very late on Thursdays. I may try to enlist the help of my neighbors with this. And I have a confession to make...I have owned my truck for over a year now and have yet to wash it myself. Don't get me wrong...it has been washed, but always by the dealership when I take it in for the oil changes and maintenance.
This weekend will be another jam-packed one. Today is housework day. Tomorrow morning Neil and I are going to head out to the opening day of the farmer's market in Charlotte. If I remember correctly, the local market in Mount Holly here opens next weekend or the one after that - when it does, it will be much more convenient. Hopefully, they will have lots of good stuff. It is their second year here in town.
On the way home from Charlotte we will be stopping by the rockery so that I can get prices on red rock and also paving stones (with delivery). Of course, I also have more shrubbery thoughts in my head too...I would like to dig up the prickly holly that is in front of my windows and replace it with a few different shrubs that will stay smaller and will bloom (a gardenia or two and a couple camellias). But that project is going to wait until I get the hardscaping taken care of and I get one last tree planted.
Tomorrow afternoon we are planning to take the pups to the dog park that is nearby (at lunch today I am hoping to have time to get out and get the Pooch Passes for the pups so we can do this). Apparently, there is a nice little beach area there at the dog park too!
Sunday will be spent doing the yard work that I will have intended to get to Saturday evening but won't have. Mowing and edging and chopping down overgrowth on the hillside and gully out back. FUN!
Next weekend will be actual hardscaping work if I can get the items I need delivered.
Then bright and early Monday morning I fly out again. Whhheeee. I really hate the travel. I am so tired of cramming my life into three days on top of all of my daily chores because I am not home in the evenings to take care of the mundane tasks like a normal person with a normal job.
To-Do
- pooch passes
- vacuum
- laundry
- scrub bathrooms
- scrub floors
- mow
- edge
- remove overgrowth
Shopping List
- flowering tree
- weed-n-feed/grass seed
- spreader
- groceries
- paving stones
- red rock
Have any of you used Aperture 2.1? It gets such rave reviews, but I want an opinion from someone I "know". I've been playing with Lightroom on my PC at home, but really need software for when I am on the road with the Mockingbird. Everything I read is that Aperture is nicer to use than Lightroom.
My other big need is a backup system for all my music and photos. The problem is I can't really decide how I want to set that all up yet...all I know is I need a lot of space. I need to reorganize the drives I have as well...there is music all over the place, photos in random folders...etc. I am an organizational freak that way. It bothers me when things get saved to random places. But all that is on the PC and is in no way a Mac issue (unless the fact that I don't own a MacPro is an issue...ha!)
So there ya have it...
Oh yeah, and I need to get one more tree when I get home...then it will be on to planting bed layouts.
Oh yeah, oh yeah...Dad is doing fine (or so I hear). Still haven't actually talked to him - I did hear that he got angry at my sister for telling me what happened. *sigh*
Everything that I purchased for the yard, thus far, has been planted...three maples (Autumn Blaze), six crape myrtles (Acoma), three glossy abelia (Edward Goucher), and a euonomous (Greenspire). Most the holes we alright to dig - comparatively speaking. Two of the maples ended up in places where I was simply able to dig a hole. There are areas with a TON of rocks in the clay. The clay itself is heavy, but wasn't too terrible to dig in.
I had wanted to try to save the half-dead maple that was originally in the front (planted by the builder), but as we were digging it up the trunk snapped and we saw that it was rotting through the middle - hence the dead tree mess at the end of the driveway. We have a yard waste truck that comes on trash day that mulches leaves, branches, etc. Along the lot line there on the right are five of the crape myrtles. They are also very fast growing so in another year or two they should offer a nice screen between my house and the neighbor's driveway (which is currently the view I have from my bedroom and dining room).
The oak tree in the back yard was completely dead...it hadn't even rooted itself in so I essentially yanked it right out of the hole by its trunk. The maple that replaced it ended up getting moved a bit farther back from the house and more to the left (when looking out the back door). The old tree was just too close to the house and in a strange spot in the yard. One of the crape myrtles went by the back of the house so it will help shade the patio in the evenings and will be able to be seen out the kitchen nook windows. One abelia went by the front lot corner on the right (near the mailbox) and the other two went on either side of the guest bedroom window...someday when they grow in, they will offer very pretty flowers and some screening so there is some privacy in that room even with the blinds open.
My last project to finish up is replacing all the old pine straw in front of the windows with red rock. Then I am going to tackle some additional hardscaping...I am going to extend my back patio out to each side with paving stones so that the grill can be moved away from the living room windows and there will be more room to sit and relax out there. Once that is done I will be designing and edging all of the planting bed areas and filling them with red rock too. Generally speaking, they will be around the edges of the yard and around the trees.
Maybe next year (or even this fall) I will get around to tilling and reseeding the lawn...we'll see.
Well, part of the trees got planted...one of the crape myrtles and the three maples. Then, as I was reheating pizza for lunch, I did a nice job of burning my left hand. the palm side of my thumb, middle, and ring finger are the worst. The rest is just tight and red. The whole thing hurts like hell.
I still have six major holes left to dog in the yard, and I have discovered that the front and side yards are FULL of large rocks. Not quite sure how I am going to manage the rest of the planting, but I will find a way. I also have to dig up and replant the old, half-dead, maple that is in the front yard. Tomorrow, though, my big plans are to go to Home Depot and get the edging materials and also several bags of red rock so I can at least get the old pine straw out of the front yard and finish rocking the existing planting bed. I can do most of that with one and a half (or so) hands...assuming I can get someone to help me load and unload the truck.
On another note, I was starting to get worried because I hadn't seen Mr. M in awhile. Then it occurred to me that he might have gotten stuck in my garage when I had it open while I was doing yard work yesterday. Heh. As soon as I opened the laundry room door I saw him...curled up sleeping soundly on a pile of dirty clothes. He has been in there since yesterday morning and not once did he make a sound! The dogs never even alerted me to his being in there! I do remember at one point noticing that the door from the laundry room to the garage was open so I went and shut it...I never thought to look for kitties who didn't belong inside because the neighbor cat was the only one I had seen around and he was out on my driveway at the time.
That's my news for the day. Now I am off to put more ice on the hand and watch a movie.
...how 'bout you?
Yup. Now I am committed to this thing. I got three red maples (Autumn Blaze), six crape myrtles (Acoma - very pretty white), and a euonomous...I forget which variety...evergreen, upright to about six feet tall and about two feet wide. Oh yeah, and three bags of mushroom compost.
Of course, now they are calling for thunderstorms and rain tomorrow. My hope is that we get a little rain tonight to make digging tomorrow a bit easier and then maybe just some cool overcast weather for at least the first part of the day. We'll see. Then, once these puppies are planted, I go to the big home improvement store with the orange sign and get some edging materials, some paving stones, and work on some of that. Once the edging material is staked in I need to go to the rockery and look at how much red rock I need and what it will cost to have delivered. Heh. That means some other weekend I will be hauling rock. I am not at all looking forward to that task.
With the exception of about the first five minutes of the game, it was pretty abysmal. They simply didn't play their game...and they were completely outsized. Eh, it was still cool they made it that far.
Woohoo - it's Friday! I am currently working on my yard shopping list and as soon as I am done with several conference calls and some other administrative stuff, I will be heading out to start my shopping. (boring shopping list below)
I am really looking forward to my long weekend of "me" time. I get to spend it doing what I want (and need) to do...which of course will be mostly yard work, but I am seriously looking forward to that. I am excited to see the results. I got my wide-angle lens back from Neil so there will be before and after photos of the yard and of course additional shots as things continue to progress, grow, and change. I think after this weekend at least the front yard might actually start to look like someone lives here! Heh.
Hmmmm really nothing else to report. Life is moving along at its normal pace. Boring is good sometimes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- shrub/tree fertilizer stakes
- 3 maples
- 6 dwarf indian hawthorns
- 3 lilacs
- 3 nandina
- 6 crepe myrtles
- boarder edging material
(I am sure there is more that I will need, but this ought to be more than enough to start me off...)
