I had a productive weekend!

14 years ago

Since we just moved into this house last fall, there has been a list of 'major projects' that needed to be done before I could start treating myself to creating a cottage garden. I'm happy to report I got two of them done this weekend! I cleaned out the square front flowerbed where DH put his flagpole (heavy layer of weeds in hard-packed clay soil), filled it with mulch and a couple large containers, and got his petunias planted - I told him that filling the rest of the space was up to him!

I also tore out and rebuilt a small section of drystack stone retaining wall that had washed out sometime before we moved in - of course, because it didn't go back together the same way it was originally built, it now looks like it needs a nice capstone layer to be completely finished. But, I am completely bushed and happy enough with it that I will be ready to plant my giant blue hostas and other goodies when they arrive in the mail this coming week.

After that, I can start thinking seriously about how to expand the lone perennial bed here that will become my cottage garden! (The final large project is a horrificly large and unproductive vegetable garden which will require an entire weekend or more unto itself to really be cleaned out. I have to wait til I have the money to pay someone to do some hauling before I can tackle that.)

The cottage garden area is shown in the photo below, and the link takes you to the photo album of new pictures of our property from this weekend, after we had mowed but before I put in the new wall and petunias.

Here is a link that might be useful: New house and yard

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Comments (10)

User
14 years ago
What a wondeful space you have. There is so much potential and you will have such a great time developing all of it. I can hardly wait for more pics as it progresses. I love the bed by the little shed . The garden will keep you in everything you will need for a whole year !! Have fun and please post more pics...I love rock walls ! c
bluesunflower
14 years ago
That is a really great piece of property you have! Those mature trees are a real bonus. Do you have a grand vision for the whole area or are you saving your sanity to lose a little bit at a time?

Congratulations on your new home.
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I had a productive Saturday in the garden, did you?
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I saw an ad in the local Pennysaver: Free Wood Chips. After several phone calls and sending an email, I got added to whatever list this particular tree service referred to for people who wanted free wood chips. One Saturday, about a month after I requested chips, they showed up with a nice truckload. lusty is right, many tree services will happily dump the chips in your driveway (or other easily accessible part of your yard) if you ask. I asked some guys shortly before responding to the Pennysaver ad; they mostly had tree stumps though. One thing is that they'll only give you the chips if you're willing to take the entire truckload. I think my pile was 10 cubic yards and that is a LOT of woodchips, I've filled up my whole front yard (we don't have lawn) and most of the backyard (small lawn).
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Had a great weekend in the garden!
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Hi Kara! Sounds like you did a ton of work! I also did some thinning of my parents' plants - we took out a 30-year-old crinum and got more room in their garden. Like 10 square feet! Then they had a huge stand of Giant Liriope and I took much of that home with me for my garden. I also took home a back ache, but that didn't stop me from working out in the yard more today! So since you show Tavi helping out, I thought I'd show Rosie checking out the Blue Flags (this is an old picture)
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I sowed my seeds last weekend and had visions!
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Earlier this year, I had a dream about tomato vines that were as thick as small trees, with really big red tomatoes on them. I looked it up in "10000 Dreams"--a really good dream dictionary written in the early 1900's, that you can find free online--and it said: "To see them growing, denotes domestic enjoyment and happiness." But then I read the part under the "gardens" section: "To see vegetables, denotes misery or loss of fortune and calumny. To females, this dream foretells that they will be famous, or exceedingly happy in domestic circles." So I thought, great. Too bad I'm not female. Then I remembered. Tomatoes aren't vegetables:) But I haven't had any visions. Just dreams.
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little_dani
14 years ago
What is the year and model of your red car? It looks like a '58 Ford to me, but I could be wrong. My eyes are not what they used to be.

Love the property, Love the car!

I am an old car nut, having owned, restored, and driven many, many of them in my lifetime. My DH can't figure out how I recognize a '52 Chevy going down the street, Girls don't know about cars...

Janie
janetgia
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you! Yes the property has so much to offer - it's very park-like, almost a full acre within city limits... good spacing between neighbors, and lots of trees.

As far as a vision... the only thing I'm really envisioning is using the sideyard as some sort of walk-through (i.e. paths and various points of interest) cottage/cutting garden. I have a "sort of" plan I sketched on a dinner napkin not too long ago. The rest of the property is really lovely the way it is, so I probably won't do too much.

And yes, I DO expect to be losing sanity a little at a time. LOL In fact, I think I left some of it among the stones of my rock wall!
janetgia
Original Author
14 years ago
Janie, you have a good eye! That's a '59 Ford Fairlane. It's what my hubby calls a "20-foot car," meaning it looks good from 20 feet. Any closer than that and you begin to see it has some issues :) We have built several old cars in the past 20 years - our first was a 37 Chevy street rod, and this Ford is our most recent project. I often impress my hubby by being able to identify some old car going down the road - I REALLY impressed him the day he realized I knew how to tell the difference between 1939 and 1940 Fords! LOL
little_dani
14 years ago
I had a '59 Ford Fairlane. Mine was white, and pretty nice. It had been kept in a garage, and was seldom driven. Until I got it, that is. LOL

I had a '49 Ford PU once. The only thing 'Ford' about it was the body, however. It had a 350 engine in it and a Pontiac rear end. We didn't do that bit of mechanical miricle, it was done when we got it. We painted it 'Candy Apple' RED, and named it "Bully", and drove it for the longest time. It was so cute, but way more motor than it needed. I think my DH tore out a drive shaft every time he drove it.

Janie
gldno1
14 years ago
Janet, you have a beautiful big, shady space to work. Congratulations on attacking the "to-do list". I love all the shade trees.
ladypat1
14 years ago
What a wonderful, peaceful place. You can have years of enjoyment (and work) at this place. I also look forward to updates in pictures over the years. What an opportunity! Pat
DYH
14 years ago
You have such a nice place. I agree with your park-like description as it looks like quite a great place to spend time. Don't rush your garden, enjoy the journey.

Cameron
FlowerLady6
14 years ago
Such a beautiful, peaceful place you have. A blank canvas awaiting your creative touch. Have fun and don't stress.

FlowerLady

I had a productive weekend!

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