I want mangos (or mangoes?) in MY backyard!
kngskid
13 years ago
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kngskid
13 years agoRelated Discussions
I want to enjoy my backyard again. HELP!!!!
Comments (5)Thanks y'all. I actually started with the cleaning process this morning and wound up in throat tightening tears that were completely unexpected. In the process of cleaning off the patio I saw all of Cleo's hair that I didn't even know was there. I just watched them wash away in jets of water and felt like I was washing her away. I have a feeling this will be a lot more painful then I expected but hope to get great therapy from it in the long run. It did give me an idea in talking to my mother about making a memorial area somewhere in the yard just for her with a marker of some sorts. Of course nothing could compare to the beauty and happiness that she brought to our lives for so long. There is a small swag on the bottom of the slope that turns into a river when it rains. I do eventually want to build it up with some river rock or something but that will be on the bottom of my priority list (need to think cheep right now). I've even thought that maybe one day I'd do a waterfall down the hill to a pond of some sort, but again, I don't even know if we'll be in the house for as long as that would take. Can anybody tell from the pictures where the best place to put the swingset would be? I want to put plants around the patio and I think they would get in the way of the slide if I don't move it. Where would you put the sweetshrub?...See MoreAttacked in my own backyard !!!
Comments (20)Hi Nancy, I got a kick out of your fake owl and it reminded me of an incident here about 6 months ago. Looking thru a magazine one day I spotted an ad for a solar powered plastic owl that lit up at night, supposed to be good for keeping critters away. So I ordered it, - a very real looking, white plastic owl with a small solar panel sticking out it's butt. I mounted it on the plastic spike it came with in the rear of my backyard and let it do it's thing for almost a month,..every night the 10 inch tall owl lit up bright as can be ! Then it happened ! My next door neighbor had a huge 50 ft tall pine tree on his front lawn and it was constantly inhabited by two big, and very real, dark brown owls. One night as I slept I was shocked awake by loud shouting in my backyard, coming from my owls area. It was a rapid squawking sound,.." HOOT, HOOT, HOOT, ETC, ETC " It initially had me confused, but then I realized what must be happening. The two neighboring, real life owls got sick and tired of this new guy next door who was arrogantly flaunting himself at night and also very unfriendly,..never flying over to introduce himself, etc. That loud squawking went on for almost 10 minutes, - then silence and I could get back to sleep. The two real owls obviously flew away, satisfied that they had put my guy in his place. Next morning I went out back and saw my guy was tilted off center a bit & slightly scratched, but otherwise OK. Not wanting anymore night time fights ( my neighbor & his wife heard it too ), I pulled my plastic solar owl out of the ground and stashed him in a shed for good. A time or two after that I'd go outside and see one or both of the live owls sitting high up in that pine tree, looking down at me. I could swear one gave me " the feather " one time ! A true story, honestly ! ( smile )...See MoreWanted:Seeds to populate my back yard with edibles
Comments (6)What sort of edibles? If you're talking veggies: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ has good prices and selection imo I wouldn't bother sowing at this point until about Late September and make sure with some sorts that the soil is cool enough by then, most veggies grow better during FL cool season anyway. Tips: Afternoon shade is your friend for vast majority of vegetables in FL if growing during warm season. We are the same latitude as Egypt, "full sun" means 6 hours of light at least (doesn't have to be all day) and our sun is so powerful many plants may not want more than 6-8 hours, especially if it's afternoon sun. If your yard has few trees I suggest getting some and planting your beds strategically to utilize the afternoon shaded areas. Otherwise, plants and the soil they are in can get too hot. Commercial growers sometimes bypass this because they constantly are watering plants even in afternoon but who wants to spend that money/waste all that water? White/light colored concrete or ceramic pots (this is how I grow parsley all year, even in afternoon sun) are also your friend for the same reason, black plastic pots are poorly insulated and the dark color gets too hot for heat-sensitive veggies. You can use black plastic pots but make sure to either put them out of afternoon sun or place them inside a larger white pot. [and I have a list of fast-growing native trees if you're interested] Stuff I've grown from seed with success (CS= cool season, AM= AM sun only) Okra (soak in water until seeds germinate before sowing) Carrots (CS) Beets (CS) Radishes (CS) Parsley (AM or in white ceramic pot, otherwise dies in July) Dill (AM or in white ceramic pot, otherwise dies in July) Bronze Fennel (more tolerant of heat than previous 2) Basil, very easy and there's a lot of different tasting-varieties so it's my favorite, good for bees too (AM, otherwise dies in July usually) Lettuce (CS) Spinach (CS) Tomatoes Peppers, various Cucumber Squash Mint (GROW IN POT, very invasive) Coneflower (seeds can be expensive, honestly I just buy a plant and then clip off some of the seedheads and store in a fridge and then sow straight into ground before a week of rain or something. not true from seed so whatever you buy will probably revert to purple wild type) Nasturtium Oh and you may already know this but a lot of fruiting trees/shrubs just aren't worth growing from seed, depends on the kind of course but there's a lot of people online trying to get away with selling things like citrus seeds even though they don't come true from seed. If you're willing to consider things that aren't seeds I can give you my list of recommended edible shrubs&trees. Hope that helps and good luck...See MoreHow do I make my Brooklyn backyard into a beautiful part of my home?
Comments (31)1. Glad you don't want grass in your city lot. Agreed, it is a mosquito magnet, and mosquitos are getting worse and worse because of the warm winters we have been having. 2. I really like your bricks and would not pave over them. You just need a good vision that will tie together a new fence, the bricks and your three large sides of beds. 3. Regarding your bilco doors to the basement, it brings up a question about the whole back of your house. There is a lot of mismatched after though happening. You need to think about the new awning and how you will repair the wall that is the base of your porch. Once the back of your house has more of a "look" to it, you can paint your bilco doors to become part of that scheme. Obviously the setting of the houses below are quite different than yours but they both match the doors to the look of the house and they have planting nearby. Perhaps you want to flank the left side of your basement doors with a planter so there is greenery on one side and steps on the other. I'm obsessed with city back yards and find lots of inspiration just doing a google image search for "Brooklyn backyard ideas". Good luck. It is a wonderful space....See Moreohiojay
13 years agolightheartedmangolover
7 years agoamberroses
7 years agopuglvr1
7 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
7 years agopuglvr1
7 years agoAndrew t
7 years ago
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